This is the second of a series entitled Uncle Julian is Dead.
Although you don't have to find the first geocache to find this one,
you may wish to read the beginning of this adventure here: The Will.
There's a very special prize for the first finder.
Jeremy and Pruella returned to Wexford House victorious. “We did it!”, Jeremy crowed. ‘We have one of the treasure boxes,” Pruella replied a little dumbstruck. There were so many jewels in that casket – enough to fill her hands. Even divided it amounted to a small fortune.
As they entered the hall, they found Lily, the under housemaid, in tears on the stairs. It seemed while Jeremy and Pruella were hunting for the first chest, cousins Horace Elbens and Trevor Eubanks had finally made their appearance. Lily had let them into the Library and had sought out Mrs. Stout, the housekeeper, for further instructions. While she was out of the room, Horace and Trevor argued and came to blows, knocking over the large cobalt vase on the Davenport desk.
Lily wailed, “And she blamed me!” Lily had worked in Uncle Julian’s household for almost 7 years, and, now that he’s dead, she was fretting for her future. What would happen if Mrs. Stout turned her out without her references? In this age, a girl only has her good character. The more she worried the more she sobbed.
Sitting down beside her on the steps, Pruella hugged her to her side and tried to pacify the young girl. “I’m sure nobody blames you, Lily. You have always been good to the family,” she crooned. “Now calm down. Are they still here? I don’t hear a peep.”
“They left, miss! And they took what’s left of the clues with them!”
Jeremy jumped up. “Clues to the next treasure box? What do you mean ‘what’s left’? Speak up, girl!”
“Jeremy, this isn’t helping!” But as she said this, Pruella’s vision of that second treasure box dissipated in smoke.
Lily explained. “The papers from Mr. Julian’s solicitors were in the drawer, the one that was wet from that big blue vase. Mrs. Stout opened the drawer to check on them, and they grabbed them! They almost knocked her over! First one and then the other pulled at the wet paper, and now it’s in bits! Mrs. Stout said not to touch what’s left until you returned to see them.”
Minutes later, standing over the opened drawer, Jeremy and Pruella could see the mushy remains of paper sitting in a puddle of water. All that was legible was a section of the letterhead from Uncle Julian’s solicitors, Wargraves and Cleaves of Southfield.
Jeremy slammed the drawer and turned towards the fireplace, first stretching his back and then rubbing his face.
What to do? Calm, dear boy. This is just another puzzle, he mused. Who else has seen them? Who else would know them?
“Got it, Pru! If they came from the solicitors…” he started.
Pruella shrieked, “Then they must have copies!”
And out the door they ran, passing a startled and sniffling Lily.