A Sibling's Interference

Chapter Six

There were three holes, about two feet deep, that had appeared overnight. The first was near the corner of the stable wall, the second was a few steps away from the front doors, and the last one was a few yards to the right of the second hole. Each hole was approximately two feet deep and about three feet wide.

Thankfully, they had been spotted before anyone, person or animal, had stepped in the holes and been injured. "And no one saw this happen?" I asked, glancing up. "Or heard anything in the night?"

"Billy didn't see or hear a thing," Mr. Walton said, referring to Mrs. Wallace's oldest boy who had taken on the job of stable boy. I couldn't afford a proper groom at the moment. "With the full moon last night, whoever did this wouldn't have needed a lantern. It was probably the best night for such a thing."

Billy's room was located above the stables, making him the only person who could have possibly heard any unusual noises. Whoever had dug these holes had been careful. The dirt was packed down from years of people and horses walking on it. It must have been very difficult to dig up. How long had it taken this person to dig three holes of this size?

"This is absolutely unacceptable," I said, straightening up from where I had been examining the ground. Not that I had expected to learn anything from an examination of the hole, but it had seemed like the thing to do. "Someone—Phaeton or a person—could have broken a leg in one of these."

Having witnessed firsthand someone with a broken leg, I understood just how serious such an injury could be. Mama still hadn't fully recovered from her broken leg, though she was getting about much more than before. Whoever had done this was extremely irresponsible!

But what could we do to stop it from happening again?

"Why did they choose this spot for treasure hunting?" I wondered, glancing between the holes. "Any idea why this particular place was chosen out of all of Pearsend's land? And why the garden, for that matter?"

"I don't have the faintest idea," Mr. Walton responded, sounding grim. "I dismissed the rumors of treasure as fanciful nonsense that only children would believe. It seems I was wrong to make that assumption given the situation."

"Any sensible adult should know better than to trespass on another person's property." That should have been obvious to anyone! "What kind of person would dare to dig holes and roam around the garden while we are at home, even while we are sleeping in our beds? It would take a bold person to do so much."

"Is it possible this is the work of more than one man?" my young steward asked. "It's odd that one person would sneak through the garden one night, and then suddenly dig holes by the stable the next. There doesn't seem to be any connection between the locations."

Worse and worse! How many fools believed this claim of treasure?

"Get Mr. Felton to help you and Billy with filling those holes. We don't want anyone getting injured," I instructed. I hesitated before I added, "I suppose all we can do is try to keep a stricter watch on the property from now on."

It felt like an inadequate solution, but I couldn't think of what else to do. There weren't enough of us to keep watch every hour of the night and keep the estate running during the day. And as much as I wished for more staff, it was simply not feasible.

"I will ask the tenant families if they've heard anything," Mr. Walton said with determination. "Perhaps we can piece together where this rumor began if we have more information. It's highly likely that someone fixated on finding treasure has mentioned it before."

I gave a quick nod and headed towards the house. However, I stopped after a few steps and turned around. "Before I forget, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" I asked. "I promise it won't be too fancy."