Hoard (Episode 41 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid)

Continued from Episode 40 - Coined

Last time, Gwladys returned from her excursion to the Antiquarian with news about the mysterious coin that 'Arry had uncovered in the garden.  Keen to find if there was more to discover, she detailed 'Arry, Clarence and a very reluctant Aefelthrith to help her dig in the garden whilst Dolly and Henry minded the shop.  Now read on:

 

For Dolly, the morning had passed incredibly quickly.  The shop had been unusually busy, which was always preferable to hours behind the counter, just waiting for the doorbell to ring.  Moreover, those who had come in to pledge items had spent a little longer than usual chatting, largely, she suspected, because it gave them an opportunity to coo over Henry, who seemed to lap up his customer-facing role.

She realised that it must be getting close to lunchtime and she had heard nothing from the ‘working party’ out in the garden, so she and Henry locked the shop door and trotted out to see what was occurring.

Opening the rear door, she was greeted with the sight of a huge mound of earth, circled by the various volunteer diggers.  ‘Arry was perched on top of an upturned bucket and was mopping his forehead, Gwladys was sat on the mound of soil beside him, fanning herself with a large leaf.  On the other side of the mound, Clarence was crouched with his head in his hands, beside him, Aefelthrith appeared to be in a dead faint, a lace handkerchief pressed delicately to her cheek, ‘and wouldn’t you know that’s where she’d be!’ Dolly thought to herself,

“Strewth!  Looks like you’ve been pretty busy” Dolly grinned, “Were you aiming for a big pile of soil?”

“Not partic’ly” Gwladys shook her head, “but we got a bit more’n that”

“Oh yes?  Like what?” Dolly hoisted Henry, who was grizzling, higher on her hip.

“Tek a look in the ‘ole” Gwladys nodded toward the chasm by her side.

Dolly approached the pit, with considerable caution.  It was clearly deep and the soil was loose around it.  When she was as close as she dared, she stared down, to be met with an awesome sight.  Golden coins glinted and shone in the meagre sunlight, interspersed with an assortment of brightly coloured jewels.  It was like looking into Aladdin’s cave.

“Well, I’ll be…” Dolly was lost for words.

“When ‘Arry dug up that coin, I thought to meself, I wonder if it’s got some mates?  Turns out, it ‘as!” Gwladys grinned.

“Not ‘alf!” Dolly shook her head, “did you know it was going to be there?”

“I ‘ad an inkling” Gwladys nodded, “when we started fetchin’ up skellingtons, I thought there might be more to it.  Then when ‘Arry fount that coin, I thought we’d got to get ter the bottom of it”

“There must be a fortune here!” Dolly’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“King’s ransom, yer might say” Gwladys chuckled.

“Pardon?” Dolly looked bemused.

“It was something Sergeant Argent said, some time ago” Aefelthrith seemed to have recovered enough strength to be able to join the conversation.

“The Sergeant?  You mean he knows about this?”  Dolly looked surprised.

“Nah, not as such” Gwladys shook her head, “but it were ‘im that put us on ter it.  Seems as ‘ow a King, years ago, gave a local Duke all ‘is fortune to keep safe ‘cause there were a war on.  The Duke got caught up in a battle fer this town an’ is brave warriors buggered off and left ‘im, so ‘e got ‘is servants to hide the treasure whilst ‘e ran away…”

“Sounds about right!” Dolly grinned.

“Unfortunately, the local populace decided to fall upon the Duke’s servants and kill them all” Aefelthrith picked up the story, “However, they failed to ask the servants where they had buried the treasure before they murdered them, and, ever since, the townsfolk have been digging up any and all spare bits of land, in the hope of recovering the treasure chest”  (See Episode 15 – Date)

“If them bodies we dug up were the servants, or some on ‘em any road, then I reckon they got despatched right where they’d been burying the loot” Gwladys pointed out.  “I dunner reckon it could ‘ave been the back yard to a shop then, not in them days.  Must ‘ave been built over since”

“You said it was in a chest?”  Dolly said, looking into the hole.

“Yeah, I reckon that must ‘ave rotted away, long since.  That’s why ‘Arry was able to find that coin, an’ now we’ve got its chums” Gwladys giggled, a little hysterically.

“You’re rich, Glad!” Dolly gasped.

“Not just me, ‘er Ladyship over there, it belongs to ‘er an’ all” Gwladys nodded toward Aefelthrith, “hey, yer could buy yer castle back now, couldn’t yer?”

“I suppose I could” Aeflethrith looked thoughtful.

Dolly noticed that Clarence suddenly seemed to be sitting up and taking a closer interest in the proceedings.

“You can put your tail back between your legs!” She snapped, “you’ve got responsibilities right here” She firmly placed a grizzling Henry on his knee.

“Now, lissen to me, all on yer” Gwladys glared at the assembly, “I know this is excitin’ an’ all but no-one’s ter say owt about it to anyone outside of ‘ere, alright?”

“Afraid of getting begging letters, eh Glad?”  Dolly winked at her.

“Ha! That’d be the least on it” Gwladys shook her head, “yer’ve got ter remember, there’s an whole town out there what ‘ave been diggin’ every bit of land they could find, fer generations, lookin’ fer THIS!” She gestured to the contents of the hole.  “What d’yer reckon they’re gonna think when they find out we’ve got it?”

“Hmm, yes, probably not happy” Dolly looked thoughtful.

“Oh gosh, just think of Anty Marj!” Aefelthrith looked horrified.

There was a thumping in the distance, causing them all to jump.

“Sounds like someone at the door” Dolly suggested.

“Ethel, go an’ see who it is” Gwladys ordered.

“Me?” Aefelthrith looked shocked, “I will have you know that I am utterly exhausted by my labours and need complete rest.  May I remind you that I was not accustomed to, nor adapted to, manual labour”

“You ain’t ‘customed to it now” Gwladys pointed out, “yer did bugger all apart from waftin’ ‘round, gettin’ in folk’s way an’ tryin’ not to get yer ‘ands dirty.  Go an’ see who it is!”

“What if it’s Anty Marj?”  Aefelthrith looked in the direction of the kitchen, dubiously.

“It wunner be ‘er, I sent ‘er an’ ‘er lawyer away with a flea in their ears. Go an’ see!”

Aeflethrith raised herself, glared at Gwladys and flounced off.  She returned a few moments later, looking concerned.

“Sergeant Argent and Constable John are in the kitchen, to see us” She announced, holding the back door shut behind her, for all she was worth.

This series can be found, in full, starting at Episode 1, right here on ABCTales.

You can find the previous adventures of Gwladys and Aefelthrith in both Kindle and paperback formats at The Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid (link is external)