The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor by Amy Reade Page B

to serve people.”
    â€œHmmm.”
    â€œYou haven’t met Sarah yet. She’s Phyllis’s great-great-great-great-great-grandmother,” Ruby noted, counting five “greats” on her fingers.
    â€œShe sounds interesting,” I commented. I didn’t know what else to say. After all, she was talking about a dead woman.
    â€œShe is.”
    By that time we were at the baking supply store, so I let Ruby out and told her where I would be, just a few doors down the block. I watched Ruby as she, clad as usual in a pastel shirtwaist and a huge straw hat, entered the store with a big smile. I then drove to the paint store and parked outside.
    I had to wait a short time for the owner to finish up with another customer. When it was my turn, I talked to her about paint colors and finishes, and we spoke at length about the paint color for the drawing room. We were engrossed in a number of books, flipping back and forth between books and pages and paint swatches, when Ruby came in.
    â€œHi, Ruby,” I greeted her. “I’m going to be a few more minutes. Do you want to have a seat and wait for me?” I looked at my watch. “Oh, wait. I have to run over and pick up Lucy from nursery school.” I turned to the shop owner. “Can we continue this in about fifteen minutes?”
    â€œOf course,” she answered. I grabbed my car keys from the counter and started out the door, but Ruby touched my arm.
    â€œI can go get Lucy,” she told me shyly. “I know right where her nursery school is.”
    Ruby’s past struggles with anxiety sprang to mind, but then I thought of all the times she had been gentle and good to Lucy since we arrived at Peppernell Manor. I didn’t want her to think I didn’t trust her. I must have hesitated a moment too long, because she hastened to assure me, “I’m on the list of people who are allowed to pick her up, right? I’ll hold her hand and bring her back here.” She looked at me with pleading eyes and a hopeful smile.
    â€œAll right,” I decided. “I’ll be done soon, so you don’t even have to bring her back here. Just wait right outside the school and I’ll pick you up.”
    â€œOkay.” She strode out the door, a woman with a purpose.
    But I never should have let Ruby pick up my daughter.

CHAPTER 5
    I left the paint store about ten minutes later, laden with paint swatches and books that I was borrowing from the shop owner. When I swung into a parking spot in front of the school, Lucy and Ruby were nowhere to be seen. I walked into the school, assuming that Lucy had insisted upon using the bathroom before going back to Peppernell Manor. She loved the nursery school bathrooms, with amenities sized just right for little girls and boys. But when I pushed open the bathroom door, all I heard was my voice echoing in the tiled room.
    I hailed a teacher in one of the classrooms. “Have you seen Lucy?” I asked her. She sent me to the director, who was in the office.
    â€œRuby Peppernell picked up Lucy today,” she replied in answer to my question, scanning the day’s sign-out sheet. “She had identification and she is one of the people authorized to pick up Lucy. Aren’t they out front?”
    â€œNo,” I replied, swallowing hard. My voice and knees started to get a bit shaky. Why had I ever put Ruby’s name on that list? Why had I allowed her to get Lucy?
    â€œDon’t worry. We’ll find them in a jiffy,” she assured me gently. She talked quietly to another teacher on our way out the door, and that teacher joined us, walking around the corner of the building when we got outside.
    I was becoming frantic.
    I started yelling, “Lucy! Ruby! Lucy!” The teachers soon joined in my shouts. But there was no response.
    I needed to do more, faster. I said to the teachers, “You keep looking. I’m going to take the car and start driving up