‘Oh, I agree. They are all so different,’ observed Trelawney.
‘You know ... I think they were paying us a great compliment by all talking and being themselves.’
‘Indeed, I think so,’ he agreed.
‘Zoe clearly likes you. I hope you’ll be able to support her ice-cream habit!’
Chapter 47
Whatever Happened to ...?
Amanda and Trelawney stayed away for a day, until they were called over by Hogarth for dinner. By the fire over pudding, as this had become a tradition, it was time to get down to business.
‘We’ve decided it’s easiest if I talk to you.’
‘Elodie?’ asked Amanda.
‘Yes, but you can call me Lucy if it helps,’ she suggested.
‘If I say, “Lucy”, that’s all of you, right?’
‘Yes, well sort of, if everyone is paying attention.’
‘Ok.’
‘What I wanted to say is, well done, Amanda. I heard about what you did. The fall of the House of Flamgoyne. You have made the way for me — us — to come home. And now it’s my turn to help you. In any way I can.’
Amanda put down her tea.
‘I appreciate that. I just wanted to ask you: the book – the grimoire in the lab — did you see the asthma spell? The antidote?’ Amanda looked at her, hopefully.
Lucy shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. The only student who had asthma was the boy who drowned. I never saw it. I am so very sorry. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help you. There was no trace of it in Cardiubarn Hall? Did you go back and search some more?’
‘No, there was none I could find. But it has to be somewhere,’ insisted Amanda optimistically.
‘More custard?’ offered Lucy, picking up the jug.
‘Thank you.’
As Lucy poured the thick, yellow, sweetly fragrant liquid onto Amanda’s jam roly-poly, she enquired,
‘The only time you remember seeing it was when you were three?’
‘That’s right. And the last time you saw it was …?’
‘About four weeks before the attack on Growan House.’
‘I think,’ said Hogarth, ‘it’s reasonable to assume that either the Flamgoynes took it from Cardiubarn Hall after it was used on Amanda, or the Cardiubarns hid it, either somewhere on the estate or elsewhere.’
‘However,’ interjected Lucy, ‘Amanda, you’re not looking for an asthma spell; they didn’t cast one on you. What they cast was a spell for creating a magical power, that they knew would go wrong in just that way.’
‘Yes, I see. The inspector did suggest that. If it were part of Dowrkampyer research, is it possible that notes about it could have survived in some other form elsewhere?’
‘They were always shredding their notes,’ responded Lucy, ‘but it’s not out of the question. Anyone else for more custard?’
‘Please,’ replied Trelawney.
‘Could the grimoire’s individual spells have been copied?’ Amanda suggested.
Lucy went to Thomas with the custard jug. ‘Entirely possible. But The Grimoire would have held the only copy I know of.’
‘Apart from the Cardiubarns and the Flamgoynes, who else would have known about it? The children who escaped and maybe their families?’
‘That could be an avenue to pursue,’ Lucy agreed, sitting down again.
‘Well, for now, I think you should just enjoy your honeymoon.’
‘Quite,’ agreed Hogarth, looking across at his bride. ‘I believe I’m entitled to your undivided attention at least for a week or two.’
That drew a provocative glance from Marielle. ‘I think I can manage that.’
Amanda waited for a moment while Hogarth smiled at Marielle. It was one of the few expressions she remembered. She’d seen it between Grandpa and Granny, and now knew a sudden feeling ... a wish ... that someone would look at her in just that way. Amanda gave her head a little shake to banish the thought, then said,
‘We’ve got as far as we can for now and ... I’ve loved being here. This will always be my land. But if it’s all right, I think I’d rather like —’
‘— to go home,’ finished Mike. ‘We understand. Of course. But you and I do have one last piece of business to deal with. Paperwork,’ he added significantly.
‘Oh, the contracts!’ exclaimed Amanda.
‘If you come over tomorrow, we can go through it all. Ken can bring you over. Morning suit you?’
‘Lovely.’
‘As for your going home, whenever you’re ready,’ offered Trelawney.
‘Yes, you two,’ returned Mike, ‘Time to set up shop in Sunken Madley.’
‘Your future base, I understand,’ commented Lucy.
‘Yes.’
‘Well, bring Amanda back soon, Thomas. We would all like to get to know you both.’
‘And we’d like to get to know all of you better too,’ Amanda replied warmly. ‘It was you, Elodie, that spoke to me that time in the Cardiubarn crypt, wasn’t it?’
‘It was.’
‘A five-year-old to a nine-year-old. For such I am, according to those who know me best,’ said Amanda.
‘Five-and-a-quarter,’ came the response, with a twinkle. ‘Maybe one day I’ll make it to five-and-a-half.’
Amanda smiled ‘Maybe one day I’ll make it to ¬nine-and-a-half.’
‘I wouldn’t bother, either of you,’ advised Hogarth ‘Being grown up is vastly overrated. What do you say, Thomas?’
Trelawney raised a spoonful of jam roly-poly and custard.
‘Vastly.’
Chapter 48
The Contracts
Trelawney was thoughtful at first, on the road back to Parhayle. Presently he said,
‘Mike – he’s a lucky man.’ He drew up at the traffic lights, turned and smiled at Amanda, ‘And so am I. Lucky in my friends,’ he added quickly.
She took his words at face value and thought, that’s nice.
‘Would the day after tomorrow suit you for taking you home to Sunken Madley?’ Trelawney asked.
‘That would be perfect. It would give me time to see Uncle Mike about the contracts, and do just one more thing before I leave.’
Lucy had gone into Parhayle, so Amanda found Hogarth alone when Ken
