“I haven’t the vaguest. Where are Edward and the brat?”
In the darkness of our hiding place, I laid a finger to Charles’s lips. He nodded his understanding.
“How should I know?”
“I should have known it was all a Banbury tale,” she said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t try to gammon me, dear brother. You’re here looking for the treasure, too!”
“I’m not worried about any treasure-”
“Not worried about any treasure! That’s a loud one! You who’ve been punting on River Tick for I don’t know how long!”
“If Mama could hear you using such terms-”
“Mama is sound asleep. Go on, deny that you’re one step ahead of the bailiff.”
“All right, I deny it. I’m not in debt. I’ve come about-thanks to Cousin Lucien.”
“What!”
“I never told you or Henry, but it’s true. He helped me, Fanny.”
“Why you?”
“Because he cared about the family, you bacon-brain! Wasn’t just the money-he talked to me. Made me think, I tell you. So if anyone is planning any further mischief around here, they’ll have to come through me. I was too late for Lucien, and last night, I was sure I was too late to help Charles. But this time I’ve caught you, and I tell you I won’t allow it!
“Help Charles? Mischief? What on earth are you talking about?”
“My horse is in the stall next to Fine Lad. I think you know what that means.”
“That he’s eating his head off at his lordship’s expense.”
“Fanny!”
She eyed him malevolently. “Enough of your nonsense, William. Let me by. Edward and the brat will be down here any minute-probably working their way through the secret passage now.”
“Secret passage!” William said. “What secret passage?”
“The place is full of them. Don’t you remember me telling you that when we were here that last Christmas?”
William frowned. “No.”
“Well, maybe I told Henry, then. Which is of no importance in any case! Move off this staircase before I have to shove you off!”
“Touch me, and I’ll tell Mama that nothing pleases her spinster daughter so much as to dress up like a man and ride astride!”
“Oh! You won’t be alive to tell her! They’ll be burying you next to Lucien!”
“Now!” I heard Lucien say, and I pulled the shield off the lantern.
The sudden light caught the attention of the two Banes. But it was Lucien who caused William to give out a blood-curdling scream.
Charles clung to me, apparently more frightened by the scream than anything that had gone before.
“Lord Almighty!” Fanny said. “You frightened the life right out of me. What’s gotten into you! You’ll bring the whole house down on us!”
William, the color gone from his face, pointed a shaking hand toward Lucien.
“What?” Fanny said. “Speak up, now!”
“The Headless Abbot.”
“Headless Abbot! I don’t see any Headless Abbot! It’s just a light coming from one of those passages I told you about.”
“Don’t you see him?” William cried. “In riding clothes!”
“Are you back to giving me trouble over that? What’s it to you if I find men’s clothes more sensible for riding?”
Lucien tried moving closer to her. But while William swayed on his feet, Fanny was oblivious to him.
“William?” she said. “Are you feeling quite the thing?”
In frustration, Lucien materialized completely.
“Lucien!” William said, and fainted. Unfortunately, he was still on the stairs when this happened. Lucien tried to make a grab for him, but William fell right through him, tumbling down to the ledge.
Now Fanny screamed, but she obviously still could not see my brother.
“Fibbens, please take his lordship to safety,” I said, over Charles protests. “Ask Bogsley to bring some men with a litter to me.” And picking up a lantern, I limped out as quickly as I could to the landing, where William lay in a heap.
“Edward!” Fanny called, hurrying down the stairs and straight through Lucien without so much as a blink, “Oh, help him, Edward!”
She stood nervously watching me. William made a groaning sound, and opened his eyes. “Edward?” he said dazedly. “Was it you all along?”
He then caught sight of Lucien standing behind me, though, and fainted once again.
I did my best to make him more comfortable. “Help will be here soon, Fanny,” I said.
“He’s broken his arm,” Lucien said, “but I don’t think he has any more serious injuries. Why do you suppose he could see me, but she can’t?”
“I don’t understand it,” I said.
Fanny, thinking I spoke to her, said, “Well! I understand it! It’s all because of Lucien’s stupid story about the monk. He thought he saw the ghost. Just your lantern light, I daresay.”
We heard a sound then, a faint cracking noise from below.
Fanny’s face grew pale. “The abbot!” she said weakly.
“Henry,” I called, “are you down there in the dark eating walnuts?”
A long laugh echoed up the tower.
“Henry!” Fanny exclaimed.
“Get help,” I said to Lucien.
“I’ll stay here, thank you,” Fanny replied. “Besides, you said help is already on the way.”
“Oh it is, dear Fanny, it is!” Henry said, lighting a lantern. He started up the stone stairs. “Where’s Charles?”
Lucien made a wild banshee sound, and swooped toward Henry. Nothing.
“Never mind the brat,” Fanny said impatiently. “Here’s your brother broken to bits!”
“I wouldn’t trouble yourself too much over William, Fanny.” Henry said. “He discovered my little plan, so I think it’s best if the next accident concerning an earl has something to do with trying to save my brother. Edward and Charles make a valiant, combined effort. Alas, it will be unsuccessful.”
“Will no one talk sense to me?” Fanny asked.
“Your brother Henry wants to be an earl,” I said. “So he murdered Lucien-right, Lucien?”
“Right.”
But Henry laughed and said, “Don’t tell me you think you can try that ghost business on me at this age, Edward! Now where’s that treasure? I warn you, I’m armed.”
“You’ll never own the Abbey’s treasure,” I said. “The Abbey’s treasure then, as it is now, was in the good men who have lived here-Lucien, and his father, and Charles.”
“Henry,” Fanny said, “tell me you didn’t harm Lucien!”
“Lucien? Oh, not just Lucien. Don’t forget his father and his ninnyhammer of a stepmother-you didn’t think that carriage overturned by chance?” I heard the sound of rock falling, and Henry said, “When I am earl, I shall have these steps repaired.”
“You’ll never be earl!” Lucien vowed.
I heard a commotion in the passage way. Fibbens’s voice was calling desperately, “Your lordship, no!”
Suddenly a white, headless figure with a bloodstained cassock came barreling onto the landing. Fanny, who did not see me grab hold of the small boy who carried it, let out the fourth scream to assault my ears in nearly as many minutes.
Lucien grabbed the pillow ghost, and went flying off the landing. Literally. Previously unable to support it, this
