by Ali McNamara
‘And if we’re unlucky?’
‘We can still work in here until the specialists come and spray their chemicals around; the beams are still safe at the moment. But then we’ll likely be out for anything from a few days to a week until the building is deemed fit to work in again.’
I sigh again. ‘Sure, I understand.’
‘Better that we’ve caught this now, miss, than after you’ve opened the place up to the public. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened had this gone unnoticed.’
‘Yes, you’re right, Bill, of course you are. I’m just keen to get the tea room and gift shop up and running as soon as we can.’
‘I know, miss. Me and the boys will do our best for you to catch up on the lost time. I feel partly to blame we didn’t see this sooner.’
‘Thank you, Bill; I appreciate that. You’ll get on to these exterminator people as quickly as you can?’
‘Of course, miss.’
*
I leave Bill still examining the timbers while he talks on the phone to his woodworm specialist, and I wander over towards the office.
‘Hey, Tiffany,’ I say as I enter the open door. ‘How are you this morning?’
‘Good, thanks, miss.’ I’ve got used to the way most of the staff address me now. It’s not perfect, and I’d still prefer Amelia, but it’s better than ‘ma’am’ or ‘m’lady’. ‘How are you? Feeling better?’
‘I’m very well, thank you.’ I glance at her. ‘You heard about my exploits down the pub then?’
‘I did, yes.’ Tiffany grins. ‘I think you impressed a lot of the locals, you know.’
‘Really? By getting drunk and beating them at pool?’
‘By becoming one of them. Also drinking someone under the table is considered quite the badge of honour around here.’
I look at Tiffany to see if she’s being serious.
‘Honestly, it might not have impressed Arthur, or our local vicar, but as far as the regulars at the pub go – you’re quite the hero.’
‘Let’s just hope Hetty doesn’t hear about it, or she won’t be that keen to bring her WI ladies in for one of our group tours when they’re up and running.’
The tour guides that we hired have been doing sterling work with the visitors that are beginning to pour into the castle as the weather has improved and the spring has turned into an early warm summer. So much so that we’ve had an idea for doing group tours – well, Benji had.
I already had Hetty and both her WI ladies and her Brownies lined up for some of the first tours, and we hope to welcome lots more groups, including local schools, to the castle over the next few months.
‘Oh, she’ll have heard about it,’ Tiffany says knowingly. ‘Things don’t stay hidden long around here.’
‘Great.’
‘So how did you get on with Tom?’ Tiffany asks coyly.
‘Fine. Why do you ask?’
‘It was kind of your first date, wasn’t it?’
‘It wasn’t a date!’ I reply sharply. ‘Far from it.’
‘Oops, my bad,’ Tiffany says, pretending to busy herself with her computer screen again. ‘I thought . . . well, hoped it might be.’
‘What is your obsession with trying to pair me and Tom off? Why can’t we just be friends?’ To be fair, I wasn’t sure we were even that any more after Saturday afternoon. We had left things a bit awkwardly.
‘It’s not an obsession. I just think it would be nice. You’re single. He’s single. He’s hot and you’re . . . well, you’re very pretty.’
‘But not hot? Thanks.’ I grin at her.
‘No, I didn’t mean that. You could be hot; you just choose not to be.’
‘Oh, do I now?’
‘Well, I think that’s why you’re the way you are . . . ’
‘And what way is that?’ I ask, half amused, half intrigued by what Tiffany has to say.
Tiffany’s face screws up and her forehead wrinkles as she searches for the right words.
‘You’re sort of removed, aren’t you? I don’t mean because you’re a Lady or anything – it’s not that you’re snobbish, it’s like you’re reserved. Yes, that’s a better word. It’s like you’re always worried we’re going to get too close.’
‘What do you mean too close? You make it sound like I’m worried about catching something!’ I’m half smiling as I say this, but Tiffany is getting a bit too close to the truth.
‘Not that sort of close. I mean it’s like you’re worried about getting too attached to anyone. Have you been hurt in the past, is that it?’
Talk about poles apart. One minute Tiffany is virtually curt-seying and calling me Your Highness, and the next she’s trying to delve far too deeply into my personal life. And I never feel comfortable talking about that – with anyone.
‘I think we’d better get on with some work,’ I say, leaving Tiffany in no doubt I’m changing the subject. ‘Now where are those wage slips?’
‘How’d you get on with Bill this morning?’ Benji asks me later when I bump into him in the village on my way to collect Charlie from school.
‘Good and bad,’ I say, and I proceed to tell him what Bill has told me.
‘At least they found it,’ Benji says practically. ‘If the worst had happened . . . ’
‘Don’t even go there,’ I tell him. ‘I’m trying to remain positive about this.’
‘Until the bill comes in from the exterminators.’
‘Yes, that I am a tad worried about. Money is starting to run extremely short, and until our visitor numbers increase and they hopefully start spending money in the gift shop and the tea room in addition to their entrance fee, then I can’t see any way of making any fast.’
‘Oh,’ Benji says, ‘that is a worry.’
‘I know. Please don’t tell the others, though; I don’t want them worrying too. We need to remain positive that this summer we’ll see more visitors through the grounds than we’ve ever seen before.’
‘Fingers crossed.’
‘It’ll take more than crossed fingers. I’ve been working on a comprehensive marketing and publicity plan to launch Chesterford Castle back into the public’s minds and make them want to come and visit us.’
Benji, a little worryingly, simply nods.
‘Are you heading back to the castle immediately?’ I ask him when he doesn’t say anything to back my plans. ‘Or do you want to tag along and collect Charlie from school?’
‘Sure, why not? I was on my way back to do some more reading this afternoon, but I guess that can wait.’
‘What are you reading?’ I ask as we walk along together towards the school.
‘I was going to ask if I could borrow something of yours, actually.’
‘Really, what?’
‘Clara’s diaries. I started to read some of them when I was babysitting at the weekend, and I’m keen to finish them.’
‘Sure, I’ve not got through all of them myself yet. I never seem to get time for reading any more – there’s always something to do, and I’m often too tired at night, I just want to go straight to sleep when I get into bed.’
‘They’re actually extremely interesting,’ Benji begins. ‘The reason I want to finish them is there’s something that doesn’t quite make sense to me.’
‘Oh yes?’ I ask, but then I notice several mothers and children already exiting the school gates. I glance at my watch. ‘Damn,’ I say, suddenly hurrying along the street. ‘My watch has stopped working. We must be late!’
Luckily we’re only a few minutes late, and Charlie is waiting for us at the door when we get to his classroom.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I tell Miss Gardener, his teacher. ‘I’ve just realised my watch has stopped.’
‘Not a problem,’ Miss Gardener says, glancing with interest at Benji.
‘Oh, this is Benji, I mean Mr Benjamin,’ I tell her. ‘He’s a friend who lives at the castle with us.’
‘Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Gardener
,’ Benji says, shaking hands with Charlie’s teacher.
‘Likewise,’ Miss Gardener says, smiling shyly at Benji.
‘Right, well, we’d better be going,’ I say, looking between the two of them. Miss Gardener is still gazing at Benji, but Benji is already taking Charlie’s PE kit off him and enquiring how his day has been.
‘Bye, Charlie!’ Miss Gardener calls. ‘Goodbye, Mr Benjamin!’
Benji casually lifts his hand as he departs.
‘She likes you,’ I tell him, as we all walk back towards the castle together. Well, Benji and I do. Charlie insists on dashing on ahead, then waiting for us to catch up with him when he reaches a corner or a bend in the road.
‘Who does?’ Benji asks innocently.
‘Don’t play coy with me, Benji, you know perfectly well who – Miss Gardener, of course.’
Benji still looks none the wiser.
‘Charlie’s teacher?’ I prompt.
‘Oh her.’ Benji looks like I’ve just disturbed him from some very deep thought. ‘Sorry, what did you say?’
‘I said, I think Miss Gardener likes you.’ I whisper now, in case we’re close enough to Charlie for him to hear us.
Benji looks genuinely surprised. ‘Really? What makes you say that? I barely said two words to her, let alone enough for her to form an opinion of me.’
I grin at him. ‘Are you deliberately playing dumb?’
He shakes his head in a perplexed fashion.
‘You didn’t see it, then? The way she looked at you?’
‘Amelia, I truly have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Right . . . so you don’t like her, then?’
‘Who, Charlie’s teacher?’
‘Yes, Charlie’s teacher. Who else?’
‘Er . . . not in that way no. She’s not really my type.’
‘Ah.’ What is Benji’s type? I wonder.
‘Sorry if I’m being a bit vague, it’s just while we were in the classroom I had a thought.’
‘Go on.’ I wave at Charlie; the signal he was allowed to ‘go on’ himself.
‘I think I need to read the rest of Clara’s diaries first,’ Benji says. ‘And then I might be able to tell you more.’
‘Benji!’ I whine. ‘That’s not fair.’
‘Sorry, Amelia, but for now it has to be. For if what I think might have happened actually did happen, then it changes everything.’
‘You’re talking in riddles now. Even more than you usually do!’
‘Yes, I know,’ Benji says seriously. ‘But this is important. Very important. The future of Chesterford Castle could depend on it.’
Twenty-nine
‘Hello, you’re back, then,’ I say to Tom when we bump into each other outside the office the next morning.
‘Got back last night,’ Tom says, looking uncomfortably at the floor. ‘I did clear it with Arthur before I went.’
‘I know, and it’s fine. We all need a . . . break sometime.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Did you go anywhere nice?’
‘Just to see my brother. He was staying just the other side of the border with some friends for the weekend. I hadn’t seen him for a while.’
‘Ah, that’s nice.’
Tom nods. ‘So what’s been going on here – seen any more ghosts?’
The minute Tom says this I can see him regretting it; this is, after all, what he thought we’d fallen out over.
‘No, no more ghosts. But we do have some other unwanted visitors.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘Woodworm, in the stables. We’re getting exterminators in to clear them, though.’
‘Good. They can be nasty if left alone.’
‘I know.’
An uncomfortable silence falls between us.
‘Look, I’m sorry if I upset you the other day,’ Tom says, suddenly breaking the quiet. ‘I really didn’t mean to.’
‘I know,’ I say hurriedly, pleased he’s brought it up. He’s obviously keen to clear the air. ‘It’s fine. We can’t all have the same beliefs, can we? That would be a dull old world for sure.’
‘It would, yes; but what I wanted to tell you was—’
‘Amelia!’ Benji says, rushing along the corridor towards us. ‘Oh hey, Tom, you’re back. Did you have a nice weekend away?’
Tom just nods at Benji.
‘Tom went to visit his brother,’ I say keenly. ‘Didn’t you, Tom?’
‘Er, yeah . . . ’ Tom says, glancing at Benji.
‘Oh . . . I see.’ All of a sudden Benji looks uncomfortable. ‘And is he well?’
‘Yeah . . . he’s doing really well, thanks.’
‘Good. Good,’ Benji says, nodding hurriedly. ‘Sorry to change the subject but I must know if you’ve found it yet, Amelia?’
‘No, sorry,’ I tell him, wondering why they were being so odd together. ‘I’ve just come from looking. Not a sign.’
‘Then we’ll have to keep searching,’ Benji insists anxiously. ‘It really is imperative we find it.’
‘What are you two looking for?’ Tom asks. ‘Sounds important.’
‘A diary,’ Benji says. ‘Specifically, Clara Chesterford’s missing diary.’
Tom still looks mystified.
‘When I cleared the rooms before the courtyard sale I found some diaries,’ I quickly explain. ‘They belonged to Clara Chesterford – you know, the lady in the painting I showed you?’
‘Yes, I remember, I found you reading one on a deckchair, didn’t I?’
‘So you did. Well, Benji has been reading through them – the two of us have, actually, but Benji’s much faster than me.’
‘Occupational hazard,’ Benji says, shrugging. ‘I’m used to having to read through documents quickly.’
‘But last night we discovered there was one missing,’ I continue, ‘and Benji thinks it could be important. Annoyingly he won’t tell me why, though . . . ’
‘I don’t want to say anything yet in case I’m wrong,’ Benji says. ‘But if I could just find this one diary then I’d be able to tell you for sure.’
‘Right . . . ’ Tom says, looking between us both. ‘I’m not really any the wiser after that explanation, but if you want help looking?’
‘Yes, please,’ Benji says at the same time as I say, ‘No really, it’s fine.’
‘Which is it to be?’ Tom asks, grinning. ‘I’ve some paintings to clean if you don’t want me?’
‘All help would be gratefully received,’ Benji says. ‘It has to be here somewhere and we must find it.’
‘Ace!’ we hear called from the other side of the office door. ‘A treasure hunt. Count me in!’
I open the door and find Tiffany standing the other side of it.
‘I bet no one’s ever called you subtle, have they, Tiffany?’ I ask her, smiling.
‘Don’t be daft, miss,’ Tiffany says, grinning. ‘That’s me middle name!’
The four of us spend the rest of the day looking for the missing diary.
It’s bad enough when you lose something in a normal-sized house, but in a castle, it’s truly like looking for a needle in a very large haystack!
‘It’s impossible,’ I say, when we meet up in the kitchen at lunch-time for some refreshment. ‘It could be anywhere. It’s definitely not in any of the rooms I cleared of junk.’
‘I’ve searched through the office, too, and all the surrounding rooms we keep any paperwork in,’ Tiffany says. ‘There’s nothing like that anywhere.’
‘Why do you think this particular diary wasn’t kept with the others you found?’ Tom asks. ‘Do you think it was removed on purpose?’
We all look at Benji.
‘If what I think is written in there, actually is, then I’m pretty sure it would have been removed immediately if someone read it.’
‘You’re going to have to tell us eventually, Benji,’ I implore him. ‘Perhaps it might help us to find it?’
Benji sighs. ‘All right, but you have to keep i
t to yourselves for now, okay? Just in case I’m wrong.’
We all nod keenly.
‘You’ve read most of Clara’s diaries, haven’t you, Amelia?’ Benji says, looking at me. ‘What did you think?’
‘Er . . . she was misunderstood,’ I say, thinking about the content of the diaries. ‘The reputation that she had wasn’t really justified if the diaries are a true reflection of her life.’
‘Go on,’ Benji says.
‘For instance, I was led to believe that she sold important items from the Chesterford family’s collection to cover her gambling debts, and yet her diaries suggest she sold them to pay the castle staff, because there was no money to pay anything when her husband died. He was the one who had gambled it all away. Clara turned to gambling to try to recoup some of the losses, so the castle could continue to run as a family home.’
‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ Tiffany says. ‘I’ve only ever heard the first version; it was told to me when I came to work here.’
‘Exactly,’ Benji says. ‘That story has been embellished over the years so that now Clara has the reputation of being this Edwardian party girl, when really it seems she might just have been doing what was needed to keep her family home from crumbling around her.’
I know how that feels.
‘But that still doesn’t explain what you think is in this missing diary,’ Tom says. ‘What is it, proof that her reputation was unjustified, or something else?’ He glances at me, and I know what he’s thinking. Does the missing diary have some proof of Clara’s sexuality?
But if it does, why would Benji be so worried about it? And why would it matter so much if she was gay?
But Benji shakes his head. ‘If it were only that. No, the last diary before the one we’re looking for talks about a secret, and I quote . . . ’ Benji reaches for a small notebook from his pocket. ‘“A secret so big that if anyone found out it would ruin not only my reputation, but the reputation of all Chesterfords for evermore . . . ”’
Perhaps it was her sexuality, after all?
‘Ooh,’ Tiffany says, her eyes wide. ‘I wonder what it is.’
‘You wonder what what is?’ Dorothy comes bustling into the kitchen. ‘What are you lot doing here – are you all wanting lunch? I can knock up some sandwiches if you’re hungry. There’s some cold chicken and salad left from last night’s dinner if anyone’s interested?’
