‘But my stepfather works there now,’ said Sooty. ‘And I shouldn’t be surprised if he locks the door when he leaves the room.’
George didn’t come back. After about ten minutes Anne grew puzzled.
‘What can George be doing? It must be about ten minutes since she went.’
‘Oh, she’s probably gone to see if my old room is unlocked yet,’ said Sooty, getting up. You peep out and see if she’s about.’
She wasn’t. She didn’t seem to be anywhere! She wasn’t in the passage that led to Sooty’s old room; she couldn’t be in that room because it was still locked, and she wasn’t in Marybelle’s room.
Sooty peeped in George’s own room, the one she shared with Anne. But that was empty too. He went downstairs and snooped around a bit. No George!
He went back to the others, puzzled.
‘I can’t find her anywhere,’ he said. ‘Where can she be?’
Anne looked alarmed. This was such a queer house, with queer happenings. She wished George would come.
‘She’s not gone into that little study-room, has she?’ said Julian, suddenly. It would be just like George to try and get into the lion’s den!
‘I didn’t think of that,’ said Sooty. ‘Silly of me. I’ll go and see.’
He went down the stairs. He made his way cautiously to his father’s study. He stood quietly outside the shut door. There was no sound from inside. Was his father there or not?
Sooty debated whether to open the door and peep in or whether to knock. He decided to knock. Then, if his father answered he could rush back upstairs before the door could be opened, and his father would not know whom to scold for the interruption.
So he knocked, very smartly, Rap-rap.
‘Who’s that?’ came his stepfather’s irritable voice. ‘Come in! Am I to have no peace?’
Sooty fled upstairs at once. He went to the others. ‘George can’t be in the study,’ he said. ‘My stepfather’s there, and he didn’t sound in too good a temper either.’
‘Then where can she be?’ said Julian, looking worried. ‘I do wish she wouldn’t go off without telling us where she’s going. She must be somewhere about. She wouldn’t go very far from Timmy.’
They all had a good hunt over the house, even going into the kitchen. Block was there, reading a paper. ‘What do you want?’ he said. ‘You won’t get it, whatever it is.’
‘We don’t want anything from you,’ said Sooty. ‘How’s your poor bad bitten leg?’
Block looked so unpleasantly at them that they all retreated from the kitchen in a hurry. Sooty put Julian and Dick on guard, and went up to the staff bedrooms to see if by any chance George had gone there. A silly idea, he knew, but George must be somewhere!
She wasn’t there, of course. The children went back gloomily to Julian’s room. ‘This beastly house!’ said Julian. ‘I can’t say I like it. Sorry to say so, Sooty, but it’s a queer place with a queer feeling about it.’
Sooty was not hurt at all. ‘Oh, I agree with you,’ he
said. ‘I’ve always thought the same myself. So has Mother, and so has Marybelle. It’s my stepfather that likes it.’
‘Where is George?’ said Anne. ‘I keep on and on trying to think. There’s only one place I’m certain she’s not in and that’s your stepfather’s study, Sooty. Even George wouldn’t dare to go there while your stepfather was there.’
But Anne was wrong. The study was the very place where George was at that very moment!
The little girl had made up her mind that it was best to try and get in there, and wait for a chance to open the sliding panel. So she had slipped downstairs, gone across the hall, and tried the door of the study. It was locked.
‘Blow!’ said George, desperately. ‘Everything is against me and Timmy. How can I get in? I must, I must!’
She slipped out of the side-door near the study and went into the little yard on to which the study-window looked. Could she get in there?
But the window was barred! So that was no good either. She went back again, wishing she could find the key to unlock the door. But it was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly she heard Mr. Lenoir’s voice in the room across the hall. In a panic George lifted up the lid of a big wooden chest nearby, and climbed hurriedly into it. She closed the lid over her, and knelt there, waiting, heart beating fast.
Mr. Lenoir came across the hall. He was going to his study. ‘I shall get everything ready to show my visitor when he comes,’ he called to his wife. ‘Don’t disturb me at all. I shall be very busy indeed.’
George heard the sound of a key being put into the study door. It turned. The door opened and shut with a click.
But it was not locked again from the inside. George knelt in the dark chest and considered matters. She meant to get into that study. She meant to get through the entrance into the secret passage, where Tim was. That passage led from the study to Sooty’s old bedroom, and somewhere in that passage was Timmy.
What she was going to do once she had Timmy she didn’t quite know. Perhaps Sooty would take him to someone who could look after him for her, someone on Castaway Hill.
She heard the sound of Mr. Lenoir coughing. She heard the shuffling of papers. Then she heard the click of a cupboard being opened and shut. Mr. Lenoir was evidently busy!
Then he gave an exclamation of annoyance. He said something in an irritable voice that sounded like ‘Now where did I put that?’
Then the door opened very suddenly and Mr. Lenoir came out. George had just time to close down the lid, which she had opened to let in fresh air. She knelt in the chest, trembling, as Mr. Lenoir passed there and went on across the hall.
George suddenly knew that this was her chance. Mr. Lenoir might be gone for a few minutes and give her time to open that panel in the wall! She lifted the lid of the chest, and jumped out quickly. She ran into the study, and went to the place where Sooty had pressed the panelling.
But before she could even run her fingers over the smooth brown oak, she heard returning footsteps! Mr. Lenoir had hardly been half a minute. He was coming back at once.
In a panic poor George looked round for somewhere to hide. There was a large sofa against one wall. George
crawled behind it, finding just room to crouch there without being seen. She was hardly there before Mr. Lenoir entered the room, shut the door, and sat down at his desk. He switched on a big lamp over it, and bent to look at some documents.
George hardly dared to breathe. Her heart bumped against her ribs and seemed to make a terrible noise. It was very uncomfortable behind the sofa, but she did not dare to move.
She could not think what in the world to do. It would be terrible to be there for hours! What would the others think? They would soon be looking for her.
They were. Even at that moment Sooty was outside the study door, pondering whether to go in or to knock. He knocked smartly – rap-rap – and George almost jumped out of her skin!
She heard Mr. Lenoir’s impatient voice. ‘Who’s that? Come in! Am I to have no peace?’
There was no answer. No one came in. Mr. Lenoir called again. ‘Come in, I say!’
Still no answer. He strode to the door and flung it open angrily. No one was there. Sooty had fled upstairs at once.
‘Those tiresome children, I suppose,’ muttered Mr. Lenoir. ‘Well, if any of them comes and knocks again and goes away, I’ll punish them properly. Bed and bread and water for them!’
He sounded fierce. George wished she was anywhere but in his study. What would he say if he knew she was only three or four feet away from him?
Mr. Lenoir worked for about half an hour, and poor George got stiffer and stiffer, and more and more uncomfortable. Then she heard Mr. Lenoir yawn, and her heart felt lighter. Perhaps he would have a nap! That
would be good luck. She might creep out then, and try to get into the secret passage.
Mr. Lenoir yawned again. Then he pushed his papers aside and went to the sofa. He lay down on it and pulled the rug there over his knees. He settled himself down as if for a good sleep.
The sofa creaked under him. George tried to hold her breath again, afraid that now he was so near to her he would certainly hear her.