can’t open it I’ll get a footman to help me. I’d just rather not involve anyone else in our business, though. Maybe we could just wait until Cedric comes back from Exeter tomorrow, if I can’t open it.”
“All right,” Jane agreed.
Jestyn got a good hold of the edge of the door and pulled with all his might but the door would just not budge.
“Maybe if you slide something between, as a wedge of some kind,” Jane provided, looking around. The reporter in her was anxious to see what was in the wardrobe and was too impatient to wait until Cedric came back from Exeter.
“Look Jestyn. Here’s a trowel shovel of some kind. Maybe this will do,” she handed the small trowel to Jestyn. It looked like the kind for putting mortar on bricks when stacking them.
Jestyn slid the small trowel between the door and the wardrobe and pushed. The door creaked and finally gave way.
“There, it’s open! Bring the light over here, Jane.”
“Oh, my,” Jane said as both she and Jestyn stared at a large painting stuck in the back of the huge wardrobe. It was the portrait of Jestyn. Their eyes flew to his hand and then at each other. In Jestyn’s hand was the stone pendant Jane was wearing in the exact way she had seen it in her tour of the estate, with its gold chain twirled around his fingers.
“This is the first time I see the pendant painted in my hand,” Jestyn said. “I wonder what that means, that I can now see it.”
“Father put it here, as I supposed,” Jestyn said. He stared at the portrait as Jane moved the light closer. “I’ll try to get it out. It’s very large.”
“I wonder he didn’t just destroy, it, since he hated it so much,” Jane said.
“Yes, that’s strange, but then Father was very superstitious. He might not have wanted to destroy it for that reason.
“Maybe we can find something written by Father that explains further.”
“I hope so,” Jane said. She led the way with the flashlight, with Jestyn following behind. They reached the dusty table where they had placed the candle rack.
“Jestyn rested the portrait against a nearby wall. “Let’s examine the portrait up here and return it to its hiding place when we’re done. I don’t think we should move it from where it was. The servants would carry the story of this second portrait until there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know about it, including our neighbors, Lord and Lady Millthorpe.”
“I agree with you, Jestyn. Let’s keep it to ourselves. It will be the only way we can work on uncovering its secret.”
“I think our next move will be to talk with the artist. He lives in Lydford. I know a little about him.”
“And he would still be there?”
“Oh, yes. His family is there, whatever is left of them. He had a brother and a sister. I heard a couple of years ago that the mother died. The sister and her husband and two children lived with him until they could set up their own household. Around here everybody knows everybody else’s business,” Jestyn added with a wide smile. “So Cannidge now lives alone, except for an aunt who lives with him and who keeps house for him.
“I’m so anxious that we talk with him, Jes. But,” she added, “don’t you think I should touch the pendant as I did back in my own time?”
“I…” Jestyn hesitated. “I don’t want you to leave too suddenly, Jane. The thought of you disappearing if you touch the pendant just now gave me a pain in my heart.”
They stood up and for the first time embraced.
There were tears in both their eyes.
“But I know you must try it,” said Jestyn. “After all, that’s why we’re here in the attic, to find a way for you to go back home.”
He straightened the portrait and put its back against the wardrobe.
He then turned to Jane. “Go ahead,” he said, his voice full of sadness. “You’re in danger here.”
They embraced again and they both knew this could be good-bye. Jestyn kissed Jane tenderly and Jane felt the kiss clear
“All right,” Jane agreed.
Jestyn got a good hold of the edge of the door and pulled with all his might but the door would just not budge.
“Maybe if you slide something between, as a wedge of some kind,” Jane provided, looking around. The reporter in her was anxious to see what was in the wardrobe and was too impatient to wait until Cedric came back from Exeter.
“Look Jestyn. Here’s a trowel shovel of some kind. Maybe this will do,” she handed the small trowel to Jestyn. It looked like the kind for putting mortar on bricks when stacking them.
Jestyn slid the small trowel between the door and the wardrobe and pushed. The door creaked and finally gave way.
“There, it’s open! Bring the light over here, Jane.”
“Oh, my,” Jane said as both she and Jestyn stared at a large painting stuck in the back of the huge wardrobe. It was the portrait of Jestyn. Their eyes flew to his hand and then at each other. In Jestyn’s hand was the stone pendant Jane was wearing in the exact way she had seen it in her tour of the estate, with its gold chain twirled around his fingers.
“This is the first time I see the pendant painted in my hand,” Jestyn said. “I wonder what that means, that I can now see it.”
“Father put it here, as I supposed,” Jestyn said. He stared at the portrait as Jane moved the light closer. “I’ll try to get it out. It’s very large.”
“I wonder he didn’t just destroy, it, since he hated it so much,” Jane said.
“Yes, that’s strange, but then Father was very superstitious. He might not have wanted to destroy it for that reason.
“Maybe we can find something written by Father that explains further.”
“I hope so,” Jane said. She led the way with the flashlight, with Jestyn following behind. They reached the dusty table where they had placed the candle rack.
“Jestyn rested the portrait against a nearby wall. “Let’s examine the portrait up here and return it to its hiding place when we’re done. I don’t think we should move it from where it was. The servants would carry the story of this second portrait until there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know about it, including our neighbors, Lord and Lady Millthorpe.”
“I agree with you, Jestyn. Let’s keep it to ourselves. It will be the only way we can work on uncovering its secret.”
“I think our next move will be to talk with the artist. He lives in Lydford. I know a little about him.”
“And he would still be there?”
“Oh, yes. His family is there, whatever is left of them. He had a brother and a sister. I heard a couple of years ago that the mother died. The sister and her husband and two children lived with him until they could set up their own household. Around here everybody knows everybody else’s business,” Jestyn added with a wide smile. “So Cannidge now lives alone, except for an aunt who lives with him and who keeps house for him.
“I’m so anxious that we talk with him, Jes. But,” she added, “don’t you think I should touch the pendant as I did back in my own time?”
“I…” Jestyn hesitated. “I don’t want you to leave too suddenly, Jane. The thought of you disappearing if you touch the pendant just now gave me a pain in my heart.”
They stood up and for the first time embraced.
There were tears in both their eyes.
“But I know you must try it,” said Jestyn. “After all, that’s why we’re here in the attic, to find a way for you to go back home.”
He straightened the portrait and put its back against the wardrobe.
He then turned to Jane. “Go ahead,” he said, his voice full of sadness. “You’re in danger here.”
They embraced again and they both knew this could be good-bye. Jestyn kissed Jane tenderly and Jane felt the kiss clear
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