Page 56 of The House of Hopes and Dreams
‘It does have those handles at the side, though,’ said Carey. ‘They probably lowered it in with ropes.’
It was dark under there, but Carey had had the forethought to equip himself with a torch. When he lifted the lid back, we saw the chest was stuffed almost full with bundles and rolls of papers, packets and ledgers.
‘Well, you did say that the family had just shoved their papers in there for generations,’ Carey said ruefully.
‘And no one’s ever gone through them properly, so far as I know, so the earlier layers at the bottom could prove most interesting,’ Mr Wilmslow said, his eyes gleaming.
‘You wouldn’t be able to get the chest out unless you emptied it,’ Isaid. ‘That probably had something to do with it never having been sorted.’
‘I know that at one time your uncle had some idea of writing a family history, because we often discussed it, but it didn’t come to anything,’ the solicitor said. ‘Despite his long life, he was never a well man: rheumatic fever in childhood, affecting his heart, I believe. He was exempted from active war service.’
‘Wouldn’t it be great if the Jewel of Mossby was lying forgotten at the bottom of the chest?’ Carey said, staring absently down into it.
‘I think we’d have to be beyond optimistic to expect that no one else had thought of that,’ I told him. ‘That’s probably why it looks such a jumble in there! I’d give up any idea of treasure hunting: it’s long gone.’
‘At some point I’ll empty it all out and catalogue what’s in there,’ said Carey, ‘but that’s a job that will have to wait. It’ll make an interesting episode in a later series, if the first one is a success.’
‘Of course it will be,’ I told him firmly. ‘Nick will want to film you pretending to see the secret treasure chest for the first time when he hears about it.’
Mr Wilmslow looked at us enquiringly and Carey explained about basing his new TV series on Mossby, to be filmed by Nick and his company.
‘There are so many different aspects of Mossby to draw into the series – like the workshop and the legacy of the original artist who worked there, Jessie Kaye. Angel’s going to write a book about her and the other early stained-glass craftswomen of the Arts and Crafts era,’ Carey said. ‘Her final university dissertation practically turned into one, she was so into it.’
‘And when Carey’s built the strength back up in that leg, he can start taking commissions to restore old cottages, like he did before,’ I said.
‘But until I begin earning money again, the proceeds from the sale of my flat will pay for the urgent expensive repairs and renovations to Mossby: the electrics and plumbing and anything structural.’
‘Dear me, I don’t know what your uncle would have thought about Mossby being filmed and on television! Would that be one of those so-called “fly-on-the-wall” documentaries?’
‘Sort of. Nick and his crew will dash up and film for a day or two every so often, which means some of it has to be staged to look as if it’s happening on camera. And my uncledidwant me to find a way of keeping Mossby in the family and knew what I did for a living,’ Carey pointed out.
‘The Elizabethan wing is probably going to become part of the Halfhidden ghost trail from Easter, and open to the public, too,’ I said. ‘So that’ll be another source of income.’
‘I’m starting to see you’ve got many irons in the pot, Carey, and I’m sure you’ll infuse new life into the place.’
We went up to the Long Gallery to see the Elizabethan portrait of a slender young man, who looked like an attenuated version of Carey. He was wearing a whopping baroque pearl-centred medallion, jewelled and enamelled. I think it was supposed to be St George and the Dragon, with the pearl forming the body, and it was suspended on a heavy chain of huge square rubies linked with gold.
You could break a wrist, pulling a cracker with that in it.
The artist was mediocre and the portrait flat and uninspired, though the Jewel at least must have stirred his enthusiasm, because he’d lovingly captured every detail of it.
‘It’s extremely ugly and must have weighed a ton,’ I said.
‘Maybe, but having seen it, perhaps I’ll have a rummage about in that chest after all,’ Carey said, staring at it. ‘That monstrosity would pay for all the renovations on its own – and possibly the running costs up to the next century!’
Then he sighed. ‘I expect it was broken up, reset and sold on centuries ago.’
I was sure he was right, but having a quick look wouldn’t hurt.
‘Could it have been hidden in another priest-hole and the secret lost?’ I suggested. ‘Perhaps the Cavalier Revell hid it before he went off to his final battle, but didn’t tell anyone where it was?’
‘That possibility has been thought of,’ Mr Wilmslow admitted. ‘But despite extensive searches, it hasn’t come to light.’
On the way downstairs again we paused to look at the windows and I told him my theory that the design of the Lady Anne window was based on samplers of the time.
‘Now you’ve said it, I can see what you mean,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I expect she would have used motifs and patterns that she was familiar with, even though it does seem an odd fancy.’
‘The so-called curse really isn’t one, is it?’ I suggested. ‘I mean, it doesn’t specify what will happen if the window is removed.’
