Peter

Peter turned to Frances. ‘You know I explained how my dad died? When I was very young.’
‘Yes Peter.’
‘Well Tony’s dad died here on the estate.’
‘I never knew. Well I knew he died on the estate ‘cos Tony said, but I never knew where, or how. I did know Tony’s mum died here. After he was kidnapped and then tried to save her,’ said Frances. ‘Down by the stables you told me Tony. You told me about a year ago when we were coming into the house. You sort of stopped in the yard and I bumped into you and you explained. Where the man shot your kidnapper you said.’
‘Yes,’ said Tony, ‘but that isn’t what Peter’s trying to tell you Frances. This is about my dad, Peter’s dad’s brother, Michael Lord.’
‘No Tony, I didn’t know. I’m sorry if I said something wrong, something thoughtless. I didn’t know. But about the cliff you say?’
‘When my dad died he was climbing with both his brothers, Michael and Daniel.’
‘Yes, you told me that Peter. Somewhere up in Wales you told me. Your Uncle Daniel finds that hard to talk about.’
‘Yes, well. We don’t talk about it very much,’ said Peter. ‘Anyway, after that Tony’s dad thought he should inherit Fotheringham and not me.’
‘And apparently my dad got very cross about all this,’ added Tony. ‘And in the process he really pissed off a lot of people. He was supposed to get married to some rich American, and people said he stole money, trade secrets, and all sorts of things.’
‘But your mother stuck by him Tony. According to Daniel and Samantha, your mother stuck up for your dad through thick and thin, even when he wasn’t going to marry her.’
‘Must have been a funny kind of situation,’ said Tony. ‘My mum never really explained it to me all the time we lived up in London. When we ran away down here I never had a chance to ask her.’
‘But your father Tony?’ He was killed down here and that is why your mother ran away to London. Why didn’t she stay down here with the family?’
‘She knew we weren’t family,’ said Tony. ‘My parents never married and so I’m not really a Lord.’
‘But you are now,’ said Peter affirmatively. ‘Remember the story of Samantha and the hospital. Who cried and who was the hero?’
Tony blushed. Frances wasn’t sure whether she should say anything but she wanted to hear about Tony’s dad, about the cliff and why the embarrassment.
‘I’ll skip that Peter and tell Frances here about my dad. Like I was saying, dad pissed off a lot of people and someone, or maybe more than someone decided enough was enough, so they shot him.’
‘No Tony no,’ cried Frances. ‘No, surely not? People don’t just shoot other people. That’s crazy.’
‘Well it was crazy,’ said Peter. ‘We never found out who did it either. It’s still one of those cold cases or whatever they call them.’
‘But where, how, and why?’
‘Too many answers to why Frances,’ said Tony. ‘Daniel knows some of it but he’d sooner not talk about it. That’s why he was keen on the plaque. A memory in a place that shows a struggle.’
‘Just below us Frances. Actually, almost exactly below us is a very old oak tree. It is a special tree for my Uncle Daniel in many ways. It’s there that he and Katya found the gold coins, and the lovely necklace for grandma.’
‘Some tree Peter. Covered in golden coins for leaves or something. Some oak tree.’
‘No no Frances,’ laughed Peter. ‘I’ll give you the short version, the two-pager as Katya would say. There is a cave in the cliff, hidden by the tree. When I was little, about one I suppose, I found some old papers in Home Farm. Daniel and I were tidying up some of dad’s old papers in the attic at Home Farm and apparently I tipped over a box. Inside the box were some papers and in these papers were some maps.’
‘Long two-pager Peter.’
‘Now you really sound like Katya. Anyway, I wouldn’t let the maps go so Daniel made copies for me to colour while he investigated the originals. I think he’s still got them somewhere. Sort of talisman or good luck charm for him and Katya. He talked with grandpa, and with Enrico, and that’s how Daniel found the cave.’
‘The cave behind this golden oak tree?’
‘Yes, and Daniel thought there was some treasure buried in the cave so he went digging.’
‘But he didn’t find anything,’ said Tony. ‘My dad wanted to find this treasure and so he went digging too. Late one night. And just as he came out of this cave someone shot him. The rumour was that someone lured him to this cave and set up a trap.’
‘But that’s criminal.’
‘Yes,’ said Peter and Tony in unison.