The Alchemist's Key

by Traci Harding

  Hannah looked to him, nearly in tears. ‘Well then,’ she said, ‘that’s it! I’ll just blow a promising career so that I can pursue contemporary dance instead.’ She rolled her eyes, and exited with haste.

  ‘Was it something I said?’ Wade didn’t understand, but then, when it came to women, he seldom did.

  Wade and the Contessa retired to her chambers for lunch. And after a superb three-course meal, the heiress got around to asking the Baron about his thoughts on her college.

  ‘Well, Contessa …’ Wade looked thoughtful, deciding he’d do her the courtesy of being perfectly honest. ‘I think you need to expand —’ The Contessa’s face lit up with delight at the comment, until Wade added, ‘into the modern arts.’

  ‘What?’ She was outraged.

  ‘Contessa,’ Wade leant forward, ‘you are going to be left behind, maybe not this century, but beyond the year two thousand most definitely. Have you got any idea what you could do if you added film, editing and sound studios, multimedia, modern music and dance departments —’

  ‘Stop, stop, stop …’ The Contessa was waving her arms about. ‘What do you mean by multi-media?’

  ‘Interactive games and books, graphic design and animation, special effects, that kind of thing.’

  ‘That isn’t art …’ the Contessa had to laugh, ‘the computer does everything for you.’

  Wade resented her view and placed his laptop on the table, opening it.

  ‘I am sorry.’ The Contessa realised she’d put her foot in it.

  The Baron waved her to silence. This was his favourite sermon, and Wade had yet to find a critic he couldn’t convert. ‘The computer is only a tool, a medium, like a brush and canvas, paper and pen. And, as with any other art form, the extent of one’s technique is limited to how well you can utilise your tools for your own creative expression. Apart from imagination, however, there is the comprehension of the differing programs, and the extent of their applications to be mastered. One also has to know how to communicate with the computer and interface with other computer systems. In other words, one must understand the linguistics, and computer programming languages are fast becoming as numerous as those spoken. Still, when one has a firm grasp of these, what you can do with that knowledge is limitless! Your students could design their own stage sets, lighting, costumes, brochures, even advertise on the worldwide web … design a new wing for the school, film and edit your productions, burn CD recordings, both musical and literary, and that’s just for starters. You already have all the talent to produce major in-house productions … recitals and exhibitions could be recorded for future reference. It would cost a fortune to get outsiders to provide the same services for any extended period of time, but we could supply these services to other colleges, and turn it into a thriving business.’

  It was a good thing the Contessa was seated, as Wade was completely blowing her mind; everything he said was perfectly true. He showed her some of the images he’d designed for the web, along with some 3D animation sequences.

  ‘But, if you do decide to get with the times,’ Wade said in a cheeky fashion, knowing he’d already convinced her, ‘I believe you have to go contemporary all the way. Music, dance, the lot!’

  The Contessa frowned slightly.

  ‘Keep all the traditional arts you have now,’ Wade continued, ‘and I shall fund new halls for the new curriculum, along with state-of-the-art equipment.’

  ‘A very tempting offer, my dear Baron.’ The Contessa bit her lip. ‘I shall have to think seriously about it first, and there would need to be much more discussion before we could proceed.’

  ‘Of course,’ Wade granted. ‘And I shall have to speak with my grandfather’s financial advisers, and get their thumbs-up on the matter.’

  ‘Leave Mr Hapwood and Mr Wilks to me. I’ve been dealing with them for years.’ The Contessa waved away this concern. ‘But these new additions would have to be introduced gradually, you understand. We can’t risk losing our other more traditionalist supporters, either.’

  ‘Well,’ Wade shrugged, ‘we could start by upgrading those arts you already have, like dance and music, and then go from there.’

  ‘Perhaps?’ One side of the Contessa’s mouth curved to a smile. ‘Leave it with me.’

  Her assistant, Hannah, had been telling the Contessa for years that they needed to modernise. Here was one student who was bound to embrace the young Baron’s proposal with open arms!

  The Baron made it back to Ashby before sunset, and Hugh arrived shortly after him. Wade told his friend nothing of the weird occurrences he’d experienced in his absence, opting to wait until he had the others to back up his story.

  Instead he spoke of his visit to the college and of the plans he’d discussed with the Contessa. They raved briefly about Hugh’s first few days at Oxford, before Wade announced that Louisa was coming down for the weekend.

  ‘Wonderful,’ said Hugh. ‘I do enjoy feeling invisible.’

  ‘No. I made her promise to acknowledge you this time,’ Wade informed, sitting back in his chair by the fire in his drawing room.

  ‘You broached the subject of her ignoring me?’ Hugh became more interested. ‘What reason did she give?’

  ‘She said she was after my stables, and didn’t wish to be distracted from her quest.’

  ‘Louisa admitted that outright?’

  Wade nodded.

  ‘So I was right about her.’

  ‘Not entirely,’ Wade considered, looking over to Talbot who had come to stand at the music room doors.

  ‘My Lord, Lady Sinclair has arrived. Should I show her —’

  As the Lady in question came striding in, Wade gave the butler his leave … ‘Thank you, Talbot.’

  ‘Has anything happened since I left?’ She took a seat beside Hugh on the couch.

  Hugh thought this a strange way to begin a conversation. ‘Good evening, Lady Sinclair. How nice to see you again.’

  ‘I am sorry.’ She turned in her seat to face Hugh. ‘It’s just all so intriguing, don’t you find? I’ve been able to think of little else for days.’ She excitedly expressed her feelings. ‘And, please call me Louisa. We’re all friends here.’ She looked back to Wade, leaving Hugh stunned by the total transformation of her character. ‘Now, please answer my question, before I burst!’

  Wade grinned broadly, keeping both Louisa and Hugh in suspense. ‘No, you haven’t missed anything, though we did manage to dig up a few interesting facts from the library,’ Wade informed, and Louisa clapped her hands in joy.

  Hugh could only stare at the pair of them in amazement. Louisa was like a gleeful child, and it was no act. And Wade had spent time in a library, reading books! ‘Excuse me, folks —’ Hugh interrupted their excited banter, and stood up to express his confusion.

  At this point, Andrew came barging into the music room, and spying everyone inside the drawing room he joined them, closing the doors behind him. ‘Have you told him yet?’

  The once meek and timid chauffeur also seemed to Hugh to be sporting a lot more confidence than usual. ‘What the hell has been going on here? Did you all find God or something?’

  ‘Close,’ Wade informed as he looked to Louisa and Andrew, who both nodded to confirm his claim. ‘I think you’d better sit down,’ Wade suggested to Hugh. Wade then began to tell the tale of the past week.

  Louisa and Andrew added their impressions as the story progressed, though Hugh was beginning to think they’d all gone nuts.

  ‘You lot have been smoking Wade’s pot, haven’t you?’ he grinned. Surely it was either that, or they were all pulling his leg.

  ‘I wouldn’t have believed it unless I’d experienced it,’ Louisa told him sincerely, then smiled. ‘But I’ll grant that by the end of this weekend, you won’t doubt it either.’

  As the evening marched on, the house seemed to be supporting the sceptic’s view. They waited up, anticipating the cat’s arrival, until two o’clock in the morning, when Hugh decided to retire.
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  ‘Well, adventure seekers, maybe tomorrow night, hey?’ Hugh rose to go to bed.

  ‘I don’t understand!’ Andrew was most annoyed. ‘Maybe Arthur hasn’t made an appearance because we’re waiting for him.’

  ‘Maybe Arthur hasn’t made an appearance,’ Hugh postulated, ‘because he doesn’t exist.’

  ‘Oh, he exists, alright.’ Louisa rose to leave with Hugh, not wanting to risk stepping into another time period on her way to her room alone.

  Wade and Andy were silent for some time after Louisa and Hugh departed, absorbed in their thoughts as they observed the crackling fire.

  ‘There must be something that serves as a trigger for the occurrences,’ Andy posed. ‘Something we’ve overlooked.’

  ‘Well, one thing’s for sure.’ Wade raised himself. ‘I’m going to get a couple of videos for tomorrow night’s wait. Be buggered if I’m going to sit around doing sweet f.a.’

  ‘That’s it!’ Andy sprang from his seat, nearly startling the wits out of Wade. ‘Maybe it has something to do with the electronics! The first time the cat came to see you in the music room, what were you doing?’

  ‘I was on the computer,’ Wade concluded, following Andy’s train of thought. He found this theory rather fascinating. ‘The next time, we’d just installed the entertainment system,’ he remarked further. ‘And last time, I was also on the computer!’ he concluded firmly, then wavered. ‘Yet, when I had that first dream about the temple, I didn’t have any of this set up?’

  Andy frowned. ‘So again, that episode is contrary to the pattern of the others.’

  ‘Well,’ Wade slapped the lad’s shoulder, ‘we shall test out your theory tomorrow night and turn everything on. If you’re right, Hugh is in for a rude shock.’

  The next morning Hugh remained in bed until quite late, enjoying the house privileges, and Louisa went out riding.

  So Wade found himself wandering around the house checking for electronics. Most of the lighting was gas, as was the hot water and the stove. The cool room was running on a generator.

  ‘Winston,’ Wade queried the cook about this, ‘would you like me to buy you some more cooking apparatus, and a dishwasher, perhaps?’

  ‘Oh no, my Lord, I do not need them?’

  ‘But wouldn’t you prefer to have such things?’

  ‘Well, of course,’ the chef confessed. ‘But my wife, Rosia, she won’t even use the washing machine. Modern technology frightens her,’ Winston whispered, discreetly. ‘She is not a young woman, my wife, best not upset her.’

  Winston concluded his answer with a wink, returning to his normal tone of voice: ‘We manage just fine, my Lord, but bless you for asking.’

  Wade found the cook’s explanation most curious indeed, and headed out the back door to investigate the laundry. He found a brand new washing machine and dryer, covered over with sheets, but there was a large tub, scrubbing board and hand-wringer that still appeared to be in use.

  ‘Were you looking for something, my Lord?’ Rosia entered with a large basket of washing.

  ‘I was wondering, Rosia, why you don’t use the machines to do the washing?’

  The elderly woman shrank backwards, looking to the covered apparatus as if it were taboo. ‘Is my laundry not satisfactory, my Lord?’

  ‘No, Rosia, your laundry is excellent,’ Wade assured her. ‘I just wondered why you make your job harder than it has to be?’

  ‘I don’t understand …’ Rosia was bewildered by his words. ‘If my ways are too old-fashioned for my Lord —’

  ‘No, no!’ Wade cut her off; she was getting him all wrong. ‘Whatever works best for you, is good for me.’ He backed away before he really upset her. ‘Carry on,’ he said with a smile, heading back inside.

  ‘There you are, my Lord.’ Talbot confronted him in the kitchen. ‘You have a visitor. Hannah Martin from Glenoak College is in the lower drawing room.’

  ‘Really?’ Wade was intrigued, though dubious, as the girl seemed to entertain an eternal bad mood.

  ‘I must say, this is a surprise.’ Wade entered the lower drawing room, closing the door behind him.

  Hannah stood up when he arrived. She seemed troubled, but not angry. Wade had never seen her in casual clothes, and with her long, dark hair loose, Hannah seemed an entirely different person.

  ‘My Lord, I am so sorry to barge in uninvited like this, but I felt I must apologise for my behaviour yesterday.’ Wade moved to wave this off and interrupt, but Hannah persisted with her speech. ‘There I was treating you like an ignorant fool, but it is I who am ignorant and a fool. The Contessa told me of your proposals for the college.’ Hannah took a few steps towards him, inspired by her own convictions. ‘And I want to help, in any way I can.’

  How fortunate, thought Wade, motioning her to take a seat. ‘Well, I don’t think the Contessa is one hundred per cent convinced.’

  ‘Oh, believe me, I’ve been fighting to update the curriculum for ages, and this is far and away the closest the Contessa has ever come to even considering such a proposal. I fear we must move swiftly, however, before her excitement fades.’

  ‘It won’t,’ Wade assured Hannah. ‘What I showed the Contessa yesterday on that little laptop was nothing compared to what my system upstairs is capable of. If the Contessa cools down, I’ll just blow her mind with something even more impressive.’

  ‘Could I see?’ Hannah was curious to observe what had turned the Contessa’s head.

  ‘Sure.’ He moved to lead the way, but then, remembering Andy’s notion that the equipment could be the trigger for the time phenomena, Wade refrained. ‘Oh damn, that’s right. I’m in the middle of cleaning out my system.’

  ‘Does that take long?’ Hannah queried.

  ‘Hours!’ Wade exaggerated.

  ‘Well, if you have no objection, I don’t mind waiting?’ As there was a frown threatening to form on the Baron’s brow, Hannah added, ‘… or I could come back another day, if you’d prefer?’

  Hannah’s big blue eyes seemed in vast contrast to her dark hair and pale milky skin. Her luscious red lips had a cute kind of pout happening as she awaited his response.

  Wade was torn. The time phenomena hadn’t occurred for days now. What if Andy’s theory about the equipment proved to be wrong? He could be blowing the perfect opportunity to get to know this girl better. ‘Whatever you’d prefer,’ he said, whilst a little voice in his head cursed his change in resolve. ‘You could even stay for dinner, if you’d like?’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to impose,’ insisted Hannah, looking to the drawing room door as it opened and Louisa entered.

  ‘Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.’ Louisa looked at Hannah, and obviously had no intention of withdrawing. ‘How are things at Glenoak, Miss Martin?’

  ‘Very well, thank you, Lady Sinclair.’

  ‘You two know each other?’ Wade queried, noting that both women seemed to become slightly agitated by the other’s presence.

  ‘We have met on more than one occasion,’ Louisa informed Wade. ‘So, what brings you to Ashby?’ The Lady retrieved a cigarette from her silver case on the table, and lit up.

  As Hannah seemed to be at a loss as to how to respond, Wade intervened. ‘We are going to be working on a project together.’

  ‘How nice.’ Louisa strained to produce a smile.

  ‘I was just trying to talk Hannah into staying for dinner this evening.’ Wade again looked at the dancer for her response.

  This announcement was most disturbing to Louisa in view of the episode she anticipated would occur. ‘Do you think that is wise, Baron?’

  Hannah, knowing Louisa to be the money-grabbing bitch she was, resented the question. She was sure that Louisa was only out to monopolise the new Baron’s attention and cheque book, just as she had done with his grandfather. ‘Actually, Baron, I will come back for dinner … if it’s no trouble, and you can show me your images then.’

  Terrific, thought Louisa, as Wade smiled at Hannah and ass
ured her it was no trouble at all.

  8

  The Gang’s All Here

  Considering there were several people expected for dinner this evening, Wade thought that perhaps they should eat in the dining room.

  He sought Talbot’s opinion in regard to Andy joining Hugh, Hannah, Louisa and himself for the occasion. He didn’t wish to put any of the servants in an awkward position by inviting their co-worker.

  ‘I feel sure Andrew would much prefer to dine with you young people,’ Talbot granted. ‘I don’t believe any of us old fogies are going to object to the lad enjoying himself on a night off.’

  When Wade advised the cook of his plans, Winston was both delighted and concerned by the prospect of entertaining. ‘This occasion demands something more lavish than usual … I shall head into the village at once, my Lord, to procure that which I shall need.’

  ‘Don’t put yourself to too much trouble, Winston,’ Wade tried to head off the cook’s obvious panic.

  ‘Oh, it’s no trouble.’ Winston removed his apron and replaced it with his coat. ‘It’s an excuse,’ he chuckled, placing a hat on his head. ‘Besides, my reputation demands it,’ Winston informed, heading out the back door.

  As most of the servants were getting on in years, Wade roped Hugh into helping Andrew and himself shift the dining furniture into the middle of the room.

  The long, slender table separated into four sections. These divisions enabled them to manoeuvre the table around the four huge columns that ran parallel to the wall where the table was positioned. In the end only one section of the heavy wooden piece was required, this section being more than adequate to accommodate a party of five.

  ‘I’ve never been to a dinner party before,’ Andrew remarked, as they finished placing the chairs around the table in the middle of the huge marble dining room.

  ‘That’s okay,’ said Wade, ‘I’ve never thrown one.’

  When Hannah arrived back at the manor, she was more suitably attired for dinner. Talbot led her to the lower drawing room, where the others making up the party were indulging in a few pre-dinner drinks.