‘What a perfect joy you are!’ said Idwid, still holding my plug. ‘How lovely to have found you. I’m going to be here until all the objects have settled down, because you see,’ he said, leaning in very closely so that his shiny moon-face was close to mine, ‘the objects have grown a little jumpy. Nothing to be alarmed about, they do get ideas in their heads from time to time and then they need to be reminded gently what they are. I can do that for them. Clod, my little lugs, we shall hear much of one another, very much, and it shall all be splendid. Now, Clod, it seems, according to your Uncle Aliver here, that the unrest amongst certain objects began with the loss of a doorknob called –’

‘Alice Higgs!’ I cried, having suddenly worked something out. Not Alec. Not Alec at all! I had been so stupid!

‘Alice Higgs? And what do you know of Alice Higgs the doorknob?’

‘That she was Aunt Rosamud’s and she lost it.’

‘Nothing more?’ he asked.

‘Nothing,’ I said, though I was shaking. I mustn’t tell him, but I wanted to tell him. There was something about him that made you want to please him very, very much. I so nearly told him everything. But though I liked him so, I must keep the whereabouts of Alice Higgs a secret, just for now.

‘Well, well, we shall find this Alice Higgs, wherever it may be. It’s hiding, but we’ll find it. There’s no place that a doorknob called Alice Higgs can hide from me. I, Idwid Percible Iremonger, find all things, whether they want to be found or not. Whenever something’s lost they often send for me.’

I didn’t like him so much then. He handed me back my plug.

‘Thank you so much,’ he said.

‘James Henry Hayward,’ it whispered.

‘Goodbye, James Henry Hayward, I will hear you again shortly. And goodbye, dear Clod. We shall speak, more, you and I, of so many things. We that hear so much have so much to tell one another. Lead me on, please,’ he quietly whispered and Uncle Aliver stood him up and then the shining little man, a smile upon his face, was gone and I was left in my room to my own thoughts, thoughts of Lucy Pennant, who I understood only now in my foolishness was keeping Alice Higgs in her bonnet. I must get it from her before Uncle Idwid finds it, because if Idwid heard Alice Higgs first there was no knowing what might be done to Lucy.

12

A PEWTER JELLY MOULD AND A PAIR OF CAST IRON SUGAR CUTTERS

Extract from the menu book of Mr Orris and Mrs Odith Groom, head cooks of Forlichingham Park, Forlichingham, London

Entry for 12th November 1875