The Secret at Jefferson's Mansion (2 page)

“Oh, goody,” Lois said. “How about some for me?”

Marshall started to laugh.

“Mom, you wouldn't like them, trust me,” KC said, poking Marshall.

“Arnold, have you noticed how selfish some children are?” Lois asked the driver in a loud voice. “Imagine, my own daughter won't share snacks.”

Their usual driver was on vacation, so Arnold, a White House marine guard, was filling in.

“It is shocking,” Arnold said, shaking his head. “Kids today.”

Now KC was laughing.

“And I really could use a nice snack,” KC's mom went on.

“Me too,” Arnold said. “My stomach is growling.”

KC and Marshall hooted with laughter as Marshall slid the jars back into his pack.

KC went back to her president book. “Marsh, there's a cemetery at Monticello!” she said. “See, here's a picture.”

It was an old black-and-white photo. A high iron fence surrounded crumbling tombstones and tall trees.

“Who's buried there?” Marshall asked.

“Thomas Jefferson and a lot of his relatives,” KC said. “We have to go see it!”

Marshall pointed out a sign that said THOMAS JEFFERSON'S HOME, TEN MILES. An arrow directed them onto a narrower road.

“I think I see Monticello!” KC cried after a few minutes. She leaned between her mother and Arnold.

At the top of a hill sat a brick mansion with white painted trim. Fields and gardens spread out on all sides. In the front was a wide lawn shaded by tall trees.

“We're right on time,” Lois said. “I told the curator to expect us around eleven.”

Arnold drove up a curving driveway. He stopped at the top and parked near a brick path. Even before they got out of the car, KC noticed a thin, gangly man hurrying
toward them. He was pulling on his suit jacket as he loped over to the car.

“That must be Dr. Spender, the curator,” Lois said. They all climbed out.

“Mrs. Thornton, how lovely to see you!” the man gushed. “I'm Devon Spender. We are all thrilled! The horses will make a wonderful addition to our collection. I can't wait to get my hands on them!”

KC looked at Dr. Spender. His brown eyes blinked as he spoke. Half-glasses sat on his nose. His black hair was combed straight back and he wore a blue suit that looked odd with white socks and sneakers.

KC and Marshall followed Dr. Spender and Lois up the long brick walk. Arnold came last, carrying the box of horses.

While she walked, KC took the chance to glance around. She saw a lot of big trees
and gardens separated by neat white fences. Signs pointed the way to the pond, the orchard, and the cemetery.

Three people were waiting in front of the Jefferson home. “Let me introduce everyone,” Dr. Spender said. “This is Mrs. Pearl Peeps, my assistant. Pearl knows all the secrets about Thomas Jefferson's years here in Monticello.”

Pearl Peeps was a tiny woman with neat gray hair and very pale blue eyes. She smiled, showing small white teeth.

“And this is Mrs. Lorna Cross, our head guide,” Dr. Spender went on. “Lorna is a Jefferson expert.”

Lorna Cross was the opposite of Pearl Peeps. She was tall, with big hands and a thick chin. “Glad to meet you,” the woman said in a deep voice.

“Finally, the man who keeps the building and its treasures safe,” Dr. Spender said. “This is Mr. Gilford Tea, our security guard.”

Mr. Tea had a wide face, a squashed nose, and floppy lips. KC thought he looked like a sad bulldog.

“We're happy to meet you all,” KC's mom said. “This is my daughter, KC, and her friend Marshall. And this is Arnold, our driver.”

“Please follow me inside,” Pearl Peeps said. She led the way, and they all followed like ducklings. They walked up some steps and through a tall door.

“Welcome to Monticello's entrance hall,” Dr. Spender said. “Thomas Jefferson would have greeted his guests here.”

KC looked around the large room.
Every wall held something from Jefferson's life. One was covered with Native American tools, clothing, and cooking utensils.

Dr. Spender smiled at Arnold. “And are those the Jefferson horses?”

“Yes, sir,” Arnold said.

Dr. Spender led them to a glass case on tall legs. “The case will be kept locked at all times,” he said.

“May we see them?” Pearl Peeps asked. She nodded at the box.

Arnold carefully set the box on a table. Lois unlocked it with the key KC had found in her closet, then raised the lid.

The twelve miniature horses lay in their pockets. KC thought they looked happy to be home in Thomas Jefferson's house.

“Perfectly wonderful,” Dr. Spender said, blinking. He read the words Thomas
Jefferson had carved on the box. “Thank you, Mrs. Thornton.”

“Thank KC and Marshall,” Lois said. “They are the little detectives who found the horses in a dusty closet.”

KC and Marshall blushed.

“Well, now we must put them away for the day,” Dr. Spender said. “Would you open the case, Pearl?” She did, and Dr. Spender set the box inside, leaving the lid propped up.

Dr. Spender locked the case with one of the keys on his key ring. He dropped the ring into his jacket pocket.

Mrs. Cross covered the glass case with a cloth.

“The horses will be safe here,” Dr. Spender said.

“Would you like a short tour?” Pearl Peeps asked. “Mrs. Cross will take you around,” she said. “She is a terrific guide.”

“That would be lovely,” Lois said.

Mrs. Peeps and Dr. Spender exited through a door on one side of the room. The sign on it said CURATOR'S OFFICE.

“Let's start in the dining room,” Mrs. Cross said. She checked her watch, then led KC, Marshall, and Lois into the hallway. As they walked, a shadow on the floor under a window caught KC's eye. Outside the window, a dark figure moved quickly away.

Mrs. Cross took them to the fireplace. “Notice the narrow door on the side of the
fireplace,” she said. “That's a wine elevator. President Jefferson had it built so his servants could send bottles of wine from his cellar up here to the dining room.”

She opened the door, and everyone peeked inside. It was a dark cupboard with one shelf big enough for several bottles of wine. “The servants raised or lowered the shelf by pulling on those ropes,” Mrs. Cross explained.

“Cool!” Marshall said. “I want one in my house so my mom can send me food.”

“The bedrooms are on the second floor,” Mrs. Cross went on. “Normally I don't take visitors up there, but I'm breaking my rule for you!”

Upstairs, they peeked inside several open doors. Red velvet cords stretched across the doorways. Small signs said
PRIVATE—PLEASE DO NOT ENTER. The bedrooms were large and had fancy drapes over the windows.

“Which one did President Jefferson sleep in?” KC asked.

“His private rooms are downstairs, just beneath these rooms,” Mrs. Cross said. “I usually save those for last.”

The little group kept walking. They came to a room with children's toys in it. “His grandchildren used this as their playroom,” Mrs. Cross said.

“I wonder if they made any of those horses here,” KC said.

“Why, I wouldn't be a bit surprised!” Mrs. Cross said. “They also had their school lessons here. President Jefferson hired tutors for all of his grandchildren. He wrote in his diary that education was
the finest gift he could ever give them.”

Mrs. Cross looked at her watch again. “Now let's go back down and I'll show you President Jefferson's bedroom.”

When they got to the bedroom door, everyone crowded behind the velvet rope. “The president spent most of his time in these rooms,” Mrs. Cross told them. “He slept in this one, and through the arch you can see his study and book room.”

KC saw an empty birdcage hanging in front of one of the windows. “Was that for a bird?” she asked Mrs. Cross.

“Yes, he had a pet mockingbird named Dick,” she explained. “When he was alone, he'd open the cage and let Dick fly about. In his diary, President Jefferson wrote that Dick often sat on his shoulder and kept him company.”

Marshall pointed to a fishing rod leaning in a corner of the bedroom. “Did he like to fish?” he asked.

“Indeed,” Mrs. Cross said. “He said fishing helped him think. There's a little stream in the woods where he'd spend quiet moments when he had time.”

“Speaking of time, I'm afraid we have to go,” Lois said. “Thank you so much for showing us around this beautiful home.”

Mrs. Cross made a small bow. “My pleasure,” she said. She led Lois and the kids toward the front door.

“Wait, I want to say good-bye to the horses,” KC said. She walked over to the glass case and pulled back the cloth.

The case was empty.

“Mom!” KC yelled. “Come here!”

Lois, Marshall, and Mrs. Cross hurried
over. They all stared at an empty case. The Jefferson horses were gone!

“Maybe Dr. Spender put them somewhere else for tonight,” Mrs. Cross said. She moved quickly toward his office.

KC tried to lift the top of the glass case. “It's still locked,” she said.

Dr. Spender and Mrs. Peeps came running. She was holding a pen and a notebook. He had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

They stopped abruptly at the empty glass case. “My goodness!” Dr. Spender said. He blinked several times.

“Dr. Spender, you didn't take the box out of the case?” Lois asked.

He shook his head. “Of course not!”

“Well, somebody did!” Mrs. Cross sputtered.

“But the case was locked!” Dr. Spender said. He tried to lift the top, as KC had done.

“Dr. Spender, where are your keys?” Mrs. Peeps asked.

Dr. Spender ran back to his office. He returned carrying his suit jacket. He pulled the ring of keys from his pocket. Selecting the smallest key, he unlocked the glass case and lifted the top.

“This key has not left my pocket since I locked the case a half hour ago,” the curator said. Blink, blink went his eyes.

“Then someone must have another key,” Lois said.

“I doubt it, but I will ask Mr. Tea,” Dr. Spender said. “He's the one who gave me this key.”

“Can you call him?” Lois asked.

“I'm afraid he's away,” Mrs. Peeps said. “Don't you remember you asked him to buy a new lock for the basement door?”

Dr. Spender blinked. “I did? Oh well, I must have,” he said. “I'll speak to Mr. Tea as soon as he returns. But now I think we should shut the building down and search every room. Mrs. Thornton, I am terribly sorry, but I promise you everything will be done to find those horses.”

“I'm sure it will,” Lois said. “Come on, kids, we should head over to the bed-and-breakfast.”

KC stared at the empty case. It didn't seem possible, but someone had opened it and stolen the horses while they were on the tour.

“Dr. Spender, was the front door unlocked?” KC asked.

“Um, when do you mean, dear?” he said, blinking once again.

“While you and Mrs. Peeps were in your office,” she said. “And when Mrs. Cross took us upstairs.”

“Why, yes,” Dr. Spender said. “The door is always open for guests.”

“So someone could have walked in and stolen the horses!” Marshall said.

Dr. Spender blinked about ten times. “Perhaps,” he muttered. “I suppose someone could have come in, lifted the cloth out of curiosity, and then—”

“But you're forgetting about the key,” Mrs. Peeps said, interrupting her boss. “How could a stranger open the locked case without the key?”

“Arnold, something awful happened!” KC cried as she jumped into the car's backseat. “The horses got stolen!”

Arnold whipped around in the front seat. “You're kidding, right?”

KC's mom slid in next to Arnold and Marshall joined KC in the back. “No, I'm afraid it's true,” Lois said. She quickly explained how the chest and the twelve horses had disappeared while they were on the tour.