Shadows of Conflict

by Jennifer Bohnet

  At the castle they searched and called. Walking slowly along, calling Mattie’s name, the two of them listened for any response or the sound of Bert barking. Katie even looked in the graveyard surrounding St Petrox Church though she knew Mattie would never have taken Bert in there.

  Katie quizzed everyone they passed. ‘Have you seen a woman walking a big black dog?’

  Everyone shook their heads. ‘Sorry. No. We’ll keep an eye out on our way back to town.’ Katie, getting more and more frantic, had to be satisfied with their promises.

  ‘Does she ever walk out to Sugary or Compass Cove?’ Leo said.

  ‘No. She does sometimes go as far as the Coastguard Cottages,’ Katie said. ‘We’d better have a quick walk up there.’

  The two of them climbed the steep narrow path, winding its way up to the cottages, that Katie had walked with Bert herself only a few days ago. Tonight in the dusk, the steep drop on the left-hand side worried Katie. What if Mattie had gone over the edge? She shivered. Of course Mattie hadn’t gone over the edge.

  Leo noticed her looking at the way the cliff fell away from the path and protectively moved to her left without saying a word.

  ‘Mattieee!’ they both called at frequent intervals.

  As they neared the top where the ground to the left levelled out, Leo suddenly stopped. ‘Listen. I can hear a dog. Mattieeee!’ he shouted. ‘Mattieee! Bert!’

  ‘Help! I’m over here,’ a faint cry answered him.

  Instantly Leo was off the pathway and sure-footedly making his way through the undergrowth towards the voice. Katie followed, her heart in her mouth, as she slipped and slithered her way behind Leo. A minute later and they’d found Mattie and Bert sheltering in the lee of some overgrown bramble bushes.

  Leo dropped to his knees and knelt beside her. ‘Thank God we’ve found you. Where do you hurt?’

  ‘My ankle. Bert careered off chasing a rabbit and wouldn’t come back. Stupidly I followed, trying to catch him, and managed to fall down a rabbit hole. Even more stupidly I left my phone at home.’

  Gently Leo ran his hands over Mattie’s leg and ankle. ‘Hmm. Think you’ve only twisted it. Right. Plan of action.’ He glanced up at Katie. ‘You stay here with Mattie. I’ll run back down and get the car. Think between us we’ll manage to get her back up to the lane? Or do we need some extra help?’

  ‘We’ll manage,’ Mattie said. ‘Don’t need official reinforcements.’

  ‘I’ll be as quick as I can,’ Leo promised, placing his jacket around Mattie’s shoulders, and then he was gone.

  ‘I’ll phone Henri and tell him we’ve found you,’ Katie said. ‘He’s beside himself with worry.’

  When Henri answered she quickly told him that Mattie was safe and should be home soon. Smiling she handed the phone to Mattie who reassured Henri personally that she was fine. ‘Well, apart from a dodgy ankle,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry you’ve been worried.’

  Handing the phone back to Katie she said, ‘Can you help me to my feet? We might as well try to get a bit closer to the lane before Leo gets back.’

  Doubtfully Katie put her arm around Mattie and steadied herself as Mattie pushed hard against her and levered herself up, wincing as she did so.

  ‘You OK?’ Katie said gently. ‘I still think it would be better to wait for Leo to come back and help.’

  Mattie shook her head determinedly. ‘I can hop slowly. The closer we can get to the lane the better.’

  After a few hops that moved her all of five yards, Katie could sense that Mattie was tiring and regretting her insistence that she could manage but was refusing to say so.

  ‘Listen. I can hear a car,’ she said, making Mattie stand still. ‘Leo will be here any moment.’

  The headlights showed on the single-track lane but to Katie’s disappointment continued past where she and Mattie were. It took her several seconds to realize that Leo would have continued to the car park at Coastguard Cottages to turn around. Lights coming back down the lane confirmed it.

  A car door slammed and seconds later Leo appeared. ‘Oh Mattie, I might have known I couldn’t trust you to stay put,’ and before she could protest, he’d swept her up in his arms and was carrying her over the remaining ground to the car.

  ‘Can tell you’re a trained fireman,’ Mattie laughed. ‘Used to rescuing people.’

  Katie clambered into the back of the car, pulling Bert in beside her while Leo gently settled Mattie into the passenger seat.

  ‘Right, we’ll soon have you home,’ he said. ‘Sure you don’t want to swing by the hospital and get a doctor to check out that ankle?’

  ‘No. I’ll put a cold compress on it. If it’s no better in the morning then I promise I’ll get it looked at,’ Mattie said. ‘But it will be,’ she added confidently.

  ‘Well, I’m sure Henri will have something to say about it, if it’s not,’ Katie said.

  An ashen-faced Henri was waiting for them back at the cottage. Mattie insisted she was quite capable of hobbling indoors and there was no need for Leo to carry her from the car. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind a helpful arm to lean on,’ she said.

  Once she was safely indoors and Henri was fussing over her, Leo said. ‘Look, I can’t leave the car blocking Above Town any longer and as Katie and I were just about to have supper up at the farm when you raised the alarm, Henri, can you manage without us?’

  ‘Oui, certainment. I will look after Mattie now,’ Henri said. ‘Thank you for finding her so quickly.’

  As Leo and Katie left, Henri began applying a cold compress to Mattie’s ankle. She winced at the coldness and the tightness with which Henri was applying it.

  ‘I’m sorry, ma chérie, but it is better this way. You must stay sitting with your leg up on the stool. Now I pour you a brandy.’

  ‘Henri, could I please have a cup of tea rather than brandy? I’m not particularly fond of it. Tea is so much more comforting.’

  ‘You English and your love of tea,’ Henri said, smiling. ‘You think it is the cure for everything. OK, I make you tea but I shall have a brandy.’

  Five minutes later as they sat drinking their respective drinks Henri sighed before saying, ‘Honestly, Mattie, what am I going to do with you? Fancy chasing after Bert – you know he always comes back.’

  Mattie sighed and tried to shift her position slightly. ‘I know. I just wasn’t thinking. No, that’s not true. I was thinking but not about Bert.’ She put her cup down on the saucer. ‘I was thinking about that “real world” you were talking about earlier.’

  Henri waited.

  ‘I think I’d rather like to be a part of that world with you, Henri, if you’ll have me,’ Mattie said quietly, looking at him.

  ‘I too have been thinking more about that,’ Henri said. ‘I think I was wrong.’

  Mattie’s heart plummeted. Had Henri changed his mind about her?

  ‘I don’t need to buy a house down south. There are lots of very good hotels down there for when we visit.’

  ‘For a moment there I thought you’d changed your mind,’ Mattie said, sighing with relief.

  ‘Non, ma chérie. You’re the best thing that has happened to me for many years. Tonight’s petit adventure has made me more determined to take care of you. I think we will manage very well living between here and Paris,’ Henri said. ‘From now on we do things together.’

  TWENTY-SIX

  ‘How’s Mattie today?’ Leo asked as he and Katie drove to Blackawton the next evening.

  ‘Bit sore and feeling silly for chasing after Bert, I think. Henri is being marvellous with her – so patient. He’s cancelled their tickets to Paris until Mattie’s ankle is better.’

  Leo was driving fast, on the edge of the speed limit. ‘Hey, we’re in a bit of a hurry aren’t we?’ Katie said as the tall hedges on either side of the country lane flew past. ‘Can we slow down, please? You’re not on a shout-out now.’

  ‘Don’t like my driving?’ Leo said.

  ‘Just don’t want you to
get a speeding ticket,’ Katie said. Not that there were likely to be any cameras around here. Going fast on the motorway was one thing but down these narrow country lanes was another.

  ‘Sorry,’ Leo said. ‘I just want to get there and find out what this is all about.’

  ‘I’ve never been to Ron’s farm,’ Katie said.

  ‘It’s a bit of an eyesore,’ Leo said. ‘He keeps a lot of old machinery around the place. And a fierce dog.’

  The dog, asleep on the end of his chain when they drove into the yard, woke and began barking frenziedly as Leo turned the car before parking it in front of the farmhouse.

  ‘In case we need to make a quick getaway,’ he said. ‘Now where’s Ron?’

  Just then, Gary opened the front door. ‘Oh, it’s you two. Granddad said you might be around.’

  ‘Is he here?’ Leo asked.

  ‘Yeah. Go on in. I’m off out to feed the sheep. Granddad’s in the kitchen.’

  Inside, the farmhouse was surprising clean and tidy. They found Ron sitting by the old-fashioned range in the kitchen, reading the betting page of a sports paper.

  ‘You took yer time coming,’ he said by way of greeting.

  ‘So what’s this all about, Ron?’ Leo said.

  ‘I need to tell you summat. You’m involved so I reckon you’ve the right to know.’

  ‘It’s about A Good Yarn, is it?’ Katie said.

  Ron nodded. ‘I know them what’s responsible for everything that’s been happening down there.’

  ‘Then you should be talking to the police not us,’ Leo said.

  ‘Can’t,’ Ron answered. ‘They’d know who shopped ’em.’

  ‘They?’

  ‘Them as what is behind it all,’ Ron said impatiently.

  ‘So, who would that be?’ Leo said.

  ‘Developers.’

  ‘Lake and Bidder?’

  Ron nodded. ‘Wanted to get their hands on the shop so they had the complete block. Figured it would be worth that much more.’

  ‘Have you known this from the beginning?’ Katie said.

  Ron nodded. ‘Hoped it would make you give up and Mattie finally cave in and sell. I’d get me money then. Thought I might as well keep quiet and benefit from their shenanigans as much as them. Trouble was, they knew it.’

  ‘How?’ Leo said.

  ‘Pub talk,’ Ron said briefly. ‘Got a bit drunk one night and they latched on to the fact that I was what they called “an interested party”. Talked me into going along with their plans. Said they’d see me all right if I kept shtum.’

  ‘Did you do the actual vandalism, then?’ Katie asked.

  ‘No. I just watched and waited.’

  ‘So why are you telling us now?’ Katie said.

  ‘I reckons they gone too far with that fire. Downright dangerous, that were. I ain’t being involved with the likes of that. Someone could have been killed.’

  ‘They caused the fire deliberately?’ Katie said, her voice shaking.

  Ron nodded. ‘Says they’ve got a bit of a cash-flow problem. Figured they’d get the insurance money and frighten you out of A Good Yarn at the same time.’

  ‘So now you’ve told us – what do you want us to do?’ Leo said.

  ‘Ain’t nothing you can do,’ Ron said. ‘I just wanted you to know.’

  ‘What about telling the police?’ Leo said. ‘We could come with you.’

  ‘That won’t do no good. Be their word against mine and we all know who the coppers would believe.’

  ‘Actually, Ron, the forensic boys from the Fire Department are already investigating the fire,’ Leo said. ‘They’ll know soon how the fire started and if it is foul play, they’ll be straight on to the developers. The police will be involved then whether you like it or not.’

  ‘Well, they won’t get no information out of me,’ Ron said. ‘I didn’t do it and as far as the police are concerned, I don’t know nothing.’

  ‘Have it your way,’ Leo said. ‘Anything else you want to tell us?’

  Ron shook his head. ‘Nope.’

  ‘So, we can take it you won’t personally be instigating any acts of vandalism in the future?’ Leo said.

  ‘Reckon Mattie still owes me,’ Ron muttered. ‘No. Gary tells me he wants to be a farmer so I’m going to let the lad have a crack at this place. He’s promised to look after me in me old age – seeing as how I ain’t got any money or me rights from the family.’ He glared at them. ‘Ain’t got anything else to tell you so you can scarper now.’ Ron picked up his racing paper and turned his back on them. ‘You can see yerselves out.’

  Katie was quiet as they took the road back to town. It was Leo who broke the silence.

  ‘Well, at least we know there won’t be any more trouble at A Good Yarn – which is something – but whether Ron will get away with not telling the police what he knows is another thing. Withholding information is not a good thing to be charged with.’

  ‘You definitely think forensic will unearth the cause of the fire?’

  Leo nodded. ‘Very little gets past them these days.’

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  ‘Henri, I am not cancelling the Empreys this afternoon. I’m fine, honestly,’ Mattie said. ‘The cold compresses have worked wonders. The swelling has gone down a lot. I’ve been truly spoilt having you to look after me, thank you.’

  Henri gave her a resigned smile, knowing she was determined. ‘I still think you need to rest it more.’

  ‘I promise I’ll just sit here and let you do the host bit,’ Mattie said. ‘I’m so looking forward to seeing how their family tree ties in with mine. Which reminds me – I need to get the family box down from my room,’ and she went to move from her chair.

  ‘Mattie! Non! Don’t even think about it. I’ll get it. Tell me where it is and I fetch it for you.’

  By the time Noah Snr arrived with Elizabeth and Vicky, the family box was on the sitting room table along with some other papers and books that Mattie thought might be of interest to Noah.

  ‘No Noah Jnr today, then?’ Mattie asked.

  ‘He’s got a hot date, ma’am, down with Trisha at the shop,’ Noah snr. laughed. ‘Katie is leaving them in charge for an hour while she joins us up here. I’ll just put this down,’ and he placed the shoe-sized box he’d been holding on the table, alongside Mattie’s box.

  Vicky handed Mattie some papers. ‘This is our family tree so far. Look, this is the first mention of a Luttrell back in 1829.’

  Mattie smiled. ‘Amos the rogue vicar! Oh, there’s a Cranford too.’ She looked up at Noah and Elizabeth. ‘We may have more relatives in common than you thought,’ she said, taking a document out of her own family box and handing it to Vicky. ‘This shows the family tree for my particular branch of the Cranfords.’

  Katie arrived while they were all pouring over the two documents trying to work out the connections between the two families.

  ‘I’ve brought some scones and cream,’ she said. ‘No, I know they won’t be up to your standard, Mattie, but I figured you wouldn’t have been allowed in the kitchen. I’ll make some tea for everyone.’

  By the time Katie returned with the tea and the scones, a definite link had been worked out between the Empreys and Mattie’s branch of the Luttrells and Cranfords. Anne Follett, the woman Vicky had mentioned previously, proved to be the missing link.

  ‘How exciting to have American relatives,’ Katie said, looking at all the papers spread over the table. ‘Even if they are ten or twelve times removed! What’s in the unopened box, then?’ she asked, looking at the one Noah had brought.

  ‘Ah,’ Noah said. ‘That is something else entirely. It’s something my mother needs to talk to Mattie about.’

  Elizabeth glanced across at Mattie. ‘My mother, Kitty, was a very private person. She never talked about her childhood or the loss of her twin brother, Nathaniel, in World War Two. She was of the belief you just got on with whatever life threw at you.’ Elizabeth smiled at Mattie. ‘I think you’re l
ike that too, aren’t you?’

  ‘Mattie is a firm believer in the past being the past,’ Katie said.

  ‘No point in being otherwise about things you can’t change,’ Mattie said. ‘Waste of energy. Do you remember your Uncle Nathaniel?’

  Elizabeth shook her head. ‘Vaguely. I was five when he enlisted and he never came back.’

  She looked across at the box. ‘Being twins my mother and her brother were extremely close and he wrote long letters home from Europe. She kept every one of them. They’re in that box. Together with some photos.’

  Noah took the lid off the box and began to lift out the contents. A photo fluttered out onto the table. Noah quickly picked it up and put it face down.

  ‘Most of the letters are dated but because of security no location is given,’ Noah said. ‘They’re mainly about how different he was finding life as a GI. These, though, will be more interesting to you,’ and he lifted out a bundle of letters tied together with ribbon.

  ‘These are the letters he wrote to “My darling sister Kitty”, telling her about this wonderful English girl he’d met and who he was going to marry – after this damned war is over,’ Noah continued.

  ‘Mattie,’ Elizabeth said, gently taking her by the hand. ‘Before we go any further, you need to know that Nathaniel was always known as Hal in the family.’

  There was a sharp intake of breath as Mattie stared at her wide-eyed. ‘Are you telling me what I think you are?’

  Elizabeth nodded. ‘The Hal your sister Clara was in love with was my Uncle Nathaniel.’

  Mattie shook her head. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  ‘Look, Mattie,’ Noah said, picking up the photo from the table and turning it over. ‘This is them together. Very similar to the one you showed me. And, before you ask, I’d never seen a photo of my great-uncle before Vicky unearthed these. Great-grandma Kitty had put them all away before I was born. I had no idea when you showed me your photographs who I was looking at.’

  Mattie could feel the tears starting to well up as she looked at the photo of Clara and Hal. ‘They were so happy together. Your uncle was lovely.’