Reading Comprehension:
Reading 2: The Lost Letters of Lady Elizabeth
As the last rays of sunlight faded from the sky, Ella sat in her room at Echo Manor, surrounded by the letters and artifacts she had found in the Rose’s Chamber. Each letter was a piece of a puzzle, revealing more about the lives of the Ashcroft family, especially Lady Elizabeth, whose presence in the manor was felt more strongly with each word Ella read.
In her hand was a letter dated September 1892, the ink faded but the words still clear. Lady Elizabeth wrote about the autumn gardens, the leaves turning golden and the air crisp with the promise of winter. It was a vivid description, and Ella could almost see the gardens through Lady Elizabeth’s eyes.
Ella (reading aloud): “The manor is alive with the colors of fall, and I find myself walking the paths alone, missing Henry dearly. There is a melancholy to the beauty here, a reminder of the swift passage of time.”
The next letter contained a surprising revelation. Lady Elizabeth wrote about a secret meeting, a gathering that had changed the course of their lives. It was cryptic, mentioning only that the decisions made were necessary for the safety of the manor and their family.
Ella (murmuring to herself): “What were these meetings about? What secrets were they protecting?”
Driven by a need to understand, Ella returned to the Rose’s Chamber the following day. Hidden beneath the floorboards, she found a small, leather-bound journal. It was Sir Henry’s—his personal thoughts and accounts of the manor’s affairs. As she flipped through the pages, Ella discovered entries about hidden alliances and protective measures taken during turbulent times.
Ella (whispering): “Sir Henry was more than just a lord of this manor; he was its protector.”
The journal also referenced a hidden vault, a place where the most precious items were kept safe from prying eyes and potential threats. The location was described only through riddles and cryptic clues that mirrored the complexity of the manor’s architecture.
Ella (determined): “I need to find this vault. There’s more to their story, and it’s waiting for me.”
That evening, as the manor hummed with the quiet sounds of history, Ella felt closer than ever to unraveling the mystery of Echo Manor. She knew that each document, each artifact, was a step closer to understanding the true legacy of the Ashcroft family.
