The Secret of Dinswood

by Ellen Alexander

  “Even Mr. Hodges?” Emma asked with a frown. “I still don’t trust him.”

  “I know what you mean,” Doug agreed, “but it couldn’t have been him who hit me on the head that day in Windland. Mr. Hodges was definitely here at the school all that day. I talked to Dad more than once about it, and he says Mr. Hodges could not have been in Windland. I finally had to stop talking to him about it because he was starting to get suspicious and ask some questions of his own.” Doug shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, a mannerism that Emma was beginning to recognize as uniquely Doug’s. It was always something he did when he was trying to figure things out.

  After a pause, Doug continued, “The man I saw looked like Mr. Hodges, but that doesn’t mean it was Mr. Hodges. Besides, I can’t really be sure of what the guy looked like. I was too far away to get a good look.”

  “It gives me the creeps to think that there’s a Mr. Hodges look alike out there somewhere,” Emma said with a shiver.

  “Two men who look like Mr. Hodges is one too many,” Doug agreed.

  They walked along in companionable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. They continued their circle around the castle. Moving now in an easterly direction, they passed the boys’ dorm and were just coming to the chapel when Doug caught a movement in the forest behind it.

  “Did you see that?” Doug asked Emma without taking his eyes off of the area behind the chapel.

  “What?” Emma asked, looking in the direction Doug was pointing.

  “I thought I saw something moving behind the chapel. I caught a flash of red out of the corner of my eye,” Doug answered, still focused intently on the forest to their right.

  “Maybe it was a cardinal,” Emma said hopefully.

  “No, it couldn’t have been. It was too big.” Doug continued to peer into the forest a few seconds longer, and then he began moving toward the trees. “I’m going to go check it out,” he said over his shoulder.

  “Doug, stop,” Emma said grabbing his arm. “You can’t go chasing around in the forest. The last time you went after someone suspicious you nearly ended up with a concussion. Something much worse could happen this time.”

  Doug turned to look at Emma and saw genuine fear in her eyes. That gave him pause, and he began to assess the situation. At the moment, he and Emma were the only two students outside the castle. If he went off searching in the woods, Emma would be left by herself, and it was too dangerous to take her with him. His only option was to make sure Emma made it back inside the castle safely. Whatever or whomever he had seen in the woods was probably long gone by now anyway.

  Squeezing the hand that still held his arm, Doug said, “You’re right. We better just go back inside the castle. It’s starting to get a little colder out here.”

  Emma wasn’t fooled. She knew if she hadn’t been with Doug, he’d already be in the forest looking for whatever he thought he’d seen. He was simply concerned for her safety. That was fine if it would keep Doug out of harm’s way. Besides Doug was right, the temperature outside had begun to drop, and the wind had picked up. A bank of dark clouds could be seen in the west. A cold front was definitely moving in.

  “Is it supposed to snow?” Emma asked Doug as they circled around to the front of the castle.

  “Dad was listening to the radio this morning before he left, and the weatherman said we would probably get a little snow but no significant accumulation.”

  “Good!” Emma said.

  “Good?” Doug asked incredulously. “I thought you loved snow—the more the better.”

  “Normally I do,” Emma replied. “But I don’t want it to snow so much that Martha and Sebastian can’t get back to school this weekend.”

  “Yeah, I guess I hadn’t thought of that,” Doug said. By this time, they’d reached the stairs leading up to the castle’s main entrance. As they climbed the stairs, Doug turned to Emma, smiling, and said, “I bet they’ll be really glad to see that you and I are friends again.”

  Doug opened the door for Emma and as she passed by him, she smiled back and said, “I bet you’re right.”

  They spent the rest of the morning playing Parcheesi in front of the fireplace in the lounge. Doug won the first game, and Emma won the second. Emma had started off the first game being nice and making a special effort not to land on any of the spaces occupied by Doug’s game pieces, but the first time he sent one of her men back to the beginning, it was all-out war from then on. The game brought out the competitive nature in both Emma and Doug, and they sent each other’s men back so many times that the first game took much longer than usual. All of this was accomplished with a great deal of laughter and good-natured ribbing. When Doug won the first game, he teased Emma mercilessly. Vowing to get even, Emma began the second game by rolling double fives. She continued to have extraordinary luck the whole game, rolling doubles numerous times. The second game was completed much more quickly, and when it was over, Emma couldn’t help rubbing in the fact that she had beaten Doug more soundly than he had beaten her.

  “You can’t take credit for good luck!” Doug said laughing. “I’ve never seen anyone roll so many doubles. Besides, we’re tied now, one game to one. We’ll play a third game to determine the Parcheesi champion.”

  Just then the clock over the fireplace mantle began to strike noon. “I guess the tie-breaker game will have to wait until after dinner,” Emma said, smiling mischievously.

  “Well, there’s really no need to play a third game as I already know who the victor will be,” Doug said, grinning back.

  “Oh, you do, do you?”

  “It’s obvious you were just lucky. No one could be that lucky a second time.”

  “We’ll see,” Emma said as she folded the game board and put the pieces back in the box.

  They continued their lighthearted banter all the way to the dining room. When they entered the dining hall, the most wonderful aromas assailed their senses. The cooks had gone out of their way to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for the students who had remained at the school for the holiday. There was the usual turkey and dressing, along with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Emma suddenly realized she was famished. Doug must have been hungry too, for after they had filled their trays, there was little conversation while they ate.

  Doug finished first, having cleaned his tray. Setting his fork down, he leaned back with a satisfied sigh and said, “I’m stuffed, but it sure was good.”

  Emma, with a mouthful of pumpkin pie, simply nodded her agreement. When she had finished her pie she said, “I don’t know when I’ve ever eaten so much. The cooks really outdid themselves. Everything was delicious! I’m so full; I don’t think I could eat again for another week.”

  “You say that now, but I bet by five o’clock we’re back in here nibbling on leftovers,” Doug said with a laugh.

  “You’re probably right,” Emma said, smiling. Then her smile faded, and she broached the subject they’d been avoiding all morning. “Doug, who do you think that was out there behind the chapel this morning? Do you think it could have been the same person who tried to break into my locker last night and ransacked your room?”

  “I must admit, the thought did occur to me,” Doug replied, all serious now. “It’s possible we’re being watched, and if we are, we’re going to have to be a lot more careful from now on. We need to warn Martha and Sebastian when they get back, and we absolutely cannot go anywhere alone.”

  Emma didn’t immediately reply. She was remembering back to the day when she and Martha had gone outside to enjoy the first snow and had heard something in the woods. Could it have been someone spying on them? A chill went up Emma’s spine as she considered the possibility.

  “Emma, do you hear me? You can’t go anywhere alone,” Doug reiterated, when Emma still didn’t reply. Then becoming concerned at the far off look on her face, he asked, “Emma, what’s wrong?”

  Pulling h
er mind back to the present, Emma told Doug what had happened that morning at the edge of the woods. When she had finished, she added, “I was pretty spooked, but I thought I was just being silly. Martha and I practically ran back to the castle. That’s when we ran into you and Sebastian coming out.”

  “I remember now,” Doug said suddenly. “I knew something was wrong.” Doug would have said more, but he remembered that at the time of the incident, Emma had not been speaking to him. At any rate, everything was beginning to make sense now.

  Even though Doug hadn’t brought it up, Emma was remembering how rude she’d been to him that day. Looking back on the way she’d behaved, she was embarrassed and ashamed. “Doug, I’m sorry for being so rude to you that day. I shouldn’t have…” Emma began awkwardly but was interrupted by Doug.

  “It’s okay, Emma. Let’s just forget it,” Doug said quickly, feeling a little uncomfortable himself.

  Neither Doug nor Emma spoke for the next several moments. It was Doug who eventually broke the awkward silence. “Hey, we’d better get going. We’ve got a championship game scheduled for this afternoon.”

  “I almost forgot,” Emma said, glad to change the subject. By the time they got to the lounge, however, Emma had changed her mind about the game. “You know, Doug, I’m not really in the mood for any more Parcheesi. Would you care if we played chess instead?”

  “That’s fine with me. I’m always up for a good game of chess. We’ll play our championship game some other time,” Doug said agreeably.

  They played chess in front of the fire in the lounge all afternoon. As Emma was still learning the game, the first few games were more for practice than to declare an official winner. All afternoon, Doug patiently instructed Emma, pointing out the various moves that could be made and the consequences of each move. With each practice game, Emma’s confidence grew, until the last game was played with Emma entirely on her own. Although Doug won, she felt like she had given him a good game, and she beamed with pleasure when Doug complimented her on how well she had played. When they’d first entered the lounge after dinner, there had been other students around, but by the time they finished their last game of chess, twilight had fallen, and they were alone. The snow the skies had been threatening all day began to fall, the large flakes drifting slowly to the ground.

  “I hate to admit it, but I’m hungry again,” Doug said while stretching, stiff from sitting in one position so long. “You want to get a little snack?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Emma said, sitting back in her chair and rubbing her neck.

  “What shall we do after we eat?” Doug asked as he put the chess pieces away.

  “I was thinking I’d work on the afghan I’m making for my dad and stepmom. I need to get it done. It’s what I’m giving them for Christmas,” Emma answered.

  “Good idea. While you’re doing that, I can work on the chess game I’m making for dad.” Doug noticed that Emma had said stepmom, and so, although he regretted it a second later, he asked. “How long have your mom and dad been divorced?”

  Doug’s question surprised Emma. She had just assumed that he knew her mother was dead, although when she thought about it, there was no reason he should have known. Since coming to Dinswood, she hadn’t confided in anyone except Martha. It wasn’t something she liked to talk about. Even now, years later, she still felt the loss of her mother keenly.

  When Emma didn’t answer immediately, Doug knew he’d said something wrong. He was just trying to figure out what to say next, when Emma said softly, “My mother died when I was five.”

  “Emma, I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize. I just assumed they were divorced.” Doug felt awful. It was clear from Emma’s expression that this was a very painful subject.

  “It’s okay, Doug. You couldn’t have known.”

  “I feel bad just the same.” Doug looked at Emma and saw the hurt in her eyes. “You still miss your mom a lot, don’t you?” he asked in almost a whisper.

  Ever since she had learned about Doug’s situation, she had known that he, of all people, would understand what it was like to not have a mother. She’d been right. The compassion in his expression was almost her undoing. Emma knew she could trust Doug and forcing back her tears she said, “I miss her terribly, but what bothers me the most is that I’m beginning to forget what she looked like. It feels like even her memory is starting to slip away from me.”

  Talking about Emma’s mother was beginning to arouse the strong feelings Doug had about his own. “At least you have the comfort of knowing that your mother loved you,” Doug said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. When Emma didn’t respond, he thought he could guess why. “No doubt, you already know that my mom just up and left Dad and me when I was three.”

  “I can’t lie. I did know. Clarice told me the first week of school,” Emma said.

  “That figures. Clarice is a snob and a busybody. I’m not surprised that she was the one who told you all about my private business,” Doug said angrily.

  “Doug, I’m sorry,” Emma began.

  “Don’t worry about it. It isn’t your fault,” Doug interrupted, running a hand through his hair in his agitation.

  “Do you ever hear from her?” Emma felt compelled to ask. Clarice had told her that Doug’s mother had nothing to do with him, but she couldn’t believe it.

  “Never. Not on my birthday or at Christmas or anytime. She left Dad without so much as a goodbye and conveniently forgot either one of us ever existed. I don’t remember her, and I don’t want to,” Doug said passionately.

  Emma couldn’t even begin to understand how a mother could leave her own child. It was obvious from Doug’s tone and expression that he was having a difficult time grasping it as well. It was just as she had figured when she’d first seen Douglas Harwood in the dining hall that first week of school. He felt the loss of his mother just as strongly as she felt the loss of hers; only he had no fond and loving memories to sustain him. Putting her hand over his, more in understanding than in sympathy, she looked at him and saw unshed tears glistening in his eyes. Unable to hold back her own tears any longer, Emma let them fall for both of them.

  They sat like that for several long moments; the only sound the crackling of the logs in the fire. Finally, Emma wiped the moisture off her cheeks and smiling tremulously said, “We sure are a sorry pair.” She was relieved to see him smile back, albeit weakly.

  “We sure are,” he agreed.

  The rest of Thanksgiving weekend seemed to fly by. The Friday following Thanksgiving, Doug’s dad offered to take Doug and Emma on a drive through the mountains. Emma, who hadn’t seen much of the area except the road leading up to the academy, was excited about going. Dean Harwood pulled up in front of the castle’s main entrance in a silver four-wheel drive Ford Explorer. Doug sat in front with his dad and Emma sat in the back seat directly behind Doug. The sky was overcast and gray when they set out, but the roads were clear, and no new snow was expected. The snow they had gotten the day before hadn’t lasted very long and had only resulted in a light dusting of snow on the grassy areas—just as the weatherman had predicted. The first part of their drive took them farther up into the mountains. Emma noticed that there was a lot more snow at the higher elevations. Although the scenery was beautiful, the ride was a little scary for Emma. She was not usually afraid of heights, but at times, the right side of the road just dropped off into nothing, and there were no guardrails to keep them from plunging down the side of the mountain should the car suddenly veer off the road. Emma found herself scooting away from the window, unable to look over the edge. Soon they turned off the main road onto a side road leading in an easterly direction. Emma was relieved that they no longer seemed to be traveling on the edge of the mountain. The narrow road they now traveled was forested on both sides. Every now and then it would dip into a valley with high, rocky peaks on either side of the road. Snowcapped peaks could be seen in the distance. Eventually the road they were on led upward once again, and
Emma’s ears popped with the sudden change in altitude. Conversation was light as everyone was busy enjoying the scenery. Doug’s dad acted as a tour guide, pointing out spots of interest and relating some interesting facts about the mountains in which they were currently traveling.

  Two hours later, they stopped at a ski lodge for lunch. The main building of the lodge was a large log structure. It housed a gift shop, ski shop, a large lounge area complete with a central fireplace, and a dining room. Guests that wanted to stay at the lodge could rent log cabins scattered throughout the forest to the east and west of the main building. When they entered the main building, Emma gasped in awe. The shops were to their left, but it was the dining room that had caught Emma’s attention. One entire wall of the dining room boasted huge glass windows that looked out on the slopes and ski lift. Beyond the glass windows, Emma could see a wooden deck with several tables and chairs so that people could dine outside if they so desired. The hostess showed them to a table next to the windows. As they ate lunch, they were able to watch the skiers as they navigated the slopes. Emma, who had never been skiing, was fascinated by the skill of those swooshing down the slopes.

  Dean Harwood kept the conversation going, asking Emma how she liked Dinswood Academy, and if there was anything she would like to see changed. Emma assured him that she loved the academy just the way it was but that it sure would be nice if they had a gymnasium.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Dean Harwood said, nodding, “but those kinds of things take money. Hopefully, we’ll have more students enroll next year, and then maybe we can make plans for a proper gym.”

  Emma was once again reminded of the financial difficulties the school was experiencing. How she wished they could find that treasure. She could tell from Doug’s expression that he was thinking the same thing. Maybe Cal Thrabek would have some more information for them when they went down to Windland again. The next trip to Windland couldn’t come soon enough as far as Emma was concerned. Emma forced her mind back to the present when Dean Harwood began speaking again.