Archie's Battleflat Adventures: The Harriman Mystery (28 page)

“
Yes, and you, my dear boy, are to be rewarded for your
efforts. I have informed your father here that a fund has been set
up for you to cover schooling for yourself and your brothers and
sisters. One of the things I wanted to do was to hire a tutor, not
only for my own daughter, but for the children of the village. As a
result, you, Edward and your brothers and sisters are to begin
schooling at the Manor.”

Archie
was stunned and stared in disbelief as the latest news sank in. He
had always wanted to learn how to read and write, like Mr Tompkins
did in the mill, but it had always seemed an impossible dream. Now?
Now that the real possibility lay before him, he wasn’t sure what
to make of it. Suddenly, the thought of the corn mill wiped the
smile from his face. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet,
reluctant to voice his concerns.

“
What’s the matter?” Lord Brewcaster asked, shooting Jack a
questioning look.

Archie’s
eyes shifted to his dad, who stood smiling sympathetically at his
son.

“
It’s a great offer, sir, but I can’t, really I can’t.” Archie
felt tears spring uncomfortably into his eyes.

“
Why not?”

Archie
shrugged, reluctant to tell the man about his family’s financial
troubles.

Lord
Brewcaster suddenly appeared in Archie’s line of vision; having
dropped to his haunches, he now looked up into Archie’s
face.

“
I have also been asked to give you this, with His Majesty’s
grateful thanks.” He handed Archie a small brown pouch that jingled
as it moved.

When
Archie didn’t immediately hold his hand out to take the pouch, Lord
Brewcaster lifted his small, bony hand and placed the leather pouch
in the middle of his palm. Archie frowned down at it, his curiosity
piqued. It was heavier than it looked, and was incredibly bumpy. Up
close, it was also larger than first thought.

“
We still need to find the gold bars that weren’t used by
Brentwood and his associates. We think they are around here
somewhere, Archie. I don’t want you to go looking for them but if
something comes to mind. Something you think you may have forgotten
before, then you have my express permission to come to Battleflat
Manor and see me. My door is always open to you, Archie, I want you
to know that.”

Archie’s
smile wobbled, and he nodded briefly, still staring down at the
coins.

“
Open it then, and see what it is,” Marjorie prompted when
Archie made no move to look inside.

With
trembling fingers, Archie slowly untied the laces at the top of the
pouch. Mindful of what had happened with the huge bag of coins Lord
Brewcaster had opened on the table, Archie held the contents in a
firm grip and let the sides of the pouch fall open.

He
stared down in confusion at the large pile of coins in his palm.
Brilliant, shiny, gold coins. He raised confused eyes to Lord
Brewcaster.

“
They are your reward – yours and your family’s – for your
part in capturing Brentwood. This is in addition to the fund that
has been set up to cover your tuition fees, Archie, so don’t you
worry about that. It means that you and your brothers and sisters
here only have to work part-time while you study.”

“
Mind your manners, Archie, what do you say?”

Archie
snapped out of his trance and glanced up at Lord
Brewcaster.

“
Thank you, so much,” he whispered, too choked to say
more.

Lord
Brewcaster clamped a friendly hand on Archie’s shoulder. “I hope we
will see you soon up at the Manor.”

“
Have you moved in now?” Archie gasped. He hadn’t seen any new
carriages, or any large procession of carts trundling furniture and
the like through the village.

“
My wife is still unpacking as we speak. I hope to see you
back in the scullery, Betsy, if you still want the job?”

“
Oh, yes sir. That would be wonderful!” Betsy gasped, all
aflutter.

“
Hopefully now, life in the village can start to get back to
normal,” Lord Brewcaster announced, shrugging into his
jacket.

“
I don’t think I need to say how grateful we are for your
generosity and kindness, my Lord,” Jack said hesitantly.

“
No need for the formalities, Jack,” Lord Brewcaster
announced, holding out his hand in a friendly gesture. “Not with
me. Never with me.”

With
that the new lord of the parish of Battleflat took his leave.
Rather than riding around on a huge chestnut mount, peering down at
the locals, he picked up a cane Archie hadn’t noticed sitting
beside the kitchen door and began to walk down the track toward
Battleflat Manor.

Archie
moved to the gate at the end of his garden and watched the cane
being swung around almost jauntily, as the man answered friendly
calls of welcome, and hello as he went.

“
Well, Archie my boy, it looks as though things around here
are going to change after all, and not in any way for the
bad.”

Archie
merely nodded, feeling a strange kinship with the newest villager.
The perfect opportunity arose, and Archie couldn’t resist it.
Glancing cheekily up at his dad, he smiled secretively.

“
Can I go and play with Edward rather than stay at home to
visit? Plleaasseee?”

Jack
glanced ruefully down at his eldest son. Although he didn’t agree
with the risks Archie took, and had made no bones about telling
him, he couldn’t begrudge the boy some free time to play.
Especially given he had just earned the family an entire ten years’
worth of pay, and an entirely different future lay ahead of them as
a result.

“
Go on, have the afternoon off. But just this once, mind!”
Jack warned. “Don’t think it is going to be a regular thing
now.”

Archie
merely grinned and sprinted back to the house, giving Edward the
thumbs up briefly before disappearing inside.

Making
the most of their afternoon together, Archie and Edward played
chase, hide and seek, and hunted for frogs until, by dusk, both
boys were fighting exhaustion.

Edward
had finally managed to coax Archie back to the spinney, where
Archie paused for several long moments, staring at the spot where
Mr Harriman met his end.

“
Last one to the highest branch is a stinky sausage,” Edward
called. He had been issuing that challenge every time he wanted to
race Archie for as long as either boy could remember.

Although
now he was older, and wiser, Archie merely shook his head. But the
opportunity to beat his friend was just too great and, with a grin,
Archie began to climb the huge oak tree until he was seated beside
Edward, their legs dangling many feet above the spinney
floor.

The
scenery was very different this time. The fields, once golden and
bursting with life were now dark brown and barren. Even the oak
tree had begun to answer the changing seasons, losing a lot of the
lush leaves to leave the branches open and at the mercy of the
brisk autumnal winds.

“
It’s getting dark, we need to be getting back.” Edward’s
voice was laden with reluctance.

“
I know, but just a few minutes more.”

“
It’s not that bad being back here, is it?” Edward glanced at
his now quiet friend. The afternoon had been one of the best he and
Archie had shared, and it bothered Edward to see Archie now quiet
and almost withdrawn.

“
It’s great about the schooling, isn’t it? Although my dad
gave me a scolding for the risks we took, he is delighted that I
can go to school.”

“
It’s great news,” Archie sighed, “I can’t wait.”

“
What do you think the tutor is going to be like?” Edward
asked, knowing that if anyone knew, Archie would.

Archie
shrugged. “If Mr – Lord Brewcaster, chooses him, I am sure he will
be fine. As long as he teaches us to read and write, I will like
him.”

“
Cor, I can’t believe it is going to happen,” Edward sighed,
swinging his legs backward and forward only to grab the branch
moments later when a particularly strong gust of wind threatened to
sweep him away.

“
Archie! Edward!”

The boys
turned to Jack who was walking toward the spinney, clearly looking
for them to return home before dark.

“
Come on, time to go,” Archie sighed, clambering down to stand
on the ground. Although he still liked the spinney, and being back
there again wasn’t as bad as he had thought it would be, he didn’t
relish being there after dark.

Waiting
only until Edward came to stand beside him, Archie pushed through
the hedge and began to walk toward his father.

“
Time to come in now, your teas are ready,” Jack said,
studying the boys closely. Marjorie would have a fit at the new
hole in Archie’s knees, and Edward was covered from head to toe in
leaves, but Jack couldn’t find the heart to tell them off. For the
first time in many weeks, Archie’s eyes were bright with happiness,
and his cheeks were tinged pink with good health. It made Jack
proud, and relieved, to have his son back.

It was
darker than Archie realised, and although it only took a few
minutes to walk down the track, it was already dark by the time
they reached the outskirts of the village. In the distance to the
right, the looming bulk of Battleflat Manor stood in resplendent
glory.

Archie
frowned, and studied the trees marking the edge of the garden more
closely.

There!
In the darkest part of the trees, was a flickering light. A light
that from the way it was moving, was someone weaving in and out of
the woods, heading toward the manor. Although, because of the lake
the trees ran around, they weren’t walking a known through-route.
The ground was too soft, and uneven to be used for anything,
including being walked on.

His eyes
locked on the light, he watched for several minutes as the light
appeared, then disappeared several times, although from his
distance, it was impossible to see anyone holding the lantern, and
Archie was sure it was a lantern. But who would be walking through
the woods, on uneven and dangerous ground, in the dark at a time of
day when everyone was settling in their homes for the
night?

“
Archie!”

Archie
jumped at the sound of his name and turned to look at his dad,
waiting impatiently at the end of his road.

He took
two steps forward. Curiosity drove him to glance toward the woods
once more. Was the light going to the manor?

He kept
his eyes on the woods until they were blocked from sight by the
first houses, but didn’t see the light again.

“
Coming!” Archie called dutifully and, with a quickened step,
followed his dad.

Coming
soon – The Ghost of Battleflat Manor.