Chapter 24

While the girls were in the room, Quentin had come downstairs to the basement for a coil of rope when the knock came at the front door. Impatiently he marched to the front door, determined to have this interruption taken care of swiftly. It was Barnabas, "Ah, Quentin," he said, "Do you have a minute?" "Uh actually Barnabas, I have-bath water running upstairs, so you see, I have no time to talk." "Bath water?" Barnabas asked, "just where would this bath water you're so impatient to return to be?" "I told you Barnabas, upstairs, I have to go." Barnabas stopped the door was slamming in his face with a strength Quentin wouldn't have thought he'd possess. Barnabas stepped into the foyer, with David appearing at his heels. Barnabas wretched Quentin's hands behind him, once again surprising him. "Where are they Quentin?" he demanded, "Where are they and what have you done with them?" "I don't know what you mean Barnabas, there's no one here. You can look yourself." "Search the house David," Barnabas commanded. "Why don't you and I have a little chat Quentin? In the drawing room?"

David ran through the house, searching every room, calling their names. He concluded that they must be in some secret room or passage. He searched all those he remembered exploring in his childhood, but still found nothing. He knew they were here, he felt. He remembered that night long ago when he was wounded and helpless to save Maggie from Quentin. He knew he had to find them, to save them, from what he did not know. But he would find them even if he had to tear the house down brick by brick.

Rhiannon and Nancy never did find out how they forced their hiding place from Quentin. They weren't sure they wanted to know. All they found out was that Quentin was taken to Wyndcliff, a sanitarium, and would never hurt them or anyone else again. When Rhiannon asked Barnabas about the names Quentin had said in the secret room he sighed and replied, "it's a long story Rhiannon. It all began long ago, in 1969, well 1897 to be more specific, I told you it was a long story."