Caught

ary and Dickon managed to get Colin safely back into the house by four and Mary headed to the garden once more. She was walking through a tunnel of yew trees when she heard a twig crack behind her. Glancing round, she caught sight of Mrs Medlock ducking behind a trunk. Mary smiled to herself and, diving to one side, began to run through the trees. She heard Mrs Medlock’s exclamation and ran faster. Once she was out of her sight, Mary scrambled up a nearby fir and sat in the branches as quiet as a dormouse.

A few minutes later, Mrs Medlock came puffing up. She stopped and looked around, clearly exasperated. As she turned to go back to the house, Mary dropped a fir cone on her head. It bounced off her grey hair and Mary had to stifle a giggle.

When Mrs Medlock had gone, Mary jumped down and carried happily on her way. She took the key out of her pocket and headed for the gate. But, just before she reached it, Mrs Medlock stepped out of the shadow of the trees and grabbed her arm. ‘You think you can just sneak around and act how you like, don’t you, girl?’ she said angrily.

‘W-what?’ stammered Mary, completely taken aback.

‘Little savage,’ hissed Mrs Medlock. ‘I knew you were hiding something!’

The key, Mary thought. She managed to slip it into her pocket. ‘I don’t know what you mean …’

‘You and your secret ways. Poking about. Sneaking off,’ Mrs Medlock interrupted, her fingers gripping Mary’s arm tightly.

Mary began to feel afraid. Mrs Medlock looked almost mad. ‘Mrs Medlock, whatever you think I’ve been doing, I promise …’

‘You’re nothing but a common little thief!’ Mrs Medlock snapped.

Mary was so shocked she didn’t know what to say. Whatever did Mrs Medlock mean? She’d never stolen anything in her life!

‘After the master was good enough to take you in – this is how you repay him!’ Mrs Medlock said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a string of pearls. Mary’s heart dropped. The pearls! She’d meant to put them back in the secret room, but she’d forgotten.

‘I …’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t mean to take them.’

Mrs Medlock glared at her furiously. ‘The master is waiting!’ she snapped.

Mary was marched to the house, her mind racing. She had to make her uncle believe she had never intended to keep the pearls. Surely he would listen and understand? But, as Mrs Medlock pulled her up the stone steps and into the entrance hall, she saw her uncle standing on the staircase and his face was terrible. Fury flashed in his eyes.

‘So you found her, Mrs Medlock?’

Mrs Medlock gave a triumphant nod. ‘Messing around in the grounds. Look at the state of her.’

‘Bring her upstairs,’ ordered Mr Craven, setting off up the staircase.

‘Uncle … sir.’ Mary tried to tear her arm away from Mrs Medlock, but the housekeeper’s fingers gripped tightly. ‘I didn’t mean to take the pearls. I was going to put them back.’

‘Where did you find them?’ he demanded.

Mary hesitated. She had a feeling that if she said she had been in Aunt Grace’s room that would get her in even more trouble. ‘Under a floorboard,’ she lied.

‘Which floorboard?’

‘I … I can’t remember.’ Tears prickled Mary’s eyes. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You understand these pearls mean something to me?’ her uncle barked.

Mary nodded unhappily.

‘She’s been everywhere, sir,’ broke in Mrs Medlock. ‘To the boy too. When I went into his room this morning, his chair had moved. It was that that aroused my suspicions and so I checked her room and discovered the pearls.’

‘My son? She’s found my son?’ His eyes bored into Mrs Medlock, Mary temporarily forgotten. ‘Have we just given her full run of the house, Mrs Medlock?’ he said incredulously.

‘I warned you, sir, what a young girl could be like. Yes, I did,’ Mrs Medlock said.

Mr Craven looked back at Mary. ‘Was it not explained to you that you were to stay away from the parts of the house that were not yours to roam in?’

‘Colin is my friend …’ Mary’s voice faltered. ‘I just thought … if I could excite him about life then … then …’

‘You stupid child!’ exclaimed her uncle. ‘He is weak. Your excitement could kill him!’

‘I … I didn’t know. I was just trying to make things better.’ Mary realised they were heading towards Aunt Grace’s room. Her heart started to pound. ‘Where are you taking me?’

Her uncle pulled her into the room with the murals and glanced back at her. ‘I shall give you one last chance, Mary, and this time I suggest you answer truthfully. Where did you find –’ his mouth tightened – ‘my wife’s pearls?’

Mary didn’t know what to say.

‘There is only one place they would have been,’ Mr Craven continued. He opened the secret door, revealing the hidden room. The two dummies were still lying on their side, the clothes scattered over the floor.

‘Oh, girl, what have you done?’ whispered Mrs Medlock in horror as they surveyed the chaos.

‘I’m sorry!’ cried Mary, seeing the pain leap into her uncle’s eyes as he looked at the mess. He walked slowly forward without speaking and picked up one of the dummies, straightening the dress on it. His hands lingered on the silky fabric and then he shut his eyes as if his loss was suddenly too much to bear.

Tears spilled down Mary’s cheeks. She had never meant to hurt him.

He swallowed and turned, his face now set like stone. ‘Mrs Medlock, look into finding a school for my niece.’

Mary stepped towards him. ‘No, I didn’t mean any harm!’ she pleaded. ‘Please.’

Her uncle ignored her. ‘Find somewhere to educate some civility in her,’ he said coldly. ‘In the meantime, I do not wish to see or hear her. Do I make myself clear, Mrs Medlock?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Mrs Medlock nodded.

As Mary was pulled away, she glanced back and saw her uncle sinking down among the dresses on the floor. He looked broken and completely alone.