Golden Cargoes by Fiona Buckley

Author:Fiona Buckley [Buckley, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2022-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

The Goldsmith’s Tale

The Old Bell in Oxted was busy when we arrived. The public room was crowded but there was a lively fire. It was raining and we were glad to come indoors and stand by the fire, letting our cloaks steam. It turned out that the available accommodation was limited, but there was one reasonably sized bedchamber for me. The Brockleys would have to share a kennel-sized room over the stables. Eddie, who had once more accompanied us as groom and mule-driver, would have a pallet in the grooms’ dormitory. However, the inconvenient sleeping arrangements didn’t prevent the Brockleys and me from gathering in my room to talk before supper.

‘Once again,’ I said, ‘I will go over our plans, and Brockley, please don’t tell me again that this task is absurd. I know it is. But we still have to do it.’

‘The right way to do it,’ said Brockley, ‘is for you to arrange to be told when the Mercer boys have arrived in Rye, and then be on hand to meet them as they return to Evergreens and try to see where they store whatever goods they bring with them.’

‘They may not be the ones who bring it inland. There is this unknown third partner. He may be the one who does that – and hides it, presumably, not far from Evergreens.’

‘There’s too much presuming,’ Brockley complained. ‘As I keep saying, madam. Are we really going to ride haphazardly round the district, looking for places where a treasure just might be hidden?’

I had only told the Brockleys the full details of my plans when we were well on the road to Oxted. This was because I knew quite well what Brockley would say about them, and I was right. His grumbling had started when we were refreshing ourselves in a Reigate tavern, and he had repeated himself at intervals ever since.

‘Not quite,’ I said, patiently and not for the first time. ‘The excuse of looking for a suitable house for my imaginary cousins will allow us to ride in all directions unquestioned. Wherever we go, we will have our eyes wide open. Just in case we come across something that gives us ideas. We might even enjoy it. Yes, it’s serious business but the two things aren’t incompatible!

‘We must find ways to search obvious places such as Evergreens itself, its land, its outhouses and so on. I think we should also search the grounds – garden and farmland – of Waters House. He’s a member of the family now and there’s no doubt that Arabella was forced into that marriage. It’s supposed to be because Waters was crazy in love with her but there could be a … a … practical aspect as well. That could be difficult but we must try.’

Part of me agreed with Brockley, that our plans were absurd. The chances of finding what we sought were very poor. Yet somehow the prospect of this whole ridiculous adventure made my spirits rise, and I knew

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