Normal Family Read online

  “It’s the Leap of Faith,” said Bryn. “He’s gone over his own Leap of Faith.”

  “He’s gone, Bryn, and that’s all that matters,” said his father, putting an arm round his son’s shoulder. “It’s taken eighteen years, but at long last it’s over and we can lead normal lives for once. Let’s get everyone together and go home.”

  I looked around to see who had fired such an incredible shot with a weapon as notoriously inaccurate as a musket. There were lots of kids with slings and a few men with pistols, but no one had anything like a musket. Somewhere it looked as though we had a friend who wanted to remain anonymous.

  Mrs. Jones arrived minutes before us and welcomed everyone back to the Lewis home with plates of sandwiches, hot sweet tea and a warming log fire. She was amazing. Whenever she appeared a feast of food seemed to materialize within minutes. Mind you, with her help it always disappeared just as quickly. Inspector Smollett had been dozing in a chair with a blanket over his shoulders, staring into the flames with frequent trips to the window. Now I sat surrounded by some of my adoring school kids as I told them all about my adventures since arriving in Port Eynon and what it had been like being with the wreckers. Neets was surrounded by her adoring Bryn.

  After he’d eaten, Lewis told us all again how Schwartz had died while Miss Jones and Mrs. Jones proudly related the exploits of the school kids and Mr. Lewis’s servants. Everyone had a story to tell and no one was bored in the telling or the hearing.

  “From what I gather,” said my Inspector Smollett, “Schwartz had a fortune in stolen treasure, most of which he stole using his Time Portal. What’s going to happen to that loot?” He was such a typical copper.

  “The rest of you met my brother-in-law, the redcoat captain,” said Lewis as we nodded. “He and some of his men are busy cataloguing everything, but by the look of things it will be a good many days before they finish. Some of the more valuable items are quite possibly from centuries past, or maybe even the future, so we may never be able to return them. However, what we can send back will be taken to the rightful owners, anonymously of course.”

  I still felt there were a few questions left unanswered. There was Nelson’s statue and the Koh-i-noor diamond, as well as the disappearance of Bryn’s mother. Then most important, there was the blooming friendship between Bryn and Neets. No, it wasn’t over yet.

  During the following days I watched over Neets like a mother hen, following her and Bryn from a distance as they walked on the headland and talked. Occasionally they laughed, but mostly they talked. Only later did Neets give me a hint as to what they said.

  “It’s Marie,” she said. “It’s his mum. All this good stuff’s happened, but he’d give up everything just to be able to see her once.”

  I was silent for a moment as I swirled the dregs in my teacup before throwing them on the fire. As an apprentice wizard I could sort of read the future in tea leaves far better than Neets, especially if I had a few hints. I tried now, focusing my thoughts on Bryn and let his life fly through my mind like a recorded film. I sped through the images leading up to the present day and then allowed everything to slow down until I found the scene I wanted. Then I stopped. I frowned at what I saw and shook my head to clear out the thoughts, because the future is always a bit fuzzy and nothing’s ever certain. In Bryn’s case the past was just as blurred, but it was what else I saw that confused me. I faked a smile for Neets’s benefit.

  “Mmm, his mum,” I said, as though I’d known all along. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Look, let me sleep on it, because I don’t think things are as they seem, or at least not as we thought they were.” I was beginning to act like the older and bossier of the two of us, but then it’s said that boyfriends make your brain wither into mush.

  I lay awake thinking about what I’d seen in the tea leaves, worrying why there were still parts of the Schwartz mystery that seemed to be unresolved, if only I could work out which parts they were. Halfway through breakfast the next day I leapt to my feet, spilling porridge and a plate of seaweed in my excitement.

  “That’s it!” I looked down at the mess on the floor. “Sorry about the carpet. Actually I expect seaweed’s quite good for it.” I took a breath to calm myself and grinned. “So many things just haven’t seemed right up until now, at least to me, but I think I may have worked out one or two. The only place I’ll know for sure is up at Schwartz’s and if anyone wants to join me I’ll explain everything on the way.” I spoke the last words as I disappeared through the door at a pace approaching a fast Pedro trot. No one was going to miss out and Lewis was closely followed by Inspector Smollett, Neets and Bryn as the front door opened and we all streamed into the driveway. I almost broke into a canter down the path leading to the stables.

  As we neared the top of the headland, the others turned and waited while Pedro and I caught up at a gentle trot. He may have been a donkey, but he was no fool, because no one was going anywhere without us. We grouped up and I took the lead, talking as we went.

  “We know why the Black Knight came here and became Schwartz,” I said, “and why you followed him, Gawain – sorry, Lewis. It was a complete fluke and you had no choice in the matter. It could have been anywhere and anytime, but spookily Port Eynon in 1716 suited Schwartz and he took to wrecking, smuggling and terrorism like a duck to water. It wasn’t too much different from what he did in Camelot really and he’d be a murderous pig wherever he went, as Neets and I know only too well.”

  “As do I,” said Lewis, “and so does Bryn. However, I’m glad chance brought us here or I wouldn’t have met my Marie.”

  “And I wouldn’t be here at all,” said Bryn.

  “And I…I’m going to say nothing,” Neets said wisely, because this was not the time.

  The door to Schwartz’s manor house was wide open and pretty well everything that was small enough to be moved had either been taken by the redcoat soldiers or put to better use by enthusiastic locals. Nevertheless, I was sure that somewhere in the building would be what I wanted, I just didn’t know what it would be or even what it would look like, but I couldn’t tell anybody that. You’ll know it when you see it, was the best I could do.

  Bryn, Neets and I started searching the upper floors, but with the exception of a few empty packing cases we found nothing of any interest. The human locusts had already stripped the place. Lewis and Inspector Smollett explored the downstairs rooms and drew a similar blank, although to be honest I hadn’t expected anything dramatic. I knew it wouldn’t be obvious or someone would already have seen it. Whatever it was would be hidden and probably near where Schwartz had squirreled away the rest of his treasures.

  “You mentioned he had a Time Portal under here somewhere, Tertia,” Lewis said and I nodded. “Show me where it is then please, because I really don’t think we’ll find anything up here. Schwartz is no fool, but then neither am I, and if I was him I’d hide anything I didn’t want found where no one had access to it except me.”

  I led the way into the main dining hall, pulled the lever by the fireplace and with a click the panel in the wall slid open. Neets and I found lanterns, lit them and handed them out before leading the way down the steps into Schwartz’s secret treasure rooms. The Portal was still humming gently to itself and the dimmest of ultraviolet glows made the outline of an archway just visible.

  “I wonder where his other Portal is?” I murmured as I examined the dials and controls. They were pretty much the same as those on our own device.

  “Why? Do you think he had another?” said Lewis. “I only have one and manage to get around quite well enough.”

  “Oh, for most purposes one Portal is fine, but Marlene tells me that for going short distances in the same time period then two are necessary. Remember how we used to nip around Camelot, Neets? We had two then, but only for local journeys.” Neets nodded. “Well, looking at the controls I reckon he used this for really short journeys as well as long ones. And I mean really short.”

  “You’re sayi
ng Schwartz had a secret hiding place?”

  I nodded as I continued twiddling knobs before standing back with a smile of satisfaction. “Right, I’ve reset the dials. Any volunteers to be the first to go through?”

  Bryn and Lewis nodded as I expected they would and walked without hesitation into the ultraviolet glow and disappeared.

  Zzzzzp.

  Neets nearly ran through closely followed by me and my Inspector Smollett bringing up a more dignified rear.

  Zzzzzp.

  We were definitely in a cave and what would have been the entrance was completely bricked up with the exception of a small number of holes several feet above ground level. The walls and floor were fairly dry, even though we were in a sea cave and the brickwork had been put there to keep both the water and prying eyes out, while letting fresh air in.

  “So this is what Culver Hole looks like from the inside,” said Bryn almost in awe. “Ever since I was a kid I’ve wanted to see in here. So have all my friends, but none of us could find a way in and the outside was always too slippery to climb to the first gap. Even then we wouldn’t have been able to see inside because it’s too dark.”

  Lewis touched the bricks, which must have been five-feet thick at least, then turned to me. “And you reckon this was where Schwartz used to go if things got too hot for him? It makes sense. Whenever we got too close for comfort he always managed to disappear until things quieted down.”

  Neets wasn’t so sure. “But anyone could have followed him through the Portal under his house and he’d have been caught like a rat in a trap because the dials would have been set for here.”

  “Not necessarily,” I said. “Remember how I went back to change the dials on the Portal in Lewis’s cellar when I brought Bryn to the Olé Grill restaurant? I just put my arm through the one in our cave and changed the dials on Mr. Lewis’s. I would imagine Schwartz did the same sort of thing. Not only that, but there would have been nothing to have stopped him going anywhere by using this Portal. I doubt if he stayed here much.”

  “But you just brought us here so he can’t have switched the dials, Tersh.” Sometimes my cousin can be infuriatingly logical.

  “That’s what makes me think he didn’t use it much, and then only as a place he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed. I don’t think he hid here.” I scanned the contents of the cave with a look of distaste. “Comfortable isn’t the word that springs to mind.”

  In one corner was a leather armchair and footstool, while in the center of the cave stood a small wooden dining table and one chair. A log fire was surrounded by a ring of stones, but most interesting of all, at least to me, was an antique writing desk that actually looked as though the owner cared for it. As I walked across the cave I touched one of the logs on the fire, but it was stone cold and the grey embers crumbled to dust and I knew the wrecker hadn’t been here for a day or two at least. I opened the largest of the desk’s drawers and took out a thick leather-bound book and a much slimmer one that looked the more used. I quickly thumbed through the bigger of the two to make sure it was what I’d expected, then did the same with the smaller one and grinned.

  “Okay,” said Lewis with just a tinge of impatience, “What’s this all about, Tertia? Why are two books so interesting?”

  “It occurred to me that a man who stole valuable works of art and displayed them for his personal pleasure so carefully was probably going to catalogue things.” I held up the large book. “If I’m right this will tell us everything Schwartz stole since he came to Port Eynon and where he stole it from. That’ll make your redcoat captain’s job a bit easier. It also occurred to me that if the wrecker did that, then he’d probably keep a journal of some sort. I know it was a bit of a chance, but I was right.” I held up the slimmer book.”With any luck it’ll tell us the one thing we all want to know. What really happened to Marie… to Bryn’s mum.”

  “He killed her,” said Bryn with venom. He tried to grab the book, but I managed to dodge him. “He killed my mum and boasted about it.”

  “Possibly,” I said, “though I’d like to know the truth and hopefully it’s going to be in here. Not even Schwartz would lie in his diary. It’d be pointless.” I started walking towards the Portal. “Anyway it’s chilly down here, so let’s go back to your house, Bryn, and warm up. I have a little story to tell you and it’s not the one I thought it was.” I gave a wry little smile. “Well not exactly anyway. Let’s go.”

  I reset the dials on the Portal and watched four bemused people walk into the ultraviolet archway.

  Zzzzzp, Zzzzzp, Zzzzzp, Zzzzzp.

  I changed the setting and followed them, though I had a little detour I wanted to make to the Olé Grill for a chat with Marlene before meeting up with my friends in Lewis’s mansion.

  Zzzzzp.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A Bad Penny, Limbo and a Welcome Return

  When I got back to Port Eynon everyone was sitting in Mrs. Jones’s kitchen while the housekeeper started preparing food. None of us was hungry, but old habits die hard and after all lunch is lunch. I sat down, placing the two books on the table in front of me and looked at my friends, but nobody said a thing. They didn’t even ask me why I came through the Portal a minute or two after them. I picked up the big book and dropped it on the table with a bang.

  “Okay,” I said at last, “as I mentioned before, the first book is a list of all the incredibly valuable works of art Schwartz stole and though it’s amazing in itself, it wasn’t what I was really looking for. The other book told me what I wanted to know and a lot more besides.”

  “And if we wait around long enough,” said Lewis with just a trace of impatience, “maybe you’ll tell us what we want to know.”

  “I doubt it,” said Smollett. “She’ll get to the and the murderer is bit and someone’ll shout…”

  “Lunch!” Mrs. Jones started clattering dinner plates onto the table and I quickly gathered up the books. “It’s a buffet so you can help yourselves and eat while Tertia tells her story.” As she spoke, she grabbed a number of chicken legs, several thick slices of ham and beef, a hunk of cheese and pickle, three boiled eggs and a doorstep of homemade bread thick with butter. “No pudding for me. I’m trying to lose a bit of weight.” She laughed for the sheer joy of eating, while the rest of us helped ourselves to what was left.

  With a sandwich in each hand I told them what I’d discovered in Schwartz’s journal. “Back in Camelot the White Knight – that’s you Mr. Gawain Lewis – defeated the Black Knight and took him to Arthur’s castle.”

  “I still have his black helmet tucked away somewhere as a keepsake,” said Lewis.

  “We know,” said Neets. “We found it and that’s what made us think you were the Black Knight.”

  “Anyway, you both came to Port Eynon through Merlin’s one-way-only portable Portals around eighteen years ago, although Schwartz got here a year earlier and by the time you arrived he was already established as the chief wrecker and local bad guy. He had little choice but to stay, because you knew his secret. You knew he traveled in Time and most important you also married the woman he loved, but who rejected him.” There was a gasp from Mrs. Jones and Lewis laid a comforting hand on her arm. Bryn said nothing but looked grim. “He didn’t dare leave here in case you invaded his fortress and found his treasures and his Portal. He had to stay.”

  “You’re saying Schwartz loved my mum?” Bryn said in protest. “He couldn’t have, he had her killed.” Neets nodded vigorously in agreement.

  “I know it’s amazing,” I said, “but this book is definite about it. He saw her riding by on the headland many times and always noted it down. But every time he tried to talk to her she spurred her horse and rode away. The notes in his diary turn from interest, to desire, then to love, but when Marie rejected him he probably decided that if he couldn’t have her then neither would his deadliest enemy.”

  “There’s nothing new there,” said Lewis. “We’ve always known Schwartz killed my wife.”


  “Really?” I said, “How do we know? As far as I can make out no one has ever heard Schwartz say he killed Marie. In fact to me it always sounded as though he regretted her disappearance and that’s why I wanted to read his journal if it existed.”

  “And what does the book say?” inquired my inspector Smollett. “He probably lied in it so there’d be no evidence.”

  “Like I said, people don’t lie in private journals, especially when the book’s hidden in a cave with no way in. Anyway let me read what he wrote the night that Marie vanished.” I cleared my throat and opened the slim book at a marked page.

  “I have often wished to kill Lewis (I can’t think of him as Gawain the White Knight now Camelot is finished) for taking away the only woman I ever loved; indeed the only person I had any feelings for. Tonight she was taken from both of us so that neither shall see her again in this life. Those of my men who caused her horse to bolt have taken the Leap of Faith, while I spared those that tried to stop her horse going over the cliffs into the sea far below. I managed to open the Portal as her horse leapt and though she disappeared through the archway I have no way of knowing whether she fell to her death or whether I saved her. I will however take great pleasure in watching the pain in Lewis’s face when he finds out Marie is gone and hope the hurt he will suffer in the years to come will be no less than mine. He will assume I killed her and I will let him think so to make his pain the greater.”

  I closed the book. “I don’t think he killed Marie. In fact I’m not even sure now that she’s dead. I’m not saying she’s definitely still alive, but it would seem possible.”