“It may be, and it may not be. You’ll know better than I, since I haven’t met Jeff yet.”
“Jeff?” Barbara echoed, now totally mystified. “What does he have to do with it?”
“Nothing, I hope,” Rose said. “That’s why I’d like to tell you about it now, before he gets here. Come on.”
She led Carl and Barbara out of the house on the ocean side. There was a path leading along the cliff to the south, and it was along this path that Rose took the Stevenses.
“There should be primroses,” Carl remarked. Barbara smiled at him appreciatively, but Rose appeared not to have heard the remark. She strode forward, and they walked for about a hundred feet before she stopped.
“There,” she said, pointing.
Carl and Barbara stared out to sea, their eyes sweeping the horizon. The ocean was clear of boats and ships, an expanse of gray-green water broken only by the horizon and Conger’s Point jutting out to sea another hundred yards south of them.
“It’s beautiful,” Barbara said. “But I don’t know what I’m looking for.”
“The Point,” Rose said. “From here you have a good view of the north face of it The woods at the top are really a pretty shallow stand. On the other side of the woods is our field, and, of course, on the other side of the field is our house. If it weren’t for the woods, you’d have a straight shot at the house.”
“So?” Carl said, still clearly baffled as to what Rose was getting at.
“It’s the embankment,” Rose said. “I think you ought to know about it. It’s very steep, and it can be treacherous, particularly when the wind blows from the north. The sea can get wild out there, and the spray turns the face of the embankment into glass. There have been some accidents …” Her voice trailed off; then, catching the worried look in Barbara’s eyes, she went on. “Oh, not for a long time,” she said. “Not in this century, as far as we know. We’ve always been very careful about it, and the children are not allowed to go anywhere near it. In the Conger family, for generations children haven’t been allowed to play either in the woods or on the embankment Not only is it dangerous, but it’s practically invisible. You can’t see the face of the embankment from any point on our property, and only from a couple of spots over here. From your house it’s totally out of sight All you can see is the forest.”
“Why haven’t you cut the forest down?” Barbara said thoughtfully. “It wouldn’t be as pretty, but at least you’d be able to see if any of the kids are playing along the top.”
Rose smiled tightly. “I suggested it once. Part of it, of course, is the esthetics. Also, there’s the wind. The woods protect the house pretty well when the wind is from the north. Which it is, during the winter. And, of course, the privacy thing. The Congers always liked the idea that none of their neighbors could see them.”
“It’s nice to be able to afford that sort of luxury,” Carl murmured.
Rose nodded. “Very nice. If you can afford it, which we barely can. A couple of more tax hikes and we won’t be able to afford it at all.” She realized she was saying more than she probably ought, then realized that she didn’t really care; in fact, it was nice to be able to admit to someone, anyone, that the Congers weren’t what they used to be. Still, she decided it was time to get back to the subject at hand.
“So that’s what I wanted to show you,” she said. “Of course, you can do what you want, but I’d advise you to tell Jeff not to go anywhere near the place.”
“Which would send him there directly, the minute our backs were turned,” Barbara said. “I think we’ll just have to trust to his good sense.” She noted the expression on Rose’s face, and her smile faded. “Is there something else?” she asked.
Rose hesitated a minute, then spoke again. “Yes,” she said, glancing once more at her watch. “I don’t have time to go into it all, but there’s a legend about the embankment. There may be a cave there, and it’s really quite dangerous.” Rose smiled uncertainly. “I’ve got to be getting home. Both the girls will be there, and I don’t like to leave them for long with nobody but Mrs. Goodrich.”