excellent health and had no reason to worry about her future. She always
loved that brooch and she kept it in her jewellery box rather than in a safety
deposit box. But when I went through her things after the funeral, the brooch
was missing.”
“Who was supposed to get the brooch after her death?
Was it mentioned in her will?”
“Yes. It was to come to me, along with the manor-She
left very specific instructions that it was to be treated as a sort of
long-term investment.”
“An investment?” Josh frowned.
“Yes. For the manor. Aunt Agatha told me privately that
I was to sell the brooch if it ever became necessary in order to keep Peregrine
Manor running.”
“But why? What's so important about keeping the manor?”
Maggie gave him a startled glance. “It's their home.”
“Whose home? You mean Shirley's, Odessa's, and the
Colonel's?”
“Right. If the day ever came when the inn could no
longer pay its own way as a hotel. Aunt Agatha wanted to be sure it could still
shelter her friends.”
Josh whistled softly. “Are you telling me your aunt
left that kind of responsibility on your shoulders?”
Maggie frowned. “She didn't exactly force it on me.
She talked it over with me many times before we made
the decision. I didn't mind, really. You see, I've always thought running
Peregrine Manor would be fun. And it is. To me, it's the ideal job. I learned a
lot about inn keeping while working here during the summers. And I must say, the
manor was doing very well before the trouble started a few months ago.”
“But now you're not doing so well,” Josh suggested.
“And the brooch is gone. Probably stolen long ago by
some thief who posed as a guest in order to get access to it,”
“I don't think so,” Maggie said slowly.
“Did you aunt wear the brooch in public?”
“Certainly. Once in a while.”
Josh nodded grimly. “Then a lot of people knew she
owned it and that she didn't keep it in a safe-deposit box. Believe me, Maggie,
it's probably long gone.”
“Even if you're right, that doesn't mean my theory
about the reason behind the trouble around here is wrong,” she pointed out,
looking stubborn all of a sudden. “Someone might have decided the brooch is
lost somewhere in this house, which is very likely, and has decided to look for
it. In order to do that, he has to get the rest of us out. At least for a
while.”
Josh drummed his fingers on the bed, trying to be
patient. “Tell me something, Maggie. What are you going to do if you can't save
the manor for your aunt's friends?”
She sighed unhappily. “I don't really know. None of
them have much in the way of financial resources. I know Odessa talks about her
stock holdings, but Aunt Agatha once told me Odessa had purchased that mining
stock years ago and never seemed to get any dividends.”
Josh smiled briefly. “Which pretty much eliminates one
theory, doesn't it?”
Maggie returned his smile with a wry one of her own.
“You mean the one about the three nephews who are
furious about being left out of the will? Yes, I'm afraid so. But I haven't had
the courage to tell Odessa that.
She's so proud. Being a possessor of stock is very
important to her.”
“Well, I'll check it out-just to be thorough. If I
discover that the stock really is worthless, maybe I can find a tactful way of
telling Odessa her nephews aren't trying to terrorize her without having to
inform her that the stock is no good,” Josh suggested.
“That would be very nice of you.”
“So, what will you do if you can't find a way to keep
the manor open for those three, Maggie?” he asked again.
“I don't know,” she admitted. “All I can do is try.”
He had been right, Josh thought. A naive little lady
Don Quixote, tilting at windmills on behalf of the weak and the innocent. “It's
a waste of time, you know.”
“What is?”
“Playing hero. Never pays.”
She gave him a searching look. “How would .you know?”
“Experience,” he said, and
loved that brooch and she kept it in her jewellery box rather than in a safety
deposit box. But when I went through her things after the funeral, the brooch
was missing.”
“Who was supposed to get the brooch after her death?
Was it mentioned in her will?”
“Yes. It was to come to me, along with the manor-She
left very specific instructions that it was to be treated as a sort of
long-term investment.”
“An investment?” Josh frowned.
“Yes. For the manor. Aunt Agatha told me privately that
I was to sell the brooch if it ever became necessary in order to keep Peregrine
Manor running.”
“But why? What's so important about keeping the manor?”
Maggie gave him a startled glance. “It's their home.”
“Whose home? You mean Shirley's, Odessa's, and the
Colonel's?”
“Right. If the day ever came when the inn could no
longer pay its own way as a hotel. Aunt Agatha wanted to be sure it could still
shelter her friends.”
Josh whistled softly. “Are you telling me your aunt
left that kind of responsibility on your shoulders?”
Maggie frowned. “She didn't exactly force it on me.
She talked it over with me many times before we made
the decision. I didn't mind, really. You see, I've always thought running
Peregrine Manor would be fun. And it is. To me, it's the ideal job. I learned a
lot about inn keeping while working here during the summers. And I must say, the
manor was doing very well before the trouble started a few months ago.”
“But now you're not doing so well,” Josh suggested.
“And the brooch is gone. Probably stolen long ago by
some thief who posed as a guest in order to get access to it,”
“I don't think so,” Maggie said slowly.
“Did you aunt wear the brooch in public?”
“Certainly. Once in a while.”
Josh nodded grimly. “Then a lot of people knew she
owned it and that she didn't keep it in a safe-deposit box. Believe me, Maggie,
it's probably long gone.”
“Even if you're right, that doesn't mean my theory
about the reason behind the trouble around here is wrong,” she pointed out,
looking stubborn all of a sudden. “Someone might have decided the brooch is
lost somewhere in this house, which is very likely, and has decided to look for
it. In order to do that, he has to get the rest of us out. At least for a
while.”
Josh drummed his fingers on the bed, trying to be
patient. “Tell me something, Maggie. What are you going to do if you can't save
the manor for your aunt's friends?”
She sighed unhappily. “I don't really know. None of
them have much in the way of financial resources. I know Odessa talks about her
stock holdings, but Aunt Agatha once told me Odessa had purchased that mining
stock years ago and never seemed to get any dividends.”
Josh smiled briefly. “Which pretty much eliminates one
theory, doesn't it?”
Maggie returned his smile with a wry one of her own.
“You mean the one about the three nephews who are
furious about being left out of the will? Yes, I'm afraid so. But I haven't had
the courage to tell Odessa that.
She's so proud. Being a possessor of stock is very
important to her.”
“Well, I'll check it out-just to be thorough. If I
discover that the stock really is worthless, maybe I can find a tactful way of
telling Odessa her nephews aren't trying to terrorize her without having to
inform her that the stock is no good,” Josh suggested.
“That would be very nice of you.”
“So, what will you do if you can't find a way to keep
the manor open for those three, Maggie?” he asked again.
“I don't know,” she admitted. “All I can do is try.”
He had been right, Josh thought. A naive little lady
Don Quixote, tilting at windmills on behalf of the weak and the innocent. “It's
a waste of time, you know.”
“What is?”
“Playing hero. Never pays.”
She gave him a searching look. “How would .you know?”
“Experience,” he said, and
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