Page 98 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘Sure. Why not?’ I say, indulging him as usual in his favourite pastime.
I settle back in my deckchair to listen while Stan takes a deep breath and begins:
‘Many years ago in 1846 Queen Victoria visited Cornwall – did you know that? It was her only official visit here.’
I shake my head.
‘So, to celebrate her visit, a local craftswoman embroidered a set of four pictures for her as a gift. On the day the Queen visited her town the woman managed to hand the pictures to the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, who showed them to the Queen there and then. The craftswoman was thrilled, as you can imagine.’
‘Yes, I’m with you so far,’ I say, wondering where all this is going.
‘Good. Well, the Queen’s lady-in-waiting had her eye on the then owner of Trecarlan, Lord Harrington. He was the MP for the area, and used to visit London frequently to attend Parliament. He and the lady-in-waiting moved in the same circles, and they’d had a bit of a fling when he was in London. So when she got the chance to visit his home… well, I don’t need to go into details. Let’s just say they made the most of the opportunity!’
‘Goodness, and there was me thinking the Victorians were all uptight and polite!’
Stan grins. ‘That is just a fallacy; it was all going on behind the scenes. Anyway, the lady-in-waiting had to make a quick escape from the castle one day when she was summoned back to the Queen’s side earlier than expected. In her rush, she left behind her bag containing the pictures, and a handwritten note she was supposed to be delivering from the Queen to the craftswoman to thank her for the lovely flower embroidery.’
‘So the pictures remained at Trecarlan?’ I ask.
Stan nods. ‘Not long after that, ownership of the castle changed hands. Sordid business, if local gossip is to be believed. Apparently Lord Harrington was up to his old tricks again, this time with the daughter of a local landowner.’ Stan tuts and shakes his head. ‘When they were found out, the father threatened Harrington with a very nasty fate if he didn’t stay well away from his daughter. But it was too late, the girl was already pregnant. So, to avoid a fate worse than death, Harrington fled the castle, taking most of his possessions with him. But he left behind the pictures, not thinking them to be worth anything. You’d be surprised at how many owners that house has had over the years, Poppy. Why, I could tell you some stories —’
‘This one is fine for now, Stan,’ I say, trying to keep him on track.
‘That was when my family, the Marracks, took over Trecarlan,’ Stan says, his eyes gleaming with pride. ‘That young girl was my great-great-grandmother, and the Marracks have lived in the castle ever since.’
‘Wow, that’s an amazing story,’ I say. But there’s one detail in his story that’s bothering me. ‘Stan, you said that the previous owner of Trecarlan was called Harrington, is that right?’
Stan nods.
‘Could he possibly be any relation to Caroline Harrington-Smythe?’
‘Yes, I believe he might be,’ Stan says, as if it has only just occurred to him. ‘I remember when she told me the Parish Council would look after Trecarlan, she mentioned that she had some sort of heritage there. But I never made the connection.’
‘Hmm…’ I say, mulling it over. ‘If that’s true, it might explain why Caroline is always so difficult when it comes to Trecarlan. Some bit of ancient history meant her family didn’t inherit the castle and yours did. But what it doesn’t explain is… why she has a problem withme.’
‘Ah, that’s easy,’ Stan says, leaning back in his deckchair. ‘I remember that one.’
‘You do?’
‘Yes. Do you know why Daisy and William came to St Felix to open the original Daisy Chain shop?’
‘Er… no. I assumed they liked the seaside and wanted to live there.’
Stan shakes his head. ‘It was because Daisy’s grandmother lived in St Felix. She was a maid at the castle in her younger days.’
‘So?’ I ask, not following this.
‘Daisy’s grandmother, so the story goes, was the person that dropped Lord Harrington in it. She’d seen everything that had gone on at the castle while she was working there.’
‘Ah… it all makes sense now. That’s why Caroline has a problem with me – my ancestor was responsible for her not inheriting Trecarlan!’
‘It would seem so,’ Stan says. ‘History is a strange thing.’
‘Well, good on my family for stopping the Harringtons from having the castle, that’s what I say. Caroline certainly wouldn’t have made a very good lady of the manor.’
Stan nods in agreement. ‘If it hadn’t been for Daisy’s grandmother, we might not be sitting here in this lovely sunshine together.’
‘Exactly! So what happened to those embroidered pictures? Are they still in the castle?’
