‘Each room seems to be larger than the last,’ Anna exclaimed as Marian opened yet another door into another bedroom, big enough for a whole family, with two single beds and a large sofa.
‘Yes, in the thirties when the family lived here, they filled the castle with houseguests. We’ve left beds in some of these rooms, as very occasionally they are used,’ Marian explained.
‘I’d say they’ll be perfect for the poor flood victims,’ Anna commented, looking round.
‘Well I’m glad we’ve got these to offer people,’ Simon said, though he still looked worried. ‘I can’t bear to see people like Mattie so distressed and in need of comfort and rest. I don’t know if I’m making the right decision or not, so unless Julius gets in touch within the hour and forbids it for reasons of insurance or safety or whatever, we will move them in here. If you wouldn’t mind putting the heating on, Marian.’
‘You’re right, Simon, and I’ll back you up if there’s any flak,’ Marian said, as they walked back down the passage.
‘What about Christmas lunch?’ Anna asked tentatively as they went back. She wondered if she’d have to rush out to buy a turkey for her and Freddie if she could find one. ‘I mean the Partridge is right in the middle of the flood water, so surely no one can eat there?’
Simon raked back his hair, his expression tortured as if he couldn’t cope with another drama. ‘I suppose Victor and Jade, who own it and do all the catering, could cook it here, in the castle kitchens and we can all fit in the staff dining room… provided, that is, their food is not floating about in the flood. And another thing, if we have people to stay, are we going to let people cook for themselves in the kitchen?’ He glanced at Marian for her opinion.
‘It depends on who’ll be using it,’ Marian said, ‘they must clear up after themselves and we’ll need the kitchen for the wedding on the 5th or rather the day before.’
‘I know it will be difficult.’ Simon sighed ‘But it’s now we must deal with, get people housed over Christmas, that should give us time to make other arrangements for later on. I don’t know how long the flooded cottages will be uninhabitable.’
Marian stopped and turned to Simon. ‘I think it would be best if they used the entrance to this passage through the tilting yard. The outside door closes behind itself and can only be opened by a key.’ She led the way back down the passage towards a door at the end of it. ‘I took the key from Julius’s office, but by coming in that way I think the castle would be safer and the front door can remain locked and alarmed. We don’t want to worry that someone might not close the main door properly and an intruder get in.’
‘Good idea, but that means we’ve got to find keys for that door for everyone,’ Simon said as they reached the door and Marian unlocked it. It opened reluctantly, as if it was not often used, and Anna was surprised to see they had entered a garden with a covered swimming pool in the centre.
‘It’s a very old-fashioned pool, as you can see, it’s not very big, but us lot who work here do enjoy it on a hot summer’s day,’ Marian said. ’It’s also rented out to a local school. Everything that can has to pay its way,’ she explained to Anna.
‘That’s a great idea and it’s a lovely setting, a sort of secret garden; I’d never guess it was here. That path must go down behind us and I never saw it,’ Anna said.
‘Yes, you wouldn’t know unless you walked behind the castle on that side,’ Simon said.
‘Freddie would love to see this,’ Anna looked round the small garden. There were bright berries among the dormant plants and trees.
Simon stood beside her, pointing out some landmarks and then the path sloping down in front of them. ‘I don’t think you’ll be disturbed with people going up and down. I suspect most of them will stay inside as they are so exhausted by all this and it’s so cold and damp outside.’
‘Don’t worry about us, we will be fine.’ Anna thought of Daisy’s remark about how easy and uneventful it would be to stay here enjoying the country in a castle in a pretty village. ‘I wonder what Philly and Sidney will make of this,’ she said.
‘There’s no need to let them know until they get back as it will ruin their time out there. They really need this break,’ Marian said with feeling. ‘I know they’ve arrived safely, they sent me a text. I’ve told them to switch off and enjoy themselves and not worry about anything here as it’s all being looked after until their return.’
‘You’re right,’ Simon said, ‘whatever can they do from Boston? There’s no need to worry them and make them feel they should come back early, it’s not as if the castle is floating away.’ He smiled wryly.
It was the afternoon now and soon it would be dark. With tomorrow being Christmas Eve, Anna realised Simon and Marian were in a hurry to get everyone settled.
Marian thought they could produce about five keys to the outside door in the tilting yards. There would be some in the offices of Tessa and Nell and she thought there was one in Philly and Sidney’s flat, which they’d leave there in case of emergency.
‘I think we ought to quickly go down to the lower floor by the kitchen and check out what rooms they can use there,’ Marian said.
‘I think it best if we ask them to use the stairs in the tower,’ Simon said, ‘of course we can trust them all, but we’d better suggest they don’t go into the long gallery at all.’
‘Good thinking.’ Marian opened a small door into a tower at the start of the upper gallery and Anna saw a stone staircase curling round the inside of it.
‘Hope you don’t get dizzy,’ Simon joked as he led the way down, round and round the tower until Anna did feel a little strange. She worried for Mattie, wondering if she’d manage to go up and down these winding stairs without much to hold on to. She didn’t mention it, what else could be done in such destructive circumstances?
They arrived on the lower ground floor, where it was darker, gloomier than the spacious rooms upstairs. The grey stone walls were bare and various openings yawned from them. Anna saw a pile of logs in one and various boxes arranged on shelves, along with all the china and cutlery for the weddings and such.
‘At the end there are the kitchens and various rooms the old staff used in the days when the place was full of servants,’ Simon said. ‘The rich family lived upstairs and the staff lived down here, though some of the rooms changed when the last of the family lived here and they didn’t have such a huge staff.’
Simon had switched into control mode now, deciding which rooms could be used by the people staying here, using the kitchens and dining room for the Christmas lunch. He opened the door to a large, low-ceilinged room with a vast oak table and chairs round it.
‘There’s plenty of room for us all to eat here and we can mill about in the billiard room as well.’ He went back into the passage and opened another door, where there was a green baize billiard table with a stack of cues on one side and a fireplace with a fireguard round it.
‘Yes, all this will more than do us, I think there’s more room than in the Partridge,’ Marian said.
‘I’ll get hold of Victor.’
Simon took out his mobile and rang the Partridge to discuss the logistics around cooking the village Christmas lunch at the castle. Meanwhile, Marian called in some of her staff to get the bedrooms ready for the people with nowhere else to go.
Simon finished his conversation and told them that Victor, and Jade his wife, were coming up to the castle now to make sure it was feasible to cook the Christmas lunch there. While he was waiting for them, he rang various numbers to try to sort out the insurance. With everyone tied up, Anna felt she’d leave them to it, and decided to go and see where else she could be of help.
‘Simon, I’ll go back to join Luke in the village as I have to collect Freddie soon enough, thanks for letting me see inside the castle, and let me know if there’s anything I can do.’ She touched his arm as she left, wishing she could be more help to him.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Simon said, waiting for someone to answer his phone call, his eyes tender as they looked at her, making her heart race. ‘You and Freddie came here for a lovely, country Christmas and instead it’s turned into a tragedy.’
‘It’s hardly your fault, and we’re not affected, it’s those poor people like Mattie I’m so sorry for.’ Anna felt drawn to him and had a sudden urge to take him in her arms and hold him close. She was going mad and she must leave at once. ‘Let me know if there is anything else I can do.’ Her voice came out quite harshly and she turned and fled down the long gloomy passage to the stairs and outside door.
Once in the village she headed straight for the church hall. Quite a few people had left, but Mattie and a few others were sitting in a forlorn group looking tired and confused. Luke was trying to raise their spirits by telling rather bad jokes and even suggesting a singsong and his face shone with relief when he caught sight of Anna.
‘Simon just called. He’s finally managed to get hold of Julius; he’s agreed that the few who need to stay on at the castle can use the rooms in the red passage. Thankfully there are not many of them.’ He smiled at the small collection of people sitting around him. ‘Simon will come here soon with the Land Rover and I’ll use mine and we’ll drive you and anything you need up to the castle and settle you in.’
‘I’d like to go home and see what’s what,’ Mattie struggled up from her chair, ‘and fetch some things.’
‘I’ll take you,’ Anna said. ‘I can help you carry anything you need,’ she added, thinking how traumatic it would be for Mattie to see the inside of her cottage in the daylight.
Mattie stumbled and Anna took her arm, she looked defeated now, exhausted by her ordeal. She wore a pair of bright red wellingtons, which almost matched her hat, and she went with her out of the church hall and stood looking round her. The church and hall in this part of the village were barely covered with water, but as they walked together towards the main street, the water became much deeper, lapping at the shops and cottages surrounding it. Anna wondered what to do; Mattie could easily fall. A punt suddenly appeared with a young man steering it.
Seeing them, he came over, saying cheekily, ‘Signora your gondola awaits.’
‘Oh, Marcus, trust you to make fun of this, but thank you, you can take us to my cottage and then bring us back when I’ve got my things together. I am staying in the castle for Christmas,’ Mattie explained.
‘Let me help you in, Mattie.’ He threw a rope at Anna, who did her best to hold the punt steady while Mattie clambered in, the water almost to her waist, clinging to Marcus’s arm. ‘There’s room for you too,’ Marcus said to Anna when Mattie was settled.
‘Thanks, but I’m fine, I’ll walk it, or rather paddle it,’ Anna said. She was soaked herself now and felt if she too got in the punt it would surely capsize.
‘OK, see you there,’ Marcus started off as if he were in a race, the punt rocking alarmingly, making Mattie cry out and tell him to slow down.
Anna wondered who he was, he seemed very young, but he certainly had a good idea bringing out the punt. She decided to go round the back of the square and try and get to Mattie’s cottage that way as the water was not so deep as it was in the main street. She reached the cottage before them, getting thoroughly wet again as she went to the front door.
Luke, wearing waders, was behind her with two other people who were going home to collect their things and, seeing Marcus, he sighed. ‘Marcus will always find a way to surmount any problems, though they are not always sensible.’
‘He seems to have the right idea with that punt,’ she said. ‘It is certainly very deep and I’m soaking,’ Anna said, wondering which was safer: for Mattie to walk through such water holding on to someone or be spun away with a young man in a boat.
‘Marcus always has different ideas to everyone else,’ Luke said, and then before Anna could ask more about him, he went on, ‘Simon will be here soon and will start to ferry those who are going to stay at the castle up in his Land Rover. Cathie and I and a few others who work on the estate will make sure the buildings in the village are locked up and safe. I’ve got the local locksmith to see to that. Simon is also wondering if some of us shouldn’t sleep near the main rooms in the castle where all the treasures are, to calm the insurance people.’
‘At least Julius has been able to take responsibility now and let poor Simon off the hook,’ Anna said.
‘Yes, he has the right contacts for the insurance people, the council and emergency services and things, though you know what these people are like, they make all sorts of complications, if asked for money.’
‘But surely he’ll let these homeless people stay in the castle for Christmas?’ Anna was rather dreading the return of this man, who she suspected would not match the friendly relationships she had with the other people here.
‘It might not be up to him, but if it all goes wrong Julius will be held responsible even though he’s not here,’ Luke said with despair.