by Jenny Frame
The Daytons were an unusual family. Both Kay and Casper had given up big jobs and big salaries in London’s financial sector to start a new life of self-sufficiency in the country. She was sceptical when they first arrived, but they proved Clementine wrong and had turned the run-down cottage and land into a thriving enterprise, with animals, vegetables, and the like being sold at the local farmers’ market.
Kay caught up with her. “Did you manage to get something for the girls?”
“I did and dropped it off with them. How’s everyone at home?”
“Oh, great. I thought I’d bring Toby out for a stroll in his pram. Can I walk you home?”
Clementine smiled. “That would be lovely.”
* * *
“This is gorgeous.” Evan stood in the huge wood-panelled circular entrance hall and gazed in wonder at the 1920s architecture. The veneered wooden panels depicted ancient Greek and Roman gods, the Parthenon, and other classical buildings.
“Had you never visited here when you were younger?” Archie asked.
“No, it was never open to the public. But I’ve seen pictures over the years. Nothing beats seeing it in person. I mean, look at the dome.”
They both gazed up at the white plastered ceiling, punctuated by a dome made up of tiny little dots of glass, some missing, that let the light stream in.
“It’s unlike any stately home I’ve ever seen. I mean, from the outside it looks like a normal large country pile,” Archie said.
“Exactly,” Evan said, “that’s why it’s so special. Architects say it’s the best example of art deco style in Britain. It’s amazing to think Rosebrook Castle used to be here. It was beyond repair, so the duke of that time, Isadora’s uncle, knocked it down and started again.”
She walked back over to the front door and indicated to the two hugely tall Grecian figures holding spears, guarding the doorway.
“Look at this—a century ago, people thought it was perhaps a bit garish. It is over the top, but that’s what makes it wonderful. I mean, there’s a picture I’ve seen of a bathroom upstairs, tiled in gold, with Grecian statues and marble, so over the top, but so wonderful. I hope it’s still intact, but we’ll refurb it anyway.”
“What are you going to do with it, Fox? Open it to the public?”
Evan thrust her hands into her pockets and wandered back over to Archie. “Some of the house, but I want it to be my new home.”
Archie looked taken aback. “You want to live here? In the country?”
“Don’t look so shocked. It’s always been my dream to live here,” Evan said.
“But it’s the middle of nowhere. I know you want to see this village and land turned into an example, a vision of how life could be, living an ecological life, and eventually a safe place for LGBTQ people, but how could you run the business?”
“I’m going to run the day-to-day business from here. The only part of Rosebrook that is part of the original castle is the medieval banqueting hall in the gardens. I plan to refit that for business and have a few members of staff working with me. Then I can shoot back to London whenever I’m needed. It’s not that far.”
Archie shook her head. “You know what, Fox? You’re either a genius or bonkers.”
Evan laughed and slapped Archie on the shoulder. “I don’t know about being a genius, but I’m completely happy to be bonkers. Some of the best people are.” She winked and made off for the stairs. “Come on. I want to see if those gold tiles are still there.”
Chapter Five
Four months later
Clementine had become used to the noise of construction vehicles and lorries coming and going to Rosebrook House. Used to it, but not happy about it. In the last few weeks, the noise, the banging from the house, had gotten more frenetic, and she had lost count of the times her car had been blocked in by the many trucks and vans sitting at the entrance to the property. She was having a running battle with the drivers and had given them a piece of her mind on more than one occasion, her annoyance steadily building.
The house had been sold and resold many times since Clementine and her mother had left, but this time it felt different.
None of the other buyers had ever made her annoyed or nervous before. In the past, the Sold sign had gone up, and then nothing happened for months or years, as the purchaser realized how much money it would take to make the house liveable again. Then it would be sold on, and the cycle would start again.
This time was different. After the new Sold sign went up, the very next day there were workers arriving, setting up scaffolding around the house and putting in temporary amenities for the workers—not to mention a very quick refurbishment of the old church. It was the first time someone appeared to be serious about Rosebrook, and the very thought made anxiety squirm in her stomach.
Clementine poured herself a coffee and walked through to her desk. She had managed to get some commissions over the last couple of months, enough to keep her head above water. The current job she was working on was for a block of business units, boring and dull, but it was work.
When she left university, she imagined herself working on exciting, modern buildings and homes, bringing some colour to cities and towns. The reality of course was very different.
Clementine sighed and put her coffee down on her desk. “Oh, well, it’s a job.”
As she sat and prepared to begin work, she heard the loud beeps of a large vehicle reversing, and some loud shouts. She walked over to the window and looked out. She saw two extremely large moving company lorries, each being carefully waved through the gates to the estate.
Clementine felt tears fill her eyes and her heart hurt. It’s gone. I’ve finally lost Rosebrook.
She turned and looked at the family picture on the mantelpiece, with her father as a young boy beside his mother—Isadora—and his stepmother. Rosebrook was gone, the final nail in the coffin, a long time since Isadora put her dreams before her family.
Clementine wiped her tears and was about to walk back to her desk when she heard a knock at the door.
“Knock, knock. It’s me.”
It was Kaydence. “Come in.”
Kay, who was normally a cheery, positive person, appeared even more so than usual. “Did you see the moving vans? Looks like our new Rosebrook resident has arrived.”
“Yes, I saw. Rosebrook has finally gone,” Clementine said sadly.
Kay seemed to realize that this was a pain filled moment. “I’m sorry. I should have been more sensitive. I know a new resident in the house will be hard for you, but it looks like there’s some hope for Rosebrook and the village.”
“How so?” Clementine asked.
Kay held up an envelope. “Didn’t you get the letter?”
“What letter?”
“Everyone get a letter from the new owner. It was hand posted through the doors last night. Didn’t you check your post?”
Clementine was never eager to check her post as it usually contained outstanding bills. “No, let me take a look.”
She went to her front door and checked the wire basket that caught the post and pulled out a few envelopes. She tossed a couple of brown ones aside and opened up the hand delivered letter. Clementine started to read and walked back to the living room.
Kay couldn’t contain her excitement. “Can you believe it? After all these years, someone wants to rebuild the village.”
Clementine looked up from the letter. “The owner of Fox Toys wants to rebuild the village?”
“Yes.” Kay grinned happily. “Fox Toys are very popular in my house. Did you read the part where she said she has big dreams for Rosebrook and wants all us villagers on board to be part of it? She’s having a reception at the church tonight. We’re all invited. Evan Fox wants to present her plans to us.”
Annoyance was building in Clementine. “Another dreamer who’ll run out of money or get bored of the mundane running of a village.”
Kay sighed. “I don’t think the owner of Fox Toys could run
out of money—they’re a multinational company.”
Clementine stared down at the letter. “The Fitzroys had a lot of money. My family is a testament to the fact that you can lose everything here.”
“Clem, I know this is difficult for you, seeing someone barge in on your family’s home and land, but would you rather see it dying like it is, or being rebuilt?”
Clementine said nothing, but inside she was struggling with anger, resentment, and hurt. This was it—she was losing her family’s legacy.
“Clem, will you at least come tonight and listen to what Evan Fox has to say?” Kay asked.
Clem scrunched up the paper and said, “I’ve got no time to listen to dreamers. I’m working.”
* * *
Evan was nervous. It had been four months since she bought Rosebrook and its land, but even after all the intense work had been put in to restore the house and the former church, now was where the hard work started. Selling her dream to the residents of the village.
She paced around the church, now dubbed The Meeting Place, checking everything was in order to open the doors at seven o’clock. The church had been sympathetically restored to keep all of its original historical features.
Evan checked the list of residents on her phone for probably the thousandth time, trying to get the names into her head. She wanted the villagers to feel like they were part of this project, and in order to do that, she had to gain trust.
She was saddened by the fact that there was only one family with young children in the village, something she hoped to change. Evan looked up to the pews on the balcony and tried to imagine a scene, five years from now, where those seats were filled with happy villagers, meeting to discuss community projects. It was a dream and she would make it happen.
Archie pulled her away from her thoughts. “Fox? There’s just a couple of minutes to go.”
“Okay, is everything set?”
“Yes, the drinks table is set up, and the waiters are at the door ready to serve drinks and canapés.”
“Good.” Evan looked around to see the small area she had set up for the kids. She’d hired a balloon artist to entertain the couple of kids attending. She wanted them to have a good impression of her and the project too, and not bore them with a stuffy meeting.
Again, she checked her phone and this time reread the information she had found on how to address a duchess. She was one of the most important people to get onside. Evan assumed that the duchess still had some sway with the villagers and could colour their judgement, and besides, she wanted to make a good impression anyway—this was Isadora Fitzroy’s granddaughter.
She mumbled the instructions she read on her phone. “Social inferiors first greet the duchess as Your Grace.” Evan felt the nerves build inside her. “I’m definitely a social inferior. Then, madam or ma’am.”
She heard the doors being opened and the chatter of voices. This was it. Evan put on her best smile and walked towards the group of people coming in.
First of all she was greeted by the young family in the village, plus two older ladies. One was in a wheelchair.
“Hello, thank you for coming. I’m Evan.”
A smiling woman said, “I’m Kay, this is my husband Casper, and our two boys, Toby and Dexter, and these are Agatha and Adelaide Tucker.”
Evan shook hands with Casper, and then politely kissed the hands of Kay and the two older ladies.
“Oh, isn’t she so gentlemanly,” the lady called Agatha said.
“I’m delighted to meet you, ladies, and you, Casper and Kay.” She then crouched down to the children. “Hey, buddies. How are you doing?”
The boy—Dexter, his mum had called him—said, “Do you make Fox Toys?”
“I sure do, and I’ve got a couple of stuffed animals for you.” She pointed to the balloon modeler. “If you go and see the balloon guy over there, he’ll give them to you and make some balloons for you.”
The two boys squealed and ran over.
“I think you’ve won my boys over to your cause,” Casper said.
“Please go and get some drinks, some food, and make yourselves comfortable.”
After them she was introduced to a delightful, well-dressed older gentleman with a white beard and warm manner. His name was Mr. Fergus, but he insisted on being called, simply, Fergus.
Then she met a lovely, smiling young woman named Ashling and her father, James O’Rourke, who was not as smiley. And neither were the two farmers, Mr. Mason and Mr. Murdoch, and his wife.
“Pleased to meet you all. Go through and get a drink.”
The man named Mr. Murdoch muttered as he walked, “This better be good.”
Archie whispered, “Tough crowd.”
Evan wasn’t going to let that deter her. She waited by the door but no one else arrived. She looked at her watch and wondered if she should give the duchess longer, but her guests were already getting nervous. She walked up to the pulpit and had her PowerPoint slides ready to go.
“Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and children. Thank you for coming out tonight. I want to give you this presentation to give you an idea of who I am and what I plan on doing with the village and land. First, let me tell you a bit about me. I’ve been a lifelong admirer of the late Duchess Isadora Fitzroy and what she planned to do here. Like the duchess, I believe in building communities, with low cost housing and village amenities that allow residents to grow and become the best they can be.”
Kay and her husband, Mr. Fergus, and the elderly ladies were listening intently, but the farmers were muttering among themselves.
“So I want to regenerate this village, rebuild the derelict cottages, refurbish those cottages that are leased, and bring a shop, a pub, and all the usual things a thriving village needs.”
Evan moved the presentation on to the most exciting slides, the ones about conservation.
“Now the other thing about me is that I’m passionate about the environment, and so I want to build on Isadora’s ideas by making this village an example to the nation.”
She was getting more animated by the second, her gestures getting bigger and bigger.
“My dream is to turn this rural place into an eco-village, where we live by giving back to nature, not taking, and where our main focus is making the world a better place, by saving power, reducing our carbon footprint, and taking care to conserve the environment and the animals we live alongside.”
Evan saw Archie smiling from the front seats as she got more enthusiastic by the second.
“But over and above that, I want to make this village a safe place for people who have been marginalized by society, a place where LGBTQ people and those of all different minorities find a home and supportive place to live. Ladies and gentleman, we can make Rosebrook a shining example to the nation, and I hope you will come along with me to make it happen. Thank you.”
She got a round of applause and then asked, “Any questions?”
Mr. Murdoch stood up with a look of anger on his face. “Are you one of those carrot-crunching vegans?”
Obviously vegan was a dirty word to these Rosebrook farmers, but she had to be honest. “Yes, I am a vegan.”
Mr. Murdoch looked to his friend Mr. Mason and said, “Told you so.” Then he turned his attention back to Evan. “I tell you this, you will not stop us farming because of your environmental tosh. We have existing leases.”
“No I don’t want to—” Evan was about to put their minds at rest, but they stood up and marched out, along with Mr. O’Rourke.
His daughter Ashling was trying to reason with him. “Dad, stay and see what she has to say.” But he didn’t, and Evan was left with only the few who were happy to listen.
Archie stood and said again, “Tough crowd.”
Chapter Six
The next morning, Clementine heard a knock at the door. She hoped it wasn’t one of the villagers to tell her what a wonderful future the village had now that Evan Fox had arrived. Going by Mr Fergus’s visit this morning
, and Kay’s exuberant phone call, Evan Fox had managed to hook most of them into her unrealistic dream last night at the church meeting.
As Clementine walked to the door, she said to herself, “I mean what kind of woman’s name is Evan Fox, anyway?”
She opened the door and felt what her mother had once described as collywobbles—the feeling you got when you were instantly and unexpectedly attracted to someone. Her mother had told her that she felt these so-called collywobbles when she first met her father, but Clementine had never quite believed in them. Attraction was lust and felt in a completely different area.
Nonetheless, the aforementioned collywobbles did indeed instantly gather in her stomach at the sight of this unknown dapper butch standing with a bunch of flowers in her hand, and for some reason a stuffed toy fox in the other.
This someone was dressed in a tweed suit and waistcoat, with a colourful tie and pocket square. She had never seen a dapper butch before in real life, only online, on social media, where she liked to follow the styles and butch looks that attracted her, but the run-down Rosebrook village was certainly not the usual habitat for a butch lesbian, dapper or not.
The dapper butch smiled, and Clementine felt her chest tighten.
“Good morning, Your Majesty…Your Lady—no, Your Grace, ma’am.”
Clementine had to stop herself from smiling at the adorable way the dapper butch stumbled over her title.
“It’s Clementine, and you are?”
Her eyes were drawn to the tie and lapel pins in the shape of a fox’s head, along with the stuffed animal she was holding, and her stomach dropped. It was her. The one who had finally brought her family’s association with Rosebrook to an end.
“I’m Evan Fox, ma’am, Clementine, ma’am.” Evan Fox then thrust the bunch of hand-tied flowers and the toy fox at her. “A small token, ma’am. I wonder if I might have a few moments of your time?”
Clementine was taken aback in many ways. She recognized this was a bunch of wildflowers—unusual—and that the giver was highly unusual as well. Evan Fox was not only dapper, she was a dandy, going by her precisely styled hair as well as her immaculate dress. She was really good-looking but must be a good bit younger than herself.