Read Online Cherringham--The Secret of Combe Castle by Neil Richards - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Neil Richards
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o’clock shadow could use some attention.”
And that made Grace laugh. Grace had gone from being her young assistant in the small web and design business, to what Sarah knew she was now … a full creative partner.
She made a note that she would — at the right moment — tell Grace exactly that. And also give her a raise — at least as much as current cash flow would allow for.
I’d hate to lose her, she thought.
“We good to go?” Grace asked. “Shall I fire it off to the printers?”
“Absolutely! Brilliant work. The theatre will love it.”
Grace beamed — pleased both with her work and with Sarah’s reaction.
Grace was canny, and knew when Sarah was digging into something. This morning she had, as usual, asked no questions. Grace was used to Sarah’s part-time detecting — and knew not to get involved unless invited.
And Grace had helped on plenty of occasions — but right now, Sarah felt she should run this one alone.
And she definitely wasn’t going to hack into the Cauldwells’ database until Grace had left the office!
For now Sarah turned back to her screen, and returned to hunting for anything and everything that had to do with the odd FitzHenry dynasty and the even odder Combe Castle.
*
The first thing she found was the historical record of Basil FitzHenry’s duel, which, amazingly, matched the wobbly diorama that Oswald had created.
But then — interestingly enough — there was actually a mention of some kind of royal connection. Each heir apparently carried the story forward, much to the disbelief of the locals.
For hundreds of years FitzHenrys had claimed royal blood, and for the same amount of time the locals thought the claim ludicrous.
And then — it ended in a duel!
Suddenly, she became more interested in this odd family.
She read about an early lord of the castle, a Ralph FitzHenry who, it turned out, was a privateer. Rewarded by the King with property, someone who captured Spanish ships … a genuine buccaneer.
And famed for returning to England from the East Indies with a prize ship loaded to the gunwales with gold doubloons.A far cry from the goofy — and broke — Oswald!
Interesting . There had indeed been money then.
And the fortunes of the family seemed to remain good right up until the end of the nineteenth century. She read about garden parties held at the mansion; the well-to-do family being a strong part of village life.
That is, until along came Basil FitzHenry.
The local paper at the time, The Cherringham Gazette , regularly reported on Basil and the festive goings-on at the castle.
But not all that reporting was favourable.
Accounts of one party included the news that a young man from Mayfair had ‘accidentally’ stepped into the chilly river and drowned.
Other than that soggy event, the ‘Venetian Masque’ held at the manor was apparently, the story reported, a great success. The list of provisions — from a score of ducks, to roast lamb and sides of beef, not to mention enough bubbly to float a battleship — was massive.
But there were also reports of anonymous protests lodged at village meetings over the traffic and noise created by the parties that seemed a regular feature of castle Combe life in the last decades of Victoria’s reign.
Week after week, there seemed to be a story detailing someone complaining about Combe Castle.
And throughout it all — there was money. Trips abroad on great steamships, summer-long stays ‘on the Continent’, massive donations to various Good Causes of the time, guaranteeing that anyone complaining at a town meeting would be quickly shushed .
Then — treated as a major front page story — the sudden death of Basil FitzHenry.
Reported as heart failure, presumably to avoid any scandal, his death at the relatively young age of fifty had sent shocks waves through the village.
And now the story shifted …
His son Bentley FitzHenry took over running the place. And for the first time, there was a hint
And that made Grace laugh. Grace had gone from being her young assistant in the small web and design business, to what Sarah knew she was now … a full creative partner.
She made a note that she would — at the right moment — tell Grace exactly that. And also give her a raise — at least as much as current cash flow would allow for.
I’d hate to lose her, she thought.
“We good to go?” Grace asked. “Shall I fire it off to the printers?”
“Absolutely! Brilliant work. The theatre will love it.”
Grace beamed — pleased both with her work and with Sarah’s reaction.
Grace was canny, and knew when Sarah was digging into something. This morning she had, as usual, asked no questions. Grace was used to Sarah’s part-time detecting — and knew not to get involved unless invited.
And Grace had helped on plenty of occasions — but right now, Sarah felt she should run this one alone.
And she definitely wasn’t going to hack into the Cauldwells’ database until Grace had left the office!
For now Sarah turned back to her screen, and returned to hunting for anything and everything that had to do with the odd FitzHenry dynasty and the even odder Combe Castle.
*
The first thing she found was the historical record of Basil FitzHenry’s duel, which, amazingly, matched the wobbly diorama that Oswald had created.
But then — interestingly enough — there was actually a mention of some kind of royal connection. Each heir apparently carried the story forward, much to the disbelief of the locals.
For hundreds of years FitzHenrys had claimed royal blood, and for the same amount of time the locals thought the claim ludicrous.
And then — it ended in a duel!
Suddenly, she became more interested in this odd family.
She read about an early lord of the castle, a Ralph FitzHenry who, it turned out, was a privateer. Rewarded by the King with property, someone who captured Spanish ships … a genuine buccaneer.
And famed for returning to England from the East Indies with a prize ship loaded to the gunwales with gold doubloons.A far cry from the goofy — and broke — Oswald!
Interesting . There had indeed been money then.
And the fortunes of the family seemed to remain good right up until the end of the nineteenth century. She read about garden parties held at the mansion; the well-to-do family being a strong part of village life.
That is, until along came Basil FitzHenry.
The local paper at the time, The Cherringham Gazette , regularly reported on Basil and the festive goings-on at the castle.
But not all that reporting was favourable.
Accounts of one party included the news that a young man from Mayfair had ‘accidentally’ stepped into the chilly river and drowned.
Other than that soggy event, the ‘Venetian Masque’ held at the manor was apparently, the story reported, a great success. The list of provisions — from a score of ducks, to roast lamb and sides of beef, not to mention enough bubbly to float a battleship — was massive.
But there were also reports of anonymous protests lodged at village meetings over the traffic and noise created by the parties that seemed a regular feature of castle Combe life in the last decades of Victoria’s reign.
Week after week, there seemed to be a story detailing someone complaining about Combe Castle.
And throughout it all — there was money. Trips abroad on great steamships, summer-long stays ‘on the Continent’, massive donations to various Good Causes of the time, guaranteeing that anyone complaining at a town meeting would be quickly shushed .
Then — treated as a major front page story — the sudden death of Basil FitzHenry.
Reported as heart failure, presumably to avoid any scandal, his death at the relatively young age of fifty had sent shocks waves through the village.
And now the story shifted …
His son Bentley FitzHenry took over running the place. And for the first time, there was a hint
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