We drove in silence the leafy way to Sid’s cottage. How odd life is? Sid was the girl I’d called a friend since we were eleven, and I was about to visit her house for the first time. I should have asked her questions earlier, but that may have ruined more than it solved. Perhaps her flee into butch dress was to prevent any lads getting the idea to call on her. The recent kiss on the lips, the offer to sleep with Vera, the claimed knowledge that Vera was lesbian? Could it all be to maintain her defences and keep people from her private sphere? Then again, she may be trying to come out to me. I figured I could solve some of the riddle by asking Vera.
'Do you bat for both sides, Vera?'
My timing was awful. We were following the old road, which was a tiny, single tree-lined track, through the outskirts of the village. We arrived at the cottage seconds after I spoke and Vera ignored my question.
'Well, do you?' I tried again as she swung from the car.
'Wha
Day 8. Monday.Not even out of bed yet and a text from Vera. I always put my phone on quiet, but my sister, Sonya, nosey as ever, opened an eye.'Who’s that?''Vera.''Why?''Can I pick up her Financial Times? Seems they forgot to include it this morning.'How can such an irrelevancy spark off the imagination of an eleven-year-old?'Have you seen the heap of papers poor Georgie has to lug up to the House every morning?''She’s a big strapping lass. I’m sure she can cope.''Aren’t we related to her somehow?''Our mums share the same great grandmother.'There was a pause while Sonya let that filter through her sleepy brain. I found I was dressing rather slowly.'And the girl in the stores is related to Georgie somehow, so she must be related to us.''Too complicated. Sonya.''Shouldn’t you be hurrying or something?
Vera insisted on playing in her new tea-kitchen. She served Darjeeling. I was feeling very wicked and very on form.'As a tea-snob, I think Darjeeling is an afternoon drink, but you’ve made it for mid-morning. What did they teach you at finishing school, Vera?'This time she stood up, came round the table and gave me a hug.'That was brilliant, Millicent!' she squealed. 'Larissa Gormley-Stuart couldn’t have said it better. I’ll make a lady of you yet.''Karl Vera. That was beautiful too. I try a put down on you and your class and you counter with a declaration that there is hope for me in the world of snob.'She stood back a little, still holding me. She stared into my eyes. It was a real moment of friendship and expression that told me I was worthy of being in her confidence. Then she spoiled it.'Millicent, you are wearing so much make-up today. Why is that? You really do and have such lovely skin.'I blushed.
'By the way, I have to go to the solicitor tomorrow, early. Hopefully, there is something that prevents me interfering with the planning process. Then the farmer gets his blasted windmills and I don’t have to annoy the county set.''Is that likely?''No idea? The family has been farming that patch for generations. Who knows what was agreed in seventeen fifty something and how easily it can be applied to wind farms?''Why can’t you lie about the legal position and tell your posh chums you can’t block it?''Because Larissa insists on accompanying me.'I looked blank, then the penny dropped.'Larissa Gormley-Stuart intends to stake out the solicitor’s office, to make sure you don’t try to deceive the county set. She suspects you of some fifth column activity.''And with good reason. I’d love to let Giles Ferguson have his windmills.'A plan formed in my mind. I was willing to form a Vera-support
Day 9. Tuesday. Five o’ clock. I heard my phone vibrate. ‘Shit and derision,’ I mumbled. Through half-opened eyes I saw little sister spring out of bed and grab the phone. 'Give it here,' I barked, but it emerged as a croak. I was on a loser. 'Let me read it or I’ll tell Dad you swore and had a wet dream about Charley boy.' 'Girls can’t have wet dreams, you berk.' 'Well you had something. What are wet dreams?' 'Give me my phone and I’ll tell you.' She was already flicking through my mails. 'I’m not falling for that one. I want to know who texts you at five in the morning.' She paused and then giggled. 'There’s a thing. It’s Charley lover-boy and he says, ‘assume S at 9. Leave L 8. be in bushes opposite drive for 7.30, with camera ready. I have to work and will miss the fun, so make some good pics. Love Charley.’' We had to go through the obligatory
Day 10. Wednesday.'So what did you buy in Lowestoft? Anything pretty?''What did you do with your day off, you little rascal. Larissa was indeed held up by a gate getting in the way, but you forgot to mention you were immediately on the spot, offering help.''Oriolus oriolus, Vera, sitting on her gate. Sonya, my little sister, eleven you know, said she heard one, very typical fluty, challenging ‘whoareyou-oo,’ call and we went to photograph it, very shy too, so without much hope, and there it was sitting on the Gormley-Stuart Gate. Just as Sonya swung the camera up, Larissa jumps in her car, fiddles with something and starts to drive at the gate like a thing possessed, still attending to her dash paying no attention to where she was going, oblivious of the fact that the gate hadn’t opened and had black smoke pouring out the motor end.'I paused for breath. Vera
'No bird, no pictures,' I said.'You see, Ms Backhose,''Backhouse,' I interjected, but the Ms had lost its affectation. Goal to me I think.'Quite so. Whatever. Mrs Gormley-Stuart, has made a complaint to the police, that persons unknown, tampered with her gate, causing it not to open, and her to have a crash. These are very serious allegations, and after a quick forensic investigation, it seems it will be difficult to assuage her fears. Wire of some sort was used to hold the non-hinge end of the gate to the pillar - some heavy gauge wire, we think, as it is a powerful motor needed to slide back a ton of gate. We haven’t found the wire, so someone must have been quick to remove it after the evil deed.'He paused as if exhausted by his deductions.'Why are you telling me this?''You were there, within seconds.''Your chums were there within minutes. Would I have been able to find the wire among the rubble and remove it bef
Julie was not so shy about standing at another door eaves-dropping. Later she came up to my room, sat down and made an afternoon of it.'Vera said she had the video stored in a safe place, and if Larissa didn’t drop the gate issue, the police may get hold of it and then they would add dangerous driving if not driving with undue care and attention to the charge list. Larissa wanted to play the private property card, but Vera said . . .' She paused to get Vera’s words right. The sentence came a word at a time. 'Vera said, even if she was on private property, it was her intent to enter the public highway in a reckless manner, and for that the police were after her.''Wow!' was all I could manage. 'Vera said she would destroy the video!'Julie gave a mocking laugh.'Wake up, Millie. Vera will keep that for a rainy day. No woman would give up a lever as powerful as that. What video did she mean? What was on it?''No idea,' I lied.The
Day 11.Thursday. Most of the morning was to be spent arguing the merits of the wind farm. I was surprised that the Gormley-Stuart’s gate, or rather my part in it, was not mentioned. That was history as far as Vera was concerned. I think Julie had heard the conversation between Vera and Larissa, because Vera wanted her to. That way I’d find out. There is no value in having power if your underlings don’t know it. Julie and Vera were on first name terms There is a friendship there, which is not usual in country houses, between mistress and servant, and there were still Vera’s sexual preferences to evaluate. Perhaps they were sometime lovers - perhaps Vera told Julie what to say to me? I’d have to find a way of asking Vera about these mysteries in the house. That said, the list of ‘to do’ topics in the notebook was getting forever longer. I needed to address them soon, which meant finding a way of inserti