I buried all the raw, unexplored feelings I had for Connor and kept my grief hidden deep where I couldn’t find it. I immersed myself in my new role as the supporting wife and doting mother. If it sometimes felt like play-acting, I didn’t mind. I would imagine myself as the lead character in a play - the glamorous mistress of the manor house. I cultivated lasting friendships with my neighbours and became more and more vivacious and outgoing - a great laugh, an absolute scream, a total head case - that was Ellie Culpepper. It was like this larger-than-life character had taken over the real me.
My two beautiful children were the centre of my life. I was enthralled by my little girls, falling more and more in love with them every day. I gazed at their sleeping forms in wonder and inhaled their sweet, sweaty scent. I didn’t dare let myself think of Riley’s connection to my lost love, Connor. I loved my girls equally as mine and Johnny’s children - little people in their own right.
Johnny too, showed no favouritism, fiercely protective of them and this raised him even higher in my esteem. As the years whizzed by, I slid deeper into the easy contentment of privileged family life and the small, hidden stone of grief grew smaller.
My youngest brother, Tom, now one of Eddie Donovan's guards in the Uley Perimeter, got a site transfer and joined us in Bournemouth five years after I first arrived there. At first glance, it seemed a strange career choice for Tom the pacifist, vegetarian, champion of the underdog. But the changes to our country had a sobering effect on most citizens and much re-evaluating and shifting of morals took place. Tom said he still believed in his old values, but his previous lifestyle was irrelevant now that our lives were constantly under threat. He wanted to actively contribute to the protection of his family.
He did his guard training at Uley, along with my other two brothers who stayed on with my parents. I think Tom had itchy feet and was desperate for a change of scenery. He’d always been so used to flitting around the country on some crusade or another. Now it was a shock to find himself a virtual prisoner in his small home town. Much as he loved the rest of my family, it drove him mad having my parents constantly fussing around him.
I was thrilled to have him in Bournemouth with us. We’d always been close siblings and, although neither of us mentioned Connor, he was an unspoken bond between us. To my delight, Johnny suggested giving Tom the annexe to our house and he was very happy there in his bachelor pad.
One wintry November day, I lay upstairs on my bed, engrossed in a great book Johnny had got hold of for me - a scary thriller that had me speed-reading to find out what would happen in the end. Reading and drawing were my greatest passions and my husband loved to surprise me with battered paperbacks or rare art materials that had me jumping up and down in excitement and flinging my arms around his neck. He’d always tell me to stop overreacting, but I knew he loved to see me so happy.
At the end of a chapter, I decided to nip downstairs and make myself a cup of tea and grab a piece of the delicious flapjack Riley had made in her cookery class yesterday. Riley was fourteen now, and developing into a doe-eyed stunner. Skye was a twelve-year-old tomboy with enough cheeky character to get away with whatever she wanted.
Halfway down the stairs, the doorbell chimed. Dammit. It was too late to pretend I wasn’t in. They would’ve seen me through the window already. The girls weren’t due back from school for another two hours and I cherished my quiet time. Who would be interrupting me at this time of day? Johnny was out working. I sighed and went to open the door, yearning for my book and the piece of flapjack that would now have to wait.
It was Tom.
‘Quick, Ellie, let me in. I’m on duty and I’m not supposed to be here.’
‘What’s up, Tom?’ I asked, startled and intrigued.
‘I think you better sit down.’
‘The girls?’ I had a moment of pure terror.
‘Nothing like that, everyone’s safe.’
‘Tell me then. What is it?’
He guided me into the kitchen and we sat on the L-shaped sofa.
‘I’ve got some incredible news.’
‘Ye - es?’ I waited for him to continue. ‘For God’s sake, Tom, you’re doing my head in. Spit it out.’
‘Connor’s alive and he’s in Bournemouth right now.’
I thought I’d misheard him.
‘Did you hear me, Ellie? Connor’s not dead.’
My stomach went into freefall. Why now? So many thoughts rushed through my brain. But I had to know one thing before I heard all the details.
‘Does Johnny know?’
‘No. Only Mum, Dad, Ollie and David. And you and me, of course.’
‘Do me a favour and don’t tell anyone else.’
‘Of course, sis. Are you okay? This must be a massive shock.’
‘Tell me everything.’
Chapter Forty
Riley
*
Luc and I sit at a long trestle table in the tea tent, opposite Aubrey and Marcia. A three-tiered silver tray is stacked high with freshly baked cakes and warm, crumbly scones. Ramekins contain mountains of clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. It all looks incredible, but Luc and I are stuffed from our long lunch of local beer and barbeque.
‘Dig in, m’dears,’ says Marcia, dolloping a huge lump of jam onto her cream-smothered scone.
‘Shall I be mother?’ Aubrey’s holding of a large brown teapot, which he’s positioned over my cup. ‘Nettle tea. Not too bad actually, although it is an acquired taste.’
‘I’ll give it a go,’ I say. ‘Thank you.’
He pours out a cup for us all, launching into a eulogy on the high standard of competition entrants this year.
‘Della’s Longhorns were outstanding. They absolutely deserved first prize. Did you two manage to see any of our rare breeds? Spectacular! I’ll wager you’ve never seen finer.’
‘It’s a great fair,’ I agree.
‘It is, isn’t it. Now Marcia tells me you need beds for the night.’
‘Is there some kind of lodgings or a guest house?’ asks Luc. ‘We can pay for our board.’
‘I’m sure you can, but we wouldn’t hear of it. Marcia’s already said you’re to stay at the lodge house. We have plenty of space. That’s settled. Bit embarrassing, can’t remember your names. Did I hear one of you say you were a Donovan? Eddie Donovan’s relation perchance?’
‘I’m Lucas, his son.’
‘What did I tell you, Marcia!’ The Mayor pounds the table with his fist and our tea jumps out of our cups.
‘Aubrey! For goodness sake, watch what you’re doing. You’re making a terrible mess.’ Marcia takes the linen napkin from her lap and starts blotting up the spilt tea.
‘Yes, sorry, clumsy.’ The Mayor looks chastened. ‘But what a small world. He’s due here in October in an advisory capacity. We have trading links with Melksham. Mayor Turnbull recommended the fellow. Wonderful, wonderful.’
‘And you, m’dear?’ asks Marcia. ‘Your name? You must excuse our awful memories. So much going on today …’
‘Riley Culpepper.’
‘Oh, my dear,’ she says. ‘Terrible, terrible business. I’m so sorry.’
‘Eh? What’s that?’ the Mayor says.
‘You know, Aubrey. Don’t be dense.’ She turns to him and unsubtly drops her voice. ‘That terrible business about the girl from the Talbot Woods perimeter. We had a picture delivered from the Guards. Of the killer.’
My cheeks flush and for one terrible moment I think I’m going to cry. I’ve been coming to terms with everything, slowly. But sometimes, when people take me unawares, it just sends me over the edge. I swallow hard, willing the tears to stay unshed, but I can’t prevent one from running down my cheek. I’m horrified and embarrassed.
‘Oh, my dear, your poor sister. I am so terribly sorry,’ says the Mayor.
‘Thank you,’ I say.
‘Would you like a hug?’ asks Marcia, looking very awkward, but trying hard to be consoling. Her worried ex
pression makes me smile and stems the unwelcome rush of emotion.
‘I’m fine,’ I say. Under the table, Luc takes my hand and I don’t pull away.
‘So, I don’t suppose anyone fitting Ron Chambers’ description has passed through here?’ I ask, getting myself together.
‘Not that we’re aware of, I’m afraid,’ says the Mayor. ‘But he might have passed outside the walls. Those awful boys outside only set up their Toll this week, so he would have gone by unobstructed. Let me contact Luis, our Chief of Security. Do you know if this Chambers fellow was on foot or horseback?’
‘Actually, he stole my Mother’s AV, so I guess he would still have been in that,’ I reply.
‘A thief to boot. What a ghastly character,’ says Marcia.
Twenty minutes later, a small, compact man in uniform is standing to attention next to us in the tea tent.
‘Please do sit down, Luis,’ says Marcia. He sits at the end of the table and opens a red hardback log book.
We all lean in to peer at the pages where they record all vehicle and foot traffic that passes by their borders. Scanning down, Luis sees an entry that could well relate to Chambers. It states that a dark-coloured AV skirted the walls at 02.10 on the fifteenth of July. The vehicle could easily have been Ma’s stolen AV. Unfortunately, it had been too dark to see who was driving, but there weren’t any passengers noted.
‘Do your parents know where you are?’ says Marcia suddenly, looking from me to Luc with a piercing stare.
Our hesitation gives us away.
‘You silly children! They must be out of their minds with worry. If my two had done anything like that ... Come with me, we’re going to contact them right this minute.’
Luc and I stare at each other in a panic. I’m not mentally prepared to speak to my father just yet and guess from Luc’s expression, neither is he.
‘Could we contact them later?’ I ask. ‘Pa will be at work, and Ma isn’t very well.’
‘I hope you don’t expect me to believe your parents would rather be working or sleeping, than hearing their child is in fact safe and sound and not dead in a ditch!’ Marcia’s voice becomes shrill and people are beginning to stare.
‘Shall I …’ Luis makes an exiting motion with his hands.
‘I should if I were you,’ Aubrey replies. ‘Thank you, dear fellow. Now, Marcia, let’s all calm down. We’ll contact the parents after the fair. You two run along for a bit and we’ll meet by the bridge at six, if it’s alright with you.’
‘But, Aubs …’
‘Now, Marcia, a couple of hours won’t make any difference.’ He winks at us as we hastily leave the tea tent.
Aubrey and Marcia Rowbotham live in Lowstone Castle Lodge House, a beautiful dwelling, constructed from the same creamy stone of the nearby Castle. Like a mini castle itself, it’s circular with four turrets and a tiny drawbridge.
We are now in The Rowbothams’ well-used study, sitting in front of Chippenham’s only radio communications device, listening to Luc’s mother crying through the static. It’s terrible and Luc is really shaken up by it. Marcia Rowbotham stands next to us with her arms folded across her massive chest. I hate her for making us do it, but a part of me is a little bit grateful because, without her, our parents would still be in their hellish limbo of our making.
Guilty doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel. Our initial reason for making the trip, now seems flimsy and feeble - a stupid thing to have done, especially as we’ve gained nothing in the way of information.
Luc’s father and my Uncle Tom are on Security business in Southampton with the two choppers and will be with us within an hour. Pa is on his way back from Hook Island and doesn’t even know Luc and I have been located. Luc’s mother is waiting at our house in the Talbot Woods Perimeter, so she can tell Pa as soon as he returns.
It’s a shock to realise we’re going home and I can’t believe we’ve been on the road for just nine days. It feels like a lifetime between now and that first early morning when we left the Perimeter.
Chapter Forty One
Riley
*
Luc and I stand shivering on the Rowbothams’ terrace. They’ve tactfully left us alone while we contemplate just how bad our imminent family reunion will be. We hear the helicopters before we see them. And now there’s no escaping the serious trouble we’re in.
‘Jesus Christ, Luc!’ Eddie shouts in his deep baritone, as he descends from one of the helicopters. They’ve set down in the litter-strewn field where the Autumn Fair was held only hours ago. He looks like an angry giant as he strides across the grass towards us. We walk hesitantly to meet him.
‘What the bloody hell have you two idiots been playing at?’ He hooks Luc’s head in his arm and pulls him towards his body in a bone-crushing embrace. Then he draws me to his chest with his other arm. ‘You’re a pair of bloody nightmares. Don’t you ever, ever put us through anything like that ever again.’
I catch sight of Uncle Tom behind him and he steps forward, sweeps me up in his arms and kisses the top of my head.
‘What’ve you done, Riley?’ He tips up my head and stares at me with disappointment in his eyes.
I lower my gaze.
‘Your mother is hysterical and your Pa is angry like you wouldn’t believe. We’ve been worried sick about the two of you. I honestly thought you were more sensible than this. It was a thoughtless thing to do.’
‘I’m sorry, Uncle Tom, but I was so angry about Skye. No one was doing anything.’
‘That’s because there was nothing anyone could do. Don’t you think we explored every avenue? Tried everything we possibly could to find the killer?’
‘It didn’t feel that way,’ I replied.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to argue. I’m just glad you’re safe. Let’s take you to your Ma; she’s dying to see you.’
Eddie has finished bear-hugging Luc and has reverted to angry-mode.
‘Right, Luc, I want you in that copter now. Your mother needs to see you pronto. Richard!’ he calls to one of his guards. ‘You and Marco drive my wife’s AV back to Bournemouth. Jerry, take Luc in the copter and hover back over the AV - make sure they don’t run into any trouble.’ He turns to look at me. ‘Riley, you’re coming with me to your grandparents’ house. Your mother’s having a nervous breakdown over you.’
‘Dad,’ Luc says. ‘I need to say goodbye to Riley. There’s something I have to …’
‘I don’t even want to hear it, Luc. Now get in that copter and I’ll see you later at home. Tom, can you get Riley settled in the other one? I’ve got to see the Mayor and thank him for dealing with these two. Let's hope Bonnie and Clyde here, haven’t completely ballsed-up my meeting next month. I’ll be two minutes.’
I realise I’m not even going to get the chance to say goodbye to Luc and I don’t know how long it will be until I next see him. I’m going to Gloucestershire and he’s going back down to Dorset. And I also realise that I don’t want him to go. That I can’t bear the thought of us being apart.
I catch his eye and smile, trying to convey what’s in my heart. I smile a promise that I hug to myself and he gives me a look I can’t decipher. Then he is taken off and away into the summer night sky.
*
On the short flight, I contemplate my situation. I started this trip with the clear intention of avenging Skye’s murder, but I haven’t even made a dent into locating Chambers. My reasons for leaving the Perimeter now sound feeble, even to my ears, so I know my parents won’t be impressed with my explanations. I’ve had the adventure of my life, but the conclusion is missing and out there in the English countryside Ron Chambers has escaped justice and is probably laughing at his good fortune.
Despite the deafening whirr of blades and judder of the engine, I fall asleep on Uncle Tom's shoulder and now he’s gently shaking me awake.
‘Riley, darling, wake up. We’re here.’
I open my eyes, disorientated. When the helicopter door open
s, I feel the cold north wind hit me like a slap in the face. It feels as though it’s turned from an Indian summer to an early winter, missing out autumn altogether, and I start to shiver. Eddie places a blanket around my shoulders and leads me along a narrow lane bordered with hedgerows and tall trees. It opens up onto a small cul-de-sac with a turning circle in front of five medium-sized detached houses.
My grandparents live in the Uley Perimeter, established by Pa and Eddie at around the same time ours was built. There’s nothing strange in the fact I’ve never visited them here before. Even helicopter travel holds its dangers and, as I said before, Pa has never been happy to let Skye or me travel outside the perimeter fence.
Our grandparents usually visit us once a year, when they use either Pa's or Eddie Donovan's chopper for the journey. If not for the copters, they wouldn’t be able to visit at all, because road-safety has a whole new meaning these days, as I can now testify.
I stand in front of Grandma and Grandpa’s house; an ordinary-looking Cotswold stone building with a sloping roof and a small chimney. Its wide front lawn runs straight on to the pavement with no fence or hedge to screen it from the road or the other properties. They are all there in the doorway, waiting. My uncles - Oliver and David, my grandparents and Ma, who now runs across the grass towards me.
She squeezes me so tightly and kisses me all over my face and hair, white-faced and crying.
‘I thought I’d lost you too,’ she weeps. ‘I couldn’t have borne it. I love you so much, my darling, darling girl. My baby.’ Then I’m completely enveloped, as my uncles and grandparents come to greet me.
‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,’ I sob.
‘Hush, you’re safe now, that’s all that matters,’ Grandpa soothes.
Eddie Donovan stands to one side of us, tactfully waiting until the initial emotion of our reunion has simmered down.
‘I’ll be heading back now, Eleanor. You take care.’
‘Eddie, thank you for bringing my baby back safe.’ Ma kisses his cheek and they hug briefly.