The Bronze Lady (Woodford Antiques Mystery Book 2) (10 page)

Chapter 23

Monday 18
th
January 2016, 2.00pm

‘Look Dad, I just don’t agree with you. There is no chance that a horse with a diagnosis of navicular syndrome can ever be brought back into work without the support of shoes. The damage the navicular bone has caused to the tendons is irreversible.’

‘Oh Jennifer, have you not been listening to anything I have been saying?  Remember that big dark brown horse belonging to your mother’s friend Brenda, who went lame halfway through the Hunting Season about three years ago. Everyone said the same thing about him. Danny, that’s his name, but Brenda sent him to a barefoot rehabilitation place in Devon for three months, continued with the equine management advice she was given once he came home, and has been hunting him, without shoes, once a week for the last two seasons with no further signs of lameness.’

‘Well that is very fortunate for Danny and Brenda, but you can’t convince me based on one horse’s lucky result. Not all horses can go barefoot, and once damage like this we can see on these x-rays takes place there is no going back.’

‘Danny isn’t the only one; there are numerous others I can tell you about. If you remove the causes of poor biomechanics then the horse will do its best to recover. And I disagree with you; all horses can go barefoot, but not all owners can.’

‘Ooooh Dad, is this our first professional fight?’ laughed Jennifer.

‘Yes, I think it is!  All I am saying is go and see for yourself next time you go up to Shropshire to see your sister and mother, and talk to Brenda about what changes she needed to make to Danny’s management. I am sure she would be happy to share her experiences with you. If Alastair can cover for me I’ll come up with you for the day; I haven’t seen Alison since the wedding, and it would be good to see for myself how Brenda’s horse is doing now. Which day is the market on where you bought our wedding present? Sounds like a fascinating place.’

‘It is on every Wednesday. Did you never go when you lived up there Dad?’

‘Nope, not something that was of interest to me in those days.’

‘In those days!’ repeated Jennifer. ‘You moved down here less than a year ago!’

‘Yes I did,’ laughed her father. ‘How life has changed since then,’ he winked at her and gave her a hug. ‘Look, why don’t you give the rehab place a call and arrange to go and visit there too? I’ll come with you if you like, if Alastair can cover again for a morning or an afternoon.  It has been a while since I was over there, and it is such an inspiring and innovative place. I am sure they will have even more experiences to share with me.’

‘Oh I don’t have time to go on a wild goose chase.’

‘It would not be a wild goose chase; it would be an essential and informative part of your continuing professional development, from which your clients could benefit.’

‘Alright Dad, I’ll have a think about it, I can see how passionate you are about this subject. But if, as you say, not all owners can go barefoot then that causes us a problem because it is the owners who manage the horses.’

‘Absolutely right Jennifer, it is the owner’s responsibility to manage their horse as best they can, and that is why it would be a good idea for you to go and see Brenda and her horse, Danny, and find out how she manages him. I see it as our responsibility to provide those owners who want to know with the best information and support we can, and that means occasionally following some wild geese!  Talking of birds, I’d like to take Gemma to see that gorgeous house over on Swan Hill tomorrow when I am due to be on emergency cover, could you stand in for me please between four and five o’clock?’

‘Oh, are you going to look at the one with the fantastic views across to Cosham Hill?’

‘Yes, that’s the one. If the people who came to view her cottage yesterday make good on their promise of an offer then who knows, we could be all moved in by Easter!’

‘No problem, I am booked in to be at the Western riding school tomorrow afternoon for a few tetanus vaccinations, and they are always happy to be flexible if I need to leave. Did I tell you I have booked myself in for six weeks of lessons with them?  I quite fancy being a Cowgirl!’

Privately Peter remembered a certain video he had been made to watch a couple of years before and hoped that his daughter wouldn’t mention her desire to be a cowgirl to Cliff Williamson.

Chapter 24

Tuesday 19
th
January 2016, 10.00am

Nicola Stacey and Cliff Williamson were sitting behind the counter, running through the antiques centre’s sales figures for the month so far.

‘Hazel Wilkinson seems to be doing better than I expected,’ commented Cliff. ‘I didn’t think china and porcelain sold very well any more.’

‘I think it helped that she set up her stand in time for all the family Christmas and New Year parties when people suddenly realised they weren’t going to have enough teapots or side plates, and they have come back for more in preparation for summer picnics.’

‘Summer picnics! That is looking a bit far ahead isn’t it?  It’s pouring down outside,’ laughed Cliff.

‘Not really. If you think about it what we sell in here is never guaranteed from one week to the next. You are thinking with an antiques dealer’s head rather than like a member of the public. The majority of our stock on a daily basis is sold to members of the public who browse when they have a spare half hour, or make a special effort to come in if they are looking for something in particular. Hazel sold about three times as much stock to public buyers in the weeks before Christmas than she has done this month, but the people who have been buying her stock this month nearly all bought from her stand last month.

‘The majority of our income, however, comes from the Trade, none of whom are likely to be buying anything from Hazel’s stand. Dealers like Hazel appeal to buyers like Hazel. If you think about it some of those antiques dealers who come in like clockwork once or twice a week on the look out for fresh stock may or may not buy something, but they are our bread and butter buyers because when they do put their hands in their pockets it will be for many more pounds than the public buyers, and they usually buy from other antiques dealers’ stands.

‘The rest of the trade buyers may only come in three times a year, but they sweep the place - regardless of whether it is a public or an antiques dealer’s stand because their clients cover both ends of the market - and they spend a fortune, and they are the ones who make it worth our while to stay open.

‘Well, your while Cliff.

‘Unlike the public buyers, the trade buyers, although they will be looking for a particular type of item, will not usually be looking for a specific colour or pattern of plate or cup, whereas the public buyers know they need to buy it today or it will likely be gone the next time they come in here. That is why Hazel did so well before Christmas, is doing relatively well this month, but will be lucky to sell into double figures next month when her stock’s limited appeal will have saturated our local market place. None of her dinosaur antiques, those model cottages, have sold, and they won’t unless by some piece of luck a collector who is missing those particular examples stumbles across our antiques centre.’

Cliff sat back and looked at Nicola. He had been running his antiques centre for almost nineteen years and this was probably the longest and most detailed speech he had ever heard her make on the subject of how his business worked. Nicola had been working for him almost since the day he opened Williamson Antiques, and yet he had never appreciated her insight into how the antiques trade worked before. He already knew all that she was telling him, but it gave him a small thrill to realise that here was someone who felt almost as strongly about his antiques centre as he did. Rebecca had always been interested in the day-to-day goings on, but had never shown any interest in how the business worked.

‘Sorry Cliff,’ she mumbled looking embarrassed because he was looking at her so strangely, she thought she had overstepped her position and upset him. ‘I didn’t mean to teach you your business.’

‘Oh not at all, please don’t apologise Nicola!  I was just thinking what a smart person you are, and what an idiot I am for not noticing before. You really care about this place don’t you?’

‘Well of course I do. Why do you think I have stayed here all these years? Particularly after all the awful events last year. It certainly wasn’t for the pay. I feel a part of this business, we all do. Does this mean I get a pay rise now you have noticed I can do more than unlock the front door, switch on the lights, and be polite to the customers?’ she grinned.

‘Steady on,’ he laughed. ‘You’ll be expecting a television appearance fee next!’

‘I can’t believe that flipping film crew managed to turn up at a time when neither you nor Sarah were within an hour of here, and not a single other antiques dealer came into the antiques centre who I could persuade to replace me! They all stood out of shot drinking tea and sniggering! I think I deserve a huge bonus for that humiliating experience.’

‘Ha ha no you don’t, but you have earned another cup of tea. Stay there, I’ll go and make us one before we move onto the next page when you can tell me why Rowland Mitchell has been selling out every week. His stall must contain the least desirable stock in this antique centre; all those damaged bits of 1950s and 1960s furniture, and mass made china from the 1960s. ’

‘Now that I don’t know,’ replied Nicola, thoughtfully.

Chapter 25

Tuesday 19
th
January 2016, 4.30pm

Gemma and Peter stood together, holding hands, looking out over the breath-taking views of Stormy Vale, which was living up to its name as a dramatic scene of wind and rain supported by clouds of varying shades of grey was moving at speed across the landscape.

‘Wow’ breathed Gemma. ‘I could stand here all day.’

‘Stunning isn’t it,’ smiled Peter. ‘I knew you’d like it.’

‘Like it?  I love it!’ exclaimed Gemma. ‘Not so keen on the house, though. I think I love my little cottage so much I am struggling to picture myself living anywhere else. The family bathroom is awful and poorly designed; I’m afraid that flowery bathroom suite is hideous and not to my taste at all. The bedrooms are horribly decorated; that one with the primary coloured triangles all over the wall was giving me a headache. The fittings in the two ensuites look as though they were installed by toddlers. And the kitchen! How on earth has a family of six been catering in that? It looks as though whoever designed the layout of the bathroom also planned the kitchen. Everything is in the wrong place; there is no flow between the units.’

‘Let’s go back in and have a proper look around. Everything you are talking about is cosmetic isn’t it? We would expect to replace kitchen and bathroom suites wherever we move into. We did whizz in and out of every room the first time. It has the number of rooms we want, although certainly not in the condition I was expecting from the estate agent’s details or photos. Some of those photographs were taken very carefully indeed.’

As they went back inside for a second look, this time with less enthusiasm than the first time, Peter’s phone rang.

‘Hold on, love, I had better answer this, it is Jackie Martin. Hi Jackie, is everything OK?’ he asked anxiously.

‘Sorry to disturb you Peter, I was wondering if you are free this evening for a chat?’

‘Yes of course, Jackie. Shall I come to Rebecca’s house?’

‘Ooooh no, any excuse to get out. Rebecca will bring me to The Ship Inn if you can join me there. How about six thirty?’

‘Make it nearer six forty five and I’ll be there.’

By the time he found Gemma she was standing in the conservatory, lost in thought as she gazed through the windows at the view.

‘Jackie wants to meet me for a chat this evening, in the pub. No idea what about or how long for, but shall we eat in there tonight?’

‘Good idea,’ said Gemma. ‘I’ll come along with you, and sit by the fireplace with my plans for this place while you two talk.’

‘Ah, are you feeling a bit more enthusiastic about it?’

‘Yes,’ she said slowly. ‘I think I may be. How about you; what do you think about it now?’

‘Oh I haven’t had a chance to look round again, come on, you can’t have got far either if you are only in here!’

Chapter 26

Tuesday 19
th
January 2016, 6.45pm

Jackie and Rebecca were already seated in the snug when Peter and Gemma arrived, so instead of sitting on her own so that Jackie and Peter could have their discussion in private, Gemma joined them too. It was all very mysterious, because Jackie preferred to have her professional meetings in the surgery, and only went to the pub for social evenings with her friends. She had been in almost daily contact with Peter since her accident either by phone, or he had gone to Rebecca’s house where she was still convalescing, and he had found her advice and support invaluable. Even though he was a very experienced veterinary surgeon, and had been a senior partner at the previous Practice he worked at, he found Jackie’s knowledge of their Brackenshire clients and her willingness to share and discuss different treatment options very important while he continued to become established in the area.

He had no idea why she had called this evening’s meeting, and why it appeared to be a social occasion rather than their familiar professional work routine. Peter was a little nervous about what she may want to talk to him about, his mind racing through the various clients he had seen in recent weeks and wondering how many had been dissatisfied with his work. He could think of at least two who had been critical of his recommendations for them to change their horses’ diet and exercise instead of reaching for his prescription pad. He was relieved that once everyone was settled with drinks Jackie got straight to the point.

‘Peter. I have decided to retire. I do not plan to come back to work, and I would like to give you first refusal for the business.’

Whatever Peter was expecting, it wasn’t that. Jackie was one of the most dedicated vets he had ever met; he could never imagine her giving it all up.

‘I can see this has come as a bit of a shock to you, Peter!’ she laughed. ‘The truth is, this accident has given me the time to, no, has
made
me, take stock of my life. As you know being a veterinary surgeon, particularly an equine vet, is all-consuming if you want to be of any use to your patients, and I just don’t want to carry on putting the effort in any more. And that is the crux of the matter, it is now an effort, and has been for a couple of years. I tried to go part-time, but realistically that is not working, and I haven’t been enjoying it - it really is all or nothing, and I choose nothing. Even though we haven’t seen eye-to-eye over a few things, I do respect your professionalism and abilities, and trust that I would be selling the Practice to someone who would take care of it and our clients. I have given this a lot of thought; this is not a spur of the moment decision.’ She saw the look of horror on his face, and laughed, ‘and yes I do have nightmares of you turning the stable block into an American barn with pea gravel everywhere.’

Peter laughed too, realising he had been holding his breath since Jackie started to talk, and Rebecca and Gemma exchanged glances of relief. Rebecca was privy to her mother’s decision prior to the meeting, but had been more cautious about Peter’s response than Jackie, who couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t want to take over her business. Jackie considered it to be a logical progressive step for Peter, but Rebecca could see it would be a massive upheaval to the life he thought was laid out for him when he moved to Woodford less than ten months earlier. Gemma was almost as shocked as Peter, because she had not envisaged Jackie retiring from the profession she loved and was her life’s work. Gemma was not sure what Jackie’s proposal meant for her new husband and herself, but could see that their quiet plans for a move to Swan Hill were suddenly up for a major re-evaluation.

Jackie, oblivious to the high emotions around her, continued. ‘Of course any changes you make will be entirely up to you, it will be your business, so you can do with it as you wish. I have no intention of doing an ‘Alastair’ and stepping in every five minutes if you need a hand, though. I have plans for what I would like to do with the rest of my life, and they don’t allow for maintaining a level of professional veterinary competency. So you needn’t worry about me breathing over your shoulder every time you bring in a barefoot hoofcare specialist instead of a farrier,’ she winked at Peter, knowing full well this had been one of the few bones of contention between them in the last few months. ‘So, what do you think?’  She picked up her drink and sat back, watching him as he tried to process her news and her offer.

Peter didn’t know what to think. He had only joined Jackie’s business in May the previous year, and had been happy to come in as a junior member of the veterinary team which only consisted of himself and Jackie, with retired vet Alastair Wilkinson stepping in whenever they needed an additional body, and the nurses and admin staff who were all extremely proficient in their work. Jackie was such a vibrant and efficient member of the team, always in full control of all of the various aspects of the Practice, it had never occurred to him she was even contemplating retirement, let alone making way for him to step into her shoes. He looked over at Gemma, who appeared to be as stunned as he was.

‘Mum, I think you need to allow Peter to have a few days to think about this,’ said Rebecca gently, much to Peter’s relief. ‘Unlike you who has known about your decision since November, the first he heard about it was five minutes ago.’

‘November?’ queried Gemma.

‘Yes,’ said Jackie, ‘I decided as I was lying on the stable floor after that damned horse had kicked me. That has
never
happened to me before, and I don’t intend to allow it to happen again.’

‘But you must have been kicked before Jackie?’ said Peter.

‘Oh yes, more times than I care to remember. But that time I was stupid. I knew the tensions in that stable yard, I knew that bloody woman in charge ruled by terror, and I should have sent her out of the stable to make me a coffee like I usually do, but I got complacent and look what happened. It was entirely my fault, and I could have avoided it. And that is my point; I just don’t care enough to make the effort to placate people like that anymore, so it is time to stop before I get even more damaged, or worse cause harm to a horse. Well, you have heard my proposal, and my reasons for presenting it to you. Why don’t you have a think about it for a few days, would next Tuesday be too soon to come back with an answer?’

Peter and Gemma exchanged glances before Peter spoke. ‘I think a week could be just right Jackie. Same time, same place? You too Rebecca?’

Rebecca nodded in agreement.

‘Good, that’s settled.’ Jackie was satisfied she had said everything she wanted to, and felt sure Peter would come back with a positive answer the following week. She picked up her glass of wine which had been untouched throughout her sales pitch, and continued ‘Now, tell me how the whole house-selling house-buying experience is going. Have you heard the Maxwell-Lewis farm is up for sale? Poor Mrs Maxwell-Lewis, she just can’t cope without her son Simon propping up the running of that place. Since he was put behind bars last Autumn the place has become even more run-down than it was before. Fortunately they didn’t keep horses there so we are safe, but the farm vets over in Swanwick have had great difficulty in being paid for over three years now. Martin Spiers was telling me she owes them well into six figures. He doesn’t think they will see much of it, so is pinning all his hopes on getting some of it paid when the farm is sold.’

‘Ah is that what is happening to it?’ mused Gemma. ‘Lisa and I have been noticing more estate and land agents than usual coming into the tearooms, and they all have aerial photographs of the land so we knew something was going on. When does Simon’s case go to trial? Do you know Rebecca?’

‘No, Cliff hasn’t said anything to me about it. I’ll ask him if he knows anything next time I see him. It does seem very unfair that Simon is the only one to lose his liberty when he was not the mastermind behind the Country House Thefts, but I suppose he was the only one committing the burglaries. I did wonder if the old lady was going to be able to keep going without Simon.

‘The poor woman was deeply shocked by the revelations last year, I don’t think she had any idea of what Simon had been upto.’ said Jackie.

Everyone sat quietly contemplating the events of the previous year which had caused so much upheaval to the lives of several people in the usually sleepy town of Woodford.

Rebecca’s life in particular had been jolted off course, but as she sat in the comfortable surroundings of The Ship Inn with friends and family she reflected that the past few months had been a time of positive transition, and she was excited about her future. Her mind turned to practical matters. As Woodford Summer Fête Coordinator the logistics of organising the event were always on her mind.

‘I wonder if the Maxwell-Lewis farm will be sold before the fête in May? Mrs Maxwell-Lewis generously allowed us to use the drive and one of the paddocks for the horses for the last two years. I think we would struggle if we didn’t have access this year Mum.’

‘That reminds me Rebecca, I had better organise to meet up with the others and put our programme together for this year’s Horse Show. I’ll go and see Mrs Maxwell-Lewis for you and ask what her plans are, if she knows them,’ said Jackie, making a note in her diary. ‘I think the whole place is being sold as three lots. The reason I mention it, Peter, is because the lease on the surgery is due for renewal in the next eighteen months, so if you are thinking about altering the emphasis of the Practice in any way, you know, to something which may require more of a rehabilitation emphasis for example’ she winked ‘then some of that farmland may be ideal.’