Standing in the Shadows of Love (Dead Reckoning series - Part 9)

Continued from Episode 8 (I Heard It Through The Grapevine)

The story so far:  Josiah Oakshott may well be full of the joys of Spring following his visit to Evanley Hall but the same could not be said for either Archibald Thurble or Samantha Knight.  Both have their misgivings about Josiah's old flame returning to the hearth.  Josiah also has misgivings about Samantha returning to work at Oakshott and Underwood but has put that decision on hold pending legal advice.  Now read on:

 

Archibald Thurble was enjoying a few quiet moments, alone in the stockroom, with a cup of tea and a biscuit.  He was perched, precariously, on a stool, with his tea and biscuits arranged on the shelf that he had configured into a sort-of makeshift desk.  He was just in the act of dunking his biscuit, with all the careful thought and precise manipulation that such action required, when;

“Hello, Archie!” Samantha Knight was standing beside him, clutching a laptop under her arm.

Archibald gave a yelp and dropped his biscuit into the mug.

“Oh bug…” He began, and then thought better of it.  “You made me jump!” He grumbled, whilst attempting a recovery operation with a teaspoon.

“Sorry, Archie” Samantha grinned, “am I interrupting your tea-break?”

“No, it’s ok” Archibald shrugged, “what are you doing here?  Does Mr. O. know?”  Archibald looked around, wildly, to see if his employer was on the rampage.

“Oh, he knows, Archie” Samantha sighed, “that’s why I’m here.  Have you got room for another?”

“I doubt it” Archibald shook his head, sadly, “that one’s taken up most of the mug” He surveyed the scene moodily.

“I wasn’t talking about another biscuit” Samantha chuckled, “I meant, could you make room for me on the shelf, here?”

“Here?” Archibald looked at her with astonishment, “You want to sit here?”

“Well, I’ve got to work somewhere and there really isn’t any spare office space, so Josiah suggested I should commandeer a bit of your shelving” Samantha looked around at the available space, dubiously.

“You’re still working here, then?” Archibald tried to hide his surprise, without a great deal of success.

“I am indeed, and I have to say that Josiah is less than pleased about that fact” Samantha grinned, “I did try to warn him but he wouldn’t listen.  I suspect that the legal advice he has received has told him that, whilst he could dismiss me, he would probably find it a very expensive undertaking (if you’ll excuse the pun) if I subsequently took him to an Employment Tribunal” Samantha put her laptop down on the shelf.

“Oh heck, he’ll be dead narked about that” Archibald shook his head, “so, what’s going to happen now?”

“Well, I think he’s hoping that I’ll be convicted of something and that will give him an excuse to dismiss” Samantha looked thoughtful, “but I think he’s going to be disappointed, if I am to believe what my solicitor has told me.  Anyway, in the meantime, he has graciously allowed me to return to work, but there’s nowhere for me to work, as I obviously can’t continue to share his office”

“Here, have my stool” Archibald jumped up and moved the furniture around, “you’ll need somewhere to sit.  There’s a power point just up there” He indicated a dusty and grimy outlet a little further along the wall, and tried, with the back of his sleeve, to clean a bit of the shelf for her.

“That’s very sweet of you, Archie, but you mustn’t concern yourself” She beamed at him, “I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s right, you being treated like this!” Archibald said, stoutly.

“Oh, it’s nothing” Samantha perched on the proffered stool and opened her laptop, “he’s been hurt and so he’s lashing out.  I can understand that” Samantha watched the laptop going through its start-up routine.

“Yeah, I can see as how he’s narked” Archibald nodded, “but he shouldn’t be taking it out on you”

“I can manage, Archie, don’t you worry” Samanth winked, “but I am bothered about this new lady in his life.  Not that I’m jealous…” She blushed, a little.

“No, course not” Archibald shook his head.

“…but, there’s something not quite right about all that, I can just feel it” She looked thoughtful, “Actually, Archie, you could do me a favour”

“Yeah, whatever”

“I think he’s got something planned for later” She confided, “I don’t know what it is, but he was looking very chipper, when he got off the ‘phone, before talking to me.  Could you take him his tea, and see if you can find out what’s going on?”

“I’ll have a go, but you know what he’s like” Archibald shrugged, “for every time he’s in the mood to chat, there’s another where he’ll just ignore you”

“I know, but be a pal and try, will you?”

Which is why, a quarter of an hour later, Archibald was attempting to knock on Josiah Oakshott’s door, whilst juggling a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits.

“Come!” Josiah intoned.

“I’ve got your tea, Mr. O.” Archibald edged around the door and made his way carefully to the desk, fiercely concentrating on the task in hand.

“Ah, the cup that cheers!” Josiah beamed at his employee.  “Thank you, Archibald.  Very thoughtful of you”

“No problem, Mr. O.” Archibald was somewhat startled by his employer’s apparent good humour.  “Everything alright, is it?” He asked, pointedly.

“Everything is capital, Archibald, absolutely capital!” Josiah grinned, broadly, and settled back in his chair, tea in one hand, biscuit in another.  “I must admit to feeling better than I have done for some time” He added.

“Well, that’s good then, innit?” Archibald settled himself in the visitor’s chair, unbidden.

“It certainly is, Archibald” Josiah nodded, munching happily.

“Anything in particular, cheered you up?” Archibald raised a querying eyebrow.

“Well, as a matter of fact, yes!” Josiah nodded and took another reflective bite from his biscuit, “I received news today, not too long ago, in point of fact, that Jeanette, Mrs. DeVille that is, will be joining me for dinner this evening”

“She’s coming all the way down here for a bite to eat?” Archibald looked suitably surprised.

“Well, not entirely” Josiah blushed a little, “she has other business to attend to, I would imagine, but she has graciously accepted my invitation”

“Oh, right” Archibald nodded, “what are you knocking up for her, then?”

“Oh, goodness, no!” Josiah chuckled, “I am not cooking dinner for her.  We will be dining at L’eau Bleu, the new restaurant in town.  I have been fortunate to secure a reservation at short notice”

“That’s that new French place, innit?  Got a lot of ‘avec’ in everything?”

“It does specialise in French cuisine, yes” Josiah agreed, “I am very much looking forward to sampling their wares”

“Be a bit pricey that, won’t it?”

“The cost is immaterial, Archibald, when you are dealing with a lady of Mrs. DeVille’s taste and discernment” Josiah snapped.

“If you say so,” Archibald helped himself to a biscuit, much to Josiah’s annoyance, and munched reflectively, “what was she before she was a DeVille then?”  He enquired.

“Before she was a…oh, I see what you mean!” Josiah frowned,  “She was born a Mountjoy, a very distinguished family that goes back many generations.  Evanley Hall is the family seat, bought and much modified by her grandfather, Shepherd Mountjoy”

“Shepherd?” Archibald looked astounded.

“Yes, it’s an old family name, apparently” Josiah looked a little embarrassed, “he was a noted Naval designer and engineer, you know?”

“Was he?” Archibald looked doubtful.

“Oh yes.  For many years” Josiah nodded, “I believe he had the Hall extensively modified to accommodate his experiments”

“I didn’t know that was a proper job, if you know what I mean?” Archibald mused.

“I’m sorry?” It was Josiah’s turn to look puzzled.

“Well, you wouldn’t think there would be much call for it, would you?” Archibald expanded, “I mean, once you’ve done one or two…”

“Once you’ve done one or two?  What are you talking about, Archibald?  There’s endless variety in naval design”

“You could have fooled me!” Archibald responded, scattering biscuit crumbs in all directions.

“What?” Josiah looked perplexed, “Destroyers, cruisers, battleships…aircraft carriers, for heaven’s sake!”

Archibald looked at him, blankly.

“They have to be designed!  They don’t just appear, by magic!”  Josiah waved his arms in agitation.

“Ships?” Archibald asked.

“Yes, of course, ships” Josiah nodded, “what did you think I meant…oh, hang on” A sudden realisation dawned on Josiah, “you thought I was referring to the design of the human navel, the belly-button if you will, were you not?” He sighed.

“Well, yeah, that’s why I thought there couldn’t be much to it, ‘cause they’re pretty much all the same, so once you’ve knocked one or two out…”

“No, Archibald” Josiah pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply, “Shepherd Mountjoy designed ships and various craft for the Royal Navy”

“Ah, right” Archibald nodded, “you can see how he might have made a few bob doing that”

“Indeed, I believe Shepherd Mountjoy single-handedly revived the family fortunes”

“Not bad going for a bloke with just one arm, is it?” Archibald stole another biscuit whilst his employer’s focus was elsewhere.

“Who said he only had one arm?” Josiah looked perplexed.  “You’re sure you’re not thinking of Nelson?”

“No, ‘course not” Archibald looked suitably affronted, “you did, just now!  You said he did it ‘single-handedly’”

“By that, I did not mean…oh, never mind” Josiah sighed, “was there anything else, Archibald, before my supply of biscuits vanishes forever?”

“No, not really” Archibald shook his head, “only that I see Ms. Knight’s back”

“MRS. Knight,” Josiah began, putting particular emphasis on her marital status, “has indeed returned to our employ, pending the outcome of the ongoing police enquiries.  I trust this has not discomfited you in any manner?”

“No, it’s fine by me” Archibald shrugged, “I’ve always rated Ms. Knight.  It’s just, she’s sharing my shelf in the stock room”

“Ah, yes, regrettably office space is at something of a premium in these premises” Josiah looked a little guilty, “however, should the police decide to press charges and if she were to be subsequently convicted of any crime or misdemeanour, then her employment would be terminated forthwith and you would, again, have sole use of your shelf”

“Well, I hope that they don’t!” Archibald said, stoutly, “She’s alright is Ms. Knight.  You know where you are with her, unlike some I could mention”

“Meaning what?” Josiah looked at his employee, sternly.

“Nothing” Archibald eased himself out of the chair and slunk toward the door, “I was just sayin’”

“I think any future commentary might be best reserved for an internal monologue” Josiah snapped.

“You what?” Archibald asked, opening the door.

“Keep it to yourself, Archibald, and shut it!”

“Shut it?”

“The door, Archibald” Josiah snarled, his good mood now irretrievably evaporated, “I meant the door”

For the background to all this, you really need to read 'Bring Out Your Dead' (link is external) available now in both Kindle and paperback versions.

Now read Part 10