Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (the little red hen ebook .txt) 📗

‘What? What’s so obvious?’ Tina could feel her hackles rising again.

‘Losing you of course. What else could send him into a building where, in his mind at least, the place could burst into flames at any moment and the roof fall on his head?’

Twenty-Four

September 11th

The new phone felt awkward. It was bigger than his last one, and didn’t fit as well into the back pocket of his combats. Fishing it out again as he crossed the pub car park, Shaun checked the time. It was approaching ten o’clock. Phil and the team would have been working on the site for the past hour and a half.

He ought to be there himself, but after his phone had failed to reappear, he had taken an early morning drive into St Austell to buy a new one. It had taken ages, largely due to being stuck behind a stream of cyclists on the narrow lanes between Lanivet and Bodmin. Shaun knew that his absence wouldn’t have held up the dig unless something of especial interest had been found. If it had, then he’d be needed to talk on camera, and more time delays would be incurred.

Unless Phil gets Sophie to do it for me.

Not sure if he minded about that possibility or not, Shaun let himself into his room over the pub. Sinking down onto the bed he called Thea.

*

Thea’s mobile vibrated in her pocket as she crossed the garden towards the excavation site. It wasn’t a number she recognised.

‘Hello?’

‘Thea, it’s me.’

‘Shaun! I’m so glad you called.’

Picking up on the worried yet relieved tone in his girlfriend’s voice, Shaun shelved the onslaught of groans and grimaces he’d been about to deliver in favour of listening. ‘What is it?’

‘Sam had an accident last night. He came inside and fainted, hitting his head on the kitchen floor.’

‘Ouch!’ Shaun rubbed at his forehead in sympathy. ‘Where is he now?’

‘Resting in his tent.’

Thea explained the events of the last forty-eight hours, from Helen’s arrival, to the idea of sponsorship and the potential appointing of a tutor, to the fact that not being consulted had led to Tina’s disappearing act which, in turn, had led to Sam rushing indoors.

Pausing for breath, Thea added, ‘And this morning something else has happened. Tina has asked me to deal with it, but I honestly don’t know what to decide for the best. It feels so disloyal, but I don’t think we have a choice anymore. Not if you can’t commit one hundred per cent and—’

‘Hold on.’ Shaun’s head began to ache in sympathy with Sam’s as he processed the onslaught of information he’d just received. ‘What decision?’

‘We’ve had another email from Treasure Hunters this morning, offering a further thousand.’

‘They did what?’

‘Don’t shout at me, Shaun. I was up late with Tina, Helen and Sam. I feel bad enough as it is.’

‘Sorry, love. I wasn’t shouting at you. It’s so frustrating. Landscape Treasures should be doing that dig. And we will, if I have anything to do with it. But every time we get back on schedule something else happens and prevents us from committing to a date to start at Mill Grange. If only Sophie was better qualified. She’s good… maybe I should train her up. Do some one-to-one tutoring. Might that ultimately speed things up, or make no difference? What do you think, Thea?’

*

Sophie watched as the Landscape Treasures Range Rover rolled to a stop in the driveway nearest the dig. She could imagine her mother tutting. She was bound to be watching out of the window. Every time Sophie glanced towards the house, she was sure the curtains twitched. Why Lady Hammett couldn’t just admit she was enjoying the attention the house was getting Sophie didn’t know. Happiness seemed to be an emotion that had been successfully bred out of her mother. She felt sorry for her father, who was in his element, openly popping outside every few hours to ‘check on things’. She was sure he’d grab a trowel and join in if it wouldn’t have cost him a tongue-lashing from his wife.

I’m never going to be like them. Never.

As Shaun got out of the vehicle, the screen of the new phone he was holding glinted in the sunlight. He looked tired. Sophie pictured herself wiping the worries from his shoulders, running him a hot bath, massaging his shoulders until he was relaxed and…

‘Sophie. Did you hear what I said?’

Snapping back to reality, Sophie saw Phil towering over her as she sat in the trench. ‘Sorry, I was concentrating on this bit of wall.’

‘No problem.’ Phil, who’d noted the intensity of her gaze, and knew it wasn’t directed at the wall, carried on regardless. ‘I need to speak to your mother about extending our time here by two days. Lady Hammett was very definite about how long we could stay. Do you think she’d agree to that?’

‘Leave it to me. Best I approach her via my father. He’ll agree; that I do know. He’s loving this.’

Phil smiled. ‘He could join in you know.’

Sophie shrugged. ‘He seems happy watching.’

‘Fair enough.’ Crouching so they could talk at the same level, Phil said, ‘There is something else.’

‘How can I help?’ Sophie positively glowed. It felt as if Phil was confiding in her.

‘The church; the possibility of it being St Guron’s original place of worship has attracted the attention of the local press. Not surprising considering the logo splashed across the side of the vans. They want to come and do an article, as do the local news teams from BBC and ITV Cornwall.’

‘The television!’

Phil laughed. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Sophie, but you’re already being featured on television.’

‘Yes, but, the news. That’s real television.’ Realising she might have offended Phil, Sophie hastily added, ‘Forgive me. I meant that news coverage would give the dig gravitas in my mother’s eyes. It could help your quest to get an extension.’ Sophie’s gaze shifted from Phil, back to Shaun, who was walking in