Read Crown Phoenix: Night Watchman Express Page 19

Chapter 17

  Secret Plots

  iriam opened her eyes. Mana was sitting by the window, holding something in her hand. The girl swung her legs out of bed and padded over to see.

  “What have you got?” she asked.

  Mana turned. She held a cup in a large, fine linen handkerchief. “Does this look familiar to you, Miriam?” she asked.

  Miriam shrugged. “Certainly it does. It’s one of the bone china cups that are kept for best company. I’m always afraid I’ll knock off the handle whenever I have to use one.”

  Mana held the cup up to the windowpane. The porcelain was so fine that the light shone right through it, making the cup glow. She turned it this way and that, studying the cup and she sniffed it.

  “Miriam,” she asked, “did you drink from this cup at all?”

  Miriam shrugged again. “Oh, I don’t know.”

  Mana turned to face her, and she put her hand on the girls arm. “You must think, now, Miriam. Did you, at any point, taste the coffee in this cup? Or did Neil?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  Mana put the cup in her lap and put both arms around her. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  Miriam didn’t have to think about that. “Yes, of course I do.”

  “Think for me. Close your eyes and remember exactly what happened last night.”

  Astonished, Miriam did what she was told. “Very well, I’ll try to remember. We finished dinner. After that we went into the drawing room.”

  “Good. And whom did you sit next to?”

  “I wanted to sit next to Simon or Neil, but Simon was too busy turning pages for that sister. Miss Cantwell. And Mr. Cantwell insisted on plunking down next to me.”

  “And who gave Neil the coffee?”

  “Oh, I don’t know!” Miriam opened her eyes and sighed. “All this talk of coffee is making me thirsty. Could I have a cup of tea?”

  “Of course you may,” Mana said, “in a minute. Was there anything served with it?”

  “Biscuits!” Miriam cried. “Of course! It was Aunt Theodosia who gave it to Neil. She put a biscuit on the saucer, and she handed it to him. I recall it perfectly now. I remember thinking how strange it was, since she usually ignores him.”

  “And did you or Neil drink any of the coffee? This is vital, now.”

  “No.” Miriam shook her black curls and looked straight at her teacher. “No, we did not.”

  Mana sighed and sat back, releasing Miriam. “Wonderful. Thank you very much, Miriam. You’ve been a big help.”

  “But, Mana,” Miriam asked, “what does it all mean? Why are you so worried about one cup of coffee?”

  Mana wrapped up the cup carefully in the linen handkerchief. “Time to get dressed,” she said.