The Secrets of Clover Castle

by Martin, Holly

  Milly and Cameron inched closer to the edge, but Cameron’s grip on her hand tightened just in case she slipped and tumbled inadvertently to her death.

  ‘Oh!’ Milly exclaimed, as she took in the view. About ten metres below the tunnel entrance lay a pretty little secluded cove, about twenty or thirty metres long and lined with golden sand. Milly longed to lie on the castle’s own private beach. She smiled hugely, what an incredible discovery.

  Large rocks punctuated the sea along the cove, making it almost impossible to get to the beach by boat, this seemed like the only safe way to access the cove.

  Cameron nudged her and pointed directly below the hole, where a tiny old wooden boat lay upside down, broken and seemingly wedged between the rocks that lined this end of the cove.

  ‘You don’t think that was Uncle Boris’s boat, do you?’ Milly asked.

  ‘I don’t know, but it explains a lot about his disappearance if it is.’

  ‘What if … the treasure is down there too?’ Milly said.

  He smiled. ‘If it was, I expect it washed out to sea a long time ago.’

  ‘Can we get down there to explore?’ Milly leaned out over the opening but Cameron pulled her back.

  ‘Please be careful, I really don’t want you to die.’

  He leaned out himself, ever so slightly and then knelt to the floor, picking at the mud to reveal a piece of rope that seemed to be welded to the edge of the ledge with moss. Eventually he managed to pull it free and a rope ladder came away from the cliff face. It was about four metres long and the end had clearly broken off at some point over the years.

  ‘Well I guess that’s a no for now, but I reckon the hardware store in the village might sell rope ladders, or at least know where we can get them.’

  Milly pulled a face, disappointed that this current adventure had come to such a swift end.

  ‘I promise we’ll come back,’ Cameron said, as he moved his fingers to her lips, pulling her pout into a smile. She laughed. ‘Come on, we have two other tunnels to explore and I guess you want the one that looks like it leads to an enchanted forest next, you being a Disney princess and all.’

  He led the way back up the tunnel, still holding her hand, and she couldn’t help smiling at his back, feeling a silly giddiness sweep through her. She really liked Cameron and the more time she spent with him, the harder it was to find reasons not to be with him.

  * * *

  Cameron switched on his torch as the light from the beach faded the further they went back up the tunnel.

  It was an odd thing, holding Milly’s hand. It was warm and fitted his hand perfectly, but he hadn’t even known her a day and yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world. The boundaries of their professional relationship seemed to be crumbling very quickly.

  Suddenly Milly slipped in the mud behind him and although he was holding her hand, she landed on her bum by his side, the mud splashing over her clothes, face and hair.

  ‘Oh God, Milly, are you OK?’ She burst out laughing and took his hand as he offered to help her up. ‘Your clothes are covered.’ Cameron wiped some mud off her top and her laughter went up an octave as he inadvertently nudged against her breasts again.

  ‘So you’re a bit of a breast man?’ she laughed.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’

  She wiped the mud off her face, leaving trails of dirt across her pale skin. She looked adorable. ‘Well normally a man would take me out to dinner first, before I let him get that far.’

  Realising she found the whole thing hilarious, he didn’t feel the need to apologise again. ‘I did make you soup yesterday and a pie last night.’

  ‘Oh well in that case, let’s forget the tunnels and jump straight into bed now.’

  She walked off up the tunnel and Cameron was seriously tempted to take her up on that offer.

  He noticed she was limping slightly and he hurried to catch up with her. ‘Are you OK, you’re limping?’

  ‘Just stubbed my toe, I’m sure it’ll be fine in a minute.’

  ‘How about a piggy back?’

  ‘So you can cop a feel of my bum too? No, I don’t think so.’

  ‘Well let me know if you change your mind.’ He took her hand again and in the torch light he could see her smile. He walked slower so she could take her time, as he tried to resist the temptation to pick her up and carry her.

  * * *

  They reached the junction of the fork again and Milly ignored the dull throbbing in her toe.

  She stopped and looked up the passage that was covered in moss. Cameron was right, it did look enchanted.

  ‘We should have brought supplies with us, I’m starving,’ Cameron said, standing close behind her.

  She could feel his heat, smell his intoxicating scent. He was too much.

  And even if he did like her, which he seemed to, they couldn’t do anything. Castle Heritage would fire her on the spot if they found out she had been kissing or sleeping with a client.

  She stepped forward away from him, but his hand was still entwined with hers. She tried to ignore how good it felt there as they walked up the tunnel.

  ‘Why do you think this part is covered in moss too?’

  ‘I think because the tunnel slopes down from the opening, the rain water just runs down here leaving it all moist and wet.’

  She bit back a giggle at his choice of words and the sexy way in which he said them. The tunnel was quite a steep incline up towards the stone steps, which were also covered in moss and didn’t look like they had been used for years, if they ever had been.

  There was a wooden trap door at the top of the steps that was badly damaged, sunlight pouring through the cracks in the wood onto the stairs below. Milly ran up to the top of stairs and pushed on the door. It moved but didn’t open. She felt around for a bolt or latch as Cameron came up behind her.

  ‘Is it locked from the other side?’

  ‘I think so.’

  ‘Here, stand back a bit, let’s see if I can break it open.’

  She turned to him, horrified. ‘You can’t do that, this door was obviously the original one. It could be over a hundred years old.’

  ‘And if we ever plan to use these tunnels for whatever reason, it would need to be replaced, it’s not safe. The amount of water that must pour through is slowly eroding this tunnel. I wouldn’t be surprised if it caves in soon. I’d need to fix it if we are going to preserve the tunnels.’

  She nodded reluctantly and stepped back.

  ‘I’ll try to break it open gently,’ Cameron said.

  She smiled. ‘I’ve seen you break something open already today. I don’t think you and gentle go in the same sentence.’

  He knelt on the third step from the top, leaning his back and shoulders against the door and slowly stood up. The door groaned for just a second before it popped open under the strain. The trap door remained intact.

  ‘I’m impressed.’

  He stepped out and looked around as Milly ran up the steps to join him.

  The intense heat of the day was a stark contrast to the coolness of the tunnel and Milly blinked a few times in the brightness of the sunlight.

  ‘I knew it,’ Milly squealed with excitement as she realised where she was.

  Chapter Seven

  Milly looked around her in wonder. Standing on top of a white, wooden gazebo, they were surrounded by a tangle of trees and bushes that hid the walls, twists and turns of the huge maze that stood on top of the cliffs. The maze clearly hadn’t been used for years either. A carpet of wild flowers surrounded the gazebo, grew up the sides and competed for sunlight amongst the thornier branches of the maze.

  ‘Oh God, it’s beautiful. Did you ever play in here as a kid?’

  Cameron shook his head. ‘I was never allowed. It was too overgrown, mostly with thorny bushes. One of the bushes collapsed anyway so there was no way through. It needs a lot of clearing and tidying.’

  ‘I think it’s perfect just the way it is. Sure, the hedg
es and walls need to be trimmed back a bit and that collapsed bush would need to be moved but this maze is lovely, all these flowers and twisted branches just add to its appeal. This would make such a gorgeous place to get married. Can you imagine the wedding photos? It’s just beautiful.’

  Cameron was watching her again, a smile on his face. ‘You’re very sweet.’

  She blushed. ‘Oh it gets very tiresome after a while, believe me. I’m normally much better at toning it down than this. Come on, we still have that third passage to explore.’

  She turned to go back down the steps but he caught her arm. ‘Why would you want to tone it down?’

  ‘Ah come on, we’ve all seen that girl in the Disney movies who sings and dances everywhere and all the birds and animals flock round her. Most people want to punch her in the face for being so sickeningly happy.’

  ‘Only the miserable people.’

  ‘From my experience, that includes most people. My brother’s ex-girlfriend said I was like an annoying puppy that thought everything was the best thing ever, permanently wagging my tail and grinning at the world. I didn’t realise I came across as so inane before.’

  ‘I think that reflects more on her issues than it does yours,’ Cameron said, softly.

  ‘My ex-boyfriend dumped me for the same reason. He’d come home from a bad day at work and I’d be dancing round the flat as I was cleaning, singing songs from Mary Poppins or Disney. He said he’d rather stay at work and deal with the crap than come home to me. I’m really not everyone’s cup of tea.’

  Why was she opening up to him? She barely knew him and she was telling him everything: the good, the bad and the ugly.

  ‘I like it,’ he said.

  Her heart leapt. She stared at him and he blinked and took a step back.

  ‘Don’t get me wrong. I think you’re a nice girl but I’m not looking for a relationship right now.’

  ‘I’m not either.’ She really wasn’t. Relationships were messy and time consuming and ultimately heart breaking.

  ‘Well that’s good,’ Cameron said, nodding thoughtfully, though he didn’t take his eyes off her.

  ‘Yep, good that we’re on the same page.’ She continued to stare at him, unable to move. Why did she think that although a relationship had been taken off the table, hot, passionate, no strings attached sex was still firmly up for consideration? She had never had a one night stand before and she wasn’t about to start now. But she knew that if he kissed her now, there would be very little she could do to stop it.

  ‘Right, well I need some lunch, so let’s see where the third tunnel leads.’ Cameron strode past her and down the stairs.

  She sighed, partly from relief, partly from disappointment, and followed him.

  He closed the trap door over them, switched on the torch, grabbed her hand, which seemed strange, given the conversation they’d just had, and walked back towards the fork. Though Milly had to admit it’d be even stranger if he didn’t hold her hand as it seemed that had long become the norm for them.

  They turned into the middle tunnel and eventually they came to the end where a ladder went up towards the limited light. It looked like it led up to a door.

  Cameron looked up. ‘I’ll go first, I’m not sure how much weight this ladder holds.’

  ‘Then shouldn’t I go first? No offence but I’m probably a little bit lighter than you. It’s a long way to fall if it breaks on you at the top.’

  ‘What if it breaks on you?’

  ‘Then you’ll catch me,’ Milly said, simply, swinging herself up onto the ladder. It felt strong and didn’t give under her weight as she made her way slowly up to the top.

  With a bit of difficulty she stood on the last rung and pushed on the door. It didn’t give. She fumbled around in the darkness and found a handle which she turned and the door swung open. She quickly climbed out and looked around, hearing Cameron’s eager footsteps clanging up the ladder after her.

  The door was in the gatepost at the bottom of the drive. Although it was painted bottle green, she hadn’t noticed it when she had arrived because it was on the inside, facing the castle.

  It was a small door and Milly did wonder if Cameron would be able to fit through it. That question was answered a moment later as he wriggled and shuffled and squeezed himself through the opening. He was just so big.

  Milly stifled her laughter as he stood up. He looked around him in shock and back at the gatepost.

  ‘I’ve seen that door several times but I just presumed it was some kind of electrical cupboard for the lights on top of the posts.’

  ‘I love this castle, it continues to surprise me,’ Milly said.

  Cameron turned to look at her, a flash of warmth in his eyes. ‘You’re filthy.’

  Milly shrugged. ‘It’s just mud, it will wash off.’

  ‘And you continue to surprise me too.’

  With his hand at the small of her back he escorted her back up the drive. His hand was so hot it was like fire against her skin. She tried not to think about it nor the demons that were holding him back, it was none of her business.

  Although her actual business seemed to be taking a complete back seat at the moment. She had to find out once and for all whether this would be a project that Castle Heritage would take on.

  But now she had stayed the night, she didn’t feel inclined to leave anytime soon.

  What was it about this castle that drew her in and made her want to stay? The ridiculous turrets, the secret rooms and passageways, the ghosts? She looked at Cameron. Or was it him?

  She suddenly remembered what Danny had said when she first arrived in the village. ‘Those that stay there will never leave.’ Was there something more sinister at work here, some kind of magic pulling her in, refusing to let her go? She laughed out loud at this ridiculous notion.

  ‘What?’ Cameron asked.

  ‘This place, it just … gets under your skin, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah it does. I haven’t figured out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.’ He nudged her gently through the kitchen door. ‘Sit down, I’ll make us some lunch.’

  ‘Oh let me help.’

  ‘I was just going to do beans on toast, no big deal.’ He grabbed a loaf and a carving knife and started cutting great slabs of bread. She grabbed the butter from the fridge and moved closer to him to put the butter on the table.

  ‘Here, grab that pan,’ he gestured vaguely, elbowing her in the face at the same time.

  She yelped and leapt back, but blood was already pouring out of her nose, soaking the top of her blouse.

  Cameron turned round and went pale when he saw what he had done.

  ‘Why were you standing so close?’ he yelled, grabbing her hand and forcing her to sit down.

  ‘I was putting the butter on the table,’ Milly yelled back, though her voice was muffled as her hand was holding her nose, trying to stop the blood.

  Gregory leapt up from his position in front of the Aga and started barking at them.

  The blood was going everywhere despite her best attempts to stop it. Cameron, kneeling in front of her, still with the carving knife in his hand, was getting covered too.

  Milly felt a giggle burst from her throat at the sight of him, which clearly surprised him.

  ‘If someone was to walk in now, this wouldn’t look good,’ Milly said, gesturing to the carving knife.

  Cameron hastily put it down. He grabbed a towel, wet it, and brought it back to her. He knelt down in front of her and held it gently over her nose.

  ‘Shit, I’m so sorry. I have never hit a woman before. There have been many things written in the papers about me and women, most of it isn’t good but thankfully wife beater isn’t one of them. My ex-wife can attest to that. Well, she would if you could find her.’

  ‘You were married?’

  ‘Yes, it was quite a few years ago.’ He sighed and looked away as if remembering something painful. ‘Eva was my first proper girlfriend. I was very hairy when
I was younger, long hair, fluffy beard. I was flattered that she was paying me any attention, she was absolutely gorgeous. I was naive enough to think that she actually loved me. We got married, and she encouraged me to get joint accounts, put everything in both our names. I was besotted with her and would have done anything for her. One day I came home from a week-long business trip to find the whole house had been cleared out, and I mean everything – bed, washing machine, TV, all her clothes. The place was empty. All the joint accounts, which held a cumulative total of several million pounds, were also empty. I couldn’t find her, couldn’t contact her. My initial anger over her leaving me soon turned to concern that something must have happened to her. I called the police and her disappearance was a complete mystery, no one could find her. I got word several months later that she was in the Caribbean. I’d seen photos of her on a Facebook profile that she had under a different name. She’s moved on since then, different name, different identity. I have no idea where she is now. I presume this is something she’s done before and probably again after she married me.’

  Milly swallowed, feeling so sad for him. ‘I’m sorry that you went through that.’

  He shrugged nonchalantly, though she could tell he had been hurt by it. ‘You live and learn I suppose. I was heartbroken initially but I was angrier at myself that I had been stupid enough to hand my fortune over on a plate. She couldn’t take the house or my car and I’ve made more money since then with book and film royalties, but I never made that money back. The other women I’ve been with since were more obvious about being after me for my money. We go out for dinner and they want expensive bottles of champagne or nights in luxurious hotels. But I’m very careful about not making the same mistake I did with Eva.’

  She stared at him. ‘You don’t want to get hurt again?’

  His eyes were locked on hers and he shook his head.