Chapter 59

Chapter Fifty-Nine

When our party of adults and children arrived at Thorpefield Hall in two taxis, the staff assembled by the front door to meet us. Benjie Brockman had donned his old military uniform. He saluted as Mr. and Mrs. Arkwright led four boys into the house. Milly followed with two girls. A couple of young ones had fallen asleep in the taxi. Raynor carried one, and Sykes the other.

“Where will you put them all?” I asked Raynor.

“Two rooms are spruced up. They’ll be in there together, and there’s the old nursery.”

Milly holding the two little girls by the hand, said, “I feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy for the children, but no one is saying anything about Stephen.”

“Don’t give up.”

“I never will. And the housekeeper says I can look after children.”

I congratulated Benjie on giving the orphans a home. “Only for now, you know. There have been misunderstandings. Gertrude will be making arrangements.”

He was a little out of date. We had just rescued the children from Gertrude’s arrangements. I wondered if Benjie fully understood what was going on, or whether his mind played tricks in order to protect him.

“And we’ve had offers of help from the village. People are very good. Valerie—Miss Pennington—brought rugs for their rooms. The chap who looks after the pit ponies brought a box of toys that he found.”

Now that he had done ceremonial duty by welcoming his visitors, Benjie was anxious to return to his study. He asked me to come with him. His stamp collection was on the desk.

“If the children are good, I may let them see my collection.”

“And what about your coins, Benjie? Did you find the two that you missed?”

“I never did you know, but they’ll turn up I’m sure. Gertrude seemed to think that Alec stole them, but she’s wrong. He’s gone, you know, gone to be a proper mechanic as he calls it.”

“The man he works with is a friend of mine, Philip Goodchild. They’ll get on very well. And I’m sure Alec will come and visit you.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes.”

I would see to it that he did, just as Benjie had suggested Alec visit Valerie Pennington. “Benjie, what were those coins, the missing ones?”

“George III guineas, dubbed the spade guinea because of the shape of the shield.”

“Two the same?”

“Yes. I was going to do a swap. Fellow collector I correspond with, he wanted one in exchange for a military guinea.”

“Well perhaps yours will turn up, or perhaps Gertrude might have another thought about where they are?”

He gave me an odd, slightly quizzical look. “I wondered that too. Funny you should have the same thought.”

“Where is she today?”