The photograph showed her mother standing on the slipway outside of the boathouse wearing only a pair of rowing shorts<\/p>\n
In the background holding a pair of large wooden oars was her father smiling broadly at the camera<\/p>\n
Peter was next to her mother toasting her with a glass of red wine<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Oh why did they not use white white wine<\/em><\/p>\n Gate thought as she walked swiftly towards the ornamental bridge<\/p>\n She had decided to keep the photograph under lock and key in her lacquered Japanese box<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gate left the house silently and waked across the dew damp lawn towards the blue summer house. It’s door had not locked for years and she let herself into the main room<\/p>\n It smelt vaguely of her mother\u2019s perfume<\/p>\n Two glasses of whiskey has been left carelessly on the low table and it was then that Gate noticed that Peter had also left his jacket which was hanging from a hook<\/p>\n Both of the jacket pockets were stuffed full of paper and Gate curious as to their content pulled the sheets free<\/p>\n On examination she could see that they were written in both Italian and German<\/p>\n She did not speak or read Italian but spoke and read German well having spent six months in the country the previous year<\/p>\n She began to read what she soon found out to be an account of the murder of two gypsies in a town not far from the city of Frankfurt<\/p>\n Although shocked and sickened at the description of the atrocity she read the account fully<\/p>\n She also found a number of letters from a man known only as Franz in which he described the measures being taken to intimidate the Jews in Germany<\/p>\n She imagined that the Italian documents followed the same pattern<\/p>\n Gate felt for Peter\u2019s wallet and found it in his inside pocket<\/p>\n It contained fifteen pounds and list of meetings that were scheduled to be held at various locations<\/p>\n Peter had ticked six that were to be held in the Home Counties<\/p>\n It was as she was putting the wallet and its contents back that a small photograph dropped out<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tuppence Gate and Little Kate lay in the blue summerhouse watching the waves of wheat in the distant fields break against the idle trees<\/p>\n Their languid occupation was interrupted by a shout from the main house<\/p>\n Dinner was ready<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I wonder how many of you care to dream about my sweet sweet Celandine\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Oh shut up Kate that is such a sad song and you know that poor Celandine drowned in this very lake \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n And for an instant everything was orange<\/p>\n The trees opposite her bedroom were orange<\/p>\n A passing bird had adopted the colour as had the hills in the distance<\/p>\n Everything was orange<\/p>\n It was a magical moment on an otherwise dull day<\/em><\/p>\n Wrote Tuppence in her diary that evening<\/p>\n She hid it under her pillow so that her sisters would not discover it<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you know that the word kiosk comes from the Turkish and means a summer house? <\/i><\/p>\n How did you know that?<\/i><\/p>\n I found it in my book of Byron\u2019s poems <\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A moth that has been resting on one of the beams looked down at the sisters<\/p>\n It had learnt its first word of Turkish<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gate was wearing her mother\u2019s rowing shorts and the singlet she had worn when she won her Olympic Silver medal<\/p>\n Her mother never spoke of her triumph as if she was ashamed of it<\/p>\n Both Tuppance and Gate rowed but they knew that they would never achieve the standard required to represent their country<\/p>\n She could see Peter walking along the shoes of the lake towards her<\/p>\n She knew that as she was dressed in her mother\u2019s rowing kit that he would question her intention<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An event called Picnic in the Park was held by the National Trust at Chatterick House between the 29th of June and the 1st of July 2015<\/p>\n The members had hoped for the success of the event and that the weather would be fair<\/p>\n They need not to have worried<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why are you wearing your mother\u2019s rowing kit?<\/i><\/p>\n Often do<\/i><\/p>\n Peter looked at the lake at the thinning Celandine mists<\/p>\n Did you remove some papers from my jacket that I left in the summer house?<\/i><\/p>\n Yes<\/i><\/p>\n Did you read them?<\/i><\/p>\n Only the German ones I do not read Italian <\/i><\/p>\n Are you aware of their sensitivity? Yes<\/i><\/p>\n Where are they now?<\/i><\/p>\n In the lake<\/i><\/p>\n You threw them in the lake?<\/i><\/p>\n Yes<\/i><\/p>\n Did you find the photograph also? <\/i><\/p>\n I did <\/i><\/p>\n Your mother and I have been lovers for a number of years now <\/i><\/p>\n What about father?<\/i><\/p>\n He is aware of the situation and approves <\/i><\/p>\n I do not believe you<\/i><\/p>\n He has his lovers also <\/i><\/p>\n Gate did not reply at once she knew that her parents tended to be away for periods of time but they never seemed to be away at the same time<\/p>\n She had caught her father talking to Kitty in her bath which all seemed quite innocent at the time but now seemed a little more suspicious<\/p>\n Was Kitty my father\u2019s lover?<\/i><\/p>\n Amongst others<\/i><\/p>\n Does my mother have any more lovers apart from you?<\/i><\/p>\n Not that I am aware of \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n What did you do my wallet and the money?<\/i><\/p>\n I buried your wallet over there by the summer house <\/i><\/p>\n And the money?<\/i><\/p>\n I gave the money to the Polar Bears who were passing at the time <\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n At that exact moment many miles away off of the northern shores of Canada a Polar Bear and his family were sailing towards to the wastelands on the iceberg that they had just purchased<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Are you angry with me<\/i>?<\/p>\n No not at all <\/i><\/p>\n I thought you would be were the papers important?<\/i><\/p>\n You have a sharp brain Agatha you know they were <\/i><\/p>\n I am sorry but I was so angry with you after seeing mummy\u2019s photograph <\/i><\/p>\n Do you know what is happening in the world today?<\/i><\/p>\n Sort of<\/i><\/p>\n It is only because of brave people such as your mother and father that the world will be saved from the Bolsheviks and the filthy Jews <\/i><\/p>\n Is that why father visits Germany so often?<\/i><\/p>\n Yes there are wonderful things happening in Germany and Italy right now <\/i><\/p>\n But what about the gypsies that were murdered?<\/i><\/p>\n They are sub-human mongrel a sub species created by centuries of inbreeding just like the niggers in Africa <\/i><\/p>\n But they were murdered<\/i><\/p>\n To have a new world order they there will need to be casualties do you ever watch the creatures around this lake not all of them survive only the strong survive and that is why year after year this lake and the grounds around Chatterick remain the same<\/i><\/p>\n If this was altered then the balance would be upset and the conqueror worm would rule<\/i><\/p>\n It would be chaos <\/i><\/p>\n So you are saying that this is the order of things? <\/i><\/p>\n In as way yes nature has had the answer for centuries <\/i><\/p>\n But intelligent man is always hindered <\/i><\/p>\n His drive has always been halted by the sub species the Bolsheviks the niggers the filthy Jews and the like <\/i><\/p>\n Our Empire at this very moment is under threat<\/em><\/p>\n It could vanish in a generation<\/em><\/p>\n You would not like it if our monarchy was overthrown would you?<\/i><\/p>\n Well that is what happened in Russia they shot their royal family in cold blood <\/i><\/p>\n If we do not act then people like you and your sisters will be next you will be raped and murdered by the savages <\/i><\/p>\n Chatterick will cease to exist and important families such as yours will be consigned to history <\/i><\/p>\n Gate began to feel frightened and wished that she was swimming with Celandine in the lake<\/p>\n Why is happening now?<\/i><\/p>\n Why was Herr Hitler not born in Russia at the same time as Lenin they are open questions <\/i><\/p>\n Are you going to tell my father?<\/i><\/p>\n No<\/i><\/p>\n Why I destroyed your important papers and gave your money to the Polar Bears <\/i><\/p>\n You know the answer Agatha <\/i><\/p>\n Because of my mother <\/i><\/p>\n Yes you are so like your mother <\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Are you going to tell my father?<\/i><\/p>\n Yes<\/i><\/p>\n You know that I have to as the papers you destroyed were very important the money can be replaced but the papers cannot be so easily replaced <\/i><\/p>\n Then go ahead <\/i><\/p>\n They will be very disappointed in you <\/i><\/p>\n They already are <\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n The sisters lazed on the cushions in the summer house the gramophone was playing in the background<\/p>\n Little Kate suddenly walked over to the pile of records in their brown paper covers and began sorting them out looking at each composer in turn<\/p>\n Byrd, Beethoven, Monteverdi and there is one called Victoria just like our cook <\/i><\/p>\n His name was Tomas Luis De Victoria and he was a Spanish composer <\/i><\/p>\n How did you know that? <\/i><\/p>\n I just knew it <\/i><\/p>\n You know everything Gate<\/i><\/p>\n Tuppence often says that is true \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n The legend of Celandine had existed since the 1870s when a visitor to the great house drowned in a tragic boating accident on the lake<\/p>\n She had persuaded her cousin to take her out even though her parents forbade such an adventure<\/p>\n The rowboat which had not been fit for its purpose overturned and both cousins were cast into the deep waters<\/p>\n Tragically possibly due to weight of her clothing Celandine disappeared under the surface and was drowned<\/p>\n The lake was drained but no trace of her body was found<\/p>\n But she was buried by the gamekeeper who found her some three weeks and for reasons best known to himself buried her near the large oak tree at the southern end of the lake<\/p>\n He took this secret to the grave<\/p>\n In 1964 when the drainage system was being replaced a skeleton was found near to the lake but it was not Celandine but a Royalist who was murdered at the house during the Civil War<\/p>\n The following year the sisters gave the house to the National Trust only retaining the lodge and a few outbuildings<\/p>\n Iit was during the building of a new visitors centre in 2010 that Celandine\u2019s remains were finally uncovered<\/p>\n She was given a Christian burial at the chapel on the estate<\/p>\n Each of the sisters attended her rest and visited their mothers grave<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was notiedfrom that day forward that the Celandine mists never re-appeared low over the lake even on the most acceptable of days<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Turkish speaking moths were a great attraction at Chatterick House no-one knew why they spoke the language<\/p>\n This was a mystery even to the sisters<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gate had never been particularly religious especially after her mother died in an air raid in 1941<\/p>\n It was only when her father died in 1955 that she learned the truth about her mother\u2019s death which had been reported in The Times as being the result of a direct hit on a hotel in Bayswater where she had been staying<\/p>\n His papers revealed that she had died with Peter whose death had not been reported<\/p>\n The lovers had been together in the Bayswater hotel when the German bomb landed<\/p>\n She saw the irony<\/p>\n Her mother had been buried on the estate but her father also revealed that whereabouts of Peter\u2019s last resting place<\/p>\n The Jewish Cemetery in Mile End<\/em><\/p>\n He was a one of the filthy Jews that he so hated<\/p>\n She thought God must have a sense of humour and therefore must exist<\/p>\n Her sisters were not aware of why God had entered Gate\u2019s life and believed it was because their mother had died young during the war<\/p>\n Only Gate knew the truth<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the 1st<\/sup> of July 2015 the United Kingdom experienced very high temperatures as hot air had been drawn up from Africa<\/p>\n Gate was standing on the slipway in front of the boathouse looking at the photograph that she had stolen nearly eighty years previously<\/p>\n A young man approached her<\/p>\n Do you know the way to the Jazz Stage?<\/i><\/p>\n I am afraid I do not <\/i><\/p>\n I was due to meet my friends there but have become hopelessly lost <\/i><\/p>\n It is a very large estate <\/i><\/p>\n Do you know if well?<\/i><\/p>\n I used to live here in the great house<\/i><\/p>\n Really<\/i><\/p>\n Yes my father owned the house and the surrounding area I spent a majority of my childhood here <\/i><\/p>\n It must have been idyllic <\/i><\/p>\n For the most part yes but all good things end <\/i><\/p>\n Gate handed the young man the photograph<\/p>\n The woman was my mother she was an Olympic medallist before the last war <\/i><\/p>\n I can see the resemblance<\/i><\/p>\n You are too kind young man I am ninety three whereas my mother was in her mid-thirties when that was taken<\/i><\/p>\n What was her name? <\/i><\/p>\n Eleanor <\/i><\/p>\n She looked quite bronzed <\/i><\/p>\n The summers then always seemed to be hot just like today <\/i><\/p>\n Were you named after your mother? <\/i><\/p>\n No my name is Agatha although everyone calls me Gate<\/i><\/p>\n My name is Michael, Michael Fallon <\/i><\/p>\n It has been very nice to meet you Mr Fallon do enjoy the Picnic in the Park my house deserves you and the young people <\/i><\/p>\n The young man smiled and handed the photograph back to Gate<\/p>\n As he took the path leading away from the boathouse he was greeted by a rather tall girl in a lime dress<\/p>\n They hugged and eventually vanished into the trees<\/p>\n The lake was calm as it has been for many years<\/p>\n Gate did not expect to see a mist<\/p>\n She looked towards the site of the blue summer house which had been demolished by the National Trust as it had become unsafe<\/p>\n She thought she heard music playing from its site but it was the music from the festival in the grounds nearer to the house<\/p>\n Gate walked past the summerhouse towards the gatekeeper\u2019s lodge where she met both her sisters who had been waiting in the shade as the heat had been so fierce<\/p>\n The house has changed but not by much <\/i><\/p>\n I think the National Trust is boing a wonderful job <\/i><\/p>\n It is a pity that the blue summer house had to go <\/i><\/p>\n We had such happy times there <\/i><\/p>\n Everything dies <\/i><\/p>\n Even we will at some stage <\/i><\/p>\n Not too soon I hope as days like this are so precious \u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The photograph showed her mother standing on the slipway outside of the boathouse wearing only a pair of rowing shorts In the background holding a pair of large wooden oars was her father smiling broadly at the camera Peter was next to her mother toasting her with a glass of red wine Oh why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1721"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1721\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/i><\/p>\n