Page 89 of The Uprising
‘I thought you wanted a stiff drink.’
‘That’s about as stiff as I can handle, or I may keel over. I kept waking up in the night. I’m shattered.’
While George waited to be served at the bar, Cara rose from her seat to get a closer look at some of the pictures on the walls. A few minutes later she returned to her spot but immediately felt someone’s presence behind her. She turned abruptly but there was no one there. Cara caught sight of someone’s back slipping away behind an alcove and she knew who it was without glimpsing his face.
Why was this time travelling warrior stalking her?
Rose Cottage, York - Present day
‘I think the letter you asked me to look out for, has arrived,’ said George’s sister, after a few minutes of chit-chat.
‘That is fabulous news. I thought it might be another week yet,’ George said.
‘It arrived this morning and I called you as soon as I had a chance.’ Kate waved a stiff-backed envelope on the video camera as she spoke.
‘Thanks Kate, I appreciate it. Please go ahead and open it now.’
She tore open the envelope and a thin piece of paper dropped out. ‘It looks as though it needs rubbing to reveal the code.’ She grabbed a coin from a nearby dish and proceeded to rub the rectangle on the paper.
‘It’s hardly Bletchley Park, is it? The way the chap went on about the coding system at the Bank of England, you’d think it was going to arrive encased in a gold envelope,’ said George.
‘Well, I did have to sign for it. Okay, I’ve got it. The code is 118887,’ she read aloud.
‘Do me a favour, sis, and snap a photo of it and whiz it over to me.’ He paused and continued, ‘How are things at Casa Cavendish?’
‘Pretty good. We love being here—this place is so relaxing.’
‘Glad you’re enjoying it. It would be good to see you both soon. Any plans to come over for a visit?’
‘I miss you and Cara. When will you be moving into Willow Manor?’
‘Oh, I see...you only want to stay in our best houses,’ George teased.
‘I can’t wait to get into that old place. I’ve been intrigued by it ever since we first heard the stories as kids.’
‘Cara’s made a few interesting discoveries about our black sheep of an ancestor who you told us about. I’m sure she’d love to chat to you about that. And you could help us sort the place out if you like.’
‘I might just take you up on that offer, big brother. As much as I love the Spanish sunshine, it does become a bit predictable after a while. I could do with a change.’
‘Well, it’s raining today, but we have had some beautiful crisp sunny days.’
‘What’s the next step for buying Willow Manor?’
‘We have a competitor, so the sooner we can raise the funds, the better. We have to find a buyer for the painting and that should give us enough money to move forward.’
‘How did you come to have this hidden-away-vault with a mystery Turner painting stashed away?’ she asked.
‘It’s a long story, and you probably won’t believe me, but I’ll tell you all about it when you come over. Right now, I’ll have to love you and leave you, as we need to get to the Bank of England.’
‘It’s all very intriguing,’ she said. ‘Never a dull moment with you two, that’s for sure. Give my love to your gorgeous wife and tell her I can’t wait to see you both ensconced in our ancestral home. Will it be Lord and Lady Cavendish like our ancestors?’
George ended the call before Kate could ask more tricky questions. Fortunately, she wasn’t the envious type, but he wouldn’t be able to indefinitely avoid offering up some kind of explanation about the painting. It would take some explaining. Kate had no idea how close she was to the truth, and he had no idea how he would ever explain any of this to her; never mind to his parents.
George went to find Cara and tell her the wonderful news. They would leave for London immediately and arrange to access the vault.
The Bank of England, London - Present day
George made an appointment with the bank, and Benjamin showed them into the small room which housed the Cavendish family vault.
