Chapter Forty
Clem was flicking through her phone in frustration as she drank her coffee in the solar. She knew it was called the solar because Otto had told her it was. One day, at Otto’s invitation, they had toured the castle whilst the older woman had explained a bit about the history and function of the rooms. It had been the start of a gradual warming between the two women.
Having watched Clem work every hour available, Otto had decided to take matters into her own hands and began very gently to start mentoring her. She could see Clem’s talents burning through her and saw that such passion could easily lead to a collapse. Instead, she began to make tiny suggestions. She encouraged Clem’s running and also invited her to join her every morning for coffee. Any matter could be discussed except the castle or Clem’s current designs. At first, Clem chafed at the interruption, but she tried to humour the old girl. After a while she found that she always returned to the workroom relaxed and renewed. Although, as the fashion show and heist loomed closer, she was finding it harder and harder to unwind. Now she pushed her phone away in disgust.
‘I think I might be making a fool of myself.’
Otto placed her paper on the side table and looked at Clem, waiting for her to continue.
‘With Rory Gowan.’
Otto remained silent and Clem sighed. The old woman was like some sort of Buddha at times.
‘You see, well the thing is. We had a really great time at Mari’s wedding. And then we had a bloody big row about the turbine scheme, then his ex showed up, and she’s dreadful, but he tells me he had a good time at the wedding. So I tried to arrange a date, but he couldn’t make it and then he tried to arrange something, and I couldn’t make it and since then everything has petered out. I sent him a text yesterday but nothing. Do you think he’s back with prune face?’
This time Clem was determined to stay silent until Otto spoke and lasted five seconds.
‘Am I making a fool of myself?’
Otto sipped her tea and then spoke.
‘No more than anyone else in the first flush of love. It is the nature of it to be foolish.’
Clem glared at her.
‘That is ridiculous. Christ, I barely know him. I just thought he might be fun to hang out with.’
Otto smiled and picked up her paper.
‘My apologies.’
The room fell back into silence as a clock ticked softly.
‘So what would you do?’
Otto glanced at her watch.
‘It’s time for me to get on with the accounts and it’s time for you to get back to your work. Rory is not the sort to play someone along. If he hasn’t returned your call then he’s busy. If he had taken up with his ex once more then that’s that. But he never struck me as stupid. In the meantime, you have a show to put on and Rory will still be around afterwards. I would focus on that. That is something that you can do.’
She got up and headed out of the room. As she got to the door she turned back to Clem.
‘I was looking at the cuffs on the turquoise evening gown. They are exquisite but I wondered, had you considered a trim?’
Clem frowned thoughtfully as Otto walked away down the corridor. A little touch of white piping there might be just the ticket. With her mind full of ideas, she dashed back to the ballroom and started pulling out various trims.
***
A few hours later her phoned buzzed and she saw with concern that it was Nick. Please, no more house guests.
‘Good news or bad news?’
Oh hell, thought Clem, sometimes Nick didn’t see good and bad news in the same light as she did. Knowing her luck they would both be bad news.
‘Good news first. But hang on and let me go and put the kettle on.’
As the girls made small talk, Clem realised how much she missed her sisters. She wasn’t one for talking on the phone and much preferred to talk face to face. Nick was always business, and these sorts of small, silly conversations only ever really took place when they were together.
‘Okay, I have my coffee so let’s have the good news.’
‘Right, so you know the old cars that you were going to put on freebay?’
‘Yes? Oh my God, did they make some money after all?’
‘Did they make some money?’ repeated Nick. ‘They only went and made ￡250,000!’
‘How much?’ Clem screeched down the phone.
Nick repeated herself, this time laughing.
‘So I reckon, dear sister, that we can afford to undertake all your castle’s repairs.’
‘That is incredible. But some of those cars didn’t even have wheels.’
‘They didn’t have tyres; there is a difference you know. Anyway, it seems that our uncle had an eye for top-of-the-range sports cars. Only the best for the Earl of Hiverton don’tcha know.’
‘Oh my God, Nick. Have you told the others yet?’
‘I thought you’d like to do it. And I know we are still running everything through Ari, but I’m certain she will agree this money should go into castle repairs.’
Clem drank her coffee. What a bloody gift. Here she’d been running around trying to flog a steam train and water wheel and it was a bunch of manky old cars that had come to the rescue. Talk about good news. Which reminded her.
‘So what’s the bad news?’
‘Well actually I think that’s good news as well, but I’m not convinced you will. I ran it past Paddy and she agreed with me.’
Oh God, that didn’t sound good if Nick was looking for a second opinion.
‘Out with it.’
Clem opened the tin of Moira’s biscuits and began to eat.
‘So, the thing is Vanity Fair wanted to run a piece on the castle, following on from the recent guests. And I said yes. Because we haven’t actually ruled out doing this again yet, have we?’
‘I have.’
‘Yes, I know, but it was still a bit raw, plus we weren’t making any other money. This was before the cars sold and it struck me as a good idea. So I said yes.’
‘You don’t normally talk this much. What aren’t you telling me?’
‘Well it came out today and we’ve already had loads of enquiries.’
Clem grimaced. ‘But Nick, you have no idea how truly awful they were.’
‘Well you’re the one that wants to keep the castle. This could be the way to do it. We’ve also had a few location scouts get in touch. They loved the photos and have enquired about hiring the castle for films?’
Nick was trying to sound excited but Clem had snagged on the word photos.
‘What photos?’
‘Ah well, yes, that’s the other bit. So the Vanity Fair article is basically a review of the group’s visit. Which they loved, and they spoke about you in the most glowing terms by the way. “An old school eccentric”.’
‘Are you sodding kidding me?’
‘No, and then there’s a bit about your upcoming exhibition and a photo…’
Clem choked on the crumbs. ‘Of my work?’
‘Yes.’
‘Jesus Christ, Nick, it was exclusive. No one was supposed to see anything until the event. Can we demand a retraction?’
‘From Vanity Fair? Of course not.’
‘But what did the photo show? Oh why did you give them permission? Nick, has this destroyed me?’
‘Look calm down. It’s only one picture and it doesn’t really show anything in detail, but it is rather dramatic. It looks like a window has blown open, the curtains are billowing inwards and there’s fabric flying all around the room. So you can’t tell what anything is. It’s really very striking. Mrs Van Der Bean clearly has an eye for composition. It looks like an Old Master actually.’
‘I told her not to take any bloody photos. Oh Nick, you don’t understand, exclusivity is all I have. Why will anyone come now?’
‘Okay, this isn’t you calming down, is it? I was speaking to Giles Buckley just now. Your exhibition has sold out. Within an hour of Vanity Fair hitting the shelves.’
Clem stopped and looked at the phone. ‘Sold out?’
‘Yes. Anyone who wants a ticket now has to pay over the odds for a re-sale ticket. So you see, it’s good news really?’
‘My first solo show is at the VA, it’s sold out over a week ahead and we’ve made hundreds of thousands on a bunch of old cars. I’m not dreaming. Is that what you just said?’
‘Yes,’ said Nick laughing, ‘so get in the car and get down to Norfolk and let’s all celebrate together, and with any luck we’ll be celebrating a victory for Ari as well.’
As the staff came in for their afternoon coffee, Clem hung up and then, laughing, told them all her good news. Then she hugged all of them and told them their jobs were secure, the castle was getting fixed and life was bloody excellent!