VVRRROOOOM! The black car’s tyres spun furiously and it sped off. At the same time, Uncle Percy placed his foot gently on the accelerator. There was no screeching noise - no cloud of smoke - but, with a soft swish, the Silver Ghost soared away at an astonishing speed.
Becky had never experienced anything like it. Her stomach performed somersaults. She arched round to look at the black car, now a tiny dot on the horizon.
Uncle Percy steered the Silver Ghost with ease and after two miles slowed to a regular speed. Lifting his goggles, he said, ‘Did you enjoy that?’ Becky and Joe were speechless. ‘That was one of the little modifications I mentioned - an ultra-booster. I know it was reckless, and by and large I do respect the national speed limit, but I also deplore rudeness and those gentlemen were rather loutish. Wouldn’t you agree?’
‘Y-yes,’ Becky stammered, still confused as to what had just happened.
‘Are you all right, Joe?’ Uncle Percy asked.
Joe paused for a moment, his mind still playing catch-up. Then his face exploded with delight. ‘THAT WAS GREAT!’
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, Bowen Hall’s not far now, and I believe Maria has prepared a magnificent lunch.’
Becky couldn’t begin to think about food. Her thoughts were fixed on one thing and one thing only. If Uncle Percy could turn an antique car into the fastest she’d ever seen, then what else could he do?
Maybe he wasn’t such a dweeb after all.
Maybe…
Chapter 2
Bowen Hall
They drove for a further five minutes and then curved right into a narrow road, flanked by giant trees and very thick hedges.
‘We’re here,’ Uncle Percy announced. Becky twisted her head, eager for the first glimpse of her summer home. She saw nothing but an impenetrable wall of greenery.
‘Where is it?’ Joe asked impatiently.
‘Just beyond that perimeter fence.’ Uncle Percy nodded at the hedgerows.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ Joe said, sounding rather disappointed.
‘That’s the point. Security is of the essence at the Hall, so I’ve installed a number of measures to ensure the average rambler can’t just wander in.’
They passed a succession of wooden signs that read ‘PRIVATE PROPERTY - KEEP OUT OR DIE!’ - ‘TRESPASSERS WILL BE ELECTROCUTED!’ - ‘INTRUDERS WILL BE FED TO VERY BIG DOGS!’ and ‘BEWARE OF THE LIONS!’
Becky did a double take. ‘You have lions?’
Uncle Percy laughed. ‘Good heavens, no. Don’t take those signs literally. I just thought they were funny and they certainly get the point across. We never have any unwelcome visitors.’
Becky nodded. She wasn’t surprised.
The Silver Ghost turned left and Becky saw an imposing wrought-iron gate set back from the road. Bringing the car to a halt, Uncle Percy removed his goggles and climbed out. He approached a piece of foliage at the side of the gate and inserted his hand until it disappeared, swallowed by leaves.
Becky watched, intrigued, as the foliage slid to the left and an electronic keypad appeared. Uncle Percy bent over and stared into it. The pad made a soft whirring sound and a fine ray of brilliant white light beamed from its centre, gliding over his left eye.
‘Percy Mathias Halifax,’ he said. Then he did a very strange thing. He plucked a strand of hair from his head, inserted it into a tiny slot on the panel. A second later, a shrill beep rang out, a bulb flashed green, and the gate slowly opened.
Uncle Percy returned to the car to see two very puzzled expressions staring back at him. ‘Oh, they’re just some of the precautions I’ve installed: A retinal scanner, voice remodulator and a DNA verifier.’
‘You can never be too careful,’ Becky said, pretending she understood what her uncle had said.
Facing forwards as they entered the grounds, Becky saw a stretched driveway, lined with dozens of spruce trees. But where was Bowen Hall? Then she felt Joe’s hand tighten around her arm. Glancing over, she saw his eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Following his gaze, she saw eight very small, coffee-coloured animals frolicking in a field. Her lips arched into a smile. ‘Are they dogs?’
‘Oh, err, no, they’re horses,’ Uncle Percy replied, somewhat vaguely.
Becky looked again. She couldn’t believe it! Horses? They were no taller than her knees. ‘Are they babies?’
‘Fully grown,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘The Eohippus is just very small. I didn’t expect to see them, they’re usually very shy, but I think they must be rather enjoying the sun. In actual fact, we have lots of rare animals at the Hall.’
‘Like what?’ Becky said eagerly. She adored animals.
‘Well, we have some hazel dormice - they’re quite rare, and a family of Natterjack toads. We’re very fortunate.’
‘How big are the grounds?’ Joe asked.
‘A thousand acres. There’s a lovely lake, stables, a maze, a sizeable forest, that’s where Will lives - ’
‘Who’s Will?’ Becky cut in.
‘He’s a good friend. A fine chap,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘He tends the grounds.’
‘And he lives in the forest?’ Joe asked, intrigued. ‘Why doesn’t he live at the Hall?’
‘He’s the outdoorsy type,’ Uncle Percy said simply. ‘Besides, he’s got a wonderful tree-house. You’ll like Will.’
‘A tree-house?’ Joe breathed.
‘Yes. It’s an amazing construction and very comfortable. I’m sure he’ll let you sleep there one night, if you ask him nicely.’
Becky realised if she heard this a few hours ago she wouldn’t have believed a word. Now, anything was possible. As they reached the end of the driveway, Becky and Joe let out a simultaneous gasp of astonishment.
Uncle Percy smiled. ‘Home sweet home.’
Becky couldn’t believe her eyes. Before her stood the most spectacular stately home she’d ever seen - an enormous Jacobean mansion of red and orange brick with large windows that reflected the sunlight from countless panes of glass. A central clock tower overlooked a series of weather vanes, domes and spires. Passing a central fountain, the Silver Ghost stopped before a series of high stone steps. Uncle Percy leapt from the car, opened the rear doors, and Becky and Joe stepped out.
Then, with a shattering bang, the front door burst open, and a short, elderly woman wearing a black and white uniform appeared. She had curly black hair, a round, pink face and a wide smile that showed off her misshapen teeth to full effect.
Becky thought she resembled a human skittle.
‘It’s the children – the children …’ the woman screeched with an accent, rushing down the steps, her apron billowing before her. ‘Jacob! It’s the children.’ A very thin old man with agreeable eyes, shuffled through the door, his right leg affected by a slight limp.
‘Children, children,’ Maria gushed, just managing to stop herself before slamming into Becky. ‘My little darlings… look at you both! You must be Miss Becky?’ Maria cupped Becky’s astonished face in her sausage-like fingers. ‘Look at your pretty face, and your lovely long black hair. Isn’t she beautiful, Jacob?’
Jacob joined them at the car. ‘She is indeed, very beautiful,’ he said in a soft voice which shared the same clipped accent as his wife.
Becky blushed and returned Maria’s smile. ‘Thank you. You’re Maria, right?’
‘Yes, indeed, Maria, that is me. And this is my husband, Jacob. We are so pleased to finally meet you.’
Jacob bowed courteously. ‘It is my very great honour, Miss.’
‘Nice to meet you, Jacob,’ Becky said.
Maria turned slowly to Joe. Then she pounced, grabbing him with the force of a wrestler. ‘And you must be Master Joe? You are such a good looking boy, too. You will be a strong man, one day, as strong as a lion … and a very great man. I know these things.’
Joe’s face reddened. ‘Thanks.’
‘The bags, Jacob. Get the children’s bags!’ Maria ordered in a way that suggested refusal would be puni
shable by death. ‘These children must be fed. They are far too thin.’
Jacob nodded and grabbed the cases.
‘No, let me take those, Jacob,’ Uncle Percy urged, moving to the rear of the car. ‘They’re heavy.’
Scowling, Maria blocked his path, her arms folded. ‘You will do no such thing. Jacob, take the luggage to their rooms, at once.’
‘No, Maria, really… I want - ’
Maria shot him a ferocious glare. ‘Do not dare! That is my husband’s job. You try, and I jolly well kick your rump for you. You are the master - ’
‘I’m really not!’ Uncle Percy muttered awkwardly.
‘Jacob. Do as I say.’ Maria shouted. ‘NOW!’
Jacob bowed and limped off dutifully in the direction of the Hall. Satisfied, Maria turned to Uncle Percy and smiled sweetly. ‘Now, sir, I have prepared -’
‘How many times, Maria, must I ask you to call me Percy?’
‘I will do no such thing, sir,’ Maria replied. ‘Now you will be shutting your mouth.’ She grabbed Uncle Percy’s head roughly and planted a wet kiss on his forehead. ‘This is a happy, happy day. The children are here.’
Uncle Percy looked at Becky and shrugged. It was clear this was a battle he’d fought and lost many times before.
‘Now, please, children,’ Maria said. ‘You must be following me, and I will be showing you to your rooms.’ She led them up the steps, through the open door.
It took a moment for Becky’s eyes to adjust from the daylight, but when they did she found herself in a gigantic entrance hall with a patterned marble floor. There were eight closed doors and, on the left-hand wall, a stone fireplace with a coat of arms bearing the inscription ‘Tempus omnia sed memorias privat’ carved into the chimneypiece. A number of stone busts of very serious looking bearded men lined the walls. However, the most impressive object stood in the centre of the room - a life-sized bronze statue of a Roman centurion wielding a short sword.
‘Cool,’ Joe said, his eyes glued to the sword.
‘Very,’ Becky breathed, staring at a grand staircase that divided into two curving flights and led to a balcony above.
‘Come, come… I will show you to your rooms, my angels,’ Maria said, guiding them up the left flight.
Becky’s heart pounded as they passed through an archway into a corridor lined with doors and wall lights that shed a homely glow. Stopping at the end of the corridor, Maria took a large, heavy set of keys from her waistband.
‘Miss Becky, this is your room.’ She unlocked a thickset oak door and pushed it open. ‘I hope you will be happy here, if not you will tell me at once. There are seventy two others for which to choose from.’
‘I’m sure it’s fine, Maria,’ Becky said, surprised to find she felt suddenly nervous. She took a hesitant step into the room.
‘We have all been looking forward to you being here, Miss Becky…’ Maria said softly. ‘Your uncle, especially.’ Before Becky had a chance to thank her, Maria had gone.
Becky stood there in a rapt silence. The room was enchanting. Scarlet and gold tapestries tumbled from the ceiling and a huge four-poster bed with silk hangings tied back with ribbon stood on the right hand wall. A few moments later, the door crashed open and Joe hurtled in.
‘This place is amazing, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is.’ Becky said softly.
Together, and for what felt like hours, Becky and Joe sat silently on the bed, neither of them daring to close their eyes for fear of waking up from the most delicious dream. A sharp knock at the door brought them back to reality. ‘Err, come in,’ Becky said.
The door opened to reveal Jacob, wearing a black double-breasted tailcoat. ‘Would you care to take lunch in the morning room, Miss Becky, Master Joe?’
Trailing Jacob, Becky and Joe walked through the archway and down the right-hand staircase. At the bottom, they bore right through a side door into the morning room and saw Uncle Percy sat before a wide bay window, reading a book entitled ‘The Myths of Stonehenge: Fact and Fiction.’ He lowered the book and ushered Becky and Joe to join him. ‘First things first, are your rooms to your liking?’
‘They’re terrific,’ Joe said.
‘Really great,’ Becky said sincerely and, as her eyes met his, something quite unexpected happened. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her memory something stirred. She did recognize him. She couldn’t pinpoint the time or place but she felt certain he represented something good, something significant. ‘Uncle Percy, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how can we be related to you? I mean, you’re like royalty, and we’re just - well, we’re ordinary -’
‘Gosh, I’m not royalty. Between you and me, I can’t stand that lot. And you - you are far from ordinary.’ A glint flickered in his eye. ‘You see, I was your late grandfather’s cousin. God rest his soul. And I did know your father very well. We were -’ he fell silent for a second, ‘- we were close friends. No, if truth be told, you are my only true family. There’s Maria, Jacob and Will, of course, but - ’
‘You don’t have any other relatives?’ Becky interrupted.
‘I’m afraid not. My parents are a long time dead,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘I’ve never been married, so I have no children.’
‘What about brothers or sisters?’ Becky asked.
‘I had a younger brother, Myron.’ Uncle Percy looked away. ‘But sadly he passed away many years ago.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Becky said sympathetically.
‘No matter,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Fate is a peculiar bedfellow, and, sometimes, what is meant to be is not always what one hopes will be. Anyway -’
Before Uncle Percy could continue, the door opened and Maria and Jacob entered carrying four large silver trays brimming with food: an enormous roast chicken, freshly baked crusty bread, an assortment of hot and cold pies, various cheeses, and a colossal strawberry trifle laden with fresh cream and chocolate.
‘Thank you so much, Maria, Jacob,’ Uncle Percy said as they made to leave. ‘Please, won’t you join us? There’s plenty for everyone.’
‘No, thank you,’ Maria said. ‘We will eat in the kitchens, where we belong.’
‘I’ve told you a thousand times you don’t belong -’ Uncle Percy said, but Maria and Jacob had left the room. He shook his head and sighed. ‘It doesn’t matter what I say. They just won’t listen to me. Anyway, tuck in then.’
Becky and Joe needed no further encouragement and piled into the feast, filling their plates as high as they could.
‘How long have Maria and Jacob lived here?’ Becky asked.
‘About six years. The place really wouldn’t be the same without them.’
‘What about their family?’ Becky asked. ‘Do they have children?’
‘No. I don’t believe they do,’ Uncle Percy said as though keen to drop the subject. ‘Anyway, tell me more about the two of you. Joe, how are you doing at school?’
But Joe had stopped listening, his gaze transfixed on something outside. Becky looked out of the window and saw a man riding a horse at speed in a distant meadow. ‘Who’s that?’
Uncle Percy retrieved a pair of glasses from a silver case and fixed them to the tip of his nose. ‘Oh, that’s Will.’
‘What’s he doing?’ Joe asked, utterly captivated.
‘Practicing his archery, I suppose. He’s a remarkable bowman – never misses a shot.’
Then Becky took a sharp intake of breath. ‘Is he – is he standing on the horse’s back?’ she gasped.
‘Probably. He likes a challenge,’ Uncle Percy said casually. ‘Would you like to meet him?’
‘Yes, please,’ Joe said without hesitation.
‘Well, finish up your lunch then,’ Uncle Percy said, looking at Joe. ‘He’s most keen to meet you…’
Chapter 3
The Discovery
A short while later, Becky followed Uncle Percy and Joe, a half-eaten apple in his mouth, through the kitchen door, across the terrace and onto the path that divided the rear law
ns. Dawdling at the rear, she enjoyed watching her uncle walk. Although a very graceful man, his walk had a definite air of the ridiculous about it. His back seemed stiff as though his spine had been replaced with a cricket bat, yet his legs seemed unusually bendy as if they contained very few bones at all.
‘What’s that building?’ Becky said, pointing to a windowless outbuilding to the side of the Hall.
‘That’s the one place that’s out of bounds,’ Uncle Percy said in an unusually serious manner. ‘That’s my laboratory and I must stress you don’t explore it or you’ll blow us all to bits. Is that okay?’
‘Err, sure,’ Becky replied hesitantly.
After negotiating a cluster of trees, they entered the field to see Will sitting astride a magnificent jet-black mare, a longbow in his hand and a leather quiver slung loosely over his shoulders. Steering the horse by its mane, he trotted over then dismounted. Becky’s jaw dropped. He was gorgeous.
‘A fine day to you all,’ Will said in a soft, mellifluous tone. ‘I’m Will … Will Shakelock.’ He faced Joe and extended his hand. ‘You must be Joe?’
‘Yep,’ Joe replied, shaking Will’s hand.
Will turned to Becky and cast her a warm smile. ‘And Miss Becky?’
Immediately, Becky’s hand shot up and covered her forehead. ‘Yes,’ she squeaked in a trill voice that didn’t appear to come from her at all.
Joe gazed at the ten straw targets on the field. Each had an arrow embedded dead centre. ‘You’re ace with the bow and arrow.’
‘I thank you,’ Will replied. ‘Where I hail from we’re taught archery at an early age.’
‘Are you?’ Joe said. ‘We’re just taught rubbish, like maths.’ Uncle Percy frowned and opened his mouth to challenge when Joe continued, ‘Where are you from?’
‘Nottingham,’ Will replied.
‘I - I’ve got a Facebook friend in Nottingham,’ Becky blustered. ‘Anna Perkins. Do you know her?’ Before the words left her mouth she knew how daft she sounded.
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