by Robert Innes
“Of course I have, darling,” Jacqueline replied. “I’ve already rang my friend and booked the mansion. It’s all arranged.”
“He said yes?” Blake asked, eyeing the kitchen door in case Harrison walked in before he had prepared himself.
“Well he seemed surprised to see me,” Jacqueline said, sipping her tea again. “In fact, I think he was a bit taken aback that I knew where he lived.”
“I’m surprised to see you and I am also ‘a bit taken aback’ that you knew where he lived,” Blake returned hotly.
“You know Harmschapel,” Jacqueline said. “It’s a small village, it didn’t take long to ask around. Just a couple of phone calls, really.”
Blake leant back and sighed.
“Now, don’t be annoyed, darling,” Jacqueline said, tapping him on the knee with her hand. “I didn’t know whether you’d ask him in time. I needed to get confirmation. I’m not trying to interfere.” She shrugged as Blake raised a doubtful eyebrow at her. “Not intentionally, anyway.”
Blake shook his head in disbelief. “What did he say?”
“He hasn’t really said anything, yet,” Jacqueline said. “His goat seemed rather insistent on being taken outside. He looked like he’s thinking about it though!”
Blake stood up and ventured slowly towards the kitchen. As he opened the door, he saw Harrison in the garden through the window. His soft features and wavy blonde hair seemed to be complimented by the approaching darker evening light. Betty, Harrison’s goat he had owned since he was a child, was running around his feet, but Harrison didn’t seem to be paying her very much attention. Instead he was leaning against one of the wheelie bins, staring into the distance.
Tentatively opening the back door to the garden, Blake stepped outside. Before he could say anything, Betty bleated at him and took a few steps towards him, kicking the ground as if she were a bull about to charge. Blake glared back at her, remembering the last time he had been at Harrison’s house and Betty had tried to knock him over. He then looked up at Harrison and smiled.
“Hey.”
Harrison jumped slightly, Blake clearly having broken into his thoughts, then stuck his leg out so that Betty couldn’t attempt to charge at him. “Blake! Hi, are you alright?”
“I’m well, thanks,” Blake said. “You?”
“Yeah, not bad,” Harrison replied. “Didn’t expect to be entertaining tonight though.”
Blake rolled his eyes. “Sorry about Jacqueline. I swear I didn’t know she was here.
Harrison nodded. “So,” he said, keeping an eye on Betty who seemed to have temporarily lost interest in Blake and was sniffing at a clump of weeds at the back of the yard. “You’re going away for a week?”
“Yes,” Blake said cautiously. “I didn’t know until about an hour ago. She just sort of sprung it on me. Has Jacqueline mentioned where we’re going?”
“Yeah, she said about some sort of spa mansion type place? It sounds nice.”
Blake leant against the wheelie bin. “Did she mention that we wanted you to come with us?”
Harrison looked at the ground. “Well, she did invite me, yeah.”
“I know it’s short notice. You’re probably working. We just thought you might like some time away, but –“
“I’m not working actually,” Harrison said, putting his hands in his pockets. “Jai’s given me the week off from the shop. I was owed some holiday.”
“You mean you’re free?”
Harrison nodded. “Totally. I just didn’t know whether you wanted me to come or not.”
“I do.”
“Really?”
“Of course.” Blake smiled. “And I know what it must look like – but trust me, I’m thinking purely as friends. Don’t think that I’m trying to push anything, it’s not like that. No pressure, just some time away from Harmschapel. What do you think?”
“I didn’t know whether you knew that I’d been invited or not,” Harrison said, looking happy and relieved. “I didn’t want you to think that I was the one pushing things by just turning up.”
“I would never think that,” Blake said, glancing down at Betty who had returned to glaring at him from across the yard. “So, you’ll come?”
“I’d love to,” Harrison said, looking delighted. “I really would.”
“Great,” Blake said, grinning. “Can you afford it? Jacqueline’s got us some deal where it’ll only cost twenty five pounds, as well as whatever money you want to bring along. You know what these places are like, they probably charge thousands for a glass of water. I can lend you some if you’re struggling?”
Harrison shook his head firmly. “I’m fine for money. The only thing is that I’ll have to get somebody to look after Betty. Feed her, let her out, things like that. I’ll go ask my neighbour, will you be alright for a few minutes?”
“Yeah, sure,” Blake said, pulling his ecig out of his pocket. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“I won’t be long.”
He walked back into the house, leaving Blake alone with the goat in the yard. She stepped forwards slowly, and bleated loudly at him.
“And you can pack that in,” Blake told her sharply. “Otherwise, I’ll be making sure he sends you off to a Satanist for the week.”
The next morning, when Harrison arrived at Juniper Cottage, Blake was already outside, throwing his suitcase into the back of his car. As Harrison approached him, he looked up and smiled. “Hi there! I was thinking we should maybe stop at a petrol station on the way and get some supplies,” Blake said. “It’s going to be quite a long journey, I’m afraid.”
“No worries,” Harrison said, smiling back. “Been ages since I had a road trip.”
“You got everything you need?”
“Yeah, just about I think,” Harrison said, nodding.
Blake turned round to him. “Do you want to put your case in here? There should be room. Doesn’t look like you’re taking a lot – are you sure it’s going to be enough?”
Harrison had wondered that himself and wasn’t even sure if that what he had brought was suitable. “Yeah, it’ll be fine,” he lied, hauling his case into the boot of the car.
Blake shrugged as he slammed the car boot down. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be near enough to a town should you need anything else.”
“I wasn’t sure what to bring really,” Harrison confessed, nervously putting his hands in his pockets. “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”
“Don’t worry,” Blake replied cheerfully. “We’ll get you sorted out if we need to.” He glanced at his phone and frowned. “I dunno where Jacqueline is. We said twelve.”
He wandered across the road to where his landlady lived in the cottage opposite and knocked on the door. Harrison glanced up to the bedroom window and thought he saw a face quickly disappear behind a curtain. He was just about to alert Blake to it when they heard the sound of someone running down stairs. Then Jacqueline opened the door and peered out at them, looking very strange. Her usual tall red beehive was floppy and she did not have a single scrap of makeup on her face.
“Jacqueline?” Blake said, staring at her apparently just as bemused. “Are you ready to go?”
“Oh, darling, I’m not well,” Jacqueline replied, her voice extremely croaky. “I’ve woken up with this terrible flu.” As if to illustrate her ailment, Jacqueline coughed loudly. Harrison glanced at Blake. It was not the most convincing cough he had ever heard.
“You seemed alright yesterday,” Blake said, his eyes narrowing.
“I know, darling,” Jacqueline wheezed back, coughing violently again. “But it’s taken all I’ve got to drag myself out of bed to come to the door. You’ll have to just go without me.”
“Without you?” Blake exclaimed, raising his eyebrows. “But what about the money? You’ve paid for our rooms in the mansion, haven’t you?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Jacqueline said, eyeing Harrison through the crack in the door. Harrison could swear she had a sl
ightly mischievous smile on her face. “We can talk about that when you get back. Just go Blake, honestly. The two of you have a lovely time.”
“But Jacqueline-“
“Now, I must get back to bed. Doctor’s orders!” Jacqueline cried, her voice temporarily returning to normal before she burst into another bout of dramatic coughing. “Goodbye darlings!”
Blake stared at the door as it was slammed in their faces before turning to Harrison, stunned. “I think we might have been set up here.”
Harrison scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Do you still want to go?”
“Yeah,” Blake said quickly, before stopping himself. “If you want to that is.”
Harrison’s stomach flipped dully with excitement, but he tried to look casual. “I’ve got nothing better to do if you haven’t?”
Blake glared at Jacqueline’s door again, before letting out a reserved sigh and smiling at Harrison. “Looks like it’s just you and me then.”
Blake had not been exaggerating when he had said that the drive was a long one and it was made ten times longer by the fact that everybody in the surrounding area seemed to be taking advantage of the unusually bright and sunny weather, and had set out on days out themselves. They had to battle with so many traffic jams that by the time they were finally driving through the surrounding villages towards the Manor of the Lakes, the sun had long since set. Blake’s headlights were on full power as they both scrutinised the sides of the road for a sign to tell them where to go.
“There!” Harrison exclaimed finally, pointing into the darkness ahead of them. A handwritten sign was sticking out of the road, barely visible until the car’s beams illuminated it.
“Thank God,” Blake cried. “As much as I’m enjoying this me and you time, it’d be far better sitting in that swanky looking bar in the pamphlet.” He glanced across at Harrison. “Are you alright?”
Harrison had rather hoped his nervousness had been kept hidden, but then he remembered that Blake was too good at his job as a detective to be fooled so easily. “I’m okay, I’m just a bit nervous, I guess.”
Blake frowned. “About what?”
Harrison sighed and rubbed his eyes, which were now itching with tiredness from the long journey. “Just this, really. I’ve never done this with a guy before. The whole going away together thing.”
Blake gave him a sympathetic smile. “I meant what I said you know. About this just being a mates thing. If that’s what you want it to be. There’s seriously no pressure. Both of us could do with some R&R and that’s exactly what we’re going to get. By the look of the pictures, the place is big enough for us not to be in each other’s pockets all week if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, no,” Harrison said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean it like that. I do want to spend time with you. I just don’t want to mess it up, I guess.”
Blake took a long inhalation on his ecig and blew the vapour out of the window. “Would it help if I told you I’m nervous too?”
Harrison could not help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. “You? Nervous? Why?”
Blake laughed. “Oh, Harrison.”
“What?”
“For exactly the same reasons you are, blondie. Have you even considered that I might be the one that messes things up? I’ve thought of nothing else since last night.”
He took one look at the confused look on Harrison’s face and laughed again. “Remember, it’s been a long time since I went anywhere like this with another guy, especially one I fancy. Don’t hog all the awkward feelings and embarrassment for yourself, trust me.”
Harrison could not remember when he had last felt so touched and reassured at the same time. Reaching into the glove compartment, he pulled out the large bag of sweets they had bought from the village shop before they had set off. “Alright. Here’s to mutual nervousness then.”
Blake grinned as he picked out a toffee from the bag. “Mutual nervousness.”
The silhouette of the huge towering manor came into view in the distance. Against the backdrop of the night sky, it looked large and imposing. They could just make out the small orange glow of lights through the multitude of windows around the building. “Is that it?” asked Harrison.
“Must be,” Blake replied, as he steered the car around the winding roads. “I hope they’re still serving food. I’m absolutely starving.”
After a couple of minutes of winding roads in which Blake had to stop to allow other vehicles to pass, they finally reached the narrow drive leading up the manor.
“First thing I’m doing is walking around for ten minutes,” Blake said, sighing with relief. “I’ve got cramp in places I didn’t even know I had.”
“You and me both,” Harrison agreed, flexing his neck to relieve some of the stiffness. “I don’t think I’ve-“
He stopped and stared out of the window. As they began to turn and drive through the large steel gates leading to the manor, the beams of the headlights revealed a figure standing in the dark ness. For a moment, Harrison thought it was a statue, but he then realised that it was somebody staring up at the manor in a long dark cloak.
“Who the hell is that?” Blake exclaimed, staring at the figure as they drove past.
Harrison turned around in his seat as they drove away from whoever it was. Through the rear windows, he watched as the figure stepped out into the road and watched them drive away. They couldn’t see the stranger’s face under the large low-hanging hood attached to the billowing cloak.
“Weird,” Blake murmured as they pulled into the car park. “Maybe it’s some gypsy woman or something. I’ve heard the gypsy community is quite common ‘round these parts.”
“Why were they just standing there staring up at this place though?” Harrison asked as the car finally came to a stop.
Blake closed his eyes in relief as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. “I don’t know and frankly at this moment, I don’t care. How’s this for a plan of action? We take the cases in, get our rooms, shower and change, and then find the bar and have a large glass of a ridiculously overpriced alcoholic beverage?”
Harrison nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
They got out of the car and Blake took a brief lap of the small rectangular car park to get his legs feeling normal again, before they pulled their bags out of the boot and walked towards the large manor.
The front doors were ornate and looked to be handcrafted. If they had not been in such a rush to get in, Harrison would have taken the time to take in the exquisitely carved designs on the doors, but the thought was quickly wiped from his mind when Blake opened the door and the reception area appeared in front of them.
It was the grandest looking room Harrison had ever seen. Hanging from the ceiling was an enormous glass chandelier, with light sparkling through each of the crystals hanging from its frame. The room itself was wallpapered everywhere in white and gold and the floors were layered with thick red carpet. There were doors around them with golden signs on them indicating where the bar, restaurant and downstairs toilet were, and just to the side of the huge sweeping staircase was a smaller, but no less grand, reception desk.
Blake strode up to the desk and slammed his hand down on the gold bell that was resting on the side of it. A few moments later, a tall, brown haired and middle aged woman appeared from the office behind the desk and smiled pleasantly at them.
“Good evening, can I help you?”
“Hello there,” Blake said. “Sorry we’re late, but the traffic has been an absolute nightmare. I was wondering if there was a Polly Urquhart here? I understand she’s the one that arranged our booking.”
“I’m Polly,” she replied. “Was it you I spoke to?”
“No, it would have been a lady called Jacqueline.”
“Ah, yes!” Polly exclaimed, smiling broadly. “Spoke to her a few days ago. Very generous of her to give you this little deal of ours. This is for our ears only, but the price difference in what you’re paying for this
week and what you’d normally pay for a double room is quite astonishing, but we’re still a new business so it’s worth it to get some new customers.”
“I’m sure,” Blake began before stopping and staring at Polly. “Sorry, did you say double room?”
Harrison’s stomach churned slightly. “Jacqueline booked us a double room?”
Blake cleared his throat awkwardly. “We were kind of under the impression we would be in separate rooms.” He turned to Harrison and shook his head. “I’m going to kill Jacqueline. I am actually going to kill her.”
Harrison laughed, a little impressed by the way Jacqueline had clearly planned all of this out.
“I see,” Polly said, nodding. “I won’t ask, would that be easier?” She pulled a pair of glasses on that were resting on a large diary on the desk and slipped them on, before opening the diary up. “Well, as I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know, we do of course have two singles if you’d like to change rooms. It’s not a problem at all when we’re this quiet. We’re hoping to get much busier than this of course. But if Jacqueline is anything like she was at school, then her trying to meddle in other people’s relationships doesn’t particularly shock me. I was very surprised to see her pop up on Facebook, asking about this place. We never even really spoke all that much.”
Blake and Harrison looked at each other and laughed in disbelief. “She’s ridiculous,” Blake said, shaking his head. “But yes, we’ll take the two singles please. That okay with you, Harrison?”
“Sounds great to me.”
Blake took the keys from Polly and passed Harrison one of them. “Perfect. Two rooms in a gorgeous hotel. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Blake? Is that you?”
Harrison turned to where the Irish accent had come from. Walking out of the bar and staring bemusedly at Blake was a good looking man with very curly black hair and a rucksack on his shoulder. Harrison was surprised to see Blake looking so horrified.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Blake asked the man quietly.
The man rolled his eyes at Blake and walked forwards. “I’m on holiday, Blake. Why the feck else would I be here?”
