‘You two still yacking?’ She said, looking accusatively in my direction.
‘What is yacking?’ Said the voice from the chaise lounge.
‘To talk aimlessly.’ I interceded.
‘But we talk seriously, purposefully. And we are old buddies, ya?’
‘May I remind you, sir! We are due at Checkley in time for lunch. Number two car is out the front, packed and ready to go. No offence Barmy.’
‘Then we will conclude.’
‘What on earth is that?’ Charlie said looking at my screen.
‘Tony’s timeline, for the years preceding his parent’s death, so far it’s only plotted with the data from the two sets of passports, British and Swiss, but they are all road border crossings, we’ve been speculating.’
‘Amongst others things. I’ve also briefed Barmy on Jack, vis-a-vis Mel.’
‘Right.’
‘Give me a second and I’ll email this infographic to the two of you, all ideas welcome because although I learnt plenty from Daphne and Archie, that’s just eliminated possibilities, not actually suggested any answers.’
Barmy rose to leave; ‘Give some care to how you present the data, at some point you may want to give it to Eltham’s AI app. In time I’m sure he will connect it to all the road mapping data coming from his self-drive EV’s, that’s already including European borders, manned or not. If Wieck wanted the passports, or wanted them back, then it must still be a live issue, the present day should be your baseline.’
‘Holy shit!’
‘This is what they pay me for Charlie, holy shit, I see myself out.’
‘Do you trust Barmy?’ She asked when we were on the road.
‘I don’t need to; we’ve talked all this through before. Besides, we’re all family in a sense. The wildest question that occurs to me in sleepless moments is, was Barmy, then a recent import from Germany, placed alongside me at school on purpose, by persons unknown?’
‘Now that would be creepy! Anyway, what worries me now is how your uncle will react if our holiday is disturbed by my house hunting parents. I told Thayer to text any and all developments.’
‘I did pre-warn him that we might have to step out and meet your folks at some point.’
‘Thanks.’
As we were unloading at the manor, I said; ‘It’s been months and you still haven’t noticed when it’s staring you in the eye.’
‘Noticed what?’
‘Where the dish is.’
‘Should I have?’
‘This boot lid, it’s somewhat thicker than it used to be!’
‘Oh, my... I just thought I was losing it because I couldn’t get so much in. So, Jack’s lads fitted them to both?’
‘Sure, same method that’s used when they’re fitted under the skin of an aircraft.’
Then a voice-off shouted; ‘Come on you two, you're late.’
‘Fulsome apologies for our late arrive.’ I said as we came through the door of the big kitchen.
‘He says, dripping with sincerity.’ Replied uncle, with that whiff of existential despair.
‘Sorry too, in advance, for us being distracted by my parents.’ Added Charlie.
‘Now that’s, a legitimate excuse.’
A moment or two later, just as we were dunking fresh-baked bread into our homemade soup, my mobile pinged. When I raised my head from reading, they were all looking at me; ‘That was an email from Bernard.’
‘Who?’ Asked Julia.
‘His solicitor, someone finally caught up with him no doubt.’ Quipped the uncle.
‘Congratulations Charlie, you are, in the absence of any other claimants, now the proud owner of all the worldly goods of the late great Kenneth Murchison.’
‘And the flat?’
‘Any money raised to go to the Trust, Bernard suggests we give some thought to how his life might be memorialised, which by great good fortune is also now your responsibility too, given your position as lead trustee for charitable affairs.’
‘How much will the sale raise?’
‘Well, despite it having only one bedroom, it has as you’ve so often expressed, a grand location and situation, Bernard suggests there really is only one estate agent in the county capable of promoting...’
At which point Julia interrupted my peroration by reaching over and handing Charlie what looked like a copy of the forthcoming edition of The Countrywoman, presumably containing the photo spread of, and her extended captions on, the royal visits. There was a cheque paper-clipped to the front, though I was unable to read the amount.
‘But this is way too much.’ Protested Charlie.
‘Nonsense my dear, this is the second time in the magazine’s history you’ve enabled us to put Royal Exclusive on the cover.’
Late afternoon I went in search of Gregson before he packed up for the day. ‘You had me confused when you arrived sir, you not heading for the vines, like.’
‘We were late, and I rather assumed they’d be neglected.’
‘His lordship struggles a bit these days, though I doubt he’d admit as much.’ Then, looking directly at me, he said; ‘I must thank you for what you’re doing for our Tim.’
‘Er, Tim Adler is one of yours?’
‘Cousin Irene’s boy. She married an Adler, funny that. My father had three brothers, that’s how Gregsons is everywhere hereabouts. He used to love visiting when he was a nipper.’
‘He’s a useful gardener, and smart with it!’
‘Of course you see that, sir. Steering him towards the Arlington Trust and all. The others, family like, they see good school work and think, chance to get out of rural concerns. Always liked the lad. What do you make of this girl he’s hanging around with?’
‘Ah! She’s the daughter of old friends, known her since she was a child too. Tell anyone who’s concerned to rest easy.’
‘Now I must tell you, we had a day out on the railway the other day, there was a call out for volunteers to try out the first battery train. The wife put together a traditional picnic basket, quite a party atmosphere in our carriage in the end. Then afterwards we repaired at the Railway Arms, wonderful display of old photos, I couldn’t help wondering what’s intended for the bay platforms that used to take trains up the valley?’
‘Well, there is a thought they would make a good location for servicing a Dining Train, that could shuttle up and down in the evenings.’
‘Use some old Brighton Belle Pullman’s likely as not?’
‘No, no. They’re all in use by the charter trains. No, the thought is a couple of Mark One buffet cars could be restored as proper kitchen cars, back-to-back, with open First Class carriages at either end. Authentic, mid nineteen fifties.’
‘Course if you were to do it proper like you’d need to be serving Brown Windsor soup, lamb and two veg. Maybe suet pudding to finish.’
‘Perhaps we should hire your good lady to consult!’
The Moor takes people in different ways. Though we were only to be away twenty-four hours, I’d spent many hours prepping Charlie and she was in constant touch with Junior Jack. Little could be left to chance. I insisted for example that the room we would use overnight must be inferior to the one occupied by Sparkwell KC and wife.
‘We are lowly, we are humble, we attend upon and defer to. Whilst you sit demurely and hold your tongue, I am enthralled by his every utterance.’ I expounded, as I drove us through the labyrinth of moorland roads.
‘You’re going to have me behave in just the way father always expected of me. He’ll assume I’ve finally been broken on the wheel.’
‘It’s a game I’m willing to play because I’m not you. I’m guessing the fastest way to get him to relax and feel safe, is to mirror him. And tomorrow is a Sunday.’
I’m sure dear reader you are only too familiar with the modern hotel dining experience, which of course is why we have the club, so I’ll cut to the chase. Talk of house hunting arose of its own accord, but it wasn’t until later over coffee in the lounge that Sparkwell senior felt able to unburden himself. ‘Our worry, as even you may appreciate Charlotte, is as much about finding a spiritual home as a material one.’
‘I wonder sir, when you were consulting Mr Thayer, whether you took the opportunity of visiting the cathedral?’
‘Most certainly.’
‘Well, on the floor above County Estates is the office of my accountant Lawrence Brinkley, he does the cathedral’s books. And on the floor above him is my solicitor one Bernard Merriweather who is the Chancellor of the diocese of said cathedral, now they’re a gossipy old pair but, it strikes me they might be well-up on the kind of gossip, you’d want to know about.’
‘You seem remarkably well-connected Tony?’ Said Charlie’s mother.
‘Well, everyone knows everyone else hereabouts, it’s just the way it is.’
‘Thank you, Anthony. You’ve given us much to think about.’
‘Perhaps we should leave it there for today then.’
‘Yes, tomorrow is an early start. The manager informs me the local church is but a short walk.’
‘Only five minutes, but uphill all the way, father.’ Said Charlie, rising majestically.
