Chapter 17

That two weeks went very quickly. Tina planned our move like a military operation, even as far as going up to my flat and packing my clothes. At the other end it was Bella who unpacked all my effects and put them away, apart from a some items which she left in a cardboard box. When I asked about them she told me determinedly. "I will not be seen with you, wearing that stuff! We will go to Colchester soon and we will get you proper country clothes."

Four days before the dinner we were installed in our new office. It was quite a big room so though Tina's desk was some few feet away I would not have to bother with the intercom. Tina was pleased although she did say that I would still shout for her anyway. On the Thursday before the Saturday of the dinner Gerry and Emma came to inspect the kitchen. They evinced satisfaction of the equipment and gave Bella their suggestions for the menu. I think Bella agreed before showing it to me. The first course was a crab avocado pickled ginger timbale. Then they suggested tenderloin beef steaks stuffed with mushrooms with a touch of garlic. The desert would be a key lime torte with cream and strawberries to add a touch of sweetness. Finally a cheeseboard with soft and hard cheeses. I agreed to the choice, how could I say any different? Bella did allow me to choose the wines. Huh!

I was so pleased that Chad and Lily had accepted the invitation. They arrived just after six-thirty. Of course Bella, Tina and Aleksy were already there, the two girls fussing about last minute alterations to the dining table. Bella was wearing a very nice long dress, a shimmering shade of antique cream, she looked lovely and I told her so. Her blush complimented perfectly the shade of her dress, Aleksy and I sat in the lounge like spare grooms at a wedding. Chad's arrival changed all that. Bella and Tina joined us in the lounge. I had told them about Lily's face and they greeted Lily with aplomb and after our greetings, Bella and Tina conducted Lily away to the ladies room where they could all touch up their make-up. Chad watched their departure with humour. "Lily has spent at least an hour getting dressed and then an another hour on her face. It took us three quarters of an hour to get here and already she is off to repair her face."

"She looks a lot better than when I saw her last, Chad."

He nodded. "Yes. She had another procedure and she is less shy about it now." Chad paused. "I think Lily will tell you all about it later." He looked me in the eyes. "Thank you for the invitation, Daniel. This is the first time that Lily has been out in four years."

"She is beautiful lady." Aleksy remarked.

"Thanks Aleksy." Chad was grateful. He looked around. "You seem to have made a very good job of this. Daniel said it had been uninhabited for sixty years."

"It was. But Victorians built well. Fabric of house really sound. If not there would be nothing to restore." Aleksy was very proud of the job he had done and once started it was difficult to stop him describing the problems he had and how it was resolved. The Ladies returned and Aleksy curtailed his monologue. It would appear that Bella had shown Lily around. Lily was very complimentary which would have got Aleksy started again until Tina gave him a look and he subsided.

There was idle chatter for a while until the sound of a car pulling up disturbed us. "That will be Daddy and Jason." Bella remarked. We went out to greet him. Andy had a converted van. A raised roof at the back with a windscreen allowed him to be wheeled into the van and let him see where the driver was taking him. Sliding ramps eased the wheelchair down from the back doors. The wheelchair was locked in place when the van was moving. Getting out of the van was easy as Jason guided the wheels down the ramps, but getting Andy up the three steps to the veranda needed two to pick the chair up. I stepped up and Jason told me where to grip the chair.

"Thank you Daniel. I'll be ok from here." Andy said once he was on the veranda. He wheeled himself into the foyer and Bella showed him into the lounge.

I turned to Jason. "You know you will be most welcome at the table."

He nodded. "Miss Bella told me that you had extended the invitation. However it would be better if I stand ready to help Mr. Swinson. He has no control below his waist so I will watch him for signs that he needs to leave the room for a while. I am a fully trained nurse."

"Ah, yes. I understand. Emma and Gerry the caterers will plate up some food for you."

"I am obliged, Mr. Chandler." I showed him the layout of the ground floor and then took him into the kitchen, where Emma and Gerry, perspiring, were dashing around getting everything ready. Jason got straight into their good books by asking what he could do to help.

"Twenty minutes, Mr. Chandler." Emma called.

I returned to the lounge and my guests. I needn't have worried as Bella had made sure that everyone had a glass of sherry. She smiled as she handed me a glass. "Skiving off again, Daniel?"

"Cheeky! Your spanking is getting closer and closer."

Her eyes twinkled. "Promises, promises."

Lily approached us. "This is a lovely house, Daniel. You must be so proud of it."

"I am Lily. It is a rather odd way by which I came to own the place, but I am very pleased that fate has brought me to here."

"Yes. Chad said something about that. Is it true that your family owned the property a hundred years ago?"

"It would seem so, Lily. It's a rather tenuous thread, but it's there all the same."

Lily turned to Bella. "I understand that you are responsible for the interior design."

"Not alone, Lily. Tina helped tremendously. Daniel let us loose with his credit card, and you know how spending money is such fun."

I left Lily and Bella to chat and I went over to Andy. "Your chap Jason seems to be very helpful. He's helping the cooks now."

"I couldn't get by without him, Daniel. He is a bit bossy from time to time, especially when I am having a good time, but I can't complain. I like your girl, Tina. She will be looking after the estate for you?"

"Yes, and yours if you really want us to take on the management. She and Aleksy are starting their own business. Property maintenance."

"Ah! Interesting. Well he did a damn good job here, so I will probably want to talk to him sometime. There are some cottages that need a helping hand."

"Tina mentioned that there was a possibility of renting one of your cottages."

"As far as I am concerned, Daniel, it's theirs whenever they want. However I have another three cottages that need a lot of attention. Oh and I do want you to take over the management of my land. Bella has done it, but something tells me that she has another interest to pursue." He thought for a moment. "Is Chad the accountant you talked about?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, perhaps I should have a chat with him sometime."

Jason put his head around the door and coughed. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Would you please take your places in the dining room." He came and took hold of the handles on Andy's wheelchair.

"Don't fuss, Jason. I can do this myself." We strolled casually into the dining room.

The dining table looked magnificent, bathed in the light of flush lighting in the false ceiling. Stanislaw had fixed them on two circuits controlled by dimmers switches, so the room was lit with soft lighting except over the table where the lights shone more brightly. I helped Bella into her chair and my guests sat, automatically sitting so every lady had a gentleman either side of her. They conspired so that the only chair left for me was at the head of the table. Bella was sitting directly opposite to me and when I sat she gave me a beaming smile. Emma, Gerry and Jason bustled in and served the first course, with Jason offering a light white wine to compliment the course.

In retrospect I had to hand it to our chefs. I have rarely enjoyed food as much as I did that evening. The food was excellent, but the conversation around the table was exhilarating. We covered many topics some serious and others humorous, though at no time was it too serious and the humour was gentle. Having finished the meal I offered coffee and brandy. It was at this point that Lily decided to speak. Her eyes glittered with a hint of moisture as she spoke. "Daniel, Bella, my newly found friends. You have been so generous by not mentioning my face, thank you. I have never spoken about this and being here amongst friends I feel that I should. My face is as it is because I was the victim of an acid attack." I was surprised as the gasps from others told me they were also surprised. Lily went on. "Someone thought I had done him much harm and he took his revenge, the results you see."

The sound of a chair falling backwards came from Aleksy who stood, his face blazing in anger. "Tell me who this man is. I go and kill him!"

"Aleksy! Please, there is no need to do anything. My husband took care of that. Even though I hurt Chad deeply he took revenge. I believed that my marriage was over and for many months it was, but Chad, my lovely Chad, found me and we talked. Gradually I understood that what had happened and the acid attack was not a result of my actions but the actions of a very evil man, who has paid the price."

Aleksy had sat down again at this point, and Tina reached over and held his hand. "My Polish Bear. Always ready to fight for a woman's honour. No wonder I love you." Aleksy grumbled a little but subsided.

Lily went on."This is the first time in four years that I have socialized." She turned to me. "Thank you Daniel for your invitation, and thank you all for making this evening so comfortable for me. I know now that I don't have to hide away in shame and embarrassment."

"Damn right." Andy said it perfectly for all of us.

Chad brought up another subject. "I am most curious to know, Daniel. What is your connection to the owners of this land all those years ago?"

"It's strange, Chad. That I and the estate's ownership had a surname in common didn't ring bells, but when I saw a photo of the last land-owner, Danbury Chandler the bells started ringing, as we physically were identical. Tina decided to delve into the genealogy and found a connection. So I will let her tell the rest of the story."

Tina smiled with pleasure. "So good of you, Boss. You would have probably made a complete mess of it." She coughed. "Right. The last owner of the estate was Sir Danbury Chandler, the son of Sir Dashwood Chandler.

"A Baronet?" Chad injected.

"Yes." Tina went on. "Danbury had a younger brother, Robert who was illegitimate. He was a child when his mother, Lady Adelaide left Chetford in the eighteen nineties and they moved to Braintree. Danbury inherited the estate and the title in nineteen oh eight. Unfortunately he was killed in ninteen fifteen in the war."

"He was engaged to my Great Aunt." Bella interrupted.

"And my daughter is doing her damndest to put that right." Andy grumbled.

Bela blushed, Tina laughed and carried on. "Robert married in nineteen twenty-one to Ellen and they had a son Douglas in nineteen thirty two. They lived in Braintree probably for all of their life. Douglas married a Mary and they had a son Dennis, who is Daniels' father. That is the simple explanation. There is no clue to who was the father of Robert."

"So Daniel has no bloodline connection to the owner ... who did you say, Sir Danbury?" Chad asked.

"Correct." I answered.

"Pity." He mused. "Having a Baronet as a client would look good on my letterhead."

It had become quite warm in the dining room so I got up and opened the door window that accessed the patio. Immediately Aleksy had to go out and check. Tina followed as did Chad and Lily, so I looked at Bella who smiled and rose. I went to Andy. "Shall I wheel you out, Andy?"

"I can manage, Daniel, but thank you for asking." The only problem would be the floor sill which was about two inches high. I had supposed it would be a problem, but not to Andy. He tilted back slightly when he approached the sill and the two wheels on the front of the chair lifted, he rolled the chair forward and the wheels landed outside, then the big wheels came to the obstacle and Andy exerted his strength and they went over too. The light breeze was refreshing.