Everyone watched in stunned amazement as the vase hit the floor and smashed into shards.
“Look what you did!” the woman screeched at Roscoe.
“What I did!” he yelled back. “You made me drop it!”
Before she turned around, Violet smelled the sweet aroma of lavender. Then she recognized Marlene Sanders’s sharp voice.
“You were the one who pushed me in the gift shop,” she said to Marlene. “I thought it was Heather Olsen, but you wear lavender, too. It’s in your hand lotion.”
“So what if I did?” Marlene flared. “You kids are constantly poking into things that aren’t any of your business.”
Benny stared at the vase, the secret of Peacock Hall, smashed on the floor. All their searching and looking, now in a million pieces.
Althea rushed into the room. “What’s all this shouting —” She stopped when she saw her great-nephew and Marlene Sanders. “What’s going on here?”
Roscoe jerked his head toward the open panels on either side of the fireplace. “These kids found what I’ve been looking for since I was their age.”
“You still act like a kid,” Althea said coldly. Then she went over to examine an unlatched door. “Very clever. Like the panels in the dining room at Monticello. Maybe Zachary Randolph had the design copied here at Peacock Hall.”
“Benny discovered the secret door,” Henry told her. “We were putting wood in the fireplace and he accidently hit the panel.”
“We didn’t find anything in the first one.” Jessie took up the story. “But we figured there must be one on the other side. When we opened it, there was a vase inside.”
“Obviously worth a fortune,” Marlene snapped, glaring at Roscoe. “And this idiot dropped it!”
Now Roscoe turned on her. “Why did you have to barge in? I took everyone to Natural Bridge so the house would be empty and you could steal that old piece of paper. If you had waited until later like we planned, we’d have the vase and the house!”
Marlene dug furiously in her handbag and pulled out the yellowed receipt. “Here! A lot of good this does us now! Without the vase, this is worthless!”
The paper fluttered like a feather to the floor near Benny’s feet. He picked it up. He still couldn’t read the funny writing. Then he tilted his head and suddenly the two marks at the bottom made sense.
He remembered what had been sticking in his mind the last few days.
The final clue.
Roscoe and Marlene were still arguing.
“You bungler!” she yelled at him. “Who climbed into the wrong window the other night?”
“You thought I should search one last time,” Roscoe said. “I practically broke my neck when that kid saw me.”
Althea was shocked. “You’ve been sneaking into my house, Roscoe Janney?”
“So what?” Marlene said. “The plan is ruined.”
At that moment Grandfather came in, followed by Tate.
“You’re right,” Grandfather announced. “Your plan is ruined. Althea, I found out from my lawyer friend that your great-nephew and this woman have been plotting together all along.”
“To buy my house?” Althea asked. “They’ve both made me separate offers, but I’ve always refused.”
“Roscoe figured you’d give in before the deadline,” Grandfather explained. “He was counting on your desperation to accept his ridiculously low offer.”
“How does this woman fit in?” Althea asked.
“Roscoe was going to turn right around and sell Peacock Hall to my development company at a huge profit,” Marlene confessed. “We’d split the profit. Whatever the treasure was, we’d split that, too.”
Tate stared at Roscoe, astonished. “I thought you loved this house! When you were little, you talked about living at Peacock Hall. And you were going to sell it?”
“Who wants this old place?” Roscoe said.
Jessie suspected Roscoe was embarrassed at being caught. And he didn’t like it that a six-year-old had discovered the secret he had been looking for all these years.
“Now I know why my husband insisted I sell this house to a member of the Randolph family,” Althea said to Roscoe. “He must have known you wouldn’t love the house.”
“Roscoe only loves money,” Marlene said.
“You’d better leave,” Althea ordered the real estate woman. “I wouldn’t sell to your development firm or my good-for-nothing nephew for the world.”
Roscoe stalked into the hall. He made a big show of holding the door open for Marlene Sanders, but she brushed past him angrily.
“I can open my own door!” she said.
After Roscoe had left, Althea glanced at the clock on the mantel. “I’d better pack. It’s nearly five. The sheriff will be here soon to escort me off my property.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Grandfather.
Althea turned, her eyes anxious. “What do you mean? That porcelain vase is in a million pieces. The treasure of Peacock Hall can’t help me now.”
“Althea, I’m surprised at you! A history expert,” Grandfather teased. “The vase was undoubtedly valuable, but you’re overlooking the true treasure of Peacock Hall.”
Henry understood immediately. “The panels in the fireplace! They’re just like the one designed by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello! How many other houses have secret panels hidden in the fireplace? Maybe Thomas Jefferson built these, too!”
“Why, the treasure has been in front of me all these years!” Althea said in awe. “It’s very possible Mr. Jefferson designed these fireplace panels. He and Zachary Randolph were friends as well as neighbors.”
“Yeah,” Benny put in. “He even wrote a note to Zachary.”
“What?” Violet asked. “Benny, what are you talking about?”
He held out the paper Marlene had thrown on the floor.
“This,” he said. “It’s a note from Thomas Jefferson. See? There are his initials in the corner.”
Grandfather took the receipt from Benny. “Benny is absolutely right! Talk about not seeing what’s right in front of us!”
“I just kept looking at that paper,” Benny explained. “And suddenly I could read those two letters at the bottom. T and J. Like the letters Roscoe wrote on the fish fountain.”
“And George Washington carved on the wall of Natural Bridge!” Jessie added, excited. “Ever since Grandfather got your letter, Althea, Benny has been seeing initials! It all began with your monogrammed letter.”
“You children clearly take after your grandmother’s side of the family,” Althea declared, winking at Grandfather. “Your grandfather is pretty smart, too. I hope he can figure out a way I can keep my house.”
“The answer is right here,” Grandfather said, waving the receipt. “This little piece of paper is worth a small fortune. It’s a receipt for the vase Jefferson brought back from England. Zachary or his wife may have asked Jefferson to buy them some English china. Jefferson wrote this receipt and initialed it.”
“That’s worth money?” asked Violet.
“People who collect autographs would pay a great deal of money for anything with Jefferson’s signature.” Grandfather smiled at Althea. “Maybe the foundation that runs Monticello would buy the receipt. It’s worth more than enough to pay your taxes.”
“It’s not too late?” Jessie asked. The clock’s hands had nearly crept to five.
“The sheriff is probably on his way,” Tate said, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. “What’ll we do when he gets here? He won’t care about any old piece of paper.”
Grandfather nodded. “I’ve spent most of this week down at the courthouse. Believe me, the county would much rather have its tax money than go through an eviction procedure. I’m sure you will be granted an extension, Althea, once the news of this discovery is out. And then the autograph buyers will be calling. You’ll sell it and have money left over.”
Althea sank into a chair. “I can’t believe it. I don’t know how to thank you, James. And you children!”
“Your problems aren’t completely over,” Grandfather pointed out gently. “You still need help with this house. And the money left over from the sale of the Jefferson receipt won’t last forever.”
Tate cleared his throat. “I think I can help with this problem, Mrs. Randolph.” He went to the front door and signaled with his arm.
Heather and David Olsen walked in.
“Who are these people?” Althea asked Tate.
“Heather ran the herb stand on the highway,” Benny supplied.
Tate added sheepishly, “I’ve been letting them stay in the smokehouse. They don’t have anyplace to live.”
Heather said, “Tate’s been wonderful, Mrs. Randolph. We knew it was wrong to stay on your property without your permission, but we just had no place else to go. I had to think about my son.”
“How long has this been going on?” asked Althea.
“About two months,” Tate answered. “I found them walking along the highway and brought them home. I’ve been bunking in the dairy house. I hope you’re not mad.”
“No, Tate, I’m not angry. But I don’t like being fooled.” Althea’s face softened. “Still, I understand how you must feel, Heather, trying to raise your son.”
Heather became excited. “Do you know you have a wonderful herb garden? It’s all grown over, but I can bring it back. We could open an herb shop right here at Peacock Hall. Since it’s on the way to Monticello, we’d have lots of visitors.”
“You could open the house as a public attraction,” Grandfather suggested to Althea. “People would love to see that fireplace. Peacock Hall should be registered as an historic property. That way the house will be protected.”
“I can help you do that,” Heather told Althea. “I know a lot about old houses and gardens.”
Althea liked the idea. “You and David could live here, of course. Oh, everything is working out! I never dreamed I’d keep my house and have young people stay with me, too!”
“I’m happy for you, Althea,” Grandfather said. “But it’s time we Aldens headed back home.”
“I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” Althea said.
“We don’t need any payment,” Henry said, speaking for all the Aldens. “We had fun finding the treasure.”
David stepped forward, his hands behind his back. “I have something Benny might want,” he said.
He presented Benny with a peacock feather. It was a glorious reward, almost as tall as Benny, with a sapphire eye on the end.
“Oh, boy!” Benny exclaimed. “Thanks a lot, David!”
Outside, the peacock gave his eerie cry.
“He doesn’t want this back, does he?” Benny asked. “Can peacocks count their tail feathers?”
Everyone laughed.
“No, Benny,” Jessie said. “I don’t think birds can count as well as you can!”
She was glad they had found the secret of Peacock Hall and saved the wonderful old house.
And they could count on another mystery just around the corner!
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