The Treasure of Netherstrand

Chapter 14

"Are you still poring over that stupid letter?" Alfred's sneering voice rang shrilly in Grace's ears.

The girl didn't budge. She had stood for five long minutes, studying every detail of Lady Denzell's mysterious rhyme.

"It isn't a stupid letter, Alfy," she said quietly. "It is a clue; I am sure of it!"

Both Alfred and Enna laughed with scorn. And from a distance, Grace's aunt and uncle gave crooked smiles

"It is a delightful fancy," Mr. Carlyle said. "But I am convinced it is that and nothing more, just a fancy."

"One which must not distract us from our morning lessons," Amelia put in meaningfully. "Come along, dearest. Step away from that old picture and take up your lesson books. What will Arthur think if he discovers that you spend all of your time daydreaming about silly riddles when you are supposed to be studying? Don't you want your brother to be proud of you?"

The question electrified every nerve of Grace's being. "Oh, yes!" she answered earnestly.

"Then it is high time for you to put legends out of your mind and focus on better things."

In humble subjection, the girl nodded her head with a sigh. But she took one last, long look at the letter before she obeyed. It was the ink drawing which had captivated her for so long. She had been studying the portrait of the rising sun which was peeking over the waves.

In the early morning, Gracie usually hurried to the drawing room windows and saw the sun looking just like that. She couldn't see the ocean view from her bedroom. It was an old, beautiful room, but there weren't many windows to speak of, and without a good, hot fire and a few burning candles, the darkness seemed deep and stifling.

I believe that Lady Denzell probably woke up early just as I do, she imagined, and she looked out from the windows and saw the very same sunrise that I see.

She forced herself to step away from the captivating letter, but she couldn't force her mind to stop thinking about the riddle and the treasure. The sunrise picture kept flashing before her mind's eye, and always the words repeated, "So if thine eyes are open, thine ears quick to hear, you're soon to be awoken, the path, though hidden, shall shine clear."

Her lessons went by slowly. By that time, the family had sought the privacy of their own suite, but there was no peace or quiet for the young student. Enna and Alfred were playing loudly in the room, and Grace couldn't stay focused for anything. She pored over the same sentences over and over again. She tried to grasp the things she was learning, but facts from her history got muddled together with Enna and Alfy's jesting voices. Finally, she thought she had finished, and she handed all of her work to her Aunt for review. Amelia Carlyle looked at it with a shadow of growing disapproval on her face.

"Really, Grace," she said at last, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. "You must do better than this if you are going to please your brother. He is bound to wonder why you can't even write a tidy sentence without blots of ink soiling your paper! And your history!" she went on critically. "Your recitation clearly proved that you weren't paying attention to it in the least. Start over and try again."

"All over, Auntie?" Grace gasped.

"All!" the woman replied.

"But...but we were going into town this evening. And I did so want to go!"

"Then you will have to work extra hard, won't you? I know you can do it if you put your mind to it! And then we shall all happily go to town together!"

But Gracie couldn't do it, not with Enna and Alfred playing and purposely taunting her now and then. By midday, she still hadn't finished her lessons, and instead of waiting for her, the Carlyles went off to town by themselves.