The Rockingdown Mystery PDF
Preview The Rockingdown Mystery
The first of the Barney "R" Mysteries takes place at Rockingdown Hall, a deserted mansion once owned by Lady Rockingdown and occupied by her son until he was killed in "a war," after which his wife died of a broken heart (is that actually a medical condition?). Tragically, their two children were also killed—little Miss Arabella fell from a high nursery window, and young Master Bob later died of scarlet fever. After that the place was emptied, locked up, and forgotten—and the nurseries on the top floor were left exactly as they were, fully furnished, to gather dust and cobwebs...
Along come Roger and Diana to stay at a cottage nearby. The brother and sister are home from school—but their parents have (rather rudely) sailed off to America, leaving the children to stay with Aunt Pam. But when Aunt Pam's kids get measles, the children instead go to stay with Mummy's old governess, Miss Pepper, at a cottage somewhere in the country. Miss Pepper is to take charge of the cottage for a few weeks, with the help of Mrs Round, the housekeeper. Roger and Diana's pest of a cousin, Snubby, who has no family of his own, is to come and stay too—much to Diana's annoyance.
Snubby makes himself a nuisance even before he shows up in the story. When Roger and Diana go to meet him at the station, it seems he's missed his train—so, after hanging around for an hour, Roger and Diana return to the cottage hot, bothered, and hungry to find Snubby already there, tucking into his tea. He cheerfully informs them that he got off at an earlier stop and walked the rest of the way!
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