On the way back to the castle Freddie sat happily in the back of Julius’s Land Rover with Felix on the floor at his feet. Still fizzing with excitement about the trip to the police station, he bombarded Anna with questions: had she seen any prisoners, did the policewomen have guns, did they bully her?
‘No, it was very unexciting, I sat in a boring room and answered the questions asked by two nice policewomen, that was all,’ she said. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, Freddie.’
They arrived at the castle and Julius pulled up outside the flat to drop them off, saying he hoped to see them later, but he had quite a lot to do today.
Freddie saw that Simon and Luke were dismantling the arch of flowers and leaves that had been put by the door into the castle to greet the guests at the wedding. He ran across to them, calling to them, ‘Can I help, are you taking it away?’
Anna turned to Julius and saw the exhaustion in his eyes; it had been a tough time with the flood and all the responsibilities that rested on his shoulders as the estate manager.
‘I’m sure you’ll win through,’ she said encouragingly.
He put his hand over hers, it felt warm and strong. ‘Thanks, Anna,’ he said quietly. ‘I feel so bad about people having their homes and businesses destroyed like that, I’m doing all I can to get them up and running again.’
‘And you’ll do it,’ she said.
His smile was like a caress. She got out, her heart full and followed Freddie across the courtyard to make sure he wasn’t in the way of those working there.
Catching up with him, she said, ‘It’s icy, Freddie, and they need to get on so let’s leave them to it. Anyway you need something to eat and don’t forget we’re going down to tea with Benny in a couple of hours.’
Luke said, ‘He can help, if that’s all right with you, can’t you mate?’ He fist-bumped with Freddie, laughing.
‘It’s not that cold, Mum, I’ll be all right,’ Freddie begged. ‘What can I do?’
Simon caught Anna’s eye, saying, ‘Well, if your mother says it’s all right, you can put all these leaves and flowers into the back of the truck, but wear gloves as there might be thorns or prickly bits.’
‘OK, but keep wrapped up as it’s cold enough to snow,’ Anna tucked his scarf tighter round his neck and pulled his woollen hat further down over his ears.
‘Will it?’ Freddie said excitedly, yanking out his gloves from his pocket to help load up the now faded flowers and branches into the truck.
‘It’s forecast in some places in the country, but perhaps not here,’ Simon said.
‘It’s bitingly cold and perhaps he shouldn’t stay out too long.’ Luke smiled at her, ‘He’s a great lad, obviously loves the outdoors, I don’t suppose you get much of this sort of thing in London.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘we don’t.’
Cathie appeared on a bicycle. She was dressed in a padded jacket and bright red skiing hat. She glowered at Anna as she joined the men taking down the arch, pointedly asking Simon what she could do to help.
Anna asked if they’d like a hot drink to warm them up.
‘That would be very welcome, but let’s just finish, then come over, if that’s all right,’ Simon said.
‘Great, see you in a minute then.’
Anna had just got back inside the flat and taken off her coat when her mobile rang. It was Daisy.
‘Guess what, I’ve got a lull in my work, so I’m on my way for a quick visit.’
‘What do you mean, you’re on your way here now?’
‘Yes, impetuous me. You don’t mind do you, or are you too busy?’ She sounded aggrieved, ‘I’ll sleep on the floor, it will only be for two nights.’
‘No, I’m not really busy, it’s just quite… unexpected,’ Anna said. ’I thought you’d be chained to that picture you’re working on for months.’
‘I am, but not this minute,’ Daisy said cheerfully. Then in a rather false voice like a bad actor delivering lines, she said, ‘Umm… will people be working on the estate or is the whole place deserted?’
She was after Simon; Anna remembered that look between them. How would Cathie take it, an attractive woman coming from London hoping to steal away the man she wanted?
‘Are you still there, Anna?’ Daisy sounded impatient. ‘I’ve stopped for a loo break in this depressing petrol place. Will you be in?’
‘Yes, but we’re going to tea with Lucy in a couple of hours.’
‘I’ll be there before then. Francy was going to come but one of the children has got a sick bug,’ Daisy went on. ‘She might come tomorrow for a few days if he’s better.’
‘Let’s see.’ Anna felt overwhelmed, suspecting Freddie’s godmothers were on a mission to grant his Christmas wish. ‘I hope you… and Francy if she comes will promise not to scout around for a dad for Freddie and scare all the men here,’ Anna said firmly, wondering if Grania would turn up here again, too.
‘Of course we won’t,’ Daisy retorted. ‘See you very soon.’ And she rang off, leaving Anna with mixed feelings. It would be good to see Daisy, though she suspected that she was not really coming to see her, but hoped to see Simon instead, but she hoped her friends wouldn’t gang up together and cause havoc among the male population here.
Anna was about to go outside to bring Freddie in for a sandwich and to offer the workers in the quadrangle some hot vegetable soup she’d made when the doorbell rang and Cathie stood there.
‘So sorry, but could I use your… bathroom?’ She did not look at her when she spoke and Anna assumed she was shy about her request.
‘Sure, it’s that door there. I was just coming out to see if you’d all like some hot soup, you must all be getting very cold by now.’
‘Oh… thanks.’ Cathie had a sort of cunning look about her as she darted inside the flat and went into the loo.
Anna put on her coat and boots and went out and saw that the arch had been demolished, remnants of it were in the back of the truck and they were now taking down the extra lights. Freddie was following behind Simon and holding various bits and pieces for him.
Luke said, ‘He’s been a great help and we’ve almost finished.’
‘You must all be cold; would you like to come in for some soup?’
‘Oh… thanks, that’s very kind, but have you enough for all of us?’ Simon asked her, his face pinched with cold.
‘Yes, there’s plenty. Come in when you’re ready.’
A few minutes later they were all in the hall. Freddie’s face was icy, and the bottoms of his trousers wet where they’d come untucked from his boots. She took him into his bedroom to change his clothes, telling the others to make themselves at home.
When she came out, Luke and Simon were in the living room in their stockinged feet, but Cathie was not there, though she’d been hovering about in the hall when they got back.
Anna told them she’d just heat up the soup again and to come into the kitchen to have it, she found Cathie already there but took no notice of her as she sat Freddie down to eat his sandwich.
Simon and Luke were reading the football results in the newspaper that they’d found on the table. Anna handed out mugs of soup and toast she’d made.
‘I support Chelsea,’ Freddie said, blowing on his soup to cool it, ‘who do you support, Luke?’
‘Tottenham Hotspur,’ Luke said.
Cathie, who’d been silent during the meal, jumped up, saying, ‘That was delicious, thanks, let me help clear away.’ She took a pile of soup bowls to the dishwasher, while the two men and Freddie went into the living room, as Freddie wanted to show them the things he’d built.
Anna offered them coffee or tea and went back into the kitchen to make it, finding Cathie hovering. She looked awkward, her eyes skittering away from her.
‘Are you all right?’ Anna asked, but before Cathie could answer, Luke and Simon came back into the kitchen, Freddie tagging behind.
‘I’ll get some spoons out in case anyone wants sugar, ‘Cathie said, pulling open a drawer in the butcher’s block and in a rather fake surprised voice, she said, ‘Whatever’s this?’ She held up a silver cream jug.
The men showed little interest, continuing their conversation. Anna knew that the drawer held clean cloths, napkins and such.
‘I’ve no idea,’ Anna said. ‘It wasn’t there when I got some drying up cloths out yesterday.’ She bustled round, getting out mugs, putting on the kettle and asking who wanted tea or coffee.
Cathie raised her voice in false alarm, ‘It’s from the castle, the same valuable silverware they use for weddings.’ She held it in her hand like a loaded gun.
Simon frowned, ‘Are you sure? Why would it be here?’
‘Why indeed? Perhaps you should ask Anna?’ Cathie turned to her.
Anna felt as if she’d been punched. She’d never seen it before and it certainly wasn’t there when she last opened the drawer.
Freddie looked nervous, ‘Did that thief woman put it there and will come back later and get it?’
‘No, she wouldn’t come in here, and anyway the door was locked, wasn’t it, Anna?’ Luke said.
‘Yes,’ Anna said.
Simon got up and took the jug from Cathie. He examined it. ‘Yes, it is from the castle, you see it’s got a crest, but perhaps it somehow got left out or Philly borrowed it or something.’ He looked at Anna. ‘But you say you haven’t seen it before and you’ve looked in that drawer while you’ve been here?’
‘Yes, I took out some clean cloths yesterday morning to dry up some glasses we used. They can go cloudy in the machine, so I prefer to hand wash them,’ she said, wanting to somehow go on talking about safe subjects in this peculiar situation.
Cathie was looking at her as if she was about to arrest her, making Anna feel guilty, even though she hadn’t done anything. ‘If it’s from the castle, do you think it is something to do with the theft at the wedding yesterday?’ she queried.
Luke and Simon suddenly looked worried.
Freddie asked again, ‘Did the thief hide things in here?’
‘No, Freddie, the flat was locked, no one could get in and no one was here until I got back at night and then I double-locked the door.’ Anna put her arm round him to reassure him, though she felt uncomfortable herself. But perhaps Philly had borrowed it; only she knew it had not been there the first time she’d opened the drawer to see what was in it or any of the other times.
Cathie was studying her intently. ‘So who put it there then,’ she said accusingly. ‘It must have been someone who was at the wedding, mustn’t it?’
Anna was aware that they were all looking at her. She could read their minds, she was a stranger here, and even though she had caught that woman stealing – they were asking themselves, had she taken this?
Simon said, ‘I think we must call Julius, see what he makes of it.’ He sighed, ‘Anna, you’re certain it wasn’t there before.’ He was looking at her as if he was begging her to find an innocent reason for a silver cream jug stamped with the crest from the castle to be in that drawer.
Anna felt she was digging herself into a deeper hole by repeating that she had not seen it before, and she hadn’t, but then why had Cathie opened that particular drawer to find the spoons when there were three other drawers to choose from? She stared into her face and saw a defiant gleam of triumph there. She was jealous of her and Simon, not that there was anything going on between them, though they did get on well, and perhaps he’d been taking more interest in her since he’d met Daisy, wanting to know more about her without appearing to care much.
Simon got his mobile out and dialled Julius, he did not say what it was about but asked him to come to the flat as soon as possible.
‘He’s on his way to see Tessa and Nell,’ he said, ‘he’ll be here in a few minutes.’
Cathie put the small, round-bellied silver jug on the table. ‘Strange there was a burglary at the wedding yesterday and then this has been found here,’ she said as they all stared at it as if it had a voice and could speak for itself.
Cathie had come in a few minutes before the others to use the loo. She’d been alone in the flat while Anna fetched Freddie from outside, and then she’d been in the kitchen instead of being with the others in the living room. Could the robbery yesterday have given her the idea to take something herself and plant it on Anna to keep her away from Simon? No, she was going mad. Surely she hadn’t done that?
Cathie had known they were going to work in the quadrangle and that Anna usually asked them in for coffee. Had she really thought all this out to trap her? But what if Anna hadn’t invited them in? What would Cathie have done if the silver had been found on her? It was a tremendous gamble.
Surely Anna was maligning her, but what other explanation could there be?
Anna faced her, feeling sick with nerves; she was about to ask Cathie why she’d opened that drawer and why she’d been in the kitchen when the doorbell went.
Simon said, ‘There’s Julius now,’ and headed to the door.
‘Oh… hi… Simon, is Anna here?’ Daisy came into the hall and Anna ran to greet her, overcome with relief to see her.