Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange

by Jenny Kane

  ‘Over the discovery of the archaeological find of the year?’ Thea lifted his chin so that his eyes met hers.

  ‘Oh yes.’ Shaun’s voice became husky. ‘I think it only fair to tell you that, if you don’t intend to stay the night you should leave now. I won’t follow you, and I’ll understand you’re leaving as we have a big day tomorrow and the next day. We’ll need our sleep so…’

  Thea silenced him with a kiss. ‘Who needs sleep?’

  Forty-Six

  July 20th

  Ajay and Andy shamelessly flirted with Mabel and Diane as they washed, dried and buffed up a vast supply of cups and saucers and glasses. They were lining them up on the kitchen table as Thea and Shaun came into the kitchen rather later than they’d planned the following morning.

  ‘Thea, my dear!’ Mabel beamed as Shaun made a beeline for some cups of coffee. ‘Why didn’t you say we had more television personalities on the way?’

  ‘Because I didn’t know. It was a surprise for all of us.’

  ‘We were just passing.’ Andy winked at Diane.

  Ajay flapped his drying up cloth playfully in Mabel’s direction. ‘And we’re hardly personalities, lovely Mabel. More geeks with techno toys.’

  ‘Rubbish.’ Mabel patted her hair in a girlish way. ‘You two find everything. Anyone who watches Landscape Treasures knows that.’

  Andy polished a glass so hard with his cloth it squeaked. ‘Did you hear that, boss? We should have our own spin-off show I reckon.’

  ‘Is that right?’ Shaun grinned at the rows of empty vessels his colleagues had got ready to be taken out to Sybil’s marquee. ‘I didn’t expect to see these two so early in the morning.’ He turned to Mabel and Diane. ‘Normally the AA only surface once the digging has been done.’

  ‘Cheek!’ Ajay stuck his tongue out.

  ‘Are you lot always this childish?’ Thea rolled her eyes at Mabel, but her smile was wide.

  ‘Yep. Growing up is optional. We opted out.’ Shaun lifted the kettle in a gesture to the others to see if anyone else wanted a drink. ‘How’s it going outside? I saw from the bedroom window that the marquees have already arrived.’

  ‘Been non-stop since seven.’ Mabel spoke making it very clear she had been wondering why Thea hadn’t been there to supervise their arrival.

  ‘That’s excellent.’ Thea, not rising to Mabel’s bait, and certainly not wanting to share the fact that it had taken a great deal of effort on her and Shaun’s behalf to leave the comfort of their blanket cocoon, said, ‘I’m going out to them now. I think a few large slices of Tina’s lemon cake would go some way to keep their strength up, don’t you?’

  *

  Thea couldn’t wipe the joy from her face. She felt as if her skin was glowing and that it must be plain to everyone who saw her how happy she was, and exactly why she hadn’t had much sleep last night.

  Crossing the gardens to where Bill and his friends were discussing the number of poles and guide ropes required for the task in hand, Thea called out to Tina and Sam who were looking equally content as they emerged from the walled garden, a bag of chicken feed in hand.

  ‘Morning you two. Gertrude and Mr Stark behaving this morning?’

  ‘So far.’ Tina grinned. ‘Although I think that Gertrude has a rival for his affections. Betty had definitely got her eye on Tony this morning.’

  ‘Which one is Betty?’ Thea felt a sudden rush of sadness. She’d been so excited about getting the chickens to Mill Grange, and now she couldn’t even remember all their names.

  ‘The tiny one with the extra fluffy feathers.’ Sam was watching the men across the gardens. ‘I ought to go and see if they need a hand. Shall I deliver the cake, Thea? I’m guessing it’s for them?’

  ‘Thank you. Yes, it is.’

  Taking the plates of sliced cake, Sam asked, ‘Did you and Shaun come up with any ideas as to what our hidden treasure might be?’

  ‘We did.’ Thea lowered her voice for fear of the sound carrying across the garden. ‘I need to do some more research before I’m sure. It’s so sad to think it might remain covered and officially undiscovered.’

  Sam nodded. ‘Shaun could use his influence on the new owners perhaps? Approach them once they are settled in with a mind to suggesting a Landscape Treasures episode to uncover the site?’

  ‘It crossed his mind, but there are so many factors to consider, not least that the schedule for the next series to be filmed is already sorted, so it would be another twelve months before he could even consider approaching them with questions in that direction.’

  ‘Until then it’s a secret between us four, yes?’ Sam gave Tina a quick kiss on the cheek and strode off across the lawns.

  Tina watched Sam tuck his ponytail out of harm’s way as he walked away. ‘I am going to have to get him to cut that thing off. God knows why he has it when he spends his whole time shoving it down the back of his T-shirt so it doesn’t get in the way.’

  ‘Maybe you should lop it off in the night?’ Thea regarded her friend with an expression that plainly asked if she’d slept with Sam last night.

  Tina poked her in the ribs, ‘No I didn’t. I spent a pleasant evening with him in his tent and then I went to bed in the manor like a good girl. You and Shaun did though, didn’t you, you saucy minx!’

  ‘That obvious?’ Thea flushed, looking around her in case anyone else was in earshot.

  ‘Only because I’ve known you a long time.’ Tina smiled. ‘You do look a bit tired though, hun, although no one is going to question that in the circumstances. Extra strong coffee for you today, I think.’

  ‘When Sybil is ready for her coffee-making equipment to be tested later, I’ll be first in the queue.’

  Fresh air, the activity around her and lack of sleep seemed to be catching up on Thea all in one go, and it still wasn’t even half past eight in the morning. Looking up at the manor, watching the early sun catching the flecks of granite in the stonework, Thea saw Mabel gathering the volunteers by the main doors, her arms waving all over the place.

  Tina frowned. ‘Whatever is Mabel doing? It looks like she’s giving them all a telling off.’

  Thea shook her head as she approached the small group. ‘I suspect that she is explaining the route of the guided tour.’

  ‘I thought you were doing the tours?’

  ‘So did I.’ Thea started to walk faster. ‘I think it’s time to be a grown up. Could you be a star and go and fetch me a clipboard and some paper?’

  ‘Which one?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. They all have lists on a mile long, and every single thing on them needs doing before tomorrow.’

  *

  July 20th

  ‘How many cups and saucers did you say we had?’

  Shaun gently took hold of Thea’s hands and prised the clipboard out of her grip. ‘We have done everything that it is humanly possible to do today. Time to stop worrying about cups and saucers.’

  ‘Do you think Mabel minded not being the one who’s going to do the guided tours?’

  ‘Not now you’ve appointed her chief guest greeter.’

  ‘Right.’ Thea sat down with a thump on the sofa under the drawing room’s bay window, before leaping up again with a jolt as the tiny part of her brain that was still awake reminded her that Diane had spent ages brushing and straightening all the furniture and she wasn’t supposed to ruin it.

  ‘Come on.’ Shaun took her hand and led her outside.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Thea pointed to the manor. ‘We’re not done yet.’

  ‘Thea, everyone else went home hours ago. It’s ten o’clock at night. You have barely eaten or stopped moving since we got up this morning after, need I remind you, a fantastic night - but one that held little in the way of rest. You are going to bed now.’

  ‘But I haven’t checked to make sure that the attics are tidy.’

  ‘Tina did that.’

  ‘What about the scullery? Are the old iron pots and pans arranged as if they�
�re drying after a wash?’

  ‘Diane did that.’

  ‘Oh.’ Thea’s stomach gave a rumble worthy of a hungry elephant.

  ‘Should we just—’

  ‘No.’ Placing a firm arm around her shoulders, Shaun steered Thea towards the passenger seat of his car and buckled her in place before climbing into the driver’s seat. ‘Thea, you are exhausted. There is nothing else you can do tonight. And if you tried, it would go wrong.’

  ‘But—’

  Shaun leant over and kissed Thea’s cheek. ‘But nothing. We’re going to the hotel now and then we’re going to order a light supper and sleep. And before you ask, no I didn’t order two rooms even though I promised I would. I guessed you’d be beyond knackered tonight and need cuddling to sleep.’

  Thea opened her mouth to object, but closed it again very quickly, thanking him as she relaxed back against the seat.

  *

  She hadn’t intended to fall asleep on the journey to Taunton. Shaken gently awake by Shaun, Thea blinked into the closing night.

  ‘Come on, love, I’ve booked us in and room service is rustling up a couple of toasted sandwiches. I’m afraid we’re too late to use the restaurant.’

  Surprisingly refreshed after her nap, Thea climbed out of the car and grabbed her bag from the boot. ‘It looks lovely. Where are we?’

  ‘Outskirts of Taunton. The Blackdown Hotel. In the morning, when it’s light, you’ll be able to see the Blackdown Hills out of the bedroom window.’

  As Shaun let out a lion’s roar of a yawn, Thea took his arm. ‘Come on, I’m not the only one who had no sleep and worked like stink all day.’

  Forty-Seven

  July 21st

  Dreams of Roman forts, cream teas and Mabel getting cross with people for sitting on the beds merged with visions of the anonymous new owner bulldozing the house down to build a multi-storey car park.

  As a nightmare image of six feet of concrete being poured over the area where she suspected a Roman fortlet to be hidden, Thea sat bolt upright in bed.

  ‘You okay?’ Shaun rolled over, pulling Thea to his side.

  ‘The gardens are listed along with the house, aren’t they?’

  ‘You know they are.’ He stroked her hair from her face. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘What if the new owner destroys the garden or redesigns it in such a way that the fort is destroyed before we know if it really is a fort?’

  ‘They won’t. Not straight away anyway. They’ll have enough to do once they move in just getting the house how they want it.’

  ‘But the house is perfect. We’ve made it lovely.’

  ‘We have, but we’ve made it into the perfect place to view life in the past, not as a comfortable place to live in the here and now.’ Shaun gave Thea a smile. ‘What if we get up and grab a hearty breakfast and go and make today the best Open Day of all time?’

  ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Six.’

  ‘Six!’ Thea jumped out of bed and ran for the shower. ‘I wanted to be there by six. If we aren’t there before Mabel then goodness knows what trouble her good intentions will have caused.’

  *

  Sybil gave Thea a hug; her face was alight with pleasure as she gestured to the bustling tent.

  Every one of the foldable tables and chairs was occupied with people tucking into cream teas and sipping Bucks Fizz, tea or coffee. The atmosphere was calm and cheerful, with a happy hum of conversation. As Thea listened she could hear nothing but praise of the manor, the day, and the brilliant sunshine which had blessed them with its presence.

  ‘The marquees were such a great idea,’ Sybil said effusively as she forced a cup of coffee into Thea’s hands, despite her protests that she didn’t have time to drink it. ‘It was a crying shame about the mill, but I can’t help thinking this is better, having all the crafts and so forth on site in the gardens. More chance of everyone visiting them. After all, it takes effort to walk to the mill, and why would anyone want to do that when the gardens are so lush?’

  Thea agreed as she saw old Alf talking in animated fashion to Bill. Sybil’s most regular customer was clearly enjoying his rare change of tea-supping scenery. ‘I’m about to do the rounds to make sure everyone is okay in the craft tents.’

  ‘Well, I’ve taken them all top-ups of tea and cake because they’ve all been too busy to come and collect their own. So that’s got to be good.’

  Thea checked her watch. ‘Thanks, Sybil. Forgive me, I must dash, I want to see everyone before I go back to the next round of guided tours this afternoon.’

  ‘No problem.’ Sybil returned to her tea delivery duties, calling, ‘Don’t forget to eat,’ over her shoulder.

  Having failed to convince Sybil that she should have a marquee to sell her felt ware from, Sybil had instead put them in contact with a fabulous enameller. Hannah had turned up bright and early with a portable kiln, a positive attitude and a huge trolley containing a vast collection of copper shapes, crushed glass and all sorts of other bits and bobs that Thea was dying to play with.

  There was no chance of that, even if Thea hadn’t been due back in the house. All four of Hannah’s workshop seats, where visitors were having their first go at enamelling, were taken. A small queue had formed of people waiting for a go at making pendants, while Hannah’s husband was doing a brisk trade in selling necklaces, key fobs and brooches that his wife had made earlier.

  Exchanging a brief thumbs up with Hannah, Thea moved on to the spinner, who was deep in animated discussion with a group that Thea recognised as WI friends of Mabel’s. Leaving them to it, she went into the knitter’s tent. As soon as she ducked under the canvas door, Thea’s nostrils were assailed with a waft of sheep wool and lanolin. Taking a minute to inhale the heady scent and enjoy the bustle around her, Thea meandered back outside and strode through the sunshine, muttering her thanks to Minerva as she went.

  According to Sam, as he worked with Mabel on the door, they had already sold three times the original fifty presold tickets, and even though it was gone three o’clock, they were still admitting visitors.

  Moving between the guests, Thea speculated who the new owner might be. Suddenly everyone was a potential candidate as the new owner of Mill Grange.

  I hope they love this place as much as I do.

  Her eyes drifted over to where the geophysics team had done their secret survey. A man in a suit was standing there on his own, most definitely apart from everyone else. Thea shivered as she forced her feet to move on towards the house and her duties there, rather than going to find out what he was doing.

  As she reached the back door to pick up her notes for the tour due to start in five minutes, she saw the furniture expert Richard chatting to Shaun and Ajay.

  ‘Hi Richard, I’m glad you could make it.’ Thea gave him a brave smile as she asked Shaun if she could have a quick word before she did the tour.

  Coming to one side, Shaun beamed, ‘It’s going so well. I’m so proud of you!’

  ‘There’s a man in a suit sniffing around the you-know-what.’

  ‘Really?’ Shaun’s sunny complexion darkened. ‘Do you want to go and ask him what he’s doing?’

  ‘I can’t, I’ve got to do the last tour now.’

  ‘Okay love, I’ll go. You do what needs doing. I’ll see you in the kitchen afterwards.’ He gave her hands a squeeze. ‘I wanted to speak to you before I do my talk anyway.’

  Seeing he was nervous, Thea kissed his cheek. ‘You’ll be fabulous. Just pretend there’s a TV camera watching you rather than people.’

  ‘I hear you’re joining the team.’ Richard came up behind Thea as Shaun walked onto the grounds. ‘That’s great news.’

  ‘Oh yes, thanks, Richard. I’m not one for the limelight, so as long as I can stay behind the cameras that’ll be great.’

  ‘That’s a shame,’ Richard looked at her appraisingly. ‘You’d be an excellent partner on camera with Shaun. A bit of female intelligence to counteract his male charm
.’

  ‘You’re kind, but I don’t think so.’ Thea blushed. ‘I have to admit I’d rather stay at Mill Grange. Such a shame it’s going to be closed to the public.’

  ‘It is indeed.’ Richard checked his watch, ‘I’m on the next tour. Should we get going?’

  *

  Tina found Sam counting the entrance fee money at a table by the drive.

  ‘How many through the doors?’

  ‘You aren’t going to believe this.’

  ‘Go on?’

  ‘Two hundred and fifty-eight.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘Yep! If my maths is correct, that’s £1290.’

  ‘Wow!’

  Sam took a safe tin from beneath the table and folded a roll of five-pound notes inside it. ‘Could you be a star and take this inside? I don’t like to keep it here all in one place.’

  ‘Of course.’ Tina took the proffered blue tin from him. ‘Although I’m not sure where to hide it. There’s no safe as such.’

  ‘Anywhere out of the way until we can do a proper count up later.’ Sam’s face glowed. Tina had never seen him so relaxed. ‘Just look at everyone, they’re so happy.’

  Tina took the weight off her feet by sitting on the chair Sam had abandoned. ‘So sad they won’t get to enjoy it all the time.’

  Sam was thoughtful. ‘We don’t actually know they won’t, though, do we? I mean, we’ve all assumed the new owner won’t want to open up, but they’ll have to keep the place, and houses like this always need working on. They’ll have to make it earn its keep.’

  ‘True.’ Tina smiled at his contagious optimism just as Shaun arrived.

  ‘You got a minute, Sam? I could do with a hand over by the far marquee, one of the guide ropes needs tightening and it’s a two-person job.’

  ‘No problem.’ Sam turned to Tina. ‘Will you hold the fort for a minute? I’ll be back soon so you can take the money inside.’

  ‘It’ll be good to sit down.’ Tina slipped off her shoes. ‘I’ve been helping Sybil as a waitress and carrying dirty dishes up and down to the kitchen. I reckon I’ve walked a marathon today.’