The Mystery of the Lake Monster

by Paula Harrison

  Mr Steen stalked into the kitchen, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. “I’ve set out the gold-edged plates with the crown pattern,” he told Cook Walsh. “Can you be sure that everything will be ready on time?”

  “Of course!” Cook’s face was red from leaning over the hot stove. “The pie’s nearly done.”

  “Excellent.” Mr Steen turned to Connie. “And no more talk of this ridiculous lake creature, please. I don’t want our guests to get alarmed.”

  “I only told Queen Belinda and Cook and the gardeners and the stable lads,” protested Connie. “Oh! And the guard on the front door. Anyway I know I saw the beast, no matter what anyone says. Its eyes were terrifying – like deep black holes!”

  Mr Steen gave a sniff and brushed off a speck of chocolate that Connie had dropped on his sleeve.

  “Millie and I saw it too!” said Jess. “Well, we saw its head anyway. Its body was hidden under the water.”

  Mr Steen frowned. “There will be no talk of beasts and eyes like deep holes when we’re in the banquet hall, thank you! Remember that the king and queen have guests and you must behave with dignity at all times.”

  Connie made a little cross sound and went back to adding chocolate sprinkles to the meringue pudding. Jess hid a smile. She didn’t think anyone could have as much dignity as the butler. His clothes and hair were always perfectly neat and he never looked ruffled even for a second.

  Mr Steen returned to the banquet hall and Cook gave the soup another stir. At last everything was ready. Connie carried the large soup tureen upstairs and Jess followed her with a platter of freshly baked rolls and a dish of butter.

  The hall was lit by dozens of candles. The king and queen were sitting around the great oak table with their guests. The king was telling the Duke and Duchess of Sherbourne all about the winners of last year’s Peveril Palace festival.

  Lady Snood was sitting beside the queen. Millie was opposite Lord Dellwort, who was smoothing his sleek moustache. Prince Edward, Millie’s baby brother, had already had his tea and was upstairs being bathed by his nursemaid.

  Connie began dishing out the soup and Jess followed her, offering each guest a bread roll.

  “You mustn’t slouch, Princess Amelia!” commanded Lady Snood. “If you sit up straight, like me, you’ll look more like a lady. Can you do that?”

  “Um… I’ll try!” Millie sat up and immediately looked stiff and uncomfortable.

  “That’s better! Just be sure to lift your chin.” Lady Snood stretched out her neck like a giraffe doing exercises.

  Millie couldn’t help giggling and had to hide her face behind her napkin.

  “I hear you had a bit of a fright today, Connie,” the queen said gently. “I hope it wasn’t too scary.”

  “It was awful, Your Majesty!” replied Connie. “And to think the horrible creature I saw may have been living in the palace lake all this time.”

  Mr Steen, who was pouring a drink for the king, stiffened. “I don’t think we should say any more about it, Connie.”

  “There was an olden-day legend about a monster in that lake.” King James smiled broadly. “I used to enjoy hearing the tale when I was a boy.”

  “Yes, indeed!” The Duchess of Sherborne nodded, her grey hair shining softly in the candlelight. “A fearsome creature appeared in the lake during the reign of King Jarrod around three hundred years ago, so the story goes. It had ghastly eyes and gruesome teeth.”

  “And a long tail like a serpent which it thrashed around stirring up the water,” added her husband, the duke. “The tale was called the Legend of Spikey. The creature was named after its sharp teeth, I think.”

  Millie leaned forward eagerly. “Where did it come from?”

  “No one really knew,” replied the duke. “Some people said it must have swum up the River Tarry from the sea and then dragged its enormous body across to the lake one night in the darkness.”

  A hush settled on the banquet hall. Jess thought of the strange-looking creature they’d seen that morning. She didn’t remember any sharp teeth but the beast’s face had been wrapped in water weed and it had been quite misty.

  “Maybe you should keep away from the lake for now,” Queen Belinda said to Millie.

  “Nonsense!” King James smiled. “It’s just a story – that’s all.”

  “But Jess and I saw something in the water too,” Millie told him. “It didn’t look very friendly and when it saw us it hid under the bridge.”

  “You probably just saw an otter,” said the king. “There’s nothing to worry about, I promise you!”

  Mr Steen motioned for the girls to finish serving the food. Jess’s mind was whirling as she followed Connie down the servants’ corridor into the kitchen. She knew that the Legend of Spikey was just a story, but could it have been started by something that really happened long ago? Maybe what they’d seen was an ancient creature that had returned to the lake it loved.

  “Come and sit down, my dears,” said Cook Walsh, spooning soup into bowls and putting them on the kitchen table. She added a plate of rolls, steaming from the oven.

  “Cook, have you heard an old story about a creature in the palace lake?” asked Jess.

  “Ooh, yes!” Cook dipped her roll into her soup. “My mother used to tell me that tale when I was little – the Legend of Spikey. The beast was enormous, I think, and had a fondness for chicken pies.”

  Jess caught Mr Steen’s disapproving look and didn’t ask any more. As soon as dinner was over and the dishes were washed, she crept upstairs and slipped into Millie’s chamber. Millie, who was already in her nightgown, was sitting on her cushioned window seat and gazing out into the darkness.

  Jess sat down beside her friend. “Millie, what if the story’s true? What if there was a lake monster and now it’s returned?”

  “That’s just what I was thinking!” cried Millie. “Although the Duchess said the story was from three hundred years ago, so maybe it isn’t exactly the same creature – just the same kind. Why would it want to come here though?”

  “Maybe there’s something here it really likes.” Jess grinned. “Cook said that in the story it loved chicken pies!”

  Millie laughed. “It would definitely love Cook’s pies. Everything she makes is delicious!”

  Jess glanced through the window. The mist from this morning had disappeared and a full moon was casting pale light across the palace garden. She leaned closer to the glass. She could just about see the lake in the darkness. Was she imagining it or were there ripples on the surface of the water? She was too far away to be sure.

  “It all happened so quickly this morning,” she said. “And it was so misty. Maybe the creature was a lot more ordinary than we thought.”

  “Don’t say that!” exclaimed Millie. “It’s more exciting if it’s a strange monster.”

  Jess frowned. “We won’t really know what it is unless we get another look.”

  Millie thought for a moment. “Maybe we could use some food to draw it out of hiding? Monsters must need to eat!”

  “Brilliant idea!” Jess’s eyes gleamed. “We’ll have to find somewhere safe where we can watch.”

  “Like up a tree!” Millie said quickly. “And we could borrow Mr Larum’s telescope. He’s always saying I’m welcome to use it.”

  “Awesome!” Jess’s stomach tumbled over with excitement. “First thing tomorrow, I’ll bring the food and you get the telescope, and we’ll investigate the lake monster mystery together!”

  Chapter Four

  A Meal for a

  Monster

  Millie got up at daybreak and tiptoed upstairs to the schoolroom. She lifted the heavy brass telescope from its metal stand and crept down the back stairs. When she went to knock on Jess’s door, a loud “Psst!” made her jump.

  Jess leaned round the door to the stable yard. “Hurry up!” Her eyes sparkled. “I’ve been out here for ages and I think I’ve found the perfect tree!”

  Millie hurried after her frie
nd, the shiny telescope bumping against her legs.

  Halfway down the slope to the lake, Jess stopped beside an oak tree with sturdy branches. “I know there are trees closer to the water but this one’s good for climbing and once we’re up in the treetop no one will see us!”

  Millie nodded. “It’s great for monster-spotting!” She noticed a little wicker basket nestled in the roots of the tree. “What did you bring?”

  Jess opened the lid to show her some pie wrapped in a napkin. “This is leftover chicken pie! That’s what Cook said the monster in the story liked, so maybe the smell will lure it out of the water. And I brought some cherry scones in case we get hungry.”

  Millie propped the telescope against the tree. Then the girls took the chicken pie to the lake shore to search for a good place to put it.

  “Here!” Jess pointed to a patch of reeds growing at the edge of the water. “Let’s just leave it in the middle. It’ll be right beside the water so the creature is sure to smell it!”

  “But it might be hard to see the monster with the reeds in the way,” said Millie. “I know! Why don’t we break the pie into pieces and spread them out. It might trick the creature into coming out of the water.”

  They split the pie into four bits, placed one piece in the reeds and three more leading away from the lake. Then Millie climbed the tree, and Jess passed the telescope and the scones up to her before scrambling up too.

  “We’ve got a great view,” said Jess, between mouthfuls of scone. “Look, you can see everything!”

  Millie gazed around. The sunshine made the palace’s white walls gleam. A stable boy was hurrying across the yard and in the distance she could see Mr Polly, the head gardener, bending over his potato patch. The houses and church towers of Plumchester were clustered together in the opposite direction. A horse was pulling a cart past the golden palace gates.

  Lifting the telescope, Millie held it up to her eye. At once she could see every little detail – the Plumchester shopkeepers opening their blinds and the woman driving the cart dressed in a grey coat and bonnet.

  She swung the telescope until it was pointing at the lake. Scanning the water, she searched for any movement especially underneath the bridge.

  “Can you see anything?” Jess said eagerly.

  “Nothing!” Millie passed her the telescope.

  The girls watched the lake closely as the sun rose higher in the sky. A family of ducks swam over to the reeds but luckily none of them seemed interested in the pie.

  “I wish the creature would hurry up.” Millie wriggled. “This branch is starting to dig into my legs.”

  “I’ve got something!” Jess blurted out. “Oh! Wait, it’s just a leaf on the water.”

  “Let me see.” Millie took the telescope, but the sound of voices made her swing it towards the palace. “My mother’s coming with Mr Steen.”

  Jess pulled a face. “I bet he’s looking for me. He probably needs more candlesticks polishing.”

  The girls kept quiet and still as Queen Belinda and the butler came down the slope. “Let’s go to the bridge,” said the queen. “From there we can plan where each stall will go. It’s only two days till the festival and everything must be perfect!”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Mr Steen noticed a piece of chicken pie resting on the grass. He stooped to pick it up and stared round suspiciously before following the queen.

  Millie watched him go, relieved that he hadn’t looked into the tree or spotted the other pieces of pie. She scanned the lake through the telescope again and something caught her eye. The bushes on the opposite shore were squashed, as if something had come along and flattened them. She nudged Jess. “There’s a big patch of squashed brambles over there. That could be a clue!”

  Jess nodded seriously. “We’d better go and investigate.”

  Climbing down from the treetop, Millie stashed the telescope among the roots. The girls sneaked round the lake, ducking behind the boathouse and keeping out of sight as much as they could.

  “Only something really heavy could have done that,” said Jess, when they got to the patch of flattened brambles. “Maybe the creature is bigger than we thought.”

  Millie spotted deep lines running across the mud on the lake shore. Her heart skipped at finding another clue. “Look at these! They’re like slither marks – as if the creature’s some kind of serpent!”

  Jess shivered. “You mean, a gigantic water snake? I don’t like the sound of that!”

  “Maybe we should warn everyone.” Millie glanced at her mother and the butler who were standing on the bridge.

  “Mr Steen didn’t believe any of it yesterday,” said Jess. “I don’t think he’d listen to us.”

  Millie knelt down beside the muddy scrape marks. She wished she’d brought a tape measure so they could work out how big the creature might be.

  A loud cry broke through her thoughts. Jumping up, she saw her mother clutch Mr Steen’s arm. The queen seemed to be staring down at the water.

  “Something’s happened!” cried Jess. “Maybe the creature’s come back.”

  Racing along the bank, Millie and Jess reached the bridge just as the queen began calling for the guards.

  “Keep back, girls!” said Queen Belinda. “I’ve just seen the most horrible thing in the water.”

  “Is it the lake monster?” asked Millie, leaning over the rail.

  “It must have been!” The queen shuddered. “We were discussing the festival and suddenly there it was – a long, slimy body twisting and turning in the water. I thought it was coming straight for us but then it sank below the surface and disappeared.”

  Millie leaned out a bit further, scanning the water. Excitement tickled inside her. Surely she’d get a better look at the creature this time!

  “Amelia, stop that before you fall in!” cried her mother. “Oh dear, where have the guards got to?”

  At last, two guards came running to the bridge.

  Jess nudged Millie. “I can’t see the monster anywhere,” she muttered. “But look at Mr Steen!”

  The butler seemed frozen to the spot. His face had gone white and his hands were clenched around the wooden rail.

  “Are you all right, Mr Steen?” asked Millie.

  The butler let go of the rail and gave a squeak which he turned into a cough. “Er, yes I’m fine, thank you, Princess Amelia. But I can’t have a strange creature making the lake look untidy. Something must be done about it right away!”

  Chapter Five

  The Trouble With

  Turnips

  Jess stared curiously at the butler as he dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. She’d never seen him look so pale.

  The queen, who had finished describing the watery creature to the guards, noticed it too. “Jess, I think Mr Steen may need a glass of water. Could you fetch one for him?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Jess dropped a curtsy and ran up the hill. Her mind was buzzing. The lake monster hadn’t gone for the chicken pie after all, so maybe that part of the Spikey legend was wrong. It must really like the bridge though, because it had been spotted swimming there twice. Or perhaps it was just a good place to hide.

  Dashing through the back door, Jess nearly ran straight into Lady Snood coming the other way.

  “Oh, sorry, Your Ladyship!” Jess sprang aside.

  Lady Snood looked down her nose, saying, “Just be careful where you’re going next time.” Then she turned, with a swish of her velvet skirt, and went back towards the banquet hall.

  Jess stared after her. What was Lady Snood doing in the servants’ corridor? Guests never came this way.

  “There you are at last!” Cook Walsh came out of the kitchen. “I don’t know what’s going on. Connie’s just taken some toast and eggs to the banquet hall and come back saying most of the guests aren’t there! Doesn’t anyone want breakfast this morning?”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been helping.” Jess straightened her mob cap which had fallen over one ear. “I went outside
with Millie … and then Queen Belinda and Mr Steen saw the lake creature … and now Mr Steen needs a drink of water.”

  “Bless me! That creature is turning the whole palace upside down.” Cook sighed and wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, I’ll do my best with breakfast but I can’t help it if the scrambled eggs go cold.”

  Jess fetched the glass of water and hurried back to the lake, trying not to spill it. King James and Lord Dellwort had joined the people on the bridge. Lord Dellwort was wearing a fine-looking hat with black silk around the brim.

  “But what about the festival? Do you think we should cancel it?” the queen was saying to King James.

  “No, we shan’t let this creature ruin our special occasion,” said the king. “But there must be a guard on each end of the bridge all day and all night, so if the beast gets any closer to the palace we’ll know at once.”

  Jess exchanged looks with Millie. She knew her friend would be thinking the same – it would be harder to investigate the mystery creature with guards on the bridge all the time.

  Lord Dellwort, who had been poking the water with a long stick, turned to the king and queen. “It’s clear this creature – whatever it is – has made a home in this lake. I only hope it’s not dangerous. I suggest the guards keep their swords ready so they can strike the beast if it comes back to the surface.”

  Jess’s heart sank. The creature had scared her yesterday but hurting it seemed very unfair and she longed to say so.

  “I’m sure there’s no need for striking the creature, my Lord,” said the queen, to Jess’s relief. “It hasn’t harmed anyone after all. Oh dear, all this excitement has made me quite hungry! Mr Steen, would you lead us into breakfast, please?”

  Mr Steen bowed stiffly. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  “Meet me in my chamber later,” Millie whispered to Jess as she went past. “I’ve got a plan!”

  When Jess went to Millie’s chamber after breakfast, her friend was fastening the buttons on her green silk dress.