Secrets of the Dragon Tomb Read Free Page A

Freddie’s room, and her eyes narrowed in contemplation as she took in his outfit.
    â€œWait here!” she said, and darted back to her room.
    â€œI need to talk to you,” I said to Freddie.
    He blinked. “Nothing I’d like more, old chap, but we can’t possibly be late for dinner. It would be terribly rude. My mother would never forgive me if I offended Aunt Caroline.” With a twirl of his walking stick, he swept downstairs, toward the dining room.
    The rest of the family was already seated at the dinner table when we hurried in. Papa sat at the head of the table, surrounded by scraps of paper on which he’d scribbled indecipherable designs. The wide windows that looked over the lawns and down to the shores of the Valles Marineris were covered with curtains to shut out the sight of the workmen still laboring away at Mama’s garden party. An elaborate candelabrum stood in the middle of the table, casting flickering light. Gas lamps burned along the walls.
    Mama rose to her feet in a rustle of green and gold fabrics as we entered.
    â€œFrederick! We are delighted you were able to come visit with us.”
    I frowned. Had Mama known Freddie was coming? Surely she would have said?
    â€œBit of a surprise for everyone, eh?” Freddie said. “One minute here I wasn’t, and, well, the next here I was.” He gave a wide, vacant smile.
    â€œBut a delightful one,” Jane said, rising elegantly to join Mama.
    Jane was my oldest sister. She was nineteen years old and probably the sweetest person on Mars. She also had the power to make young gentlemen fall in love with her from a hundred paces. We hadn’t seen Freddie for almost two years, while he’d been away at university, and it would be an interesting scientific experiment to see if he still had any immunity to Jane.
    â€œCouldn’t stop myself dropping in when I, ah, found myself in the area. Or should I say over the area.”
    My next oldest sister, Olivia, looked as stiff-backed as a new book as she inclined her head. “Mr. Winchester. You are most welcome.” For some reason, her cheeks had turned pink. A wisp of brown hair had escaped from the tight bun at the back of her head.
    â€œHugo!” Mama said. “Frederick is here.”
    Papa blinked over his dirty eyeglasses. He’d been scribbling notes on a pad of paper. His bushy eyebrows rose.
    â€œAh. There you are, my boy. I’d wondered where you’d gotten to.”
    For a moment, I thought he must be talking to me. Had Papa actually been looking for me?
    â€œFrederick has been on Earth, attending Oxford University,” Mama said, and I thought, Of course, he meant Freddie. Why would Papa be looking for me? He never seemed to notice whether I was there or not.
    Sighing, I slid into the chair next to Olivia. She was still sitting as stiffly as an automatic servant whose springs had run down.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you?” I whispered.
    Olivia shook her head minutely, her cheeks still flushed.
    The door burst open, and Putty hurried in. She had taken off her old frock coat and replaced it with a pair of waistcoats just like Freddie’s.
    â€œWhat is the meaning of this?” Mama snapped.
    â€œEr … Of what?” I said cautiously, as the ro-butler trundled in carrying a dish of plesiosaur steak flavored with cracked pepper and rosemary, and fire-beans.
    â€œParthenia!” Mama exclaimed, flinging a hand out in such a dramatic gesture that it almost sent her glass flying across the table.
    â€œWe’ve all been wondering that for a long time,” Olivia murmured to me.
    I leaned back as the ro-butler splatted food down onto my plate.
    â€œWhat have I done?” Putty said.
    â€œThat outfit ,” Mama sniffed. “You are supposed to be a young lady. What must Frederick think?”
    â€œWell—” Freddie tried.
    â€œFrederick has been to Earth! To England! He must think