Suitors and Sabotage(29)

The castle island was deserted, devoid of workmen. It was likely that Mr. Opine had hustled the crew indoors, out of the impending storm. Heaps of rock sat near the bridge, waiting to be carted away. A lone shovel leaned against the crumbling wall, looking forgotten.

Imogene was impressed by the progress. Over half of the fallen floor had been cleared, and huge beams had been used to brace the leaning wall above it. She wouldn’t be banned much longer.

Following the sound of Jasper’s barking, Imogene realized the dog had returned to the staircase. How he had done so was a puzzle, as several lengths of lumber had been propped across the arches leading to the great hall. Yet that explained why the dog had not come when he had been called.

“Silly pup, always getting into trouble.” Imogene sighed as she leaned over the top board, squinting at the floor. The line directly to the stairs was dangerously close to the collapse, but if they kept to the wall … no, there was no need to take the chance. “It would be safer to go through the castle’s south wing and then up the inner tower stairs,” Imogene called over her shoulder, trying to be heard above the cacophony of an excited dog and the rumbling thunder. “There’s a door to the top landing. I can lead the way.”

“The storm will be on us by then,” Ben said as he shifted the boards to the side. “You stay here. I’ll just run over and get him. I’ll be right back.”

“No,” Imogene shouted as he stepped confidently through the arch. Without a second thought, Imogene jumped forward, grabbing his coat. She pulled back, falling in the process, dragging Ben with her.

Ben grunted in surprise as he fell on top of her and released a stream of words that Imogene had never heard before. “Why in heaven’s name did you do that?” he finally asked.

“I apologize,” Imogene said, feeling uncomfortable with her ill-considered haste. She pushed against his weight, gasping for breath. “Could. You. Get. Off? Oh, thank you.” Struggling to sit and then stand, Imogene accepted Ben’s hand as he pulled her to her feet.

“I beg your pardon,” she started again as she straightened her skirts, doing her best not to meet his frowning stare. “But it seems rather foolhardy to rush onto a cracked floor with no idea of its integrity.” She heard him sniff.

“You are quite right.”

Raising her eyes, Imogene smiled, expecting to see an easing of Ben’s frown, but he had already looked away.

“Let’s use this,” he said as he lifted one of the boards that had barred their way only moments earlier. “It will distribute my weight.” He didn’t wait for Imogene’s assent but stepped up to the arch once more.

Squatting, he placed the board on the stones and began sliding it forward. It scuffed and scraped along the floor as expected until its full length was nearly stretched to the base of the stairs. Then there was a great snap. Gravity yanked the board from his hands as it tumbled six or seven feet to the floor below in a shower of stone.

“Well,” Ben said, staring at the newly formed hole. “That’s disappointing.” He stood, dusting his hands together. “So what was that other suggestion?”

“Going through the castle?”

“Yes, that was the one.”

A flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by a clap of thunder, urged Imogene to hasten. Pivoting, she hurried around the corner of the south wing and into a side door; Ben was on her heels. She rushed through the dark, empty rooms to where the wing joined the tower. Up a few steps, over a landing, and then they could make their way up two flights to the door that originally led from the tower into the impressive great hall. They emerged breathless, but just where they needed to be.

Jasper greeted them with buckets of enthusiasm. He leaped high in the air, looking more like himself than he had in days.… But he was not free. Someone had tied him to one of the tower’s wall braces.

“Why would anyone tie…?” Imogene folded her brow into deep trenches and glanced over her shoulder at Ben.

“He must have been in the way,” Ben suggested. “And they forgot him in the rush to get out of the storm.”

Imogene nodded but was not entirely certain that was the case.

Releasing Jasper took longer than one would expect. The knot had been pulled so tight that it was soon apparent they would have to cut the rope, not untie it. Ben ran back for the shovel and then used it like an ax while Imogene held Jasper out of the way.

By the time the rope was frayed enough to break, and the shovel completely ruined, the sky had opened up, and the storm was in its glory. Clinging to each other, they slowly made their way back up the hill, buffeted this way and that. Their progress, or absence, must have been noted, for Mr. Marshal and Ernest met them at the crest of the hill. With Jasper headed back to the kennels and Imogene secured between the Steeple brothers, they at last made it to the front door.

Family and friends wearing matching worried expressions greeted them in the hall, and, unfortunately, just as Imogene opened her mouth to assure everyone that all was well, she sneezed. There was nothing to be said after that; Mother would not allow Imogene to do anything other than take to her bed.

And so it was that Imogene found herself alone in her room all evening, listening to the rain on the roof and wondering how Jasper came to be in the ruin and why workmen would tie the dog to a brace rather than return him to his kennel.