GOTHIC
FOLLY:
“Is
it ever going to stop raining ? “ Katherine said, “I want to get
outside and play.”
“It's
raining cats and dogs,” her sister giggled. “Woof, woof, meow”
“You've
been reading Paddington Bear little Frances.”
“I
aint little.”
“You
are and you have been reading Paddington Bear, he talks about the
weather, cats and dogs. Lovely weather for ducks !”
It
had not been a good start to the summer holidays. The sisters liked
school but they liked even better not having to go to school. Why
couldn't it rain on school days and save the sunshine for the
holidays ?
Nine
year old Katherine was playing hairdressers grooming every doll and
teddy bear in the home. Seven year old Frances was lining up a heard
of plastic sheep. “The animals went in
“There
were only two sheep on Noah's Ark, your got at least twenty there.”
“I
don't remember being taught at school that Captain Noah had teddy
bears and Barbie Dolls on his floating zoo.”
The
girls were bored. Daniel was not bored, he was lonely. Katherine and
Frances had been bored for four days, Daniel had been lonely for four
hundred years.
Girls,
the weather forecast for tomorrow says it will not be raining. If
it's right we are all going out for the day. Frances flock of sheep
and Katherine's teddy bears gave a cheer. A cheer of delight, the
teddies were fed up with having their hair combed and everyone knows
sheep do not mark in a like like tin soldiers !
The
weather forecast was right, absolutely right. It did not rain.
“Look
at that up on the hill,” Katherine said. “Isn't it strange don't
you think ?”
“It's
not strange, it's spooky,”her younger sister replied. “Come on
Dad let's go up there and have a look.”
With
an end to the summer rain, perhaps a temporary end the family was
spending the day at the National Trust's Gardens in Stowe.
“Who
lives here ?”
“Nobody
lives here Frances,” Dad explained. “This whole park used to be
the home of The Duke of Buckingham.”
“He
lived there then, in the Spooky House ?”
“No.
The Duke lived in the big house on the other side of the park.”
“If
I was The Duke I would live here in the Spooky House, I bet that
would have been fun. Wooooo.”
“It's
just a folly, It's called The Gothic Folly,” Dad explained.
“Katherine”
said, trying to show off her knowledge. “Folly means silly doesn't
it ?”
“So
it's silly and spooky,” her younger sister giggles. “I like
things that are silly.”
The
Gothic Folly was certainly not silly but it was spooky. The gardens
at Stowe were enormous, the sisters could spend a month exploring and
not see everything. It must have been fantastic to have been the Duke
of Buckingham and to have lived in such a place. There were not many
people who had climbed up the hill to the folly but among those where
there were sheep, lots and lots and lots of sheep grazing on the
grass in the adjacent field. There were many more sheep than the
number of plastic farm animals Frances had been playing with at home.
Standing looking at the sheep was a young boy, a little bit older
than Katherine perhaps he was dressed in rather strange clothes. As
they were leaving the folly he turned and smiled at the sisters.
“That
is a big house,” Katherine said. “Is it called Buckingham House
?”
“No,”
Dad explained. “This is Stowe House where The Duke lived when he
was here in the country. Buckingham was in London, he stayed there
when he was in town. Buckingham House is now Buckingham Palace.”
“The
queen lives there,” Frances smiled as she showed off her general
knowledge.
They
had not seen him as they walked from the folly to the big house but
as they looked at the enormous home of The Duke of Buckingham he was
there again,when the girls noticed him he smiled.
Leaving
the house they walked through an area of woodland. Katherine tried to
name the different kinds of trees by looking at the leaves. Frances
was more interested ib seeking how many squirrels she could count as
they walked along.
Near
to the entrance to the park there is a cafe, the girls pestered their
parents for something to eat. “I want some ice cream,” Frances,
“ chocolate ice cream.”
“Apple
pie and custard for me,” Katherine chose.”
She
did not say it but thought her sister's choice was boring.
There
he was again, the boy with the strange clothes ! Was he following
them ? What was that strange hat ? He had taken it off and put it on
the table where he was sitting. Neither of the girls had ever seen
anyone wear a hat like that before. What ion earth was he drinking ?
Neither of them thought they could ever swallow such a strange thing.
“We
are going to walk round the lake before we go home.”
It
is a big lake and both girls were tired when they got into the car to
head home. They did not see the boy again while they walked round the
lake. They could see that folly, the spooky folly up on the hill. It
had made a firm impression in their minds.
SQUIRREL
WOOD:
Both
Katherine and Frances slept well that night. When they awoke in the
morning it was raining again.
Usually
Frances was awake first but on that day Katherine opened her eyes at
least fifteen minutes before her sister. She had a dream which was s
till clear in her head and she wanted to tell Frances all about it.
“We'll
come back tomorrow,” Frances mumbled as she awoke. “Let's count
them all and give them names.”
Katherine
felt the ends of her long blond hair tingle where it met her head.
“We'll come back tomorrow. Let's count them all and give them
names.” Perhaps she was still dreaming. No she was awake.
Rubbing
the sleep from her eyes Frances said, ”You were in my dream last
night and was that boy, his name is.....”
“Daniel.”
Katherine cut her sister short. “His name is Daniel.”
“How
do you know ?”
“Because
I reamed about him as well.”
“In
Squirrel Wood ?”
“Yes.”
“But
didn't the squirrels look funny, I mean squirrels are grey and these
were all brown.”
“Good
morning Miss. Good morning Miss,” Daniel said. “Welcome back to
the home of His Grace The Duke of Buckingham.”
“Your
hat looks funny,” Frances said.
Daniel
took it off and bowed to his two new friends. “All important people
wear to hats.”
“So
are you important then ?”
“I
am not but my father is, he is the estate manager here at Stowe.”
“What's
an estate manager ?”
“He
is in charge of all of the grounds here in the park and all the farms
on His Grace's estate.”
“What
do you do then ?”
“Nothing.
I am a ghost.”
“You
don't look much like a ghost to me.”
Daniel
smiled. “I was going to visit the squirrels, to say good morning
and make sure they are alright.”
“Do
they have names, the squirrels ?” Frances asked.
“Of
course they do. I gave them to each one myself.”
“Why
are they all a funny colour ?” Katherine asked. She knew this boy
Daniel must be playing a game, he was not a ghost. It was the sort of
joke Frances would have played, perhaps she put him up to it.
“They
are all brown,” Frances said before he could answer.
“Actually
they are red, they are not brown.”
“Well
they should be grey. Squirrels are grey !”
“I
have heard it said that in the colonies there are grey squirrels but
here in England we have red squirrels.”
Colonies
? What colonies ?
“Look
up there, that's Squirrel George I named him after the king.”
The
two sisters looked up.
“There
with him are William and Matilda, I named them after the king's
brother and sister.”
“We
don;t have a king,” Katherine explained. “We have a queen.”
“Of
course we have a king and of course we have a queen, Queen
Charlotte.T hey have been to Stowe, King George and Queen Charlotte.”
“Did
you meet them ?”
“No,
I am not important enough to be introduced to the kind and queen.
Besides I am a ghost.”
“A
ghost with a silly hat.”
Daniel
took off his hat again and bowed. “I have told you my name, what
are your names ?”
Katherine
introduced herself then smiled as she curtseyed. Frances smiled but
she did not courtesy.
“Is
this called Squirrel Wood ?”
“That
is what I call it but I am sure His Grace had it named something much
grander.”
“Do
you come down to Squirrel Wood every day ?”
“Most
days but not always every day. Most days since 1769. That is quite a
long time.”
Katherine,
who was good at Maths, worked it out. “Two hundred and fifty
years,” she said.
Daniel
bowed again. This was a good game, the sisters would play the game
with Daniel.
“So
what is the date today ?” Katherine asked.
“It
is Monday 3rd August in the Year Of Our Lord 1771.”
“No
it's not, it's Monday 3rd August 2019.”
“For
you perhaps but you are not a ghost. I am and it is Monday 3rd
August in the Year Of Our Lord 1771.”
“This
is boring,” Frances said. “Boring just standing here talking, I
want to do something.”
“Shall
I show you were the baby squirrels live ?”
“Oh
yes.”
There
were three of them, three infant red squirrels playing in the trees.
“What are their names ?”
“Mary,
named after Maryland. Caroline after North and South Carolina. Rhode,
he's a boy, named after Rhode Island.”
The
three watched with delight as the squirrels played. Daniel waited for
his new friends to ask about the names he had given to them. If they
did not ask him within the next few minutes he would tell them
anyway.
“Do
you live in that weirdo place up on the hill ?”
“I
do Miss Frances. It it is the residence of the estate manager.”
“It's
spooky.”
“Well
after all I am a ghost.”
Katherine
and Frances wondered for just a brief moment if indeed their friend
Daniel could actually be a ghost but Frances wondered if anyone who
wore a hat like that could evcer be a ghost.
“You
haven't asked me why I chose the names fior the baby squirrels.”
The
girls did not reply and they did not reply when he explained. What
were these colonies ?
“Oh
look, there's a badger,”
“That's
Henry, he's a good friend of the squirrels, he looks after them.”
“Are
there any other animals living here in Squirrel Wood ?”
“Lots
and lots and lots.”
“Such
as ?”
“Deer,
they come into the wood to hide when the Duke and his friends start
to hunt them. The Duke likes a bit of venison on his table.”
“That's
horrible.”
Daniel
did not think so. “Foxes,” he continued. “The Duke likes to
hunt them as well.”
“What
about birds ?”
“There
are lots of birds, all kinds but my favourite are the owls. I like to
sit here at night and listen to them.”
“Do
they have names ?”
Katherine
and Frances awoke before Daniel could answer.
“You
and I have had the same dream,” Katherine said. “Exactly the
same.”
Frances
though for a moment then said, “Spooky.”
“It
is spooky,” Katherine agreed, “but it was not frightening.”
“Daniel
kept us safe.”
“I
was about to say that.”
“I
know you were.”
It
was raining again.
“I
do not find history at school all that interesting,” Katherine
started to explain, “But I think we need to do a bit of history
today.”
“I
am not old enough to do history,” Frances smiled. “I am only
seven.”
Yes,
it was raining again so the girls were going to spend another day of
their school summer holiday inside the house. They would normally
play apart, do their own thing but on that day Katherine needed the
help of her younger sister.
“History
is about dinosaurs and stuff,” Frances smiled.
“It
is also about Daniel.”
“But
he is a ghost,” Frances was still smiling but then more seriously
explained, “he was a dream.”
“Is
he ? I am not sure. How come we both had the same dream ?”
“I
don't know.”
Katherine
was thinking very carefully. “How old would you say Daniel is ? I
am nine, you are seven years old, how old is Daniel ?”
Frances
shrugged her shoulders. “A bit older then you are. Ten ? Eleven ?”
“I
think that eleven is about right. I remember he said it was 1771 so
that would mean he was born in the year 1760.”
“He
said he named the two squirrels after the king and queen,” Frances
remembered.
“King
George and Queen Charlotte, we need to find out when in history they
ruled the country.”
“Shall
I go and get my tablet ?”
“Yes
Frances, do that.”
Was
daniel after all just a dream ? Was he two dreams ? What about his
being a ghost ? There was no such thing as a ghost was there ?
Daniel ? Was he a ghost ? If Daniel was a ghost then were the
squirrels also ghosts ? No they were real.
King
George – Katherine typed the search into the tablet. Oh, there were
lots of them: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six. Prince William's
great-grandfather was King George Sixth.
“King
George and Queen Charlotte,” Frances said, “they were the
squirrels.”
“This
one, King George Third, was on the throne from1738 to 1820 and he was
married to Queen Charlotte,” Katherine read the information from
the tablet.
“That
is a long time ago.”
“A
very long time ago Frances but we, you and I, have both been there.
Last night.”
“In
a dream.”
“I
don't think it was a dream, we had the same experience. I do not
think it was a dream, I think it was real.”
“Wow
!”
“And
we are going back there. Tonight.”
“Really
?”
“Really.
We are. I think we need to find out as much as we can about where we
are going.”
“Let's
do it !”
SWAN LAKE:
Daniel was standing on a bridge at the
end of the lake looking out across the water and watching the swans.
As he saw the sisters approaching he turned towards them lifted his
hat and bowed.
“Good morning Miss Katherine. Good
morning Miss Frances.”
“Hiya,” Frances greeted him.
Katherine was a little more formal.
“Good morning Master Daniel.”
Was it good morning, it was the middle
of the night. It certainly after bed time.
“How many swans are there ?”
“Forty-six, I have counted them.”
“And are they all your friends ?”
“Indeed Miss Frances but they do not
all have names. That is something I still have to do, I am trying to
think up a name for all forty-six. The lake has a name.”
“It is called Swan Lake isn't it ?”
“It is Miss Katherine. How did you
know ?”
“It;s obvious, Swan Lake. Here is a
lake with forty-six swans swimming on it, how could it be called
anything different ?”
“Forty-six includes the young
cygnets who were born earlier in the year.”
“A cygnet is a baby swan,”
Katherine explained to her sister.
“ I know !”
“So Miss Katherine, Miss Frances
what brings you to Stowe again today ? This makes it three days in a
row that you have been here.”
“We wanted to see you,” Katherine
said.
“I want an adventure,” Frances
said.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“In seventeen whatever this date is
there were pirates. Is that true ?”
“Yes but they do not sail on Swan
Lake.”
“Swan Lake is the name of a ballet,”
Katherine said. “I go to ballet classes every Saturday and I can
dance some of the ballet Swan Lake.”
“What is ballet ?” Daniel asked.
“Is that something pirates do ?”
“I want an adventure,” Frances
repeated,
If he was to stop being a lonely ghost
Daniel needed his two friends to come each day. He needed to take
them on an adventure. He had an idea.
“The Duke of Buckingham is the
richest man in England,” Daniel began his adventure.
“Is he the richest man in the world
?” Frances asked.
“He could be but I think that Tzar
Peter of Russia may be the richest, if he is than our Duke certainly
is second.”
Daniel would give Frances and her
sister an adventure, an adventure he knew The Duke of Buckingham and
Tzar Peter of Russia would like to be a part.
“Come on ladies let's have an
adventure.”
“Really ?”
“Really, truly Miss Frances. Come
and walk with me to the other end of the lake.”
Frances looked into the distance. “All
that way ?”
“Don't complain,” Katherine said.
“I'll race you.”
Daniel smiled as the three started to
sprint, a sprint which after the first three undred yards turned into
a jog.
“You're not fit Katherine,”
Frances puffed.
“You only just beat me.”
“But I came first,” Daniel
applauded himself.
“But you are a ghost,” Frances
observed. All ghosts are good runners, everyone knows that !”
Daniel did not know that. He was not
sure but he had never thought about it.
“Down here, come on, follow me.”
To be continued......................
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