The Grandest House in Town
It was a Monday morning in Vandykville at the Country Tree School. Professor Butterglove was preparing himself for the onslaught of inquisitive questions from his eager pupils, Shelly Neptune and Edmund Woodbrook were catching up after the weekend rather than handing out the text books and the Osborne brothers were attracting attention as usual; Gideon because he was dressed for after school guard duty at the Marmalades’ Country Manor and Aidan because he was stuffing himself with a baguette that could have fed the whole school.
With great excitement, everyone crowded round the newcomers and bombarded them with friendly questions and offers of help to get settled in.
Earl and Duchess were immediately put at ease and were soon swapping stories and tales with their new friends.
After school, Gideon rushed off to do his afternoon stint of guard duty at the Country Manor. As he arrived, Maurice was on his way out. “Good day at school Gideon?” he inquired with interest. “Yes thank you Mr Marmalade. We’ve got some splendid new classmates called Earl and Duchess and they’re simply spiffing!” Maurice noted that Gideon did not usually speak like this and connecting the dots in his head concluded that Earl and Duchess must sound as posh as their names suggested. “Know anything about their parents?” Maurice asked trying to sound like he was just taking a polite interest when actually he was very keen to glean as much information as he could. “I think Duchess mentioned that her dad is called Duke and her mum is called Queenie. They’ve moved from a place called Buckingham which is very posh and well to do from what Earl said. They’ve moved to a place out on the other side of town,” concluded Gideon helpfully. It was a relieved Maruice therefore, who rounded the corner of a very modest one room bungalow. “Yes is may have a veranda with fancy columns and a rather pleasing looking front facade,” he thought “But it’s not a patch on my Country Manor.”
For the sake of Maurice’s peace of mind, it was a very good thing that he did not turn back as he walked away, for he would have seen Wade Waters approaching with some interesting looking plans tucked under his arm.
“As you say Duke,” agreed Wade readily, “Now take a look here at what I’ve got planned for you. I’m thinking we can build upwards and sideways for you to create a mansion with ten rooms in all. They’d be a balcony here, a tower there and I’ve even managed to make room for a lift up to the third floor. What d’ya think?”
“By Jove, that’s quite marvellous my dear fellow, quite marvellous. Spiffing suggestion to put in a tower; perfect place for Queenie to put her jewels eh what what. Yes quite marvellous.” “I’m glad you like it Duke,” replied Wade, “Why, I reckon by the time we’re done here, you’ll have the grandest home throughout Vandykeville and Waddlingtown you will.” To be continued.... |
Into this happy hubbub came Carlie Caramel with two new pupils following nervously behind. “These are some distant cousins of mine, Earl and Duchess DePembroke. Their family have just moved to Vandykeville from their home town of Buckingham.”
Whatever Maurice’s original reason for popping out, it no longer mattered; he set out resolutely for the DePembrokes’ house, he just had to find out how grand and posh they really were. Could it be that his Country Manor was no longer the grandest residence in the vicinity? It was a horrifying thought!
Now that he was no longer feeling in the least threatened by the new arrivals, Maurice was pleased to make Duke’s acquaintance and went on his way happy to have new neighbours who were clearly of some consequence as their names and manner of speaking suggested, but who were not going to be a threat to his established position of grandest home owner throughout Vandykeville and Waddlingtown.
“I’ve got the extension plans here that you asked me to draw up Your Grace.”
“Thank you my good man but please none of that Your Grace business, just Duke will do among friends, eh what what.” |