gave.”
“Do you remember anything about the aunt? You haven’t got a surname .. just Ada.”
“Just that. He thought she was a witch and he and Angel went to visit her. It was a place called Witches’ Home, and as it was her home they were going to that was significant.”
“Did he say anything about the place?”
“He said there was water at the bottom of the garden, I think. Yes, he did. It could have been a river.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. He must have been under five years old, because he was five when he came to Perrivale.”
“Well,” said Felicity, ‘we’ve got. Witches’ Home and presumably a river and Ada. “
“What are you suggesting?”
“I was thinking that we might try and find Ada. A little talk with her might be rewarding.”
“Felicity, you mean that you …”
“I have an idea. Why don’t you come back with me and we’ll spend a few days together before you go back to Cornwall. James and the children would love to see you.”
“I do have my work. I’ve been away longer than I should,”
“The enfant terrible. Oh yes. By the way, how is she getting on without you?”
“Well, I hope. But I must get back. I can’t take too much time, although they are very amenable.”
“A few more days won’t make much difference. In any case, they won’t dismiss you. They’ll be so pleased to have you back.”
“Kate might revert to her old habits from which, I believe, I am weaning her.”
“That will only make them appreciate you all the more. I have a plan.
We’ll find out if there is a place called Witches’ Home . or something like it. It could be on a river . or some sort of water.
That could be useful. “
“It might have been a pond at the end of the garden. All we really have is Ada and Witches’ Home. It will be rather like Thomas a Becket’s mother coming to England, her only knowledge of the English language being London and Gilbert and going through the streets of the capital calling Gilbert’s name.”
“I’m glad you remember the history I taught you.”
“Well, London is rather different from Witches’ Home and a great deal larger.”
“I imagine Witches’ Home is a small village where every one will know everyone’s business.”
“And where are we going to find this Witches’ Home.”
“We’ll consult maps.”
“Little villages are not marked on maps.”
She was downcast but only for a few moments. Then her eyes sparkled.
“I have it,” she said.
“Professor Hapgood. That’s the answer.”
“Who’s Professor Hapgood?”
“My dear Rosetta, I don’t live in Oxford for nothing. Professor Hapgood is the greatest authority on the villages of England. It’s his passion … his life’s work. He can go right back to the Domesday Book and beyond. If there is a place called Witches’ Home in England, he will tell us in the winking of an eye. Ah, I can see your scepticism fast disappearing. But trust me, Rosetta, and Professor Hapgood.”
How glad I was that Felicity knew. I was reproaching myself for not having told her before.
Felicity and I went to the clinic. Lucas was improving and was now walking with great ease. He said he was no longer in pain with every step; all at the clinic were very pleased with his progress. He still had to rest a good deal and would be going home in about a week.
I told him that I had taken Felicity into my confidence and we had plans for trying to locate Aunt Ada. He was amused at the prospect; he said the information we had to go on was very flimsy; however, he was impressed at the mention of Professor Hapgood, of whose reputation he was aware.
I said that as Oxford was on the way I could go straight to Cornwall from there. I could not delay my return much longer and I should be at Perrivale perhaps a few days before Lucas returned to Trecorn Manor.
“I shouldn’t hope for too much success in this new venture,” he warned me.
“Even if you do find the place-and you might with Professor Hapgood’s help-you’ve still got the search for Aunt Ada.”
“We know,” I told him.
“But we’re going to try.”
“Good luck,” he said.
The next day Felicity and I left for Oxford where I was greeted in a most friendly fashion by James and the children. Felicity explained that she and I were taking a little trip and she would accompany me on part of the journey back to Cornwall, but only be away for a night or two.
James was always understanding about the close friendship between myself and Felicity and he never raised objections to our taking a little time to be together. So that was easily settled and our first task was to get into touch with Professor Hapgood, who was delighted to help.
He took us to his study which was lined with massive tomes; and it was clear that the prospect of a search delighted him.
He could find no Witches’ Home, which we rather expected.
“You said a child, under five mentioned the name. Well, it must be something that sounded similar. Witches’ Home. Let me see. There’s Witching Hill. Willinham … Willinunder-Lime. Wodenham. And what about Witchenholme. That might sound to a five-year-old like Witches’ Home. More than the others, I think. There’s Willenheime … well, those two would be the most likely.”
“Hoime sounds more like home than heime,” I said.
“Yes,” agreed the professor.
“Let me see. Witchenholme is on the River Witchen … it’s hardly a river… a tributary of, let me see …”
“A tributary sounds just right,” said Felicity.
“The boy said there was water at the bottom of the garden.”
“Let me look at Willenheime. No, there is no river there. It’s in the north of England.”
“That can’t be the one. Where is Witchenholme?”
“Not far from Bath.”
I looked at Felicity with delight.
“In the west,” I said.
“Much more likely.”
“We’ll try Witchenholme,” said Felicity.
“And if it isn’t the one, we shall probably be troubling you again. Professor.”
“It’s a great pleasure,” he said.
“I pride myself I can produce the smallest hamlet that existed in England since the days of the Norman Conquest, and I like to have a chance to prove it. Now, let me see.
Your nearest town would be Rippleston. “
“Is there a railway?”
“Yes, there’s a Rippleston station. Witchenholme would be no more than a mile or so out.”
“We’re extremely grateful.”
“Good luck in the search. And if it’s not the one, don’t hesitate to come back to me and we’ll try again.”
As we left him I felt amazingly optimistic.
“Now,” said Felicity, “We shall have to go through Witchenhoime as Mrs. Becket did through London, only we shall not be calling Gilbert but Ada.”
We booked a room for the night at Rippleston, which proved to be a small market town.
“We may have difficulty in locating Ada and may need two days to do it,” said Felicity.
It was good to have her with me. I remembered how she had always thrown herself wholeheartedly into any project. It was one of those characteristics which had made her such a stimulating companion.
All the way down in the train we chatted about how we would set about finding Ada, and what we should say to her when we found her. We had both made up our minds that we were going to find her, which was perhaps a
