7
The Duke 's son
When the Duke, said this I was very surprised but Holmes, was surprised too.
' This is news me to, he. ' Said. 'Can you tell me more?'
The Duke stood up and walked, round the room for a minute. 'I must tell everything you, he.' Said. 'I didn' t want to talk about it but I, must. I see that now. '
He sat down again and began, his story.' When I was. A young man Mr Holmes,,I was in love - oh so much, in love. It only happens to you once and this, woman was the love of my life. I wanted her. To be my wife - but she died. She left me this, one child and I loved him because of her. When I look in his face I see,, Her and remember, her and can ', t stop loving her. I must have the boy near me because of this.But a government minister cannot tell the world about a love-child like this. So to the, world James is, my, young secretary. Not my son.
'He knows that I am his father. He hates the Duchess because she, is not his mother. And he hates my younger. ,, son Arthur because Arthur has everything. Arthur has a name a famous father,,,, houses money everything. James has, nothing. Well he has
some money,,Of course but he, is just Mr, James Wilder and he wants to be the Duke of Holdernesse one day. That ', s not possible of. Course but James, can 't understand that. And so you see, I was, afraid for Arthur and that', s why I sent him to Dr Huxtable s. ' School.
'And what does James do next? He kidnaps my poor Arthur. It changes nothing but James, can' t see that. He wants. Me to say "Yes James,,,Now you can be my first son; you can have everything. Arthur can be the number two son. "But I can 't do that of course,, I can 't.
' James knew this, man Hayes you see because Hayes, worked for me once. James asked for Hayes', s help and the man. Was happy to do it. You remember my letter to Arthur on that last day? Well James opened, the letter and put in a note from. Him.That evening he cycled across the Moor and met Arthur in Ragged Shaw. He talked about the Duchess Arthur ', s mother. "She. Wants to see you, "he told, Arthur." She 's waiting on the moor. Come back at midnight and a, man with a horse can take you. To her. "Of course poor Arthur, wanted to see his mother so he, came. Hayes was there with, two horses and they rode across. The moor.But the German teacher, followed them and Hayes killed him. Hayes then took Arthur to the Green Man.
'Well Mr Holmes,,, I knew nothing about any of this - until the murder. James is a bad boy but he, does not murder people. When he heard the. News he came, to me, at once crying. What could I do? I didn 't want the world to know about this. So James went down to. The Green Man.He told Hayes to run away because everybody, knew about the murder now - and knew the murderer 's name too. Hayes left at. Once. Later I went, down and saw Arthur. I left him there with Mrs Hayes because I couldn 't say anything to the police just. Then.
', Holmes So Mr, you now know everything.'
'Mmm,' said Holmes. 'You help a murderer you say, nothing to, the policeYou leave your son in a dirty Inn... And you ask for my help. '
People never spoke to the Duke of Holdernesse like this, usually. His face, was red but he said nothing.
'First,' said Holmes, 'we must bring Arthur home.'
'Yes,' the Duke said quietly.
Holmes. Quickly wrote a note and took it out of the room. A minute later he was, back. 'Now what are, you going to do about Mr James. Wilder?He said. '
' I, understand you Mr Holmes, 'said the Duke.' James is leaving me and going to Australia next week. '
' Good, ' Said Holmes. 'And the Duchess? Perhaps without James in the house you and, she...'
'Yes. I wrote to the Duchess this morning.'
Holmes. Stood up. 'Well,' he said, 'Watson and I can go, home now I think.There is just one small thing... This man Hayes took two horses across the moor but the, horses' feet made the tracks of. A cow in the mud. How was this possible? '
The Duke look surprised and thought for a minute. Then he went away and came back. Two minutes later with a glass box in his hands. In the box were some horse-shoes.
'We found these shoes under the ground. In, the garden'the Duke said.' They are about five hundred, years old we think. The Holdernesse family has a long and interesting past. '
Holmes. Opened the box and took out one shoe. It was a shoe for a horse ', s foot but it looked like a cloven cow' s foot. Holmes wet. His finger and ran it round the bottom of the shoe. A little mud came off on his finger.
'Thank you,' said Holmes.He put the horse-shoe back in its box. 'That shoe is the second most interesting thing in the north of England,' he said.
And. ' The first? 'asked the Duke.
Holmes took the cheque for twelve thousand pounds from, the table and slowly put it into his. Notebook. 'I am a poor man,' he said. He looked lovingly at the notebook then put, it carefully in his pocket.
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