Студопедия

Главная страница Случайная страница

Разделы сайта

АвтомобилиАстрономияБиологияГеографияДом и садДругие языкиДругоеИнформатикаИсторияКультураЛитератураЛогикаМатематикаМедицинаМеталлургияМеханикаОбразованиеОхрана трудаПедагогикаПолитикаПравоПсихологияРелигияРиторикаСоциологияСпортСтроительствоТехнологияТуризмФизикаФилософияФинансыХимияЧерчениеЭкологияЭкономикаЭлектроника






English Settlers






 

Warned by Nancy's cry, Pierre and Marston Parker had drawn back and flung their arms over their faces. So despite the force of the blast and the flying debris, no one was hurt except for some scratches and bruises. But the computer itself was badly damaged, as was Pierre's invention.

" What went wrong? " Parker asked, frowning and obviously disturbed by what had happened.

" I'm afraid the setup was booby-trapped, " put in Nancy, and she explained what had aroused her suspicions. " Evidently, someone doesn't want Pierre to succeed in selling his memory device."

The young Frenchman was at first bewildered, then grim and tight-lipped, as he surveyed the results of the blast. " Obviously I cannot go on with the demonstration. My equipment is ruined. I apologize for wasting your time, Mr. Parker."

" Too bad, " the manufacturer's agent commiserated, although he seemed not wholly convinced by Nancy's explanation of the explosion. " Does this set you back very far? "

" I have lost about a month's work, " Pierre said in a discouraged voice. " Not to mention the cost of replacing the parts that have been destroyed." Then he shrugged and smiled bravely. " Eh bien, thank goodness no one was hurt."

There was a sharp rap on the half-open door. A big, vigorous-looking man in his fifties entered the workshop and looked around in astonishment. " Well, well! I'd say something violent occurred here. What happened? "

" Ah, Mr. Varney! " Pierre hurried toward his visitor, hand outstretched. " You come at an unfortunate time. Some unknown enemy has sabotaged my work."

" I warned you to be on the lookout for trouble, son." Varney, who had the tanned, weathered face of an outdoor sportsman, was frowning. " Did anyone see anything suspicious? "

He flung a questioning glance at Marston Parker and Nancy.

" Miss Drew is quite famous for solving mysteries, " Pierre explained. " Luckily, she detected trouble just in time to save us from injury/'

After introducing his guests to each other, Pierre added to Nancy, " You remember I told you that Mr. Varney is financing my work."

" Oh yes, of course." Nancy smiled at the big man. " How lucky for Pierre that you're helping him. How did you happen to hear of him? "

" Miss Drew, all my friends know that I'm on the lookout for promising young business people and inventors. So they keep me well informed."

As Nancy nodded, he went on. " Now, in Pierre's case, a friend in Europe saw an interview with him and a report on his computer work in a French newspaper. After reading that Pierre was about to come to the U.S.A., he notified me.

Varney turned to Pierre, who had just seen Marston Parker out the door. " By the way, my boy, have a list ready this afternoon of whatever you'll need to replace all this damaged material. My secretary will call you."

Pierre thanked him sincerely.

The financier clapped the young Frenchman on the back, saying, " In the meantime, don't be too downhearted." Then he smiled at Nancy—

" A pleasure to have met you, Miss Drew" —and left.

The girl detective looked at Pierre. " You look considerably more cheerful, I'm glad to see.

 

" Vraiment." He smiled. Then his face became somewhat more serious. " Nancy, I've been meaning to ask if you have had any further word from Lisa—er, Miss Thorpe. Do you think..."

He paused uncertainly.

Nancy replied, " I’m glad you reminded me. I must phone her. May I call from here? "

" Oh, but of course, " Pierre said eagerly.

" Would you care to speak to her when I'm through? I’m sure she'd like to hear from you, " Nancy said as she dialed Lisa's number.

A servant's voice answered, but Lisa herself soon came on the line. Nancy explained that she was calling from Pierre Michaud's workshop, then asked, " Lisa, did your great-aunt, Louise Duval, leave any personal belongings or papers that are still in your family's possession? "

" Let me think." After a moment's pause, Lisa said, " I'm not certain. But there are lots of old family things, trunks and so on, in the attic. There may even be things going back to Paul and Yvette Duval's time."

" Oh, wonderful! " Nancy exclaimed. " You see, I've been wondering if Miss Louise might have left anything among her personal effects that would shed some light on her letter to Pierre's grandfather."

" It's certainly possible." Lisa cleared her throat nervously. " Nancy, why don't you come over tomorrow afternoon and we'll go through the stuff together."

Nancy hesitated. " I'd love to, but are you sure it won't..."

Lisa interrupted, " Don't worry, my father won't be here. And anyway, it's my house too, " she finished boldly.

Nancy laughed. " Fine. See you then. Now, here's Pierre, who'd like a word with you before I hang up." And she handed the phone to him.

Gathering up her purse and car keys, Nancy waved goodbye to the young inventor. He was already deeply engrossed in conversation and barely seemed to notice her departure as she slipped out the door with a smile.

Nancy drove home and had no sooner arrived in the house when the telephone rang. Hannah Gruen, the Drews' housekeeper, answered it.

" Just a moment, please, " she said, then with her hand over the mouthpiece murmured to Nancy, " It's for you, dear. A Mr. Teakin."

Dropping her shoulder bag on a chair near the door, Nancy took the receiver from Hannah.

" Miss Drew, " the pleasant voice of the historical society's secretary greeted her, " I've found something that may interest you, so I thought I'd let you know right away."

" Oh good, Mr. Teakin! What did you find? "

" A local newspaper article, dated in 1796. It tells how Paul and Yvette Duval had just settled in River Heights."

Nancy listened with keen interest as he went on. " According to this report, they arrived here from London, England, and it goes on to say that Paul Duval had been a director of the Mercantile Exchange Bank there for the past six years."

After exchanging a few more remarks with the society secretary, Nancy thanked him for the helpful information and hung up, surprised and puzzled.

Despite their French name and the family tradition of their French background, the Duval couple had come from England! In fact, from what the newspaper article told about them, they might not have been French at all. At any rate, they had apparently been living in England for some time before coming to America.

Nancy spent the rest of the afternoon mulling over what bearing all this might have on the mystery.

Just before dinner, as Nancy was helping Hannah set the table, Lisa Thorpe called. She asked if Nancy could come to her house that evening instead of tomorrow afternoon.

" Of course, Lisa, no problem. About eight-fifteen or so? Fine. See you then."

The Drews and Hannah sat down to a leisurely dinner of lamb chops and minted peas, topped off by a flaky-crusted blueberry pie for dessert. Afterward, Carson Drew left to keep an appointment with a client, while Nancy helped Hannah clear the table and load the dishwasher.

Then, running a comb through her hair, Nancy slipped on a beige raincoat and started out for Lisa's house.

It was a cloudy, windy evening with a promise of rain in the air. As Nancy parked in front of the Thorpes' house, the first few drops of rain began to spatter the windshield.

Lisa answered the door with a welcoming smile. Taking Nancy's raincoat, she whispered, " I have an unexpected guest, I'm afraid, " and then led her into a charmingly decorated drawing room.

A blond, wavy-haired young man stood up to greet the new arrival. " Ah, Miss Drew! You do get around, don't you? " he said in his affected, man-of-the world voice. To Lisa he added by way of explanation, " We met just the other day at the art museum."

Settling himself on the sofa again, Lee Talbot crossed his legs gracefully and went on, " Lisa and I were just enjoying a cozy evening for two. I'd no idea she was expecting company."

His remark seemed to imply that he and Lisa were romantically involved, and that Nancy was intruding. But from the look on Lisa's face, she could see that this was far from the truth. Nancy suspected that he felt somewhat embarrassed over her having witnessed his unpleasant scene with Peter Worden, so now he was trying to assert an air of suave superiority.

To change the subject, Nancy asked politely if he had done any more painting recently.

" Oh yes! I have two or three exciting new canvases under way." Springing up from the sofa again, Lee Talbot began to describe his new works of art with elaborate gestures. " I rather think my next exhibit will cause quite a stir in the art world, " he informed the two girls with a smirk.

Nancy found him unpleasantly smug and boring. So did Lisa, apparently. When he paused by her chair and casually slipped an arm around her shoulder, Lisa gently but firmly disengaged herself.

Undeterred by her coolness, Talbot went on in his self-satisfied way to relate how impressed the judges at the recent art show had been by his prize-winning picture.

" I've seen a photograph of it since we met, " Nancy put in. " You certainly chose an exotic and unusual subject. May I ask where you got the inspiration for your painting? "

Instead of looking pleased at her question, Lee Talbot's face darkened with anger. " What's that supposed to mean? " he snapped. " I suppose you've been talking with that ignorant lout, Worden. Well, you can tell him from me he's asking for trouble and a possible lawsuit! "

With a curt apology and good-night to Lisa, he stalked out of the room. A moment later, the startled girls heard the front door slam, then a car engine rev up and zoom off.

As if to punctuate his departure, a violent thunderclap rumbled through the sky, and the storm burst in full fury!

 






© 2023 :: MyLektsii.ru :: Мои Лекции
Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав.
Копирование текстов разрешено только с указанием индексируемой ссылки на источник.