The Golden Maze Read Online Free PDF

losing its friendliness suddenly.
    Cindy felt uncomfortable. Now what had she said to upset the postmistress? Why had her attitude changed so suddenly? At that moment, the door bell clanged and two elderly women came in chatting. Both stopped talking as they saw Cindy and she hurried past them, uncomfortably aware that they were staring at her.
    In the street, she hesitated, looking up and down, An elderly man in breeches and a jacket, his cap pulled over one eye, paused.
    "Where's ta gaan ?" he asked sympathetically. Cindy smiled. "I'm looking for Mrs. Usher." "She'll be there any time. Fourth cottage on the
    left—a dog in t'garden. He don't bite now." He
    smiled, touched his cap and hobbled by her.
    Hurrying down the street, Cindy found the cottage. A typical Lake District cottage, she was to learn in the days ahead, with a door and four windows. .A beautifully cared-for garden with snowdrops in flower and some of the bushes showing green, buds. A spaniel lying on the white doorstep stood up and wagged his tail friendly.
    The door opened instantly, and a tiny woman stood
     
    in the doorway. A thin woman whose dark grey woollen frock hung loosely on her narrow shoulders. Her skin was perfect, rosy pink as though the crisp air acted as a tonic. Her eyes shone.
    "Miss Preston," she said with a warm welcoming smile. "I hoped you'd come and see me."
    "I . . . it .. ." Cindy began. "The village knows everything."
    "But of course, and you are news. Do come in. I hope you aren't allergic to cats, dogs or budgies, because I've got the lot !" She opened the door wider and Cindy walked in.
    The main room was surprisingly big with a huge log fire crackling merrily and a tray of tea and cakes waiting. As Cindy went in several cats stood up, stretched, took one look at her and lay down again. Two dogs came racing, one a gracefully slender greyhound, the other a Corgi who gave Cindy a good look up and down, then turned away and lay down. Pushed gently into a deep comfortable armchair, Cindy was given a cup of tea and induced to eat some of the delicious home-made cakes.
    Mrs. Usher never stopped talking. She had an attractive voice with a sort of Welsh lilt. "I'm so glad you've come, dear, I hoped you'd be here earlier, but I suppose it was the fog, because we expected you yesterday—and how do you like the castle? Rather sad, isn't it, poor Robert was a generous man and the castle suffered for it."
    She poured out another cup of tea and then sat
    back in her chair, folded her hands and smiled at
    Cindy. "Now what do you want to know, dear?"
    Cindy didn't know what to say. After all, what did
     
    she want to know? She grabbed at the first thing that came into her mind.
    "Why is David Baxter so bitter? The postmistress told me how he'd changed after his uncle died and . and I met Mrs. Younge and she said he had changed —and what I can't understand is that I met him by chance in London and .. . we talked. You see, it was like this ..." Cindy told . the white-haired old lady the whole story. "He was so different in London. Not rude and ... cold as he was here," Cindy finished.'
    "I didn't know he'd been to London lately," Mrs. Usher said thoughtfully, "but you travel so fast these days that you're often back before you know you're going."
    ,They laughed together.
    "He is bitter, but it's natural like. You see ... you see, he always thought he'd be his uncle's heir."
    "Oh, he thought he'd get Claife Castle?" Cindy frowned. "But why didn't he tell me when I told him about the castle? He must have known it would be the same one."
    Mrs Usher shrugged. "The Baxters have always been a funny lot. I've known them all my life."
    Driving home to the castle an hour later, Cindy thought of all Mrs. Usher had told her : how Robert Baxter had been a domineering man and his wife very quiet and biddable. Peter had been like his father, yet different—where his father knew he was always right, Peter Baxter queried it and was willing to accept advice.