by Carol Prior
Lights over the Marsh
Carol Prior
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to people, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Cover and illustrations by Oliver Prior
Copyright Carol Prior 2017
Winchelsea Publications
To Mum with love
Also by this Author:
Joe’s Ghost Boy
The Hat, the Umbrella and the Little White Gloves
Jack and Daisy and the Alien of Merriments Green
The Cresswell Gang
Lizard Eggs
Supermarket Witch
Clo-ella and Violet Streaks
Superhero Claude
Rye Bay Adventure Series
The Secret of Wisteria Cottage
Treasure Hunt
LIGHTS OVER THE MARSH
CHAPTER 1. SUNDAY Old Joll
CHAPTER 2. MONDAY The Secret Room
CHAPTER 3. Aliens!
CHAPTER 4. TUESDAY JOL LYO LDP IEC ORN
CHAPTER 5. Lizzie!
CHAPTER 6. WEDNESDAY Up, Up and Away!
CHAPTER 7. Over the Sea
CHAPTER 8. Bert
CHAPTER 9. Tickner, Nasty Face and Towser!
CHAPTER 10. THURSDAY Cornypie
CHAPTER 11. Under the Garden Wall
CHAPTER 12. Inside the Secret Room
CHAPTER 13. FRIDAY Where are they?
CHAPTER 14. The Smuggler’s Lamp
CHAPTER 15. SATURDAY Esmeralda, Queen of Cupcakes
CHAPTER 16. SUNDAY Back to Cornypie
CHAPTER 17. MONDAY Off to Rescue the Professor
CHAPTER 18. Sounds like a Plan!
CHAPTER 19. TUESDAY Jack be silver, Jack be gold…
CHAPTER 20. Green Parrots Everywhere!
CHAPTER 21. FRIDAY A Grand Finale!
CHAPTER 22. SATURDAY The End! (for now)
Jack-o’-Lantern, light the candle,
Pull the boats ashore,
Why be slaves upon the land?
There’s plenty in the store.
We’re runners for the gentry,
And owlers for the poor,
Our Cutters outsail Collier’s men,
Although our hands be raw.
So Jack be nimble, Jack be spry,
Out of the pudding and into the pie.
Jack be silver, Jack be gold,
Jack be hot, but you be cold…
(Attributed to John Pycorn 1695 – 1757)
SUNDAY
CHAPTER 1
Old Joll
‘Turn right, then left,’ said Steph, ‘then we have to go past the bank of shingle towards the field with the scarecrow. Down here I think, but it’s quite hard to read my writing now it’s getting dark.’
Violet laughed, ‘Typical Grandma directions! Oh look, there’s the scarecrow, creepy…’
Whoosh...... A gust of wind from the sea nearly blew them off the unmade road making the car windows rattle.
‘Middle of nowhere, as usual,’ complained Ollie, ‘and stop stuffing your face with nachos, Tom, or they’ll come back up!’
The people carrier rocked slightly in the wind, ‘Huh, supposed to be summer,’ he continued grumpily, ‘only five o’clock and dark already. What’s going on?’
‘It’s only a bank of low cloud,’ said Violet. ‘The sun is up there somewhere, it’s just that we can’t see it at the moment.’
‘Der, we know the sun is up there, Vi, we’d all be dead if it wasn’t!’
‘School holidays!’ muttered Sue, ‘I’m starting to think it will be nice to get back to work. And what’s that strange knocking noise?’
‘Only my skull banging on the window every time we go down a pothole,’ said Luke; he rubbed his head, ‘and I was having a really nice dream as well! Are we there yet, Mum?’
Clare was sitting in the front passenger seat next to Sue. ‘It can’t be far now,’ she said, ‘that must be the bank of shingle on our left. What do you think, Sue, are we nearly there yet?’
Sue gripped the wheel tighter as they moved at a snail’s pace through the gathering dusk. ‘Well, I’d feel much happier if the sat nav actually worked,’ she pressed her face close to the windscreen and peered ahead into the gloom. ‘We seem to be heading deeper into the marsh, at this rate it will be quicker to get out and walk!’
Steph pointed to a dilapidated building, ‘Look, I think this is it! It’s exactly where Grandma said it would be, just past the shingle and the scarecrow.’
‘There’s a name on the front,’ said Violet, ‘can you see what it says?’
‘Get out,’ moaned Tom, ‘then we can all have a look. We’re really squashed here in the back; seven people in one car is at least two too many!’
Clare slid open the passenger door and they piled out, Ollie, Steph and Violet first, and then Tom and Luke who was still rubbing his head and glaring at everyone.
‘Sue, look, what do you make of this? Ma has gone too far this time! Why ever would she buy a ruin?’ Clare shook her head, ‘Do you think the children will be alright here? There doesn’t seem to be anything for miles around.’
‘It’s not that bad,’ said Sue. ‘Rye is only a few miles away. It just seems remote because it’s getting dark, and because we didn’t know where we were going. Though I must say, I wouldn’t want to live out here on my own!’
‘Old Joll’ read Tom, ‘funny name for a house!’
‘Do you think he was a person?’ asked Steph.
‘More likely the name of the scarecrow,’ said Violet, and a shiver ran down her back.
‘No, a smuggler for sure; or a marsh monster and it’s coming to get you, Vi…’ whispered Luke menacingly.
Old Joll was a strange house built on a platform of stone so that it looked taller and more imposing than it really was. A flight of steep steps led up to the entrance and on either side of the main gate was a sturdy iron ring. The gate opened easily as if it had just been oiled and they pushed through into a gloomy courtyard surrounded on three sides by weathered grey stone.
The front door opened and flood of yellow light illuminated the courtyard, and the surprised faces of the visitors who gazed around in astonishment.
‘Wow!’ said Luke at last.
‘Well don’t just stand there, come on in! It’s not nearly as bad as it looks!’ Grandma beamed at them from the doorstep, ‘It’s got loads of potential. Come in, come in, I’ve got supper on the table, French fries, pizza and salad.’
Tom’s eyes lit up, ‘Great, I love pizza!’
‘What, after all those nachos? Gross!’ muttered Ollie.
‘It’s a great investment, and very sound,’ continued Grandma; she patted the walls fondly and they all coughed as a cloud of dust billowed out and fell to the floor. ‘I’ve still got my cottage, I would never sell that! This is my renovation project, me and three other ladies. We’re going to make loads of money!’
‘Are you sure it’s safe, Ma?’ asked Clare. ‘Can’t you go back to your little cottage while the children are staying, just for couple of weeks? Lizzie arrives on Tuesday and I know Ruth won’t be happy if she thinks it’s dangerous. It’s such a pity Caroline couldn’t come with her but she’s on a school trip until next week.’
‘Well, I think this place is amazing!’ said Luke. ’Can we explore when we’ve eaten?’
Grandma smiled, ‘Yes, of course, but if you see any loose bricks it’s best not to poke them.’
‘Oh, Ma, what have you done?’ Sue sighed, ‘Actually Luke, I think it would be better to explore in the morning, much safer. If you must you can go outside and have a look around the garden but leave the rest until tomorrow. Do you agree, Clare?’
‘Absolutely, totally,
you’ve got nearly three weeks to explore.’ She looked across at Sue and raised her eyebrows.
‘You have to go through the old archway in the courtyard to reach the garden, it’s the only way through;’ explained Grandma, ‘it’s a strange old house but you’ll love it, I’m quite sure!’
‘Well at least you don’t have to worry about me anymore,’ said Ollie after they had eaten. ‘I’ve got enough revision to keep me busy for weeks!’ He gazed after the others sadly as they wandered off into the courtyard followed closely by Grandma’s black cat, Bluebell.
‘Let’s hurry,’ cried Steph, ‘before it gets too dark to see anything!’
‘Luke, why is your hair all white?’ asked Tom.
Violet giggled, ‘His hair isn’t white, it’s dust and plaster that fell off the ceiling when I slammed the door. Actually I think it’s an improvement!’
It was quiet and gloomy outside though a few silver gulls soared overhead and the wind whistled and gusted around the chimneys. The dark narrow archway that led through to the back garden loomed in front of them like a dark hole in the wall of the house.
‘Grandma says you have to go through here to get into the garden,’ Luke beckoned and they followed, ‘and you have to go upstairs and through the top floor to reach the west wing of the house because this goes right underneath, seems a bit odd doesn’t it.’
‘Very mysterious,’ chorused Steph and Violet and their voices echoed around the curved walls. ‘Easy to guard though,’ added Steph, ‘because no one can get into the garden without going through this archway, and no one can escape either, although I wouldn’t mind betting there’s a secret way out onto the marsh.’
The garden was a jungle of trees and shrubs and thick green creepers that seemed to wind their way through the undergrowth and around stems and trunks. ‘It’s eerie but I love it,’ said Violet. ‘It’s like a giant knot smelling of honeysuckle and jasmine; and you can’t tell where it begins and where it ends!’
‘Parrots!’ exclaimed Steph, ‘Look, up there in that cherry tree, they’re bright green! What a strange place this is!’
‘Actually, they’re all over the south of England now,’ said Tom. ‘They like it here though the twitchers are worried that the other birds will get chased away.’
‘What’s a twitcher when it’s at home?’ asked Luke.
‘You know, bird watchers,’ said Tom, ‘they all come here because there are so many different sorts of birds.’
Violet sighed happily, ‘Well I love the parrots! And if you’re very quiet you can hear the waves crashing on the beach. I think I’m going to like it here, Steph.’
‘Yes, me too, Violet, and I think it might be just the right place for another adventure.’
******
It was a dark night; the moon seemed reluctant to come out from behind the clouds. Steph gazed across at Violet. She was already fast asleep curled up with the covers almost over her head. On the opposite wall was another bed made up and ready for their cousin Lizzie who was arriving on Tuesday. Steph’s bed was under the window, she liked being under a window because on clear nights she could see the stars. She was warm and cosy and was just drifting off when a bright light crossed the sky from the direction of the sea. Steph felt its glow on her closed eyelids as it passed over the house and she wasn’t sure if it was real or just a dream but soon she was sound asleep in the strange old house on the marsh with just the soft sound of the waves for company.
OLD JOLL
MONDAY
CHAPTER 2
The Secret Room
‘Jack be nimble, Jack be spry, out of the pudding and into the pie.’
Ollie was up first the next morning. It smelled slightly damp and musty in the house but outside the birds sang and the sun was shining. He wandered out into the empty courtyard and through the gate onto the marshy land beyond. The sea lay blue on the horizon and to the east he could see the spire of St Mary’s in Rye. He took a deep breath of salt filled air then turned around and headed back to the house.
Luke and Tom were sitting at the kitchen table and Grandma was frying eggs at the stove.
‘It’s got two staircases, one at each end, and six bedrooms and two bathrooms,’ announced Tom.
‘Bet it didn’t have bathrooms at all when it was built,’ said Luke. ‘They probably had a wooden hut in the garden. Anyway we haven’t even explored properly, there might be ten bathrooms!’
Grandma put a plate of buttered toast on the table in front of them. ‘Actually there are three staircases,’ she said, ‘and another bedroom and a sitting room. They’re in the wing beyond the archway to the garden. Of course, there isn’t a cellar like the one in my cottage, the ground is too low and it would flood. Did you notice the metal mooring rings either side of the gate? They were put there because at one time the marsh was under water during the winter months so people had to come here by boat.’
‘Yum, toast!’ exclaimed Sue as she came into the kitchen. ‘Clare and I will be off soon, Ma. I’ve got an important meeting this afternoon. I think we’ve missed the worst of the traffic. Are you sure you’ll be able to keep this lot in order?’
Grandma laughed, ‘Of course I can! Oh, here come Steph and Violet, did you sleep well, girls?’
‘Like logs,’ said Violet, ‘yum, toast and marmalade!’
******
‘Great! Mum and Sue have gone so now we can start to really enjoy ourselves,’ said Luke as they watched the people carrier disappearing in a fog of dust and sand.
Ollie laughed, ‘I don’t think those potholes are doing the suspension much good; it’s on its last legs anyway, practically an antique! Wait till Dad sees this unmade track. I fancy some more breakfast, must be the sea air!’ and he headed for the kitchen.
‘Who wants to explore?’ asked Tom. ‘It was too dark last night but we found two staircases this morning and Grandma said there’s another one. Come on Steph, Violet, we’ll show you.’
They climbed the rickety stairs at the end of the house and came to a large rectangular room with windows on three sides.
‘Wow! You can see for miles in nearly every direction!’ exclaimed Violet. ‘There’s the marsh and the sea, and the church spire in the distance. Look how the trees are blowing in the wind!’
Tom pointed towards the horizon, ‘Are those fishing boats out there? I bet you get a brilliant view of the stars and planets, there’s hardly any light pollution. I wonder if Grandma has a telescope.’
Steph knelt down and peered through a tiny window near the floor, ‘from here you can look down on the courtyard,’ she said, ‘and no one would know they were being spied on.’
‘It’s a smugglers house, obviously,’ said Luke, ‘they could watch out for signals from the beach, and the boats coming in. And it would be easy to escape because you can see everything for miles! Old Joll’s house! I knew it! Let’s find the third staircase.’
The long passageway ran the length of the main house. It passed the kitchen stairs and several bedrooms before it reached the little bridge over the archway that joined the courtyard to the back garden. A heavy wooden door stood at the end but the key was in the lock so they turned it and went in.
‘It feels completely different to the other end of the house,’ said Tom. ‘It must be the way the rooms are arranged and there’s quite a lot of furniture, look at the size of that four-poster bed! Here’s the other staircase, let’s have a look downstairs.’
‘It still feels cramped,’ Violet shivered, ‘and it’s cold down here because hardly any sun gets in. And where’s the way out? There’s no front door at all?’
‘You can get into the garden though, there’s a door over there,’ said Steph ‘but it doesn’t look as if it’s been opened for ages. Where did Luke go?’
‘I’m here!’ called a voice from upstairs. ‘It’s very peculiar; this part of the house is much bigger from the outside. Why would a room be smaller on the inside than it is from the outside? It’s impossible, though I s
uppose the staircase takes up lots of space. What do you think?’
‘Maybe there’s a secret room,’ said Steph. ‘Lots of very old houses have them, like priest holes, for instance.’ She walked to the end wall and tapped lightly on one of the wooden panels, then pressed her ear to it and tapped again. It sounded hollow and echoed slightly. ‘Yes, I’m pretty sure there’s a room behind this wall.’ She turned and grinned at the others.
‘I knew something would happen,’ yelled Luke and he punched the air. ‘Our first whole day here and we’ve already discovered a mystery. Now how do we go about finding our way in? I could climb round the outside of the house, there might be a window. Did anyone notice?’
‘Or we could get a ladder,’ suggested Tom.
‘Maybe we’ll just go and ask Grandma, she might know,’ said Steph. ‘We don’t want you breaking your neck the minute Mum goes. That would be typical. I dread to think what it’s going to be like tomorrow when Lizzie gets here. She’s even madder than you.’
‘Jack be nimble, Jack be spry, out of the pudding, and into the pie’ chanted Violet and they all turned to stare at her.
‘Help, she’s turned into a zombie…’ murmured Tom.
‘Don’t be silly! I’m just reading it, look, low down on the wall. It must be a clue that tells us how to get into the room. We just have to know how to decipher it.’
‘I think you could be right, Violet,’ gasped Steph.
‘I always thought it was Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,’ muttered Luke ‘and what’s ‘spry’, anyway?’
‘Just another word for quick,’ said Steph. ‘This needs some thought. Maybe there’s a switch in-between the panels, or a concealed button.’