Page 26 of The Uprising
George scribbled his address onto a palace notepad and handed the paper to Swifty. ‘Here, keep it safe. Be cautious, lad, the Chartists will not take kindly to you poking about in their secret business, but the queen’s safety may depend on what you discover.’
Chapter 9
Rose Cottage, York - Present day
Cara and George sipped tea and basked in the gentle warmth of the conservatory which overlooked the garden.
Cara cast her eyes over the vibrant flowerbeds, bursting with crimson, red and yellow roses. ‘The garden needs some attention. I’d better get out there later if the weather stays dry.’
‘I’ll help. I could do with the exercise—I can’t keep sitting around like this.’ He studied the rows of colourful flowers waving and swaying in the soft late summer breeze. ‘How are things in Tudorville?’
Cara peered at him over the rim of her china tea cup. ‘It’s like being with some poor dear old soul suffering from Alzheimer’s,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘One minute you knew about Robert Aske’s execution, and the next you’d forgotten and were excited about the king’s false promises.’
‘I remembered for a moment? Well, that’s encouraging,’ said George. ‘I know how infuriating it is; you’re the same in Victoriana. There was that moment last year when you recognised Eddie, but other than that, nothing, so don’t be too hard on poor old Tudorville George. Victoriana Cara remembers nothing about our parallel timelines, but she is so lovely, I can’t be frustrated for long.’
Living multiple lives was taking its toll on the newly married couple. All they had to go on were their catch-up discussions in the present day.
‘I sometimes lose the plot and forget what we agreed to do. And I think you are here with me, when you’re not really,’ she said.
‘Well, short of checking every two minutes, how are we to know? We can’t keep asking about Cornelius. We’ll drive each other mad,’ said George.
‘On the bright side, if we don’t notice any difference, I suppose we must be much the same,’ said Cara.
‘Talking of Cornelius how is the beautiful, sweet boy?’
‘He was as darling as ever last time I saw him at Willow Manor,’ said Cara. ‘He took to accompanying me and the children on our daily rides. He missed you terribly when you left for London. Then he sat by your chair every day, looking mournful.’
‘Wasn’t it wonderful when he appeared at Willow Manor when we stayed at the hotel?’ said George.
‘Yes, I love it there.’
‘Perhaps we could do that again. I had a dream the other night that we lived at Willow Manor and it was ours again,’ said George.
‘How lovely. Do you know what happened—I mean why it’s no longer in the family?’
‘I wondered about that, but never really got around to looking into it,’ said George. ‘Kate might know. She’s up on the family history. I’ll ask her next time we talk.’
‘It would be fabulous if we could get it back again.’
‘Funnily enough I’ve been thinking about it ever since I had that strange dream. It must be incredibly expensive to run, which might be why the family let it go. I don’t think we could raise the funds for such an extravagant purchase, without bankrupting ourselves.’
‘My father might be interested in investing in it. I could ask him, although I know absolutely nothing about hotels other than how to stay in them,’ said Cara.
‘Me too. Still, I may look into it and see if it’s possible to raise the funds somehow—that’s if it ever comes back on the market.’
‘Are you getting bored not working?’ she asked.
‘I’m starting to feel rudderless without a career. I miss the smell of musty old manuscripts.’
‘So, being Queen Victoria’s spy and King Henry VIII’s envoy in two historic uprisings, isn’t enough to keep you entertained?’
George smiled ruefully. ‘Well, when you put it like that. Although, I still feel like I need something purposeful to do here.’
‘Fair enough, whatever you want to do, you know you have my support. It would be fabulous to own Willow Manor, and even to live in it if we could swing it, somehow.’
‘You know what—I’ll give Kate a call now and see what she knows. Probably best to check, before doing anything drastic,’ said George.
‘Great idea. I’ll be in the study writing for an hour.’
