Martha was just finishing talking her first visitors of the day through the map of the site when Ben came back out of the office. She glanced up at him before continuing with her talk. “And that will take you round to the gatehouse, worth looking for the remains of the portcullis while you’re there.”
“That’s great,” the man said, still looking at her rather than the map.
He’d already made her feel uncomfortable when he first came in, not taking his eyes off her as he crossed the floor towards the till. Even when his granddaughter spoke to him, she had to tug his arm to get his attention.
Chloe had texted first thing to says she was still ill and wouldn’t be coming in. Martha gave Joanne a ring in the hope she’d be able to fill in. Luckily, she could.
Martha had set her to work in the stockroom when she arrived, pricing up the delivery from two days earlier that should have been out on the shelves already.
Once that was organised, Martha was ready to open, leaving the doors unlocked whilst she did her best to do the paperwork behind the till. She was glad when the man and his granddaughter walked in, an excuse to stop totting up how much people had spent the previous day, how much they hadn’t and every permutation demanded by Peter’s esoteric accounting system.
“Good morning,” the man said, smiling expectantly at her, not blinking.
“Good morning,” she replied, piling the paperwork together as she spoke. “Coming for a look round?”
“Yes, please,” he replied, still not blinking. Although he was smiling, the look in his eyes was disquieting.
“Well it’s six pounds for adults but luckily for you,” she nodded down at the girl who was glancing behind her at the princess costume in the window, “children are free.”
The man handed her a ten pound note and she opened the till to retrieve his change. “Been here before?” she asked.
“No, never.”
“On holiday are you?”
“That’s right, just up for a few days.”
“Well, here’s the map. You’re here.”
She was explaining the site to him when she noticed someone in the doorway. It was Ben. He looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept. She wondered if she should introduce him to the vodka based sleeping system she’d developed.
Her hangover suggested it might not be the best solution but at least it had meant she slept.
When he came out of the office after answering the phone, he walked over in time for her to finish up with the man and his granddaughter. “Have a good time,” she said as they walked over to the door that led into the site.
“We will,” the girl said back over her shoulder before vanishing outside.
“Peter wants to see you,” Ben said when they’d gone. “In fact he said he wants to see both of us.”
“Really, what about?”
“He didn’t say. He just said to leave Joanne in charge and come over to the house.”
“Intriguing.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“Hold on a second.” Martha left him by the till, crossing to the stockroom and pushing the door open. Joanne, can you cover the tills for a bit. The master calls.”
“Ooh, what have you done?” Joanne asked, getting up from the floor, pricing gun still in her hand.
“We’ll soon find out. See you in a bit.”
Joanne walked out of the stockroom, positioning herself behind the till, nodding at Ben who smiled back before following Martha out of the door and around to the courtyard, passing several people heading into the visitor centre from the car park.
Peter was in the living room when they walked in, a pile of papers on his lap.
Martha frowned at him. “I hope you’re not going to tell me you’re coming back to work yet,” she said. “You’ve still got a bandage on your head.”
“The nurse has already been to change it,” he replied, motioning for them both to sit on the sofa opposite. “I’ll be right as rain before you know it.”
“That’s good to hear. What about the car?”
“That’s going to take a little longer. I’ve just spoken to the insurers. But that’s not to talk about now. I’ve got something important to say and I wanted you both here to hear it.”
“If it’s an itch on your leg, I can’t help you,” Martha said, nodding at the plaster cast.
“I thought I might die,” Peter said bluntly. The smile fell from Martha’s face at those words and she sat perfectly still while he continued. Next to her, Ben remained silent.
“I need someone to look after this place once I’m gone. I’ve been going through all this and if I go without getting this-” he held up a piece of paper, “-signed, then Erin gets it and I know exactly what she has planned. Advertising slogans draped from the walls, the back field replaced with tarmac and fairground rides. I’m not having it.”
He leaned across to the small table next to him, picking up a pen and signing the bottom of the paper in his hand, leaning on the other documents, wincing as the action put pressure on his leg. “Martha, I want you to promise to look after the place when I’m gone.”
Martha could hardly believe what he’d said. She was so sure she’d misheard, she just smiled. “Sorry, what?”
“If you sign this, the place will be yours after I’m dead.”
Ben sat bolt upright. “Are you serious?”
“What? Thought you were getting it? You’ve shown your true mettle, disappearing at the first sign of trouble. You can’t be trusted, Ben. Martha on the other hand, she’s never once let me down.”
“So you’re giving her a castle worth millions to teach me a lesson about trust?”
“What would you have me do? Sell it to Alex?”
“No but-”
“It’s a done deal.”
Martha coughed, drawing their attention towards her. “I don’t want it,” she said quietly.
“Excuse me?” Peter replied, looking astonished.
“I can’t take it from Ben. It’s not right.”
“Has he told you to say that?”
Ben jabbed his finger at his father. “You think I’d do that? How could I? I didn’t even know what you had planned until just now did I?”
Peter turned away from him to look at Martha, pleading with her. “Please, take it,” he said. “I need to know the place will be safe, not some bloody theme park.”
“I don’t know,” Martha said. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“Of course. Take your time. I know it might be a bit of a shock. Why not think it over?” The pleading tone was still evident in his voice.
Martha stood up and crossed to the door, looking back at them both. She thought about saying something but then didn’t, heading outside and around to the castle. Luckily, Joanne was busy talking to a family which meant Martha could bypass her and get onto the site. She slowed down her walk when she had crossed the drawbridge.
She looked up at the East Tower. She couldn’t take it. Peter wasn’t thinking straight. That was the only reasonable explanation. He couldn’t really want her to look after the entire place. What did she know about owning a castle? It was one thing to welcome people in and sell them postcards, it was something else to protect part of the heritage of the nation. It was too much responsibility.
But was it? There was a part of her that had been excited by the very idea. She’d stamped on that part but it bubbled back up as she walked into the chapel.
She was about to head out of the other side when she noticed something in the corner by the remains of the altar. Thinking it was a piece of litter, she headed towards it, stopping dead at the last second as she realised what it was.
Sitting poking up out of the grass was something that could not possibly have come to be there accidentally. Martha blinked as fear rose up inside her, unable to breathe, unable to think, she could only stare at the sight of a one inch high gaming figure. She realised at once what it was, it was a black knight.