by KT King
“They can come to mine,” India offered. “It’s out of the way and they can’t be seen from outside, so they could move about in relative safety inside the house. Alice loves it there so she would be okay.”
“But, we have to get them there without being seen,” Sophie reminded them.
“No problem!” Robert said. “I know a way to get them there!”
“I’ll go and get Alice from the dormitory,” Sophie suggested. “India, you wake Linnet and get their things together. Lancelot, do what you can to find a legal way to get Marcus back behind bars, as soon as possible! And Johnathon, get one of your men to come with us!”
Alice was hard to wake up. She was so sleepy that Robert offered to carry her on his back whilst she clutched her Ewok teddy. Johnathon sent Cubby Mayhew to help them. He was usually dressed in the Little Eden security uniform, but tonight he was dressed as The Flash, in very tight red Lycra and a mask!
They were about to set off when Sophie suddenly stopped them. She took off her daisy pendant and put it around Linnet’s neck. “Dr G and I will pray for you as you go,” she told Linnet, “This will keep you safe from Melanie, in the astral realms at least, and Cubby and Robert will keep you physically safe from Marcus.”
Linnet kissed her and thanked her, with both fear and gratitude in her eyes. They all went down the back stairs and descended a full four floors into the basement.
They made their way through a creaky door into a dimly lit room, which had once been a kitchen. Yellowed peeling paint and a half broken quarry tiled floor made the basement seem somewhat uninviting. Robert led them into another much smaller room, filled with chairs and boxes, old paint tins and various odds and sods. He reached inside a dented safe and located some candles in holders. From an old tobacco tin he took up a box of matches.
“I feel like Wee Willy Winky!” Cubby said, trying to lighten the mood, but no one was able to raise a laugh.
Cubby couldn’t see a door out of the basement room and he began to lead the way back, when Robert stopped him. Cubby looked in amazement as Robert fiddled with a brick about half-way up the back wall; as he pushed it, the wall slid sideways to reveal the entrance to a dark, narrow passage. The damp stench woke Alice for a moment and she moaned - then fell back into sleep.
“Where does it lead to?” Cubby asked.
“To India’s house - the Colonial House!” Robert replied. “It comes out on Elizabeth’s Way.”
“Well!” India said in amazement. “Who knew? I’m sure I didn’t!”
“You must never ever tell anyone about this passage!” Robert said to them all. “There are passages under Little Eden that go out like the dials of a clock and then crisscross each other. They go far beyond the walls. One comes out near St Paul’s and another near King’s Cross Station. They were used for espionage in more than one war, and they may be needed again one day. The entrances and exits must remain secret if they are going to be of use in the future. I mean it! Cubby, India, Linnet, do you understand me?”
Cubby nodded and grinned. “Careless words cost lives!” he said. “You can rely on me!”
“And me!” India said.
Linnet nodded in agreement.
The passage was just wide enough for one person to pass down, single file. India took off her large hooped skirt - luckily, she was wearing bloomers underneath, as well as sturdy, black, lace-up boots. Cubby found his rather rotund form was equivalent to one and a half persons and India had to push him through the extra narrow parts. Robert led the way along the gloomy passages and soon they were no longer beneath the chateau but were heading diagonally under the park, towards Hart Crescent. The floor sloped sharply away in places and little streams of water crossed their path at intervals, which they had to jump over to avoid getting their feet wet.
The passageway started to open out as they went further and it became easier to walk along. Then suddenly, they felt the whole tunnel begin to shake all around them and Linnet grabbed onto Alice from behind: but Alice didn’t even stir. A noise, as loud as thunder, rumbled towards them and it became louder and louder until it seemed to swallow them up for a moment, but then it passed away into the distance, as quickly as it had come. “That’s the tube!” Robert said. “We must be near Eve Street Station - not far now!”
Robert continued to lead the way till finally, they came to a ladder which was fastened to the wall of what looked like a well shaft. “I need something to strap Alice to me with!” Robert said, as they all gathered beneath the circular opening. They tried to think of something but there was little of any use. India finally gave up her bloomers and tied them around Alice and Robert, so that he could climb the ladder with her on his back. India was left in just her corset, frilly knickers and her boots - very cold and slightly embarrassed! “Good job I wasn’t going commando tonight!” India laughed.
They climbed, one by one, up the ladder. Cubby let India go before him, ‘in case she fell’, (which was his excuse - although India had a feeling it was more to do with looking at her bum from below). The well shaft had an iron grid over it that Robert had trouble shifting at first, but he managed to open it in the end. They all clambered out, finding themselves under an azalea bush in the back garden of the Colonial House. “How odd!” India said. “I used to see this manhole cover as a little girl and I wished I could go down it like Alice falling into Wonderland! But Aunt Elizabeth always said never to touch it. I’d forgotten all about it for years and now, here I am, climbing out of it!”
“Come on!” Robert said. “It’s only a few yards to the house!”
They made it across the lawn under cover of darkness, and India let them in to her house. She quickly put on a pair of jogging bottoms from her pile of laundry by the back door. “I’m freezing!” India said, as she put on the lights and lit the gas fire, then busied herself putting the kettle on and finding blankets to wrap around Linnet and Alice. “I can’t believe Alice has stayed asleep!”
“That’ll be Sophie and Dr G’s protection prayer no doubt!” Robert said. “I’ll txt them that we’re safely here.”
Alice began to wake up. Linnet cuddled her until she found her bearings. “Where am I?” Alice asked. “Where’s Tambo? I dreamt I was in Heaven and Lilly was there,” she yawned.
“You can sleep in my sparest of spare bedrooms, Alice!” India said kindly. “The one with the patchwork quilt you like so much!” Alice grinned, then started to fall asleep again. Linnet took her to bed and as she lay down next to her daughter she couldn’t help thinking: much good Lilly will do us from Heaven! The dead can’t save us now!
Cubby stayed on guard at the house whilst Robert and India returned to the chateau to rejoin the party. They arrived to find that Marcus had been arrested for trespassing. Johnathon had nearly had to lock up Minnie too, mind you! She had been restrained just in time to stop her hitting Marcus over the head with a large, solid silver, candelabrum. A stressed out Minnie was relieved to hear that Linnet and Alice were safe.
Under Shilty’s direction, Robert continued to entertain his guests as their king, but he was glad when the clock struck midnight and he could keep a low profile again. Shilty kept her crown on, although she had to stop ordering people around. The band changed to smooth jazz, as the party took on a chilled, more mellow feel.
Shilty wandered around, rather the worse for wear after too much champagne. She found Collins, who was also half-cut, sitting alone in the spirits bar. “You can’t ignore each other forever, you know!” Shilty said to him, leaning against the bar and brushing her main assets against his arm. “Who are you supposed to be anyway?” she asked, “A waiter?”
“The name’s Bond, James Bond,” Collins said, smiling.
“Cheesy, Mr Bond, very cheesy,” she replied, and ordered a G & T on the rocks, with a twist.
“You haven’t persuaded my dear brother to see reason yet?” Collins asked her, wishing
he could remove Shilty’s red dress right there and then, but aware that Varsity, dressed as Solitaire, was not far away.
“I think I may have a way to get us all what we want out of this sale,” Shilty whispered.
Collins frowned. “I don’t know. Robert seems to be resisting Mama more than she expected. You have your wily ways, Shilty,” Collins said, “But, it’ll take more than huge tits and a blow job to change his mind this time!”
Meanwhile, Adela Huggins had been trying to get Lancelot alone all evening, to tell him of her conversation with Cousin Faberge regarding Lucas. She finally found him in the coffee bar and sat next to him on the bar stool; he ordered her an espresso. “I spoke to Faberge,” Adela told him.
“What did she have to say?” Lancelot asked, rather distracted by Adela’s costume (or lack of it, I should say).
“She says she will help you and Robert anyway she can. She thinks selling Little Eden is criminal. She hinted that Lucas is harbouring a grudge against Robert and that’s why he has been so easily persuaded to sell.”
Lancelot looked sheepish and sighed.
“Does he hold a grudge against Robert?” Adela probed.
“Perhaps!” Lancelot replied. “Perhaps against more than just Robert, but that was more than twenty years ago! None of us have seen Faberge or Lucas since we were teenagers. I would have thought he…” Lancelot tailed off.
Adela continued to tell him about her conversation. “Faberge said we should go out to Canada to see her and she could hook us up with Lucas. Maybe talk some sense into him before it’s too late, what do you reckon?”
“Mmmm?” Lancelot replied.
“Don’t you think that would be a great idea?” Adela asked him, not understanding why he was so preoccupied.
“A trip to Canada or wherever would be a good idea. Yes. Certainly. I will suggest it to Robert,” Lancelot agreed. “You must come too of course.”
He downed another coffee and excused himself. He was rather afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would kiss her (and then some) right there in the bar - in front of everyone.
He took his leave and Adela was rather sorry to see him go.
Chapter 19
~ * ~
Two days after the party, Johnathon reluctantly released Marcus Finch from the old castle jail cell. Unfortunately, Marcus could not be kept locked up any longer, but he was banned from entering the walls of Little Eden ever again.
Robert was no nearer to deciding what to do about the sale of Little Eden. He was still sitting on the fence, swaying one way, then the other. Whenever anybody said anything to try to persuade him either way he seemed to change his mind again, and no one knew which side he would fall off onto. He was feeling tired and depressed. Psychic attacks from Melanie and his mother were dragging him into his darkest fears and Shilty was working on him too. Rather than think about what to do, he was hoping that Lancelot was going to perform some kind of legal miracle and rescue him from his dilemma.
Robert was jolted back into focus when various parts of three human skeletons were found in the lake, which had been successfully dredged. They were yet to find out if the bodies were male or not, or how old they were, but they were convinced that, although the skeletons were incomplete, they were looking at the bones of the three men Melanie had murdered all those years ago. Robert breathed a sigh of relief! “I’m sure this will put an end to Melanie’s spirit causing trouble,” he said to Lancelot. “That past life should be all cleared up now!”
Robert mused over the bones which were laid out on the mortuary table and wondered how a murder from over one hundred years ago could have such an impact on the present. “My mother may change her mind any day now,” Robert said with confidence, “And once we visit Lucas and talk some sense into him, it will all be over and done with!”
Lancelot looked at him and sighed - he was not so sure!
Linnet and Alice were still hiding out at India’s house, and after another couple of days, Minnie tried to persuade Linnet to come back to her shop and allow Alice to play with her friends again. Minnie had visited them every day and today she was determined to bring Linnet and Alice home.
“Sophie sent you some of Sumona’s mixed mint tea; she says it helps clear away a build-up of fear in the body,” Minnie said to Linnet. She got the packet out of her handbag and then produced some other bits and bobs. “Lucy sent you some roll-on lavender and neroli oil from Peony’s shop - she said to put it on your temples and wrists, and here, Silvi has sent you one of her aura sprays.” Minnie proceeded to liberally spray Linnet with it.
“Stop it, Minnie!” Linnet said impatiently. “My clothes are getting wet!”
“Better that, than being full of fear!” Minnie replied, and continued to squirt the spray around Linnet, and the room in general. “I can feel fear all around you, and every word you say is spikey.”
“That smells lovely!” India said. “What’s in it?”
“I’m not sure!” Minnie replied. “Silvi uses aromatherapy oils in water, with crystal essences and the energy of Archangel Michael.”
“How does she get Archangel Michael into a spray?” India asked. “That doesn’t sound plausible to me.”
“Sophie would be able to explain it, I’m sure I can’t, but apparently it works if you know how!” Minnie replied.
“Do those things really work?” India asked, as she took a closer look at the bottle of spray.
“What things?” Minnie said.
“Sprays, crystals, hands on healing, hypnotherapy. Things like that!” India said.
“Of course!” Minnie replied.
“I tried acupuncture once,” India admitted. “I was having the most godawful migraines but it didn’t work.”
“How many sessions did you have?” Minnie asked.
“Just one,” India replied.
“Well, you can’t expect it to work then!” Minnie smiled. “Do you think these things are miracle cures?”
“I suppose I did!” India admitted.
“You’ve got to manage your health on a regular basis, in all sorts of ways. Keep on top of it that’s my philosophy!” Minnie suggested. “Miracles are very rare. After all, you wouldn’t take an aspirin once and expect it to take away headaches for the rest of your life. If you got another headache a week later, you wouldn’t say that the aspirin didn’t work, would you?”
“I suppose you’re right” India replied, a little unsure that she wanted to be led into a discussion about such things. “Help yourselves to lunch! Where’s Alice? There are chocolate brownies for dessert - she loves them!”
As they ate, Minnie tried to persuade Linnet to come home. “Johnathon has invoked the Little Eden Sanctuary Law to make it illegal for Marcus to set foot within the walls. If he does come back here, he can be arrested on the spot!”
Linnet shook her head but Minnie carried on...“There will be new CCTV installed outside your door by the end of today and you can see the screen inside your shop too.”
“I can’t go back,” Linnet said, pushing away her plate - she was too upset to eat anything.
“You have to!” India told her in dismay, shaking her head. “You cannot spend your life afraid of him.”
“You don’t know what it’s like!” Linnet said, her fear turning to anger. “You have no idea what I’m going through! How would you know? I don’t know how I can ever feel safe!” Linnet was starting to feel a panic attack coming on. “I can’t breathe when I think about it! I can’t breathe even when I don’t think about it.”
“Take one day at a time,” India suggested kindly.
“You don’t know what it’s like!” Linnet cried.
“No, I suppose I don’t,” India admitted. “But it’s what you are going to do about it that counts. I always think practical steps are the best therapy. If Lancelot was here he’d say to keep calm and
pray. I vote for keeping calm but not sure praying will do much good.” With that, India lifted the dessert plate from beside her saying, “Another brownie, anyone?”
~ * ~
A very frightened Linnet went back to Daisy Place the next day, and Alice finally got to see Tambo and her other friends again. Alice was glad to be out of her home as much as possible. As she put it: Mummy was acting very strangely, and she didn’t like it!
Tambo, Elijah, Joshua and Alice had formed a band specially to play at Aunt Lilly’s memorial concert, and now they needed to practise every day as the concert was looming large. Their newly formed pop group still hadn’t got a name, and they needed to come up with one, as soon as possible.
“We need a name ASAP to put in the programme for the concert!” Tambo said. “They’re going to the printers next week.”
“I’ll ask St Hilda for guidance!” Elijah offered.
“Who?” Joshua asked.
“She’s like a saint who looks after me,” Elijah told him.
Joshua looked confused. “A who now?”
“Like a guardian angel,” Alice told him.
“She isn’t real then?” Joshua asked.
“If you mean, is she human, then no, she isn’t alive now but she used to be.” Elijah explained. “She was a nun and when she died she became a saint. She’s not human any more but that doesn’t mean she’s not real.”
“Mama says we all have a guardian angel called Archangel Michael. I have to ask him to help me when I feel scared,” Joshua said.
“That’s different,” Elijah said. “Archangels were never humans.”
“Lilly is my guardian angel,” Tambo said.
“And mine!” Alice chimed in.
“Is your Aunt Lilly a saint too?” Joshua asked.
“No, Lilly is an angel,” Alice explained.
“Can anyone become a saint?” Joshua asked, a bit fixated on the idea.
“I think the Pope has to say if you can be a saint or not,” Elijah told him. “But that doesn’t mean all saints are real saints.”
