Page 14 of Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay
‘Where should I park once I’m through the gates?’ I ask Arthur.
‘Just carry on through over the bridge and under the portcullis.’ He looks down the path past us. ‘This van that’s on the way will fit under there, I assume?’
I look up at the ominous portcullis that I’d walked under the first time I came here. ‘Yes, I think so. At least, I hope it will.’
Arthur looks at me like I should have thought of that before hiring it. He probably has a point, but I guessed the van-hire company didn’t have much call for large vans that were guaranteed to fit underneath a castle portcullis. I was pretty sure it wasn’t on the Frequently Asked Questions page of their website, anyway.
Charlie and I climb back into Bella and drive ourselves and the mountain of luggage we have piled up in the back safely over the bridge, just as our removals van arrives behind us. Luckily it manages to squeeze underneath the archway with inches to spare, and we all arrive in the castle courtyard together.
My vintage car doesn’t look too conspicuous as we climb out, but the large white van looks completely out of place surrounded by all this history. I’m sure not many past owners of the castle have arrived at their new home in this fashion: a horse and carriage would have been much more appropriate.
Arthur has obviously radioed ahead to warn the others of our imminent arrival because two very different-looking women come rushing out of a door to greet us.
‘Your Ladyship,’ the elder and plumper of the two women says, curtseying before me. ‘What a pleasure it is to welcome you to Chesterford.’
‘Er, yes. Hello,’ I reply, somewhat taken aback by her formalities. ‘You must be Dorothy?’
‘I am, Lady Chesterford. I’m the housekeeper here.’
‘Yes, we’ve met before – briefly. I came to visit the castle a few weeks ago now.’
Dorothy looks horrified that she hasn’t remembered this event.
‘Please don’t worry,’ I hurriedly assure her, ‘I was incognito that day; I wanted to see the castle like a visitor sees it to begin with.’
‘Oh, of course, Your Ladyship.’
‘And please, I’d much prefer it if you called me Amelia.’
Dorothy looks even more horrified by this request.
‘And you must be Tiffany,’ I say, turning to the younger girl. I hold out my hand purposefully to her so she doesn’t curtsey this time. But Tiffany is even more confused by my request, and instead takes hold of my outstretched hand, bobs a curtsey, and then, to my horror, proceeds to kiss the back of my hand.
‘Please, all of this formality is not necessary. I would like youallto call me Amelia,’ I say to everyone as the men join the line-up now. ‘And this is my son, Charlie.’ Charlie turns a deep shade of crimson as everyone stares at him. ‘I want us to be friends as well as colleagues. You all know so much more about running a castle than I do, and I want us to work together to make Chesterford Castle the success it deserves to be.’
Dorothy breaks out into spontaneous applause, which Tiffany quickly joins in with. Joey whoops, and Arthur simply stands there, his hands thrust into his pockets, wearing the same gruff look on his face that he’s had since we arrived.
Seven
‘I love it here, Mum!’ Charlie says, racing up the spiral staircase for the umpteenth time. ‘Have you seen the view from the top windows? It’s amazing!’
‘Be careful on those stairs,’ I say, gazing around the room at the boxes and suitcases filled with all our things. ‘They’re steep and you’re not used to them yet.’
Much to Charlie’s delight, our apartmentisin one of the towers. Apparently, as Joey explained as he helped us move all our stuff from the van up the many stairs of the North East tower, one of the previous Earls had been very forward thinking and had had this particular tower completely renovated in the 1950s, so he and his wife could live privately in this part of the castle, whilst allowing the rest of building to be open to the public.
Our new accommodation is set over four levels. On the ground floor is the entrance, with a pretty black-and-white tiled hallway and a tiny scullery that is home to a washing machine and tumble dryer. Then on the second floor there is a cosy kitchen/diner with solid oak units, a white butler’s sink and a modern cooker. Up on the third floor there are two comfortable-looking bedrooms with amazing views of the castle and the beach from their pretty arched windows, then finally at the top of the tower, this time with a superb 360-degree view of the surrounding coast and countryside, is a large, bright, circular sitting room. Each one of the four floors is joined by the same spiral (and likely original) stone staircase that Charlie is enjoying so much right now.
I’d been pleasantly surprised by how modern everything was. I’d imagined the last Earl to be a miserly old man who’d died in a dusty cobwebbed room all on his own. But according to Dorothy he was quite the opposite and liked his home comforts.
‘Daft as a brush, mind,’ she’d said as she’d showed me around my new home with great delight. ‘That’s why it took so long to find the new heir. He should have done something about it sooner himself, but I think the silly old bugger thought he’d live for ever. Ooh, pardon me French, ma’am,’ she’d apologised immediately, bowing her head a little, to my irritation.
‘Please, it’s Amelia,’ I’d insisted.
‘Yes, ma’am, I mean, Miss Amelia. Ooh, is that Arthur back with help?’ she’d said, glancing out of the window, and we’d seen Arthur followed by two burly-looking men traipsing across the castle courtyard on their way to help us move my belongings – most of which were currently scattered all over the castle courtyard – up into the tower. Apparently, in my haste I’d paid for a van and a driver only, and our driver had informed us that on no account was he climbing up several flights of spiral stairs carrying all my stuff like some sort of lackey, even after Arthur had offered him a hefty tip if he did. So our possessions had been unceremoniously unloaded on to the gravel, while Arthur went in search of help and the driver set off back down south.
But even after Arthur had found help, the process still wasn’t without trial; carrying boxes and bags up the narrow stairs was fine, but moving the few items of modern furniture I owned up the spiral staircase and into the appropriate rooms proved extremely tricky and at times almost impossible.
To my intense relief, eventually we’d succeeded, and all our helpers had followed Dorothy to the castle kitchen for tea and biscuits as a reward for all their efforts. Now it’s just Charlie and me again – the way I like it best.
