The Mist of Time Ch. 05-06

CHAPTER FIVE

With Tina away I had a quiet day that Thursday. I busied myself looking on the internet for any property auctions that may be coming up. These auctions usually offer re-possessed property, where the Bank or Building Society tries to recoup their outstanding debt. They put on a reserve that matches their debt so if they have a property with a debt of say three hundred thousand pounds that's their reserve price, even though the value of the property was much higher. As long as they get their money back they don't care, it's the poor sucker who defaulted on the loan who loses. By law any monies recovered in excess of their debt should go to the defaulter. The bidders are not often able to view the property before the auction, so knowledge of the area and the wording in the description of the property is very important. Terms like 'needing attention' or 'in need of decoration' are danger signs. I had fallen foul of such terms before, believing that the blurb was accurate. I learned the hard way, which is the expensive way. I made notes of a couple of auctions that may be interesting. However I wouldn't confirm my attendance until I had Mr. Ander's money in the bank.

On that Friday I arrived at Chetford just after ten. Aleksy's van was parked outside the front door. He had persuaded the gates to open fully and then obviously ignored the brambles and nettles drove straight through them creating an almost cleared path. I didn't follow suit, but left my car just inside the entrance. I was wearing jeans and heavy boots, yet walked gingerly along the cleared path he had made. I was surprised that the boarding had not been taken off the windows. I couldn't see either Aleksy or Tina, but I heard them as I approached the opening where the front door had been. I heard Tina giggling and her words, "stop that!" followed by a slap.

I called loudly. "I don't pay you to mess around on my time." I waited and shortly a red-faced Tina appeared from the back of the house, followed by a grinning Aleksy. "So! What do you think?" I addressed Aleksy.

His facial expression changed to glum "Lot of work to do." He told me. He indicated the doorways. "No doors, all gone. No windows, same. Stairs very bad. You can get upstairs with care, but rot in stringers and risers, need new staircase. All plumbing gone." He indicated the tiled floor of the entrance hall. "Tiles cracked and many missing. Floorboards in room's o.k. but need sanding, staining and sealing. Wall plaster has to be patched where gas pipes were ripped out. I think we will come up with many more problems as we go, but everything fixable. Depends on how much you want to spend." He had a damp meter in his hand which he slapped against the wall the red light flickered briefly and went out. "Is good. No damp in walls. I have been upstairs but not checked thoroughly yet." He had a morose expression as he spoke. I think he possibly thought it wasn't worth even trying. I however looked at the house from a different aspect. Tenuous it may be but I had a familial attachment to this house.

"Right. Start on a thorough inspection. If you need more time, I will pay you a daily rate. Make a realistic survey and a ball park figure of what it will cost."

His face cleared. "O.k. Boss. I get started now. Probably need another couple of days here though."

I was about to suggest that they come back next week but Tina whispered in his ear. He nodded. She turned to me. "I am sure we can keep the room at the pub, so if it's all right with you we will stay here over the weekend. I am certain that Aleksy can get his inspection done in another couple of days."

"So I am expected to pay for your dirty weekend?"

Instead of the flippant answer I was expecting she said. "No Daniel. I'll pay for the room. The food's good and the Landlady has provided us with flasks of coffee and a picnic lunch. It's like a little holiday for me."

"That's fine with me. I'll let you get on; I am going to wander up to the ruins. The exercise will do me good. See you in a while."

I couldn't really understand myself. There was nothing up at the top of the gentle rise apart from the merest suggestion of the rubble that a house had been there. That was nothing that impelled me to see them again, yet something did urge me to visit the site once more. Did I expect to hear voices from the past? No! I was a practical businessman who wouldn't be swayed by emotions or my mind playing tricks to divert from my course. Yet some emotion I couldn't understand was directing my steps up the slope to what?

I didn't stay too long amongst the rubble. There were no answers here, that is, if I was seeking answers anyway. However the exercise was good and other ideas played in my mind. I didn't hear the voices.

"Is that him?"

"I don't really know. Adelaide."

"It must be, Rupert. If I did not know better I would believe I was seeing Danbury. It must be him."

CHAPTER SIX

I started to descend the slope back to the Dower House. The drumming of horse's hooves alerted me to take more notice of my surroundings. It was that woman. I stopped, startled. What name did she give me, Annabel, Annabel...then it came to me. Swinson! She was galloping the horse across the turf, clods flying from the horse's hooves. She must have noticed me as she turned the horse's head and headed in my direction. I waited as she brought the horse down from its gallop to walking pace, turning into wide circles to calm the beast. The horse seemed unhappy not to be galloping, shaking its head and pawing the ground. She leaned forward in the saddle and patted the horse's neck. "Come on, Drummond, there's a good boy." Her voice was soft and soothing and slowly the horse, Drummond? Calmed. Miss Swinson turned her head to me. "Good morning, Mr. Chandler."

"Good morning, Miss Swinson."

"Annabel."

"Ok. Good morning Annabel. I am Daniel."

"Daniel? A 'D'! From gossip it seems that all the Chandler males were given a name beginning with 'D'. Are you sure you are not part of the family?"

"Yes. Well no, I mean yes. It seems that I am related. A rather tenuous link though."

"How tenuous?"

"I believe that I am the great grandson of Robert Chandler."

"I have never heard of Robert. Who was he?"

"An illegitimate son of Lady Chandler, Dashwood's wife."

"Wow! That must have caused some ructions."

"I would imagine you are right." We both smiled. "While we are talking ancestry, would you be related to Arabella Swinson?"

"Good Grief! You have done your research. Arabella was my great, great aunt. I may have left out a great. I believe she was engaged to Danbury Chandler, but he was killed in the First World War. She never married."

Of course I knew this, from Mr. Prescott. "I have just been up to the summit. They certainly knew the best place to build their house. It's a tremendous view from there."

"You are not thinking of building there?"

"No. I am having a survey done to see what work is needed in the Dower House. Apart from that, the land will be untouched. You can ride your horse as often as you wish."

"Thank you, kind sir. Perhaps you will take to the saddle as well. It would be good to have someone to ride out with."

"I don't think so, Annabel. I am a Londoner. Horses are for the Royal Artillery or the Life Guards. For anything else Londoner's take the bus or the tube."

"No buses or trains around here I'm afraid." She tightened the reins and Drummond raised his head. "We will have to work on you and turn you into the landed gentry."

"You can try."

Annabel said nothing, just smiled and flicked the reins. She gave me a smile and a wave and was off. I watched her ride away. It would be very pleasant to spend time in her company, even if that meant having to ride a horse. Perhaps I should take riding lessons just in case.

When I got back to the Dower House, I surprised Tina and Aleksy sitting on what remained of the front veranda, sipping coffee. The thermos flask was near to Tina's hand. She looked up. "Crikey, Boss. I thought you would be up there for an hour or two. You have only been away for thirty minutes. Oh! And we clocked you talking to Miss Swinson. Getting on nicely are we?" She had a cheeky smile on her face. Thirty minutes? I thought I had been there for at least an hour and a half. I looked at my watch. She was right. I had only been there for thirty minutes.

"It would seem that you two are the ones getting on nicely. I am paying for an inspection, not for coffee breaks."

Aleksy made a move to get up, but Tina laid her hand on his arm. "He's joking, Aleksy." She smiled sweetly at me. "Would you like coffee?"

"Yes please."

Tina found another cup and poured coffee. Aleksy was looking uncomfortable. "What's the problem, Aleksy?" I asked.

"It's going to take a lot of work, Boss. Much money too if I am not mistaken."

"Well that's why I asked you to do the survey. I am happy to fund the job as long as it doesn't get to silly money. I like the house and I think it's worth restoring."

"I will do that and I'll give you two estimates. One is for a good job and the other will be for the right job."

I understood what he was saying. "Aleksy. You said you didn't speak English well. The nuance in that statement would go past many who claim to speak English."

"Tina is good teacher."

"I'll bet." Tina glared at me for a moment and then smiled.

There was little else I could do so I decided to return to the office. "I'll leave you two to get on, or get it on more likely."

Tina poked her tongue at me. "Well don't let your imagination get too vivid, or you will have an accident on the way."

"Huh!"

On my journey home I reviewed the strands of the past which were being revealed and my possible familial connection to them. I pondered this question for some time when the possible answer hit me as I was turning into Old Street. I remembered something that Tina had mentioned while she was researching my family. She had mentioned that Censuses from 1851 through to 1911 were available online. I would be able to see who resided at Chetford House and probably find where Lady Chandler had gone when she left the house.

To be continued...