Page 77 of Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy 1)

“Hello.” Why was my voice hoarse all of a sudden?

“I think you two will be getting to know each other better.” Mr. George laughed nervously. “It’s possible that Gwyneth is our new Charlotte.”

“What?” His green eyes scrutinized me again, this time only my face. All I could do was stare back at him stupidly.

“It’s a very complicated story,” said Mr. George. “You’d better go up to the Dragon Hall and let your uncle explain.”

Gideon nodded. “I was on my way up in any case. See you, Mr. George. Good-bye for now, Winnie.”

Who was Winnie?

“Gwyneth,” Mr. George corrected him, but Gideon had already turned the corner. The sound of his footsteps died away on the stairs.

* * *

“I’M SURE YOU MUST have a great many questions,” said Mr. George. “I’ll answer them as well as I can.”

I was glad to be able to sit down at last. I stretched my legs out in front of me. The documents room had turned out to be really comfortable, even if it had no windows and was deep down in a vaulted cellar. A fire was burning on a hearth, and there were bookshelves and bookcases all around, as well as wing chairs that looked inviting and the broad sofa on which I was now sitting. When we had come in, someone had risen from a chair at the desk, nodded to Mr. George, and left the room without a word.

“Was that man mute?” I asked. It was the first thing to come into my head.

“No,” said Mr. George. “But he’s taken a vow of silence. He isn’t going to speak for the next four weeks.”

“What good will that do him?”

“It’s a ritual. The adepts have to pass a whole series of tests before being accepted into our Outer Circle. It’s particularly important for them to prove that they are discreet.” Mr. George smiled. “You must think us really odd. Here, take this flashlight and hang it around your neck.”

“What’s going to happen to me now?”

“We’re waiting for your next journey back in time.”

“When will that be?”

“Oh, no one can tell exactly. It’s said that your distant ancestress Elaine Burghley, the second of the Circle of Twelve to be born, traveled only five times in her entire life. But then she died in childbirth at the age of eighteen. The count himself used to travel every few hours as a young man, two to seven times a day. You can imagine what a dangerous life he lived until he finally understood how to use the chronograph.” Mr. George pointed to the oil painting over the hearth. “That’s him, by the way. Count Saint-Germain.”

“Seven times a day!” That would be terrible. I’d never get a proper night’s sleep or be able to go to school.

“Don’t worry. When it happens, you’ll land in this room—at what period we don’t know—and you’ll be safe here anyway. Then just wait until you travel back. You mustn’t move from the room. If by any chance you meet anyone, show this ring.” Mr. George took his signet ring off his finger and handed it to me. I turned it in my hand and looked at the engraving. It was a twelve-pointed star with intertwined letters in the middle. My clever friend Lesley had been right again.

“Our English and history teacher, Mr. Whitman, has one of these too.”

“Is that a question?” The fire on the hearth was reflected on Mr. George’s bald patch. It was kind of a cozy sight.

I shook my head. I didn’t need an answer. It was obvious: Mr. Whitman was one of these people.

“Isn’t there anything else you want to know?”

“Yes, I want to know who Paul is and what happened to Lucy. And what this theft they committed was. And what my mum did back then to make everyone so cross with her.” It all came bursting out of me.

“Oh.” Mr. George scratched his head, looking embarrassed. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

“Figures,” I sighed.

“Gwyneth. If you really are our Number Twelve, then we’ll explain it all to you in detail, I promise. But we have to be sure first. However, I’ll be happy to answer other questions.”

I sat in silence.

Mr. George sighed. “Oh, very well. Paul is the younger brother of Falk de Villiers. He was Number Nine in the Circle of Twelve, the last of the de Villiers line to travel in time before Gideon. That will have to do for now. If you have anything to ask of a less inflammatory nature…”

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