Doubting Abbey (31 page)
‘You were like the big sister I never had,’ said Irene, voice trembling. ‘I was only four when I came here and would never have got through it without you. How did we lose touch?’
Linda’s eyes glistened. ‘We shouldn’t have. Looking after others, though… It helped me cope.’
‘Remember that knitted elephant?’ said Irene. ‘You always used to make sure I had it in bed with me at night.’
I fetched it from the trestle table. Irene took the toy from me as if it were the crown jewels.
‘Cuddly toys were for wimps,’ said Jonny with a wink at Linda. ‘So us lads used to say.’
‘And marbles were for stinky so-and-sos whose brains could only cope with rolling balls,’ retorted Irene and stuck out her tongue.
Chuckles echoed around the room.
‘Feels like I’m back in nineteen-forty,’ said Gerry. ‘Anyone remember the worm in Matron’s bed?’
‘Yes!’ chorused Linda’s friends, Cynthia and Bertie Williams.
‘She made you clean the patio with a toothbrush,’ said Cynthia, a striking woman wearing dangly gold earrings.
‘Good, Lord, I’d forgotten that,’ muttered Gerry. ‘Good times, though, heh? All things considered?’
Grunts of agreement echoed around the room.
‘Your mother was an angel, James,’ said Bertie. ‘Always knew how to cheer me up. She said that Mum would want me and Cynthia to enjoy ourselves—that it didn’t mean we had forgotten her.’
Silence filled the room again. Bespectacled eyes stared vacantly for a moment, into the past. I sniffed and Lady C passed me a tissue. Thank God I wasn’t wearing my false eyelashes; tears would have unstuck them by now. It was as if the last half a century or so hadn’t happened. These old fogies still had such a strong bond. All our hard work, it had paid off – even if this reunion didn’t win us the show, it was worth it.
Several of the guests stood at the trestle table, handling the toys as if they were made of the finest porcelain. The hush had the strangest effect on Chingo, who found his voice again, only to ask more respectful questions, like: ‘
Tell us what positive effect staying at Applebridge Hall had on your life
.’
‘Gave me aspirations,’ said Jonny. ‘I saw this place and wanted a bit of the high life. Got into banking, I did, and own a nice little holiday villa in Spain now, as well as our four-bed detached.’
‘Made me realize how much I cared for people,’ said Linda, ‘especially children. Without the evacuation, I doubt I’d have become a midwife.’
‘Taught me laughter really is the strongest medicine,’ said Gerry.
‘Made us realize how important family is,’ said Cynthia and smiled at her brother, Bertie.
‘And, erm, what did it teach you, Lord Croxley?’ said Charlie.
‘This is fab stuff,’ Roxy whispered in my ear, having moved right behind me.
The Earl slipped an arm around Bill’s shoulder. He thought for a moment. ‘I’m the first to admit that this show,
Million Dollar Mansion
, has been nothing but a damn inconvenience.’
Everyone chuckled.
‘My…my son, Edward, has carried a lot of the responsibility for trying to make it a success.’ The Earl and Edward exchanged looks. ‘He’s come up with the ideas. He’s liaised with the producers. But lately, since my niece Abigail proposed this reunion…’Blimey! The Earl’s eyes shone watery bright. A lump came to my throat. ‘It’s made me think about the past,’ he continued. ‘Made me realize, more than ever, that Applebridge Hall is not just mortar and stones.’
Lady C squeezed his arm.
‘Damn important memories have been made here,’ the Earl said. ‘My family has struggled for a long time to bring them back to life. And this reunion, especially now I’ve seen everyone…it makes me more determined than ever to embrace change, if it means saving our heritage, for future generations to learn about the estate’s past.’
I gazed around at puckered chins and a trickle of applause became a huge wave. Eventually, Kathleen’s appearance brought an end to the clapping. ‘Lunch is ready, Your Lordship,’ she announced.
The Earl smiled. ‘Please, everyone, take your places at the table.’
When we were all finally sitting, one seat remained empty.
‘Norman Barker,’ said Edward, as if reading my mind. ‘The man whose diary I found.’Ah, yes. The man who was staying at his nephew’s caravan park.
I sat next to Lady C, who, in turn, was next to the Earl at the end of the table. On the other side of me was Linda, the midwife. Opposite sat Edward and old Mrs Raynor.
Nick came in, dressed in a tailcoat and the old butler’s jacket he’d worn when the Hamilton-Browns came to that fateful dinner where I flicked the onion. He helped Kathleen serve wine from the Earl’s cellar. Then the two of them disappeared, no doubt to fetch the starter. I stared at the cutlery and when I looked back up caught Lady C’s eye. She smiled at me. I’d come a long way in a week and hadn’t even considered picking at my bread roll. Less and less I had to ask myself: what would Abbey do?
Nick and Kathleen returned with bowls of steaming soup.
‘Oh, no!’ said Gerry. ‘Lentils?’
‘I haven’t eaten them since rationing stopped,’ said the Earl.
‘We used to call them dead fish eyes, remember, Jimbo?’ said Jonny and everyone laughed.
Roxy appeared, followed by two men. Edward stood up.
‘Norman Barker?’ he said to both of them.
The shorter of the two men held out his hand.
‘Norm!’ shouted Gerry. ‘Still play football like a girl?’
‘Watch it, Green,’ said the short man and grinned. ‘At least I didn’t go in a strop every time I lost at marbles.’
Edward cleared his throat and stared at the taller man behind Norman, who wore an expensive-looking suit and the shiniest shoes I’d ever seen. At the end of the table, the Earl’s eyes narrowed. Gradually, all the cheery chat came to a halt.
‘
Dennis?
’ said Bill. ‘Dennis Smith, who set fire to the ground floor?’
The man half-smiled. ‘Norm and I have kept in contact over the years. I wasn’t sure whether to come when he told me about the reunion, but, well, I was a kid back then…’ He coughed. ‘Thought about it often over the years, I have. Little ruffian I was. Reckoned matches were exciting grown-up things.’ He walked over to the Earl and held out his hand. ‘I owe you and your family a huge apology.’
The camera zoomed in on him. Gaynor must have been wetting herself at this TV gold.
‘It was no way to repay your hospitality,’ Dennis continued. ‘I never meant to cause so much damage, but I understand if I’m not welcome today.’
The Earl put down his napkin and stood up. He shook Dennis’s hand.
‘It takes a big man to apologise so wholeheartedly—especially on camera. God knows, we all did stupid things as children.’ The Earl’s eyes crinkled. ‘This reunion wouldn’t be the same without you rolling up a piece of paper and secretly smoking it in the forest.’
Everyone laughed and spoons dipped into soup once more.
‘So what line of business did you eventually go into, Dennis?’ Gerry asked as the unexpected guest and Norman sat down. Edward pulled over an extra chair, to squeeze the arsonist onto the corner of the table. ‘Flogging fireplaces?’
Dennis grinned. ‘No, I own two restaurants—one in London, another in the South of France which has gained two Michelin stars.’
‘That’s quite some achievement,’ I said.
‘Thanks,’ he said without looking at me and sipped a glass of wine Nick had just poured. ‘Of course, my son keeps an eye on them both now.’ He grinned at the Earl. ‘I just test out the menu.’
‘Perhaps you could assess our new kitchens,’ said Edward. ‘If we win…any advice on how best to spend the money regarding the Food Academy would be most welcome.’
Dennis beamed. ‘My pleasure. The least I can do. In fact…’ now he eyed me ‘…I’ve watched young Miss Croxley with huge interest.’
Under the table, Lady C patted my hand. Please, no awkward questions about how I marinate meat or make a tomato sauce.
‘I’m fascinated, Miss Croxley, by the way you presented those pheasant breasts,’ he said. ‘Dished up whole like that – not sliced so that the customer can see the mouthwatering inside. And the Cranachan – you served it in what looked like a soup bowl. I would have stacked it into a glass on a stalk, to really show off the contrasting colours of raspberries and oats.’
‘I, um, followed Kathleen’s advice – she’s our Scottish cook,’ I said and cleared my throat. ‘I aimed to make everything as authentic as possible.’
‘And where was it you studied catering?’ he said. ‘Your chopping and slicing techniques again are… out of the ordinary.’
Bloomin’ slow, he really meant.
‘My niece attended an extremely well-established college in Surrey after finishing school,’ said Lady C sharply.
I glanced around the room, glad that most other people were busily catching up, even though Dennis was talking loudly. Nick stood with the carafe of wine and winked at me.
‘It sounds as if you doubt Abbey’s credentials,’ said Edward and gave a tight-lipped smile. ‘You’ve heard of her father, the Honourable Richard Croxley? He of Croxley Catering?’
I shot Edward a grateful glance.
Dennis nodded. ‘A damn fine organisation. And don’t get me wrong, I thought Miss Croxley’s Scottish session was cracking.’
Kathleen came in and nodded at Nick. He put the wine down on a side-table and the two of them cleared the soup dishes.
‘Just ignore Dennis, dear,’ Linda said, eyes twinkling. ‘It seems like he hasn’t changed much, with regard to his manners. Always used to interrupt and be the centre of attention; liked to see intrigue where there wasn’t any – didn’t you, Dennis?’
Mrs Raynor opposite nodded. ‘Accused me of being a spy once, the little scamp did,’ she said, ‘just because I had a working knowledge of German. He trailed me for a whole day. I cottoned on pretty quick, so took a long detour on the way home that night. He was exhausted by the time I hauled him back to Matron.’
Everyone laughed, including Dennis. Even Edward’s mouth twitched. Although he hardly spoke during the Woolton Pie (surprisingly yum) and eggless sponge (as heavy as stale bread). As we sat drinking coffee, I leant back in my chair and gazed around the table. There’d been laughter. A few tears. One friendly argument (Gerry and Jonny both denied stealing some of the wooden zoo animals to take home after the war, despite the Earl’s accusations). After another glass or two of wine each, everyone seemed to forget the cameras – cue a few juicy revelations.
Take Gerry, who was three times divorced, and Linda Sloggit – bless, she’d never had a boyfriend! (or, in her words, ‘suitor’). Bertie Williams once went bankrupt and Norman had spent time in jail for dangerous driving. In the background, I spotted Gaynor rubbing her hands together, clearly pleased with these confessions. As people dispersed, to flick through the ration books or go upstairs to inspect their old bedroom, Edward headed out of the patio doors. Dennis Smith made a beeline for him. Perhaps he was going to badmouth me. Shame, cos I could have done with some time alone with Edward myself, to try and apologise for giving ‘Gemma’ the wrong impression about him and Henrietta.
I left the table and followed them outside. They disappeared around the left hand corner of the building. Fanning my face as if I needed fresh air, I hovered by the kitchen’s back door. The two men’s voices wafted around from the side. It seemed like Dennis had managed to catch up with him.
‘Apologies, Lord Edward,’ I heard Dennis say. ‘I hope you didn’t think I was being disrespectful to your cousin earlier. It’s just…’
‘What?’ said Edward’s voice.
I leant back against the stone wall and something—a spray of ivy—tickled my ear.
‘How well do you really know her?’
My stomach twisted. Here went the roller coaster again.
‘I beg your pardon?’ said Edward in stilted tones.
‘Forgive me if I am speaking out of line, old chap, but I’ve watched every cookery lesson on the show so far. As someone who cares about what happens to this place, I have to speak my mind. If the future of Applebridge Hall lies on that young woman’s shoulders then there is no hope. As an award-winning professional chef, as someone who’s taught the art of food preparation and cooking, I can categorically tell you that she has hardly ever set foot in a kitchen.’
LORD EDWARD’S E-DIARY
Saturday 8
th
September
‘Comments’
11.50p.m.
Blog-readers, you are in for a treat when watching footage of our reunion lunch. I shan’t spoil it too much for you, only to say that our guests were real characters. They talked openly about the ups and downs of their past – which is odd, considering they were brought up to keep schtum, due to the mantra ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’. In fact, Father has only just retired for the evening, having talked non-stop about how today has made an important part of Applebridge’s history come alive.
Other than that, the Second World War food was more than passable. Plus a controversial uninvited guest turned up. Controversial due to the past and, it would seem, his, erm, thoughts on the present. Hmm…
Now, I bid you all a jolly goodnight. Thank you once again for the support. Whatever happens from here on, I promise to continue with this blog, right until the end – one week from today.
Oh, and
Knityourownmansion
, I’m pleased you’re excited at the idea of setting up your own business. Of course I’ll write a review about the mohair pipe if you create a website.
Monday mornings truly were the crappiest time of the week—especially when I had to give a cookery lesson, on camera, in front of Edward’s suspicious eyes. Thanks to Dennis Smith, he probably doubted I could even boil an egg. Before trying to get to sleep I’d visited his blog, which hadn’t given much away.
I straightened my black skirt and smoothed down my crisp white blouse. It was the waitress look – smart and efficient, to give the impression that I was a professional caterer. I yawned, fuelled mostly by my increasing desire to win this show for the Croxleys and… My heart beat out a sexier rhythm as I thought about Edward.
