Wychwood - Overstrand’s Offer

One

After Overstrand and Sandy had finished lunch, Overstrand asked Mhairi to come to the library, where he told her that Sandy would be staying at Wychwood to convalesce and finish the diary. As Mhairi listened to Overstrand, Sandy was surprised to see her purse her lips and a flash of what looked like annoyance cross her face.

“Very good, Sir Robert, I will inform the other staff,” she replied when he finished.

After she left, Sandy whispered to Overstrand, “I’m not sure she likes me.” 

He laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not sure she likes me either. She and Eleanor were very close, and she’s good at her job."

Overstrand had insisted that Sandy should stay and recuperate at Wychwood. Sandy had agreed, though not without reservations. She had mixed feelings about returning to the house after everything that had happened there, some of which she still didn’t understand. However, the chance to recuperate in comfort was not to be dismissed lightly. She had accepted, but only if she was allowed to finish translating the diary. She reasoned it would be her way of giving something back to Overstrand.

She told him that, since he had already paid her the full amount for the translation, she would not accept any further payment for completing it. He tried to argue, but she was insistent. Sandy knew he felt guilty, but she would not exploit his feelings. He was not to blame for what had happened to her, and she owed him a debt that could never be repaid.

Which made understanding her feelings for him so much more complicated.

That, at least as far as the others were concerned, was the plan. However, Overstrand had put something else to Sandy. Something she would need a lot of time to consider. He said he understood and was willing to wait until she had finished the translation before asking for her answer. However, before anything else, she needed to recover.

Two

The following morning, Catriona came in to take Sandy's vital signs, as she did each morning and evening. As she removed the blood pressure cuff, she said, “Everything looks fine. Are you up for a visitor today?”

Sandy looked up in surprise. “Yes, I’m getting bored. Who is it? Annabelle?”

Catriona didn’t reply directly. “I’ll tell Samantha it’s okay.”

A few minutes later, Samantha appeared and announced, “I have news.”

“Please tell me it’s good news. I could do with some.” The previous day had taken its toll on Sandy. She had not slept well, half expecting another dreadful dream, which hadn’t happened, but she was feeling at a low ebb.

“They found your phone in the Palace, after the you know what.”

“Sam, you can say what it was—a bomb. I’m not going to faint. But there can’t be much of my phone left in one piece.”

“The card thingy inside was still there.”

“You mean the SIM card, Sam.”

“That’s it. When they looked at it, they found a lot of calls to you right after the explosion. Annabelle and Fleur tried to call you lots, but there was one number that had tried calling you, like, dozens of times.”

“Oh,” said Sandy, and a spark of hope flared inside her.

“They traced the calls, and it was someone called—”

“Ricci!” Sandy interrupted with a shout.

“So, you know her then?” Samantha said innocently.

“Yes, yes. How is she? Is she okay?”

“Why not ask her yourself?”

“What? Sam, don’t tease me. Is she on the phone?”

She grinned. “Nope, she’s here.”

Samantha stood aside, and Ricci came through the door, carrying a bunch of flowers. Sandy squealed, and Ricci bent down and wrapped her arms around her.

“Ouch,” exclaimed Sandy. “I’m still sore.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Said Ricci. “I am so happy to see you.”

“Me too,” replied Sandy, holding both Ricci's hands with hers. “Sit down and tell me how you got here.” Samantha had placed a chair by the bed, and Ricci sat down still holding hands with Sandy.

“I was waiting for you at my place when I heard about an explosion at the Ball. I tried to call you so many times, but it went straight to voicemail. Then I heard people had been taken to hospital, so I called there, but they wouldn’t give any information to non-family members. I even went to the hospital, but they wouldn’t tell me anything. I didn’t know where you lived, so I couldn’t go and check. Then I saw on TV a man carrying a woman out of the Palazzo and that someone had been killed. I thought it was you, and I honestly thought you were dead.”

She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand.

“Beatrice finally remembered she had Annabelle’s number, and Annabelle told her you had been flown to England for treatment. She said she couldn’t give any more information, but that you were alive but very sick. Then, yesterday, a man came to the studio and asked for me. He said I should go with him to see you.” She paused to catch her breath. “We flew on a private jet to somewhere, and then a car brought me here. I don’t even know where I am.”

Sandy knew it was Overstrand's handiwork. Something else to thank him for.

Ricci continued, “I made the driver stop at a petrol station so I could buy flowers.” Ricci looked around at the huge vase of peonies on the table. “But I’m sorry, it is such a small bunch. It was all they had.”

Sandy took the flowers from Ricci and said, “Thank you. These mean the world to me.”

Ricci frowned. “But you must tell me, what is this place, Alessandra? Who are these people? Who are you? I’m so confused.”

Sandy squeezed Ricci's hand once more and said, “I told you it was a long story, but you deserve to hear it all.”

Sandy took a deep breath and told Ricci the whole story, from meeting Overstrand for the first time, through what happened at Wychwood, to their meeting at Beatrice’s studio, what she knew about the explosion, and waking up back at Wychwood. Ricci’s eyes grew wider and wider as the story unfolded. When Sandy finally finished, Ricci sat very still and said nothing for a couple of minutes. Sandy anxiously scanned her face, trying to work out what she was thinking.

Then Ricci squeezed Sandy's hand and said, “Alessandra, you have been through so much. I cannot imagine how hard it has been for you. But all this,” she said, waving her arm around the room. “What happens next?” Her voice caught as she went on. “Will you ever want to come back to Venice after what happened?”

Sandy gripped Ricci's hand. “Ricci, my home is in Venice, not here. I will be returning to Venice as soon as I’m able. Nothing will keep me from going back. I am lucky enough to be getting better here, but that’s it. Once I finish translating the diary, I will be back in Venice. Nothing will stop me. Now, come here, I want to kiss you.”

Ricci leant forward, and they kissed for a long time.

“Ahem.” They both looked round to see Samantha at the door. “Catriona says that’s enough excitement for today. She says another five minutes, then Alessandra needs to rest.” She left, closing the door behind her.

“She’s very pretty. Is she your servant?” Ricci whispered.

“What? No, yes, I mean, she works here at the house, but she’s my friend more than anything.”

“But she’s lesbica, no?”

“What? Yes, but how did you know?”

Ricci frowned, “You have many lesbica friends, it seems. Do any of them like you as I do?”

“What?” Sandy told herself to stop saying ‘what’ to every question Ricci asked: “No, none of them, honestly.” Sandy had sometimes suspected Sam did feel that way, but she wasn’t going to say so. “How long can you stay?”

Ricci sighed. “I’m sorry, but I have to go back tomorrow. We have so much work at the studio. Beatrice needs me back. We are swamped with work, but the woman in charge here says I can stay tonight and then they will put me on a flight back to Venice tomorrow evening.”

“Thank you for coming. It’s made me very happy. Robert is away for a few days. I would have loved for you to meet him.”

“It was him who carried you out of the Palazzo, no?”

“Yes, and he saved my life, Ricci. If he hadn’t got me to the hospital so quickly, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Catriona put her head around the door and announced that Ricci should leave now but could come back at lunch. Sandy kissed Ricci, who then left with Samantha, who had followed Catriona.

“Bonnie lassie, that one,” said Catriona. “She really likes you, Alessandra.” Catriona saw the smile it had brought to Sandy's face and added, “It’s good to see you smile, hen. It lights you up.”

Catriona had begun light physiotherapy with Sandy, who felt the physical effects of the explosion as keenly as the psychological ones. Sandy had liked Catriona from the start. She was funny, chatty, and gentle, yet as fiercely protective of Sandy as a mother bear with a sick cub. She always lifted Sandy's spirits whenever she was around, and in Sandy's eyes, stood in sharp contrast to her sister. Mhairi ran the house with professional efficiency, but somehow Sandy had never felt at ease with her. Sandy wondered once more how on God’s green earth Samantha and Mhairi were a couple.

Three

“Ricci is cute,” said Samantha when she returned after the physio session. Cute, thought Sandy, wasn’t the first word she would use to describe Ricci, but she said nothing. Samantha carried on. “How did you meet?”

“We met at the studio that made the gown for the Ball. At first, I thought she didn’t like me, who I am, I mean. But luckily, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m so glad she came to see me. Ricci made all the alterations to the gown. It was beautiful, wasn’t it?”

Samantha put her hand to her heart. “Girl, you rocked that frock.”

“Thanks, Sam. You’ve always been there for me. I owe you an apology for running away from here without talking to you. I’m sorry. I should have done better. Will you forgive me?”

“You have nothing to apologise for. You did what you thought was right. I’m relieved you came through everything.” A wide grin spread across her face. “I always knew you’d turn out gorgeous.”

Sandy hesitated, unsure whether to ask the question she had been turning over in her mind. She had to know, she thought. “Sam, can I ask you about that, and will you tell me the truth?”

“Uh-huh. Do I need a lawyer?” The grin had stayed, but she sounded nervous.

“Sam, there’s nothing to worry about. I owe you so much. You helped me realise who I wanted to be, and I’m happy with that.” Sandy smiled at Samantha, trying to reassure her. “Before I left here, Sir Robert explained why he had asked me to Wychwood. I’ve come to terms with it all. I have no regrets, but there are still things I don’t understand. I’d like to know the truth.”

“Are you sure you want to know? Sometimes the truth can hurt. If you are sure, ask me, and I’ll answer as much as I can.”

“Fair enough, Sam. What did you know about me when I arrived? What did Sir Robert tell you?”

Samantha furrowed her brow. “Oh, Sir Robert didn’t tell me anything. It was Mhairi who spoke to me. She said Sir Robert had invited someone to stay to do some work for him. She said this person, you, I mean, had a secret. You liked to cross-dress but were really shy about it. Sir Robert told Mhairi to order the clothes and things in your size. She thought it would be fun to tease you, so she made me wear that maid’s outfit.” Samantha laughed. “I hated it, but you seemed to like it.”

Sandy spluttered, “Well, yes, I did, and you looked as hot as hell in it.” Before she could stop herself, Sandy said, “Annabelle thought so too.”

Samantha’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?” Well, it was bloody uncomfortable. Why anyone would want to wear something like that beats me.” Sandy squirmed inside, remembering what it was like to wear something similar. “Anyway,” she went on, “when I met you, I knew you would love what was planned for you.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Oh, yes. When I took you into Lady Eleanor’s suite, it was written all over your face. You were in heaven. I could have some fun. That was when I hid your pyjamas.”

“I knew I had packed them,” exclaimed Sandy.

“When you wore the red silk pyjamas I left for you, I knew you were hooked. All I had to do was dangle a few suggestions in front of you, and you kept lapping them up. Mhairi said Sir Robert was pleased and told me to carry on. You seemed so happy that I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I think I got as much pleasure from helping you as you seemed to. I got carried away.”

“We both did,” said Sandy. “But other things were happening that I can’t make sense of. What did Mhairi think of it all? To be honest with you, Sam, I’m not sure she likes me.”

Samantha frowned. “I’ll be honest with you too. We weren’t prepared for how much you resembled Lady Eleanor. Your hair colour and eyes are eerily similar, which was a shock to us. I thought it was cute, but Mhairi and Lady Eleanor went way back, and I think it shocked her.”

Sandy wondered if she should ask the next question, but did so anyway. “How close were Mhairi and Lady Eleanor exactly?”

Samantha’s face darkened. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Alessandra.”

From the tone of Samantha’s answer, Sandy thought the question had been answered.

“I’m sorry, Sam, if that was out of order.”

Samantha shrugged. “Any more questions?” Sandy realised Samantha was closing down, but there was one more question she needed to ask.

“Did Mhairi resent me because I resemble Lady Eleanor?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Why? Do you think she does?”

“Sam, I’m sorry, I must be a bit paranoid after the bomb. I’m not seeing straight. Ignore me.”

Samantha looked sympathetic. “It must be awful for you, Alessandra, but everyone here wants you to get better as quickly as possible.”

“Thanks, Sam. Can I ask a big favour, please?” Can you get me a new phone? I’m lost without one.”

“Sure, what do you want?”

“An iPhone, please. But don’t tell Sir Robert, pretty please?”

Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Okaaay. Why not?”

“Something I need to do. Maybe it will work, but maybe not. I promise you won’t get in trouble.”

“Pfft,” Sam huffed. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about you and what you’re going to get up to. You’re a trouble magnet”

Sandy smiled. “No, it’s not going to be anything bad, I promise.”

“Says you. Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” she said over her shoulder as she disappeared. Left on her own, Sandy thought back over her conversation with Samantha. She hadn’t said anything definite, but Samantha’s reaction when Sandy asked how close Mhairi and Lady Eleanor had been made Sandy suspect there had been something between them in the past, and that Sandy's appearance at Wychwood had affected Mhairi. It would at least explain Mhairi’s attitude to Sandy. Sandy shook her head. Maybe she was becoming paranoid. A wave of tiredness washed over her, and she let herself fall back on the bed. Within a few minutes she was fast asleep.

Four

She opened her eyes to find a rook perched at the end of her bed, its bright green eye fixed on her. Instead of fear, she felt calm as she watched the bird bob its head and let out a few quiet caws, as if to reassure her.

“Hello, Eleanor,” whispered Sandy. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The bird stopped bobbing and stared back at her, then cawed again. “Well done, Alessandra.” The words somehow materialised in Sandy’s head.

“It had to be you,” Sandy said, and the bird bobbed its head as if in acknowledgement.

“Clever you.”

“Not really. There was no other explanation. I’m glad you came back. I’ve wanted to thank you for saving my life.”

The bird cawed softly. “It wasn’t your time.“

“Now, I owe you and Robert my life. How can I repay you?’

“You will find a way, Alessandra.”

“Tell me how, please.”

Another quiet caw from the bird. “I cannot tell you, but there will come an opportunity, and a choice to be made.”

“Oh?”

“There are always choices, but we do not always make the right ones.”

“Why are you here, Eleanor?”

The bird’s eye gleamed like an emerald as it studied Sandy.

“I have come to warn you.”

“Warn me? About what?”

“You must be on your guard. There is someone who means you harm.”

“Who, Eleanor?”

“Again, I cannot tell you, but be careful whom you trust.”

“Give me a clue.”

“Think back, Alessandra. The answer is there.

Sandy shouted, “Who is it?”

Someone shook her shoulder, and she blinked her eyes open to see Catriona standing at her bedside, a concerned look on her face.

“You were having a dream, hen. You wanted to know who it was.”

“Huh?” Sandy stared at Catriona in confusion, not sure if she was awake.

“Oh, it was only a dream. I can’t really remember.”

But she could remember, and she was frightened.