Goldhill's Treasure

by Jilly Bowling

  He’d got the kiln installation well in hand and all she had to do was stand aside and watch. Once it was placed in between the firebrick walls, the installers set too to fit the computer, wire it up and make sure it was working alright.

  “Fire some unimportant things first,” the technician told her “It should be fine but occasionally, very occasionally, we do get a blip.”

  “Yes I know, don’t worry, I’ve got some thrown things I can try out first.”

  “Good, so everything to your satisfaction then?”

  “Yes thanks. Do I need to sign your sheet?”

  “Please, just to say we’ve put it where you wanted it. You’ve got a years guarantee for parts and labour so any problems just give us a call.”

  As the men got into their lorry Sophie turned to Mick “It’s almost lunchtime, do you want a bacon butty or what?”

  “Leave it today love, we’ve all got our lunch boxes with us, do us good not to have one of your buttie’s today. We’re getting fat.” Mick patted his stomach and led his men back up to the cottage.

  Going back into the van Sophie made herself an early lunch. After a bowl of cereal she had a boiled egg with soldiers and a mug of tea. Feeling more like herself she remembered her dream from the night before and to her surprise her sex clenched. ‘ My god’ she thought ‘what a saddo, being affected by a dream!’

  Shaking her head she cleared her dishes away and decided to go and test her new kiln. She’d unpacked a box of thrown earthenware last night so decided she’d stack the kiln with them. They were bread and butter items so she wasn’t too worried if some were damaged by irregular firing. Stacking the pots into the kiln she could still see those cold ice blue eyes and hear that deep laugh. One thing was certain she wouldn’t eat cheese again that late at night.

  When the kiln was packed and turned on she walked up the drive to see how things were progressing. Inside the building Ron was using a high powered industrial vacuum to pick up the last of the dust and rubble. He was wearing a face mask and goggles, against the dust, so he just raised his hand to her. Smiling and waving back she went in search of Mick. He was in the bedroom extension supervising the hanging of doors.

  “Feeling better now?” he asked.

  “Yes thanks Mick, just had a bad night, you know.”

  “Mmm, missing Calum I expect, how’s London?”

  “Oh, I didn’t expect him to phone me today. His life is so hectic.” As usual she made excuses for him.

  “Mmph.”

  Sophie changed the subject “It’s really coming together in here.”

  “Yep, it’s going alright. Monday we’ll cut some more of the hill away, sink in the retaining rods and get the gabions into place.”

  “Gabions?”

  “Oh, that’s the name for the steel cages we use nowadays for retaining walls. Very attractive they are.”

  “Oh yes, I know what you mean, you can plant alpines and things down the front of them.”

  “They’ll usually green up by themselves if you leave them alone. So, when they’re in we’ll start building the kitchen, won’t take long, then it’s just knock through the old kitchen wall and Bob’s your uncle.”

  “It’s exciting, I can’t wait until I can start furnishing.”

  “Whoa, hang on love, it’ll be a few weeks yet.”

  Sophie laughed “I know, I’m just visualising it already. Well. I’ll leave you to get on. I’ve got things to do.”

  It was such a nice day she decided to do some more hacking back in the garden, so she collected her tools and made her way up the path at the side of the cottage to where there was another large bramble bush. Putting on her protective gear she started her brushcutter and attacked the brambles. An hour later the bush was hacked to pieces and she switched off the cutter and removed her face mask. Hot and sweaty but pleased with what she’d achieved she decided to leave the rubbish there and burn it when it was dry. Going back down the hill she put her tools away in the small garden shed, and carried on down to the caravan. If she was going to be riding the next morning she’d better sort her kit out. Luckily she’d put her hat and boots into a box that was stored under the bed so she took them out and brushed the dust off them. Her hat was old but solid and her stable boots had no splits in them so would be fine for a jolly over the common. She found a pair of old denim leggings and decided that she’d wear an old checked shirt over them.

  When she was satisfied that she’d be comfortable she made herself a drink and sat on the steps of the van enjoying the late afternoon sun.

  ***

  She was up bright and early the next morning, to another lovely day, and after a good breakfast drove the car to Jenny’s farm, near Bringsty common. Arriving at the large barn where Jenny stabled her horses she discovered a hive of activity. Jenny and her two young daughters were grooming two ponies and two decent horses, both about 15.3 to 16 hands. When Sophie got out of the car two collies barked and ran towards her and Jenny stood up from picking out a horse’s hoof and whistled them. Immediately obedient they returned to her side and she shouted “Lovely day.”

  “Yes, the weather’s great isn’t it? Don’t worry about the dogs, I don’t mind them.”

  “They can be a bit nippy with strangers but once they know you they’re fine.”

  “What can I do to help?” Sophie asked.

  “The black’s your horse, he’s called Cal, so if you’d like to clean him up, the grooming kit’s over there.”

  Once the horses were groomed and tacked up Jenny helped her adjust her stirrup leathers and gave her a leg up. Settling herself into the saddle as Jenny checked her girth, Sophie realised that Cal was a very substantial horse. She had loads of neck in front of her and he was wide enough to be comfortable but not too wide. Jenny and the girls quickly mounted and they were off.

  Leaving the roads alone they traversed a wide field to a gate at the other side and Jenny skilfully manoeuvred her horse so she could open it without dismounting; she held it open for Sophie and the girls, called Gemma and Isabella, to pass through. On the other side of the gate was a large wood with rides cut through it and seeing that Sophie was happy on Cal, Jenny suggested they trot then canter. The exhilaration of the fast ride cleared her mind of all her worries and she realised how much she missed being with horses. All that had been given up when she met Calum, firstly in the first excitement of being in love and then, when they got married, working hard and looking after him. Somehow, apart from her potting, which of course earned money, all her hobbies had got pushed away by Calum’s need to be an actor.

  When they passed through the wood onto the common the girls asked if they could go and jump their ponies over gorse bushes and the odd tree trunk that was lying around. Permission given they hared off like Mongol plainsmen, whooping as they launched themselves over different obstacles.

  Jenny and Sophie were happy to meander along the main ride cut through the bracken that grew thickly all over the common.

  “My, they’ve got some energy” Sophie laughed “I should think those ponies are as fit as race horses.”

  “Yes, probably fitter. They’ll keep up with the hunt for a good five hours, not bad considering how short their legs are.”

  “You don’t use them for RDA surely?”

  “Yes we do.They know the difference and are so kind that they are perfect for the kids. Well Strawberry’s great for the kids but some of the adults are afraid of her.” Jenny laughed.

  “Oh, why’s that?”

  “She hates being held on a tight lead rope and threatens to bite or kick them. She wouldn’t but they don’t trust her. Actually I thought you might like to lead her.”

  Sophie grinned “I don’t mind, as long as I can take her round the corner and have a word with her first.”

  “You’ll do! I reckon y
ou’ll get on with her like a house on fire. Fancy a canter up this hill?”

  After a long steady canter then quick gallop, Sophie felt like she’d never been off a horse for the last three years and was feeling very content as they walked back to the farm.

  Once the horses were untacked and wiped down they turned them out and watched as all four got down and rolled enjoying the sunshine.

  “I’ll see you on Thursday, all being well. I’ll phone if there’s a problem.”

  “Good, thanks for your company.”

  “No thank you for the ride, I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

  “Good, see you Thursday.”

  Getting into the car Sophie smiled and waved and set off for home. It was just gone eleven o’clock so she decided that she’d go home, have a cup of coffee, change and go and do some food shopping in St. John’s.

  By the time she got back with her shopping it was lunchtime and she was feeling hungry, so she made herself a tuna salad sandwich and mug of tea and sat outside the caravan in the sunshine. She’d picked up a paper at the shops so she idly browsed through it. On the gossip column page she was taken aback to see a picture of Calum, looking gorgeous in a tuxedo, outside a popular night club. To her dismay Carla Blaine was draped around his neck, looking misty eyed and in lust.

  The column read ‘ Has Carla got herself a new beau? The buxom star was seen out on the town last night with her new leading man, Calum Livesey. Friends say they are inseparable and certainly in lust if not in love.’

  Sophie’s stomach churned and she almost lost her lunch. No, it couldn’t be true. How could they be inseparable, he’d been working on the film or at home, off and on, with her. It was just the paparazzi looking to stir things up. She wouldn’t react. Then she looked at the picture again and her eyes filled with tears. He was looking at Carla as if she was the most precious thing in the world. She had been right when she’d suspected him of being unfaithful. What a fool she was.

  Then the feeling of dread she’d been carrying inside her since he’d started this film flared up into outright fear. What could she do? Fight for him? What about the cottage? Would he want her to leave, buy him out or what?

  No, this wasn’t true, she’d wait for him to explain it away. No, she’d phone him and he’d have an explanation about it just being publicity for the film. Of course, that’s what it was, a publicity stunt. Going into the caravan she rang his number hoping that in a minute she’d be laughing about it.

  “Hello” a sultry voice purred.

  “Hello, who’s that?” Sophie asked sharply.

  “More to the point, who are you?”

  “Calum’s wife, I have reached his phone haven’t I?”

  “Oh” the phone went dead so Sophie hit the redial button. No answer, it went to voicemail and she heard Calum’s voice saying he wasn’t available and to leave a message.

  “Calum, this is Sophie, Telephone me immediately.”

  Taking her phone outside with her she looked at the paper again. If this picture was as it seemed she had lost her husband. Berating herself for being so trusting she tried to decide what to do. Then the phone rang.

  “Calum?”

  “No it’s not Calum it’s Dad. What’s going on? You haven’t done anything to upset him have you?”

  “Dad, what do you mean?”

  “He’s just been on the phone telling me about your difficulty with him doing this film and your obsession that he’s having an affair with that Carla Blaine. You know he wouldn’t do that but if you play up you’ll drive him away and then what will you do?”

  Sophie was gobsmacked. He’d gone behind her back to get his story in with her Dad before she could do anything.

  “I am not obsessed with Carla Blaine, he is, and I haven’t been difficult. He’s been the one who’s been a pain in the arse, all I’ve ever done is work to keep us so he can concentrate on his career.”

  “Now Sophie, remember you’re very lucky to have a man like him, he’s going to be a big star and you mustn’t make waves. You have to support him.”

  Sophie lost her cool “What, like I’ve done for years? Support him while he blatantly has an affair with another woman, get real Dad.”

  “Don’t you shout at me Sophie. If that’s what he’s had to put up with I’m not surprised he’s tired of it. And he told me he’s not having an affair, it’s all publicity for the film.”

  “I had thought that until she just answered his phone.”

  “Well, anyone can answer a phone, I expect he’s doing something and had to leave it somewhere.”

  Sighing, knowing that he’d never see any wrong in his film star son-in-law, she said “I expect you’re right. I wasn’t going to do anything, anyhow, not until I’d spoken to him.”

  “Good girl, you know it makes sense. Don’t rock the boat,” and he rang off.

  Throwing down the phone she sat down in the chair and put her head in her hands. Her mind was in a whirl, and she wondered why she wasn’t crying.

  Then it struck her that she wasn’t crying because in her heart she’d known she’d lost Calum. The reason she was so devastated was because she didn’t want to lose her dream home, but if they split up the cottage would have to be sold, she couldn’t afford to buy it by herself. But surely he’d have to provide for her? The first thing she needed to do was find an independent solicitor. Not the one they both used. Until she knew her position she would have to play it very carefully. Be as sneaky as he was and, as her dad said, not rock the boat. As she sat gazing into space her phone rang again; she hesitated to answer but finally picked it up.

  “Hello?”

  “Sophie love. Sorry I missed your call, I was with the director. It’s non stop here. Um, have you seen the papers?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh god, I wish I could have spoken to you before you saw them. They were posed you know. Publicity for the film. You know what it’s like. I hope it hasn’t upset you.”

  “No, as I said to Dad, you’ve got to expect that kind of rubbish now you are going to be a star.”

  There was a pause “So you’re not upset?”

  Sophie gritted her teeth “No of course not, I trust you,” then she changed the subject. “The cottage is looking great, I can’t wait for you to see it. By the end of next week the building work will be finished and they’ll be able to get on with the inside.”

  “Oh” another pause, “that’s great. Well as long as you’re alright, I have to go. We’re so busy, but I’ll try to phone when we arrive in Spain.”

  “OK, take care, love ya,” she said automatically.

  “Oh, yes me too. Bye.”

  As she carried the phone back into the caravan it struck her that in all the years since they were married Calum had never actually said ‘I love you’ to her. She’d always said it first and he’d automatically replied ‘me too’. She’d never noticed until recently, and she tried to work out when her feelings for him had started to change, when had she started to feel critical of him? So much in love and amazed that he’d chosen her she had never thought about how he had expected her to work all hours while still cooking cleaning and making sure his life ran as smoothly as possible so that he could concentrate on his ‘career’.

  She was a brilliant potter, her pots sold well and she could have had her own shows in exclusive studios all over the country, but she had turned them down because it wasn’t convenient for her to be away while Calum was rehearsing this TV show or that stage play. It struck her that she hadn’t only been his assistant and ‘go for’ but had actually paid for the privilege. It had also been her parents who had given them the deposit to buy their first house which had gone a long way to pay for Goldhill. It was only recently that Calum had received decent money for the shows he had been in, so surely if she left him or rather threw him ou
t, the courts would find in her favour.

  Blindly washing her lunch dishes she decided that she’d keep her cool when speaking to him, until she knew exactly what she was going to do. She would start potting again and make some high priced ceramics for London and Hampshire, and also get in touch with shops in other parts of the country to sell some of her unusual Sophie Dickton designs to them.

  Going into the barn she decided she’d work non stop on stock to deliver to her regular buyers and leave the clearing of the garden until her future was more assured. She needed to make some good money if she wanted to keep Goldhill. Rolling up her sleeves she picked up a bag of clay and splitting it open attacked the clay with gusto, pounding it as if it was Calum’s body.

  ***

  On the following Monday, Mick and two of his men tackled the loose soil at the back of the kitchen. It proved to be as they’d suspected, just loose soil washed off the hill over the years, and was easily dug out by hand. They cleared a good three feet from behind where the new kitchen extension would be and Mick decided to take some more out along the rest of the cottage and bedroom extension. This would leave a six foot gap between the cottage and the gabions and a nice pathway could be laid so that they could walk all round the building. It would give the cottage a good airflow and prevent any damp problems in the future.

  Behind the loose soil, embedded in the thick red clay was an old stone wall, obviously the original retaining wall, but at one point, behind the bedroom extension they found a heap of rubble piled high in what appeared to be an archway. When they removed the rubble they found a stone vaulted tunnel, low but passable, leading into the hill. Mick sent Ron to fetch Sophie who was hard at work in the barn, to come up and have a look.

  What is it Mick, is there a problem?” she gasped having run up the drive.

  “No, not a problem, but we’ve come across this old tunnel leading into the hill. It’s strong and well made, even got a stone slabbed floor. I wondered what you wanted me to do about it.”

  “Gosh, that is exciting. Have you been in ?”