Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (a court of thorns and roses ebook free txt) 📗

‘Hardly.’ Thea’s palms tingled with unease. ‘I opened the first section with Shaun.’ She turned and toasted her colleagues. ‘It was the AA here, who confirmed its whereabouts with the geophysics.’

‘And the farmer who rang the show and told us about the finds he’d been ploughing up might have helped,’ Andy muttered.

‘Not to mention the aerial photograph of the place taken in 1976!’ Ajay threw in. ‘And the team from Cotswold Archaeology, who did the initial assessment and have been helping us ever since.’

Shaun nodded. ‘And while we’re at it, Julian, Thea and I may have taken back the first layers of the bath house, but it was the guys crammed into the other room, getting in the way of the locals, who did most of the work. So why the hell aren’t they in here too?’ He shook his head. ‘Phil had his faults as a producer, but he never put us, or himself, above the team.’

‘Okay, okay!’ Julian held up his hands. ‘Give me a break, guys! This was supposed to be a treat from me, to say thanks for all your hard work. A pat on the back.’

‘Pat on the back?’ Shaun bit back his temper. ‘We’re doing our job, Julian. That’s it. Yes, it would be great to celebrate when the dig is done. To raise a pint with all the people involved, but most of those people aren’t here. What did you really want to talk to us about that couldn’t be shared with the rest of the workforce?’

‘Well, I—’

‘We are a team, Julian.’ Shaun lowered his voice as Thea rested a supportive hand on his thigh. ‘That’s what makes Landscape Treasures work, why we’re asked to keep coming back by the television company year after year. Nothing lasts forever, and one day we’ll be axed, but while…’ He trailed off. ‘Hang on, you were talking about the show’s ratings just now. Is that what this is all about, buttering us up before you tell us this is the final series?’

The AA lowered their pints as one.

‘I can assure you that it is not.’ Julian smiled, but Thea noticed that it failed to reach his eyes.

‘But you do have a reason?’ she asked, ‘For this get together including just us, I mean. After all, I’m only a guest expert. If you need to talk about the show’s future, maybe I ought to leave you to it?’

As Thea pushed her chair back to go, Julian’s hand shot out and briefly held hers against the table, before letting go and tapping it lightly with his fingertips. ‘Not at all. You should stay.’

Glad to see Thea remove her hand with speed, Shaun asked, ‘So what did you want to tell us?’

Lowering his glass, Julian leaned forward. ‘The word on the wire is that our main rival, Treasure Hunters, is out to recruit a new lead presenter.’

‘So?’ Shaun looked at the others, who all shrugged.

‘Treasure Hunters are looking for someone to rival you, Shaun.’ Julian refilled his glass, ‘Doesn’t that bother any of you?’

Ajay, Shaun, and Andy shook their heads as Thea asked, ‘Why should that worry them, Julian? They don’t work for Treasure Hunters. And everyone knows Treasure Hunters is the show that is trying to be Landscape Treasures, but without the budget.’

Shaun nodded as he remembered their brush with Treasure Hunters’ dodgy excavation acquirement tactics in the summer. ‘We’ve dealt with them before. Our ratings knock them under the table, and they aren’t on such a well-watched or funded channel.’

Julian rested back in his chair. ‘Well, I wouldn’t be quite so relaxed about that if I were you. Word is that along with the new presenter, they’re switching to a better channel.’

Shaun sat forward a little. ‘Which one?’

‘I don’t know, but there are rumours of Channel Four, or even BBC Two.’

Ajay winced. ‘Okay, so that’s more serious.’

Andy wiped a piece of bread around the gravy left on his plate. ‘Good thing we’ve found an incredibly important mosaic then, isn’t it?’

*

Not wanting to be on her own, but not sure she could face being cooped up in Shaun’s campervan with him, when he was bound to want to rant about Julian, Thea suggested a walk around Birdlip village. She slipped her palm into Shaun’s as they strolled past the pub and along the main street, between picture book Cotswolds cottages, complete with thatched roofs and stone walled gardens.

‘I know you can’t stand the man, but try not to let Julian get under your skin.’

‘Difficult not to.’ Shaun raked his free hand through his hair as they walked, turning the gesture into a wave, as someone spotted Shaun Cowlson ‘off the telly’ passing their garden. ‘Did you see how he patted your hand?’

Thea shuddered. ‘It was like being licked by a wet haddock.’

Shaun laughed, as he put his arm around Thea. ‘I’ve been an idiot about him on that score, haven’t I?’

‘At last, the penny drops!’ She hugged him close as they walked through a narrow pathway, leading to a duck pond. ‘Do you think what he said about Treasure Hunters is true?’

‘Can’t see why he’d make it up.’ Shaun scowled. ‘They put together a good show. Okay, Treasure Hunters don’t have the budget, but they are all good archaeologists. I wonder why the current presenter is leaving? Gareth, his name is. Nice bloke.’

‘Maybe he isn’t leaving so much as being replaced. New format, new channel, etc. You know, like they did for The Great British Bake Off.’

‘Possible.’

Shaun led them to a seat by the pond. It was an almost classic circle, with reeds and lily pads tastefully growing to one side, as if whoever built it wanted the pond to look like a children’s drawing. The ducks were all grouped beneath the reeds, clearly surprised to have late night visitors, but not intrigued enough to bother dabbling over in the hope of being fed.

‘What I don’t understand, is why Julian thought only the four of us should hear about