Anna, feeling shell-shocked and longing to discuss this strange happening with Daisy alone, without Freddie listening in, told him that she thought Ozzie was overdue for a clean out.
‘It’s been some days now since you did it, Freddie, and his home smells dreadful,’ she said.
‘No, it doesn’t, Mum,’ Freddie protested. ‘Daisy’s just come and I want to see her.’
‘I want to see you and Ozzie, but not if he smells,’ Daisy held her nose, laughing.
‘And while you’re there you could water Philly’s flowerpots,’ Anna filled a jug with water. ‘There’s nothing up yet, but I expect they’d like a drink,’ she said.
‘Oh all right,’ he reluctantly agreed and trailed off to the shed with a rubbish sack under his arm and the half-filled jug of water.
‘So what was that all about? Finding a silver sugar thingy in Aunt Philly’s drawer and a thief at the wedding?’ Daisy asked when Freddie was out of earshot.
‘Long story: yesterday at the wedding I went into the dining room just before everyone sat down and saw this woman putting silver spoons and such into her bag.’
‘What, one of the wedding guests?’ Daisy was horrified.
‘No, as it turned out. She looked the part, smartly dressed, frivolous little fascinator on her head, but she’s a professional thief, gate crashes glam events and helps herself, makes quite a good living apparently.’
‘Wow, I never thought of that,’ Daisy said. ‘But I suppose it’s an easy thing to do, if you’re a thief that is. So did she take anything very valuable, I know there’s some marvellous stuff here, but they put away anything really priceless, don’t they?’
‘Yes, but some of the silver they used for the dinner was valuable, I don’t know about the jug. But she was caught before she could take anything and the security men dealt with it and the police came and took her away.’
‘So do you think she had somehow kept that piece hidden on her… or stashed it here before she was caught?’ Daisy frowned. ‘You don’t think she hid her first haul here and you’ll find silver knives in your pants drawer?’ She was half joking.
‘No, don’t say things like that,’ Anna said. ‘Anyway, I was at the wedding, Freddie was with Lucy in the village and the flat was locked… unless she had a key?’ Anna slumped beside Daisy on the sofa in the living room. She remembered the spare keys left here for other parts of the castle that Simon and Marian had borrowed to let the people who’d been flooded into the castle.
‘No one else has a key; it’s Sidney and Philly’s private home, that’s part of the deal. Though I suppose there could be a spare in Tessa’s office or somewhere and someone who shouldn’t has managed to get hold of it or had another one cut.’ Daisy looked concerned. There was silence between them for a moment, then she added, ‘So didn’t we meet Cathie when I brought you here to meet Philly and Sidney?’
Anna stayed silent a moment. ‘I wouldn’t say this to anyone, but you and I know you won’t pass it on, not even to Philly, but I can’t help feeling Cathie has something to do with it.’ She paused.
‘Cathie, but why should she? You mean she’s in league with the woman you caught?’
‘I wouldn’t say that, well I don’t know, apparently that woman does have a partner in crime, but I never thought of that being Cathie. But she’s an odd girl, she’s barely spoken a word to me and she’s obviously in love with Simon…’ Daisy frowned. Anna went on, ‘Anyway whenever I see Simon, Cathie turns up or she’s working with him already and she throws killing looks in my direction, tries to lay claim to him. I like him a lot, he’s been very helpful, especially over the flood, and he’s really good with Freddie, but I’ve not flirted with him or come on to him or anything like that, but I just wonder if she had something to do with it, to get me out of the way.’
‘Are they together? Does he care for her?’ Daisy asked a little mournfully.
‘I don’t know, Daisy. They don’t seem to be together, but they live in cottages virtually side by side, so for all I know they could be a couple.’ Anna saw the disappointment in Daisy’s eyes.
Freddie, returning with straw sticking to the front of his jersey and Ozzie in his arms, interrupted them. ‘I’ve done my best,’ he said, ‘I woke him up and now he wants to come out.’ He put him down on the carpet and lay down beside him.
At the same moment the doorbell went, and when Anna opened the door, Felix shot in quickly followed by Julius.
‘Careful, Freddie, Felix is here,’ Anna called to him.
Julius said, ‘Sorry, would you rather I put him outside?’
‘No, it’s just that Freddie has Ozzie on the floor,’ she said, feeling awkward in front of him now, wondering if he thought her a thief and would send her and Freddie packing.
‘OK.’ Freddie snatched up Ozzie, jumping up and coming out to the hall, holding Ozzie close to him. ‘Felix won’t hurt him, will he? He did find him that day.’
Julius said, ‘He might want to play with him and be a bit rough. Come Felix, lie down and be good.’
Throwing him a reproachful look, Felix lay down in the hall.
‘Come in,’ Anna turned to go back into the living room.
‘I would like to speak to you in private,’ Julius said gravely.
It was as if a stone had lodged itself in her stomach. Had Cathie somehow persuaded Julius that she had stolen the silver jug? She was leaving here in two weeks and Cathie worked here so was more important to the running of the estate than she was.
‘You can say what you like in front of Daisy. She’s one of my oldest friends and Philly’s niece and I have nothing to hide.’ She stood a bit taller, her gaze true and proud.
Julius came closer, she could feel his breath on her face, and he said quietly, ‘That’s fine but I don’t think it right for Freddie to know about it.’
‘OK,’ she said, her heart beating fit to burst. ‘Freddie, you stay with Daisy and Ozzie just in case Felix forgets himself and chases him. Julius needs to show me something in the kitchen, then we’ll join you.’
She threw Daisy a look, and Daisy said, ‘See you in a minute, come on, Freddie, show me again how that train thing works.’
Julius headed into the kitchen and Anna reluctantly followed him and he shut the door.
Anna felt almost paralysed with fear and, for some obscure reason, shame, as if she really had stolen from the castle. She sat down on a chair and Julius stood before her.
‘I’m very sorry this has happened,’ he began, watching her face. ‘It seems that Cathie is in love with Simon and is jealous of any woman who might get his attention. She seems to think,’ he paused, ‘well, that you are after him.’ He seemed uncertain, even distressed, he glanced away from her, making her feel curiously bereft.
‘But I’m not,’ Anna protested. ‘I like him, yes, I like all of you, but I’m only here a month and I imagine he… all of you, are already paired up.’ She stopped, not knowing what else to say. With her overwrought imagination, she thought she saw relief in Julius’s eyes.
He said, ‘Cathie saw that woman in the castle being led away and heard what she had done and as a sort of stupid reaction she took the jug left on the table after the dinner, deciding somehow to pin it on you, so you’d be sent away from here and more importantly from Simon.’ He paused. ‘She knew everyone would be working outside here today, taking down the arch, and banked on you asking them in for coffee as you’ve done before. I don’t know what she’d have thought up if you hadn’t, but it was a wicked, stupid act and I’m so sorry.’ He looked as crestfallen as if he had done it himself.
‘I did wonder that, but I thought I was overreacting,’ Anna said, a great feeling of relief running through her that Cathie had done it and confessed. She felt sorry for her and her unrequited love for Simon, but it was a relief that no one would think it was her who was a thief. ‘So she owned up to it?’
‘Eventually. It was Nell who worked it out, having seen her reaction. She worked in the police force many years ago and she knows guilt when she sees it.’ His look was tender, soothing her emotions. ‘I’m just so sorry you were put through this, Anna.’
Anna had another of her extraordinary feelings of wanting to be in his arms, to be held close to his chest, to be kissed by him. This place had such a strange effect on her, the sooner she left and went back to normal life in London, the better.
‘As long as no one thinks I’m a thief,’ she said, ‘but what’s going to happen to Cathie?’
‘I’ve sent her home, told her to stay away until you leave. I don’t think she’s a bad person, just a misguided one. But…’ he paused, stretched out and took her hand, holding it in both of his. ‘I feel so badly about it, you’ve coped wonderfully.’ The warmth in his expression reminded her of that kiss.
‘I’m just glad it’s sorted out,’ she said, holding herself tight so she would not be foolish enough to throw herself into his arms. She really was behaving most oddly; she must not embarrass herself, for he surely had a girlfriend, even a wife.
‘I am too. Perhaps we could go out to supper together, before you leave?’ he said slightly hesitantly, letting go her hands and making for the door as if his invitation was of no importance.
His request, having just imagined him in a relationship, took her by surprise and she was about to protest, say she was glad it had all been sorted out and he didn’t need to go to such trouble. Then she thought, but why shouldn’t she go out to supper with him? It was only supper and it would nice to be taken out.
‘That would be lovely, thank you,’ she said. ‘Daisy is leaving soon, but after that. I’m sure Lucy would have Freddie.’
‘Good, we’ll arrange it for later in the week, there’s a new restaurant I’ve been to recently, I think you’d like it,’ he said and opening the kitchen door and calling goodbye to Freddie and Daisy, he and Felix went out into the cold leaving her feeling bereft.