儿童英语读物 The Mystery at Peacock Hall CHAPTER 4 A Whispered Warning

“You heard Grandfather last night,” Henry said as they cleared the breakfast dishes the next morning. “Cousin Althea needs nine thousand dollars by Friday. That’s three days from now.”



The night before, Grandfather brought back groceries along with his grim news. The tax bill was indeed correct. But he would try to get Althea an extension, more time to pay. “Nine thousand dollars!” Benny exclaimed. “That’s more than I have in my piggy bank!”



“It’s more than we all have in our piggy banks,” Jessie said.



“I’ll call Mrs. McGregor,” Benny said, putting the jelly up on the cupboard. “She’ll send me my bank and I’ll give it to Althea.”



Henry stacked plates to rinse 1 before washing. “That’s nice of you, Benny, but Althea probably wouldn’t take your pennies and nickels.”



“How will Grandfather help her raise that much money by Friday?” Violet wanted to know. “It seems impossible.”



Henry filled the sink with hot, soapy water. “There’s only one way: We have to find the treasure.”



“But we don’t even know what it is!” Jessie said, shaking the tablecloth 2 out the back door.



“Then we’ll just have to look harder,” said Benny.



“We’ll find it,” Violet said confidently. “We can’t let Cousin Althea down.”



As soon as the dishes were done, the kids dashed upstairs. Yesterday they’d cleaned the small rooms on the third floor. Today they’d work on the second floor.



Jessie yanked back the dusty curtains in the first room. She looked out the window and into the yard below. Althea was talking to Tate. Both had slumped 3 shoulders.



She wondered if Cousin Althea and the gardener were afraid. If Peacock Hall was sold, where would they go? Grandfather was in town again, looking for a way to save Peacock Hall.



The children worked hard for two hours. They also peered behind paintings for hidden wall safes, searched dressers and desks for secret compartments 4, and tapped inside closets for false backs.



But their hunt turned up only dust bunnies. No treasure.



They were all grimy and tired. They needed a break.



“Let’s walk to Heather and David’s roadside stand,” Jessie suggested. “I’d like parsley for tonight’s dinner to go with those new potatoes Grandfather bought.”



   “Yeah!” Benny agreed. As much as he liked the big old house, he was glad to go outside.



After washing up, the children set off across the dandelion-spotted 5 field that was a shortcut 6 to the highway.



Benny skipped in the bright green grass. The warm sunshine made him giddy. He plucked a handful of dandelions and tossed them in the air.



Henry smiled at his brother. The soft spring air made him feel like running, too.



“Race you!” he challenged, and the kids were off.



By the time they reached the wooden stand at the side of the highway, they were out of breath and giggling 7.



Heather Olsen was arranging ivy 8 in a basket. She smiled when she heard the Aldens.



“Looks like you guys have spring fever!” she said.



Benny felt his forehead. “Not me. I’m not sick.”



“It’s an expression,” Henry told him. “It means that people feel good in the springtime.”



“What can I do for you today?” Heather asked them.



“I’d like some parsley,” said Jessie. “Grandfather bought some new potatoes. I’m going to make parsley potatoes for dinner tonight.”



Heather slipped the leafy plant into a plastic bag. “That sounds delicious. I bet you’re a good cook.”



“We all like to cook,” Jessie said.



“But I’d rather eat!” Benny put in.



Violet sniffed 9. Something fragrant 10 sweetened the air around the stand.



“What is that nice smell?” she asked Heather.



“Lavender. It’s often made into sachets, perfumes, and lotions 11.” Heather pointed 12 to a bouquet 13 of dried purple flowers pinned to her sweater. “I wear it all the time.”



Violet wondered where David was today. Before she could ask, a shiny black car pulled off the highway.



A woman with stiff blond hair and pink lipstick 14 stepped out of the car.



   “Hello,” the woman said, stalking across the gravel 15 in spiky 16 high heels. “I’m Marlene Sanders.”



Jessie perked 17 up. The name sounded familiar. Where had she heard it before?



“Hello,” Heather greeted. “Welcome to my stand.”



“And you are?” Marlene demanded.



“I’m Heather Olsen.” The younger woman suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.



Marlene gave a fake smile. “Heather, who sells herbs. How cute. I’ll take some basil and thyme.”



Heather began measuring snipped 18 leafy herbs into a small silver scale. “Is this enough?”



The woman pinched green stems between fingers tipped with long pink fingernails. “Your herbs are fresh?” she asked archly.



“Of course,” Heather replied. Nervously 19, she tied the plastic bag with a strand 20 of brown twine 21.



Benny also realized Heather’s son wasn’t around. “Where’s David?” he asked.



“He’s . . . off on an errand,” Heather said, tying the twine into a tight knot.



Marlene peeled dollar bills from an expensive leather wallet. “I don’t see a business license 22 anywhere.” Her tone was disapproving 23.



“It’s at home,” Heather said quickly, her face pale. “If you’re finished, I have plants to water.”



“Of course. But you do know licenses 24 must be displayed. It’s the law.” Marlene Sanders got back into her shiny car and drove off.



Jessie was concerned about Heather. The young woman seemed frightened.



“Are you all right?” she asked.



“I’m fine,” Heather said shortly. “I just have a lot of work to do.”



Jessie glanced at Henry, who nodded back. It was obvious Heather wanted them to leave.



“We should be going,” Jessie said. “Cousin Althea is taking us to Monticello this afternoon.”



“Tell David we said hi,” Benny said. Then he spotted a boy in a red-striped shirt coming across the field. “There he is! Hey, David!”



As soon as David saw the Aldens, he quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction into the woods.



“What’s wrong with him?” Benny said.



“He’s just shy,” Heather told him. “If you’re going to Monticello, you’d better hurry back to Peacock Hall.”



The children didn’t need another hint. When they were well away from Heather’s herb stand, they discussed the strange incident.



“David is not shy,” Violet stated. “He’s avoiding us.”



“But why?” Jessie wondered. “We’ve never done or said anything to upset him.”



“Maybe not, but his mother was plenty upset,” Henry put in. “Did you see how nervous she was when Marlene Sanders was asking a bunch of nosy 25 questions?”



Jessie scratched her head. “I’ve heard that woman’s name before, but I can’t think where. You’re right, Henry. Heather definitely acted like she had something to hide.”



“Another mystery!” Benny crowed. “So far we have to find the hidden treasure and find out who climbed up to the girls’ window —”



“And figure out what’s the matter with Heather and David,” Violet finished for him. “That’s three mysteries and we only have three days.”



“One mystery a day,” Benny said, counting on his fingers.



Henry ruffled 26 Benny’s hair. “You’re getting too smart! Pretty soon you’ll be solving mysteries all by yourself.”



Benny grinned, pleased with his big brother’s praise. He would start solving those mysteries right away, just as soon as he had lunch.



For her job at the Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, Cousin Althea wore a long, rosebud-sprigged cotton dress topped with a white apron 27. A white ruffled cap sat on her curls.



“I love your dress,” Violet said as they were driving to Monticello.



“We all wear eighteenth-century costumes,” Althea said. “This outfit 28 is fun to wear this time of year, but it’s chilly 29 in the fall. Then I put on a shawl.”



She pulled into the employee parking lot. “I’ll be in there,” she said, pointing to a large building. “Roam around all you want. Meet me in the plant center at three-thirty.”



Instead of touring the house, the children wandered around the spacious 30 grounds. They took the roundabout walk, bordered with beautiful spring flowers, on the west side of the mansion 31.



Catching 32 up with a tour group, the Aldens learned that Mr. Jefferson liked to experiment with different kinds of plants.



“He tested over two hundred and fifty varieties of vegetables,” the guide stated. “His favorite vegetable was the pea, and he grew twenty kinds of peas in his thousand-foot garden.”



Benny wrinkled his nose. He loved to eat, but green peas were not his favorite food. “Twenty kinds of peas! Yuck!”



Teasing him, Jessie said, “We’re having peas tonight for dinner!”



“It’s almost three-thirty,” Henry told them. “We’d better head back to the plant center.”



The Center for Historic Plants was enormous, with exhibits, more gardens, and a gift shop where people could buy plants and seeds grown on the estate.



Althea was working behind a cash register. She held up five fingers, meaning she would be ready in five minutes.



Violet wandered around the busy shop. She was browsing 33 through a book on wildflowers when someone bumped into her.



Knocked off balance, Violet stumbled into a rack of seed packets. She caught the stand before it toppled with a crash.



“Mind your own business,” a voice whispered hoarsely 34.



Still grappling with the rack, Violet couldn’t turn around to see who had spoken.



But she smelled a familiar scent 35.



Lavender.