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"Just brush it down, please," she said. I smiled and began. She closed her eyes. "How's your school going? The play?"

"Very good," I said.

"And your mother? Have we heard a word from that country?"

She opened her eyes to see the expression on my face as I answered.

"She said she's coming this weekend with Alison and Brody, but not with Grant."

"One of her and her children's duty calls. I hate them. Keep brushing. What about Victoria?"

"She hasn't been here since you went to the hospital," I said. Her eyebrows rose.

"That's surprising." She was quiet for a moment and then put her hand on mine to stop me from brushing her hair. "There's something I want you to get for me," she said after taking a deep breath. "It's in the den in the safe. The safe is behind the desk, behind the picture of my husband.

"I'm going to trust you with the combination. I never make mistakes when I evaluate someone and I don't expect I'm making one about you now. Has this minor imperfection turned me into a fool?" she asked.

"I told you before and I'll tell you again, Grandmother Hudson, I am not

a thief."

She made that small smile on her lips again.

"We'll see. Turn to the right twice and stop on ten. Then go back to two and to the right to twelve. On the very top of the pile of papers there is a document in a pale yellow folder. Bring it to me before Victoria gets here. And I don't want anyone to know about it. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Merilyn came in with the tray carrying tea and biscuits. "What did you do, send to Richmond for that? I asked for it hours ago."

"It hasn't been twenty minutes, Mrs. Hudson." "Hmm," Grandmother Hudson said. "Put it here. Come on."

Merilyn hurriedly did so and stepped back. Grandmother Hudson felt the teapot.

"It's not hot enough," she said.

"It was scalding, ma'am."

"Maybe twenty minutes ago. Get me hot water."

"Yes, ma'am," she said directing her angry look at me.

"Well?" Grandmother Hudson said, turning to me. "What are you waiting for?"

I hurried out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the safe. Was it my imagination, or had Grandmother Hudson returned from the hospital even more crabby than before she had gone in? I thought she was supposed to feel better. I really felt sorry for Merilyn.

As I walked past the kitchen, I gazed in and saw Mrs. Griffin making herself a sandwich and some coffee. She looked like she was mumbling to herself. After I entered the den, I closed the door softly and then went to the portrait of Mr. Hudson. I carefully removed it from the wall and started to turn the knob on the safe. It clicked and I opened it and reached in. I could see there were some jewels, papers and what looked like a birth certificate. I found the document she wanted and closed the safe, carefully placed the portrait back and left the den. I didn't look at the document. It was very thick. As I approached the stairway, the front door opened and Victoria entered. Instinctively, I lowered the document and held it close to my side so it wasn't visible in my hand.

"How is my mother?" she demanded without a hello.

"She looks fine," I said. "The nurse settled her in and she's having tea and biscuits."

"Where's the nurse?"

"Having lunch," I said.

"That's probably what she'll do most of the time. I don't know why we needed a fully licensed nurse. A nurse's aide would have been quite sufficient." She started up the stairs.

Grandmother Hudson had wanted me to bring her the document before Victoria had arrived, so I was sure she didn't want me bringing it to her now. I went up to my room instead. I closed the door softly and sat at my desk, my heart thumping. All these intrigues made me nervous. Despite my efforts to fight them back, curious cat's eyes slowly replaced my own and I gazed at the folder, slipping the papers out. Carefully, I unfolded the document and read.