by Dilys Xavier
‘Absolutely, but I don’t know quite what to do with it.’ She sighed. ‘You see, it’s been in the family for more generations than I’d care to count. My father, his brother and two sisters were all born and grew up there. Of course, it’s my heritage, but I wouldn’t want to live in it myself, and in a way I feel that to sell it would show such disrespect.’ She turned to him. ‘What do you think? What would you do?’
Pat shrugged. ‘It’s hardly my place to tell you what to do with it,’ he said. ‘But speaking for myself, I certainly wouldn’t sell it, but then my position is so different from yours that I’m hardly one to judge.’ As he climbed out of the car, he silently surveyed the massive house for a few moments. Then he nodded. ‘If there’s no need to realize it for cash, then I think I’d keep it in the family, possibly rent it out to a large business concern for conferences and things like that,’ he said. ‘But sell it?’ He shook his head vigorously. ‘No. For sure, an’ that would be sacrilege.’
Katie smiled; that was what she wanted to hear. ‘Well, come inside and see for yourself what it’s like,’ she said, scared of what she would find missing or damaged. The front door was not locked, so she pushed it open with a loud creak. She stepped into the massive hall, with Pat behind, speechless as he gazed around at the splendour. They examined every room carefully, and Katie could see shadows on the walls where several pictures were missing, as well as some of the Turkish carpets.
‘They seemed to know what they were after,’ Katie said. ‘Small stuff, easily carried off, things with a sure market.’ She sighed. ‘I’m more sorry about the rugs than I am about the paintings,’ she said. ‘They’d have looked classy in my hall and dining room.’
She pointed to a photograph. ‘That’s my father’s bachelor brother, William,’ she said. ‘A ship’s captain, and a handsome man he was, too, but he never married; too busy sailing the world. He brought home most of the interesting things you’ll see around this house.’
Next, they went upstairs and Katie flung open the first bedroom door and stepped inside giving it a quick appraisal. ‘Nothing missing from here,’ she said, and led the way to the next bedroom. ‘Nor from here. It’s just as well they were interrupted or they might have taken a lot more. Who knows?’ The other bedrooms, all fitted with modern furniture and divans, were also intact. Back downstairs again, Katie took a close look at the pictures still hanging.
‘The two Lowries are missing, of that I’m sure,’ she said, ‘and they could be worth anything from a quarter to a half million pounds at auction, but they’d be risking it. They’ll probably sell privately, unless we can get them back.’
‘They’re rogues,’ Pat said, vehemently, ‘preying on innocent people like this.’
‘I wonder how they got in,’ Katie said, looking around. ‘There’s no visible evidence of a forced entry here. It seems to me they must have broken in another way, and left in a hurry by this door, and that’s why it’s open.
Pat tried the door that led to the basement and found it unlocked. ‘Where does this lead?’ he asked as he went down the steps. Then he gave a shout. ‘Here. This is how they came in. The outside access must have been left unlocked. No trouble at all… they just walked in… and went out through the front door, leaving it open behind them, as you thought.’
‘Oh, dear,’ Katie said, joining him at bottom of the steps. ‘Aunt Bertha must have forgotten to lock this one.’
‘Well, I’d say they left in a great hurry.’ He pointed to a couple of Turkish rugs on the floor. ‘They evidently dropped them and ran.’ Pat checked the external entrance to the basement. ‘The police have done their best, but it’s still not secure enough, so I’ll fix that right now,’ he said. ‘I’ll put another bolt on the inside as well, and then we’d better inspect all the other doors and windows in case anything else needs securing.’
While Pat fixed another bolt on the basement door, Katie sat in the sitting room and made out a list of what she thought had been taken.
‘I’ll give this to the police, and then call to see how the Joneses are doing… that’s the couple who disturbed the thieves. The least I can do is thank them, poor dears.’
Pat took another look around every room in the house on his own, and then came back to where Katie was waiting for him in the large sitting room. ‘Oh, but ‘tis an eerie place, for sure,’ he commented, giving a visible shudder. ‘I’m not surprised you wouldn’t want to live here. I wouldn’t want to either, especially on my own… too many shadows.’
‘Oh, go on — you Irish are a superstitious lot,’ Katie laughed. However, she recollected times when she had felt distinctly uncomfortable in the old house, but she had never questioned why.
‘All set then?’ Pat asked, when they were finished. Katie nodded and locked the front door behind them.
‘I’m hungry, Pat. How about you? Let’s find a place for lunch straight away, otherwise all the pubs will have finished serving, and we’ll go hungry. Then we can stop at the Jones’s and the police headquarters.’
‘I noticed a quaint little inn on the roadside barely two miles back from the manor; shall I head that way?’ Within minutes, Pat pulled up outside ‘The Greyhound’ that advertised bar snacks. The place looked cosy, and as they walked inside, the locals enjoying a pint and a chat looked up inquisitively at the two strangers.
‘Good day to you both,’ the innkeeper said, smiling as they sat down at a dining table in the corner. The man handed them the menu. ‘I promise that whatever you fancy will be with you in ten minutes. Our own produce, all of it of course, right down to the potatoes,’ he said.
They both went for the homemade steak and kidney pie with French fries and, as promised, the jovial innkeeper placed the meal in front of them well within the ten minutes.
While she was eating the delicious meal, Katie quietly mused on her current circumstances, and smiled when she considered that she could be termed a woman of substance now. Well aware that she had lived in her memories of the past for several years, now, she realized that more and more she was looking to the future. Moreover, she had the attention of two most personable and presentable men, as well as the help and friendship of the delightful Irishman sitting opposite her, who, it seemed, was prepared to do almost anything to please her. Really, she thought, what more could any woman want?
‘What would you like to do now?’ Pat asked, as the plates were cleared away.
‘Well, first, I’ll hand this list in at the local police station, and then call on the Joneses. They live at the farm right next door to the manor.’
‘Then we’d better settle up and go,’ Pat said, digging his hand into his pocket.
Katie put up her hand. ‘Oh, no, Pat,’ she said. ‘My treat, and I’d like to give you the cost of the petrol, too. I can’t have you out of pocket over doing me a favour. After all, you’ve given me your time and help, and I’m more than appreciative of that alone, I can assure you.’ She placed two notes on the table.
Pat shrugged, and smiled. ‘Okay, if it makes you feel happy, Mrs. Turner.’
‘Yes, it will, and… Pat, it’s about time we got rid of the Mrs. Turner bit, too,’ she said, colouring slightly. ‘I’d prefer you to call me Katie, okay?’
Just for a second or two a flush crossed his features and he looked a little embarrassed, but then he gave an engaging smile. ‘Okay, so ‘tis Katie then.’ He looked a very happy man as he picked up the notes and went to the bar to pay for the meals. He still looked every bit as pleased when he returned and dug the car keys out of his pocket.
They were not long at the small police station, where the officer in charge promised to pass on the information to the C.I.D., and promised to contact her if there were any developments. From there they drove straight to the Joneses. Mrs. Jones opened the door, and invited them inside without hesitation the moment she recognized Katie.
‘Oh, dear me,’ she murmured, ‘my poor Bob had a nasty cut on the head, but it’s healing all right now. Mind you,
it frightened me stiff. I was bruised when the demons threw me to the floor.’ She came close to Katie in a confidential sort of way. ‘Good thing we went to the manor when we did,’ she whispered. ‘You never know how much they’d have taken if we hadn’t interrupted them. ‘Her pale blue eyes widened. ‘In broad daylight it was, too.’
‘Did you get a close look at them?’ Katie asked.
‘Oh, indeed I did, and I gave the police a good description of them. Quite distinctive they looked, you can be sure. One dark skinned, one white, both hefty, with long hair. She fell silent for a moment or two, then changed the topic abruptly. ‘I’m so sorry to hear about poor Bertha,’ she said. ‘We’ll miss her something dreadful. I was always popping in to see if she wanted anything. Poor dear. How sad.’
Katie thanked them again for their efforts over the robbery and then handed Mrs. Jones a sealed envelope containing some bank notes by way of recompense.
‘Where now?’ Pat asked, as he slid behind the steering wheel again.
‘Home, I suppose,’ Katie said, with a shrug. ‘But it’s a lovely day, and for some unaccountable reason I don’t feel like going back right away.’
‘Then you don’t have to. If you want to go somewhere else, just say so, and I’ll be happy to take you there… wherever you wish.’
Katie let out an unmistakable sigh and thought for a minute. She pulled out a road map and stabbed her finger at a page. ‘There,’ she said, with emphasis, ‘I’d like to pay a quick visit there.’
‘And exactly where is… there?’ Pat said, chuckling.
‘Hay On Wye. A ‘book town’. A place my father used to take me when I was a child. People from all over the world go there, you know. Almost every other shop is a second hand bookstore.’ She chuckled. ‘My father would spend all day searching for what he wanted. I would be given a bag of sweets and a couple of picture books to keep me quiet while he was looking, and then it was on to the next shop. You see, we came up here to stay at the manor often when I was a child… when my grandparents were alive, and I can assure you we went to Hay On Wye every time.’ She gave a long drawn out sigh. ‘I haven’t been there in an age, and I have such lovely memories of the place. It can’t be too far from here.’
Pat gave a quizzical sideways glance. ‘It’s far enough, but there’s no need to give me directions — I know the way.’ He switched on the ignition, his eyes twinkling. ‘I know it well. I’ve spent money and time there myself, doing exactly the same as your father did.’
Katie smiled and closed her eyes as she eased back into the comfortable Volvo seat with a satisfied sigh. She liked the way Pat was so willing to fall in with an idea at a moment’s notice. In fact, he was really good to be with, and pleasant, easy company. She also had to admit that she loved how he spoiled her.
As Pat drove he told Katie about some of the rare books he’d found over the years. ‘I love wandering around those old stores, full of the musty smell of old books,’ he said.
‘Yes, I know what you mean,’ she agreed, ‘I have so many fond memories of the place, too. I wonder if the old shops are still as dilapidated as they were then.’
They pulled into a large car park, and made their way into the first store they saw. Time slipped away as they poked around the dusty bookshelves, and when she glanced at her wristwatch, Katie was surprised to find that an hour had passed already. ‘Shall we look for somewhere to have tea?’ she asked. ‘Or do you want to go to another bookshop first?’
‘It’s time for a cuppa,’ Pat said. ‘There’s a restaurant just down the road… a converted barn, and they serve a really good tea there. Come on.’
Pat continued to regale her with stories of his hunt for old manuscripts, and of his joy when he found a rare print. As he described his finds, the light in his eyes showed his unmistakable pleasure in talking about them.
‘Shops will be closing now,’ he said, glancing at his wristwatch as they finished eating. ‘Is there anywhere else nearby you want to visit?’
‘No, thanks, we’ve done well today. It’s time we went home now, or my children will worry, and think something’s happened to us. I know them.’
It was quite late when they arrived back at Priory Farm, and the house was in darkness.
‘I’ll come in with you and check it out,’ Pat said, with a note of concern in his voice. ‘I don’t want to frighten you, but you’ve been away since early morning, and, well… ‘ He left the sentence unfinished.
‘No, I’ll be all right,’ Katie said, but as she eyed the dark windows of her home she felt apprehensive. ‘On second thoughts, yes, Pat. Normally, I leave a friendly light on to welcome me home, but I forgot this time; didn’t think we’d be so late.’
Together, they inspected the whole house, and then Katie invited him into the kitchen for coffee and biscuits before he went home. She studied him carefully as he sat, deep in thought, while he stirred his cup.
‘Penny for them,’ she said, laughing.
‘I was just thinking… this house is nearly as big as the manor, and your east wing seems to be stuck out on a limb and separate from the rest of the house.’
‘I know what you mean,’ she said. ‘Well, this was a priory once upon a time, then a farm, so it might have been used as a dairy then. It was the previous owners who made that wing into a granny flat. It’s not used now, but it was easily accessed from the main house by a little corridor, so when our four were growing up, they entertained their friends there, and we were spared all the noise.
Time passed quickly as they chatted, and Pat stirred himself and checked the time. ‘I must go now,’ he said. ‘I’ve enjoyed today immensely.’
Immediately Pat left, Katie had a third coffee. Her adrenaline was still flowing, and no way did she feel tired and in need of bed. She relaxed in the chair and began to think about Pat’s difficulty in finding another house. And, of course, a little worry niggled at her that he might seriously intend to live in Ireland one day. She sighed. There was little point in his buying a property here, and renting one was never as easy, and it was costly too. The more she thought, the more she wondered if she should offer him the temporary use of her annex as accommodation. Minutes later, she dismissed the idea… he might misconstrue her suggestion.
When the phone rang, it was Sam.
‘You were late getting back tonight, Mum. I’ve tried several times to phone you. How were things at Avondale; everything all right now?’
Katie told her briefly what they had discovered, and listed the missing paintings. ‘It could have been a lot worse, had the Joneses not intervened when they did,’ she added. ‘We were late back because Pat took me on a nostalgic trip to Hay on Wye before coming home. It was delightful.’
‘Have you decided what you’re going to do with the place?’ Sam asked, ‘because if I were you, I wouldn’t risk leaving the house unattended for long, or anything valuable there. It’s too tempting, and it’ll soon get around that the place is empty. Think about it, Mum; surely we can work something out when we all go down for the funeral.’
‘What you say is sensible, Sam, and I’ll give it a lot of thought.’ ‘I really don’t want to part with the manor, but I know it would be silly to leave it unoccupied.’ She replaced the receiver, and then climbed into bed. Thoughts about what to do with the place kept nudging her mind and keeping her awake, and then she realized that Pat had made the most obvious and sensible suggestion. Rent it out.
She put out the light and snuggled down, uncomfortably aware that she was listening for strange sounds. For no real reason, she had suddenly become nervous of being on her own, and pulled the sheet higher. The idea of having Pat under the same roof surfaced again. I’d feel safer with a man about the place. I could offer him the annex for a nominal rent, and eliminate his problem and my own at the same time. She closed her eyes with that idea running through her mind, and decided that if she felt the same way in the morning, she would speak to him about it in a couple days, after the funeral.
The day before the funeral, Katie and the rest of her family travelled to Avondale Manor in two cars, while the children had been conveniently accommodated with friends. As soon as they arrived, Katie handed them some tags. ‘Here, put your name and address on one of the tags I’ve given you, and stick one on whatever you want.’
Several hours later, she checked what was unclaimed. ‘There’s still a ton of stuff here needing a new home. Rather than sell it for a knock-down price at auction, I’ll give bits and bobs to anyone who wants them… to your friends and mine, so ask around, okay?’ Then she made a phone call to the local estate agency, Daniel & Co. ‘I’ve decided to rent out Avondale manor,’ she said to the principal of the firm. ‘As soon as possible, I’d like you to find me a reliable, long-term tenant, if you can.’
The man’s immediate answer pleased Katie, so she covered the mouthpiece, and whispered to Sam. ‘He knows someone who’s looking for such a place right now.’ She screwed up her nose and grinned with pleasure. ‘It’s a local firm, and he thinks they’ll jump at it,’ she whispered again, to Sam. ‘He wants to see it immediately to fix a rent.’ She turned her full attention back to the phone. ‘You can view it first thing first thing tomorrow, Mr. Daniel. The funeral is at two, so if you can come early, we could get it settled beforehand.’ Pleased that everything had gone so smoothly, she looked around with a smile. ‘Right… so it’s an evening meal on me down at The Greyhound in the village.
It seemed no time at all before the next morning dawned, and Mr. Daniel arrived even before they had breakfasted. She ushered him through the house.
‘Thank you for the instruction, Mrs. Turner. I have all I need. I’ll get out of your way now, and contact you as soon as possible concerning a rent.’
At the funeral service in the village church, a crowd of locals congregated to give their last respects to the gracious old lady who lived in the big house. Everything went smoothly, and an apologetic looking Margie bustled in just before the service began. It was soon over, and Katie watched the last of the mourners leave.
