Curse of the Spider King (38 page)

“Just a minute,” Kiri Lee said. She quickly made herself presentable and then opened the door. Outside stood the Monopoly guy. “Miss Yuen,” he said, as he stalked into the room. “I've heard yu've a bit of a spider problem in 'ere.”

“It was just one,” she said.

“Never just one—
mumble
—Mrs. Sherman asked me to see to it. —
mutter, mumble
. And so 'elp me, I will—
grumble, mumble
. Oh, and Mrs. Sherman requests the honor of yur presence in the main dining hall. It's down the hall, first stairwell on the right. Can't miss it.”

Kiri Lee thanked the steward, stepped into a pair of shoes, and left. Lingering in the hallway on the other side of the door, she heard a great deal of muttering, and the almost continuous
SHHHH
sound.

The meal had been delightful. And Kiri Lee confirmed plans with Mrs. Sherman for a trip to Dalhousie Castle. When she returned to her room late that evening, Mr. Barnabas explained that she was to have a new room. All of her clothes had already been moved. Apparently in the process of making the room unhealthy for the spiders, he also made it very unpleasant for humans as well. In her new room, Kiri Lee slept soundly and had no trouble with creatures of any kind.

The next day, their car bounced along the single-lane road that weaved back through the countryside. At last the driver turned onto a private drive. There rose a majestic, reddish castle, its signature tower reaching for the stark blue sky. As they pulled through the gate and parked, she gasped at the sheer size of the structure. Collin, the chauffeur, came around and opened her door.

“Dalhousie Castle, Miss Yuen,” he said.

“It's fantastic!”

“I've always enjoyed Dalhousie,” said Mrs. Sherman, walking around the car.

Collin waited behind with the car as the two ladies marched up the long, curving path to the front doors. The property was busy today, Kiri Lee noticed. A group of schoolchildren about her age were in a class down at the falconry cages, while a wedding reception was taking place on the back lawn.

“There are a lot of people here,” said Kiri Lee.

“Dalhousie was converted into a bed-and-breakfast years ago, complete with a chapel for weddings. The grounds have been adapted to teach children about life in the Middle Ages, thus it's a popular destination for those who know about it.”

“I can see why.” For a few moments, Kiri Lee could almost forget the recent tragedies in her life. She scanned the beautiful grounds and admired everything, from the flowerbeds and grand trees, to the sweeping spans of lawn. She wanted nothing more than to leave Mrs. Sherman behind and run through the grass, exploring every nook of the property—forgotten gardens, hidden passageways in the castle, maybe even a treasure or two missed by the proprietors.

They walked into the entryway, two staircases leading up into the dining room, another straight down into an office, and a third to the right where the ancient armory had been turned into a quaint chapel.

“Mrs. Sherman, so good to see yu.” Kiri Lee glanced up as a well-dressed elderly man descended and offered his hand.
The man from the
bus.

“It has been too long, Edward.”

“My thoughts precisely,” he replied. He turned to Kiri Lee. “And who might this young lass be?”

“Edward Rengfellow, I'd like to present to you Miss Kiri Lee Yuen.”

“
The
Kiri Lee Yuen?” he asked. “The prodigious solo cellist due to play at the festival?”

“The very same,” Mrs. Sherman said. “She's come to us early enough to do some sightseeing.”

“Ah, so very pleased to meet yu, Miss Yuen,” Edward said, taking her slender hand with a feather-light touch as if he were afraid he might harm her gifted fingers. “I do so love the cello. I play a little myself, but I've heard yur playing is divine.”

“Well, thank you.” Kiri Lee gave a slight curtsy. “I'm pleased to meet you, Mr.—”

“Edward, please. Just Edward.” He paused awkwardly and seemed to be staring. He blinked and said, “Those are very pretty earrings yu're wearing. Unusual.”

“Oh, thank you.” Kiri Lee brushed the hair off one ear and turned her head so he could see better.

“Yes,” he said, “remarkable.”

“Would you be so kind as to give us the standard tour, Edward?” asked Mrs. Sherman. “Kiri Lee has a practice at three o'clock this afternoon.”

“Does she now?”

Do I?
It was news to her.

“Right, then. Off we go!”

Though Edward was well on in years, he moved swiftly through the castle, Kiri Lee doing her best to keep up with him. Over six feet tall with a squirrelly nest of white hair, Edward seemed more like a teenager than a grandfather, apparently taking as much delight in telling Kiri Lee about the castle as she did hearing it. He focused far less on endless dates and politics and more on events and people, the reasons they built certain additions, where secret stairwells led, and of course, all the mysterious stories he could work in that had been passed down through the generations. Mrs. Sherman kept close behind her, never missing a step, but never saying a word.

The trio had toured most of the castle when Edward led them to his favorite spot—the turret of the castle's grand tower. The old staircase curved along the inside wall of the musty tower, until finally leading to a small trapdoor in the ceiling. Edward rammed his shoulder into it, and the cover popped open, a shaft of brilliant light blinding them momentarily. They emerged onto a wide platform with gap-toothed stone-edged ancient crenelations.

Kiri Lee walked to the edge and placed her hands on the stonework. “The view is spectacular,” she sighed. Her eyes looked out over the whole valley, in awe of the sweeping fields that adorned the hills. Directly below her sat the parking lot and the falconry cages. A few of the students noticed her and began waving; she waved back with a broad smile.

She backed away and walked across the tower's summit to the opposite side, now mesmerized by the lush forests that enclosed the back property. The trees looked like broccoli tops, all cloistered together as if she could reach out and pluck them for the eating. And there on the back lawn stood a white reception tent bustling with people. “What a beautiful day for a wedding.”

“Aye, 'tis that, m'lady,” replied Edward.

Kiri Lee was just about to turn away when she noticed something odd in the trees just beyond the lawn. Poking up from among the leaves was a discolored area . . . of stones perhaps. In the woods?

“Pardon me, Edward, but what is that . . . there in the trees?” She raised a finger and pointed off in the distance.

“Why, those are the old
roons
, Miss Yuen.” Edward smiled, actually saying the word
ruins
in his wide brogue. “Perhaps, when yu return, I can take yu to see them?”

“Oh yes!”

“Thursday is open,” said Mrs. Sherman. “Will that do for you, Edward?”

“Quite nicely,” he replied. “And yu, Miss Yuen?”

“I would like that.” Kiri Lee was thrilled. She thought about the ruins all the way back down to the castle's front entrance. Renovated castles were certainly marvelous, what with their extravagant suits of armor and decadent dining halls. But there was always something about ruins . . . and about those ruins in particular . . . there was music there. She was sure of it.

“You've gotten faster with your tours, Edward,” remarked Mrs. Sherman. “We've still an hour.”

“Comes with practice,” he replied. “Much like yur scales, eh, Miss Yuen?” Kiri Lee smiled. “With the extra time, perhaps Miss Yuen would like to stroll the grounds a wee bit? There's not time to visit the roons, but yu could certainly enjoy the estate. Mrs. Sherman and I could catch up on old times while yu explore.”

“Would that be all right, Mrs. Sherman?”

“I suppose that would be fine,” Mrs. Sherman replied. “One hour is all you have.”

Kiri Lee strolled first around the northern perimeter of the castle. Then, before she knew it, she found herself running, practically skipping, across the vast lawns. Feeling the wind against her cheeks and through her hair was exhilarating. Kiri Lee ran right past a group of schoolkids, first graders by the look of the students. They were so cute with their multicolored balloons and banner flags. Some of them saw Kiri Lee and waved.

Kiri Lee waved back and kept on running. She turned the southern corner of the castle and found a gorgeous expanse of grass bordered by dark evergreens. She stopped running. Just thirty yards away was a child all by himself. She thought he was dressed in the same uniform as the others, and he had a red balloon. There was no one else around.
He's not supposed to be back here by himself,
Kiri Lee thought. She walked over to him.

He turned, startled at first. “I just wanted to look, that's all,” he said nervously. She thought his little Scottish accent was so cute. “I'll go back, I will.”

“It's okay,” said Kiri Lee. “I was afraid you were lost.”

“Connor told me there be graveyards behind all castles, and I wanted to look,” he said. “I have not seen any graves.” Just then, he lost hold of his balloon. The wind caught it at once, and up it went. “Nooo,” wailed the little boy. “That's me balloon. Oh noo!”

Kiri Lee simply reacted. The balloon was off and climbing. She went after it. Her first step was awkward. She half-expected to fall flat on her face. What happened the other night . . . well, it was all mixed into a nightmare. But her foot caught hold of something . . . like a step made of air.

She kept climbing. The little boy gasped as Kiri Lee grabbed the balloon's string and turned around. She was much higher than before and felt a combination of fear and exhilaration. She began to sink, so she quickly walked back down.

Kiri Lee handed the balloon to the open-mouthed boy. “Uh, it'd probably be best if you didn't mention what I just did to anyone.”

“How'd yu do tha'?” he asked. “Yu . . . yu flew!”

“Not exactly,” she replied. “Now you best get back to your class. They're going to be worried.”

“Aye, it's a trick!” he said. “Can yu teach me?”

“Sorry, it's a secret. Now off with you.” She gave him a warm but firm push and sent him on his way. As soon as she was sure the boy had turned the corner, Kiri Lee ran the rest of the length of the greenery behind the castle. Actually, she ran on the air.

“Did you see that, Lexi?” asked a tall blond woman leaning on the parapet of the castle's tower.

“Ellos smiles upon us, Ril,” replied her willowy brunette friend. “It's the last one. Has to be.”

“She walks upon the wind,” said Ril Taniel. “We need to tell Edward.”