Part 10 (1/2)
A wave of relief surged over Penny as she saw that it was the old gardener who held her fast.
”Oh, it's only you,” she laughed shakily, trying to pull away. ”For a second I thought the Bogey Man had me for sure.”
The gardener did not smile.
”Didn't I tell you to keep away from here?” he demanded, giving her a hard shake.
”I'm not doing any h-harm,” Penny stammered. She kept her hand closed over the white gold ring so that the old man would not see what she had found. ”I just wanted to learn what was back in here.”
”And you found out?”
The gardener's tone warned Penny to be cautious in her reply.
”Oh, the pool is rather pretty,” she answered carelessly. ”But I've seen much nicer ones.”
”How long have you been here?”
”Only a minute or two. I really came to search for Grant Atherwald.”
”Atherwald? What would he be doing here?”
”He disappeared an hour or so ago,” revealed Penny. ”The servants have been searching everywhere for him.”
”He disappeared?” the gardener repeated incredulously.
”Yes, it's very peculiar. Mr. Atherwald arrived at the estate in ample time for the wedding. But after he read a note which was delivered to him he walked off in this direction and was seen no more.”
”Down this path, you mean?”
”I couldn't say as to that, but he started this way. I know because I saw him myself.”
”Atherwald didn't come here,” the gardener said with finality. ”I've been working around the lily pond all afternoon and would have seen him.”
Penny's fingers closed tightly about the white gold ring which she kept s.h.i.+elded from the man's gaze. In her opinion the trinket offered almost conclusive proof that the bridegroom had visited the locality. Because she could not trust the gardener she kept her thoughts strictly to herself.
The man stared down at his feet, obviously disturbed by the information Penny had given him.
”Do you suppose harm could have befallen Mr. Atherwald?” she asked after a moment.
”Harm?” he demanded irritably. ”That's sheer nonsense. The fellow probably skipped out. He ought to be tarred and feathered!”
”And you would enjoy doing it?” Penny interposed slyly.
The gardener glared at her, making no attempt to hide his dislike.
”Such treatment would be too good for anyone who hurt Miss Sylvia. Now will you get out of here? I have my orders and I mean to enforce them.”
”Oh, all right,” replied Penny. ”I was going anyway.”
This was not strictly true, for had the gardener not been there she would have made a more thorough investigation of the locality near the lily pool. But now she had no hope of learning more, and so turned away.
Emerging from among the trees, she glanced toward the rose garden. Nearly all of the wedding guests had departed. Penny considered whether or not she should speak to Mrs. Kippenberg about finding the ring. Deciding against it, she joined a group of people at the boat dock and was ferried across the river.