Investigation (Episode 42 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid)

Continued from Episode 41 - Hoard

Last time, the 'working party' of Gwladys et al, had dug deep into the garden and turned up a fabulous treasure. Gwladys and Aefelthrith suggested that this could be the missing treasue ,hidden by a nobleman's servants long ago, that the entire town had spent generations trying to find.  Then a knock at the door announced the arrival of Sargent Argent and Constable John.  Now read on:

 

Gwladys took a deep breath, thrust her shoulders back and marched through the kitchen door, into the kitchen, closely followed by Aefelthrith, Dolly, Clarence and ‘Arry.

“Why, Sargent!  ‘Ow nice to see yer again” She beamed in his direction.

“Ma’am” Sargent Argent tapped his forehead in salute.  Constable John lurked behind him, grinning.

“’Ow can we ‘elp yer, today?”

“Just a routine visit, ma’am.  Just doing the rounds of the local businesses, making sure all is well” The Sargent eased himself up onto his toes and back again.

“Good on yer to call ‘round” Gwladys smiled, half-heartedly.

Just then, Constable John noticed something on the kitchen table and sprang forward to take a look.

“Cor, this is summat, innit?” He had ‘Arry’s coin in his hand and was turning it over and over, appreciatively.

“Oh bugger!” Gwladys said, under her breath.

“’Ear, gerroffofit!” ‘Arry yelled, “Tha’s mine!”  And he lunged to retrieve it from the Constable, who neatly side-stepped him and passed it to the Sargent.

“Ah, yes, this is interesting” The Sargent perused the coin.  “You say it is yours, young feller?”

“Yeah” ‘Arry agreed, sullenly, “I fount it”

“You found it?” The Sargent raised an eyebrow, “Where did you find it?”

Before ‘Arry could reply, Aefelthrith pushed forward and patted him on the shoulder.

“I think, Sargent, that what Harry here meant, was that we found it amongst a consignment of items that had been pledged” She smiled at the Watchmen, prettily.

“Yeah, that’s it” Gwladys grabbed this lifeline, thankfully, “it were with some stuff from the shop”

“Would you happen to know who pledged this?” The Sargent was still inspecting the coin, minutely.

“Cor, no, couldner tell yer” Gwladys shook her head, “yer know ‘ow it is, yer get all sorts”

“But you keep records, surely?  You would need to do so in case the applicant wished to redeem the pledge at some point in the future, is that not so?”

“Werl, yeah” Gwladys mopped her forehead, “but, if it were in like a job lot, I couldn’t tell yer who brought it”

“The boy took a shine to it, so we let him…play with it” Aefelthrith explained.

“Yeah, that style of thing” Gwladys nodded, enthusiastically.

“It is really quite rare, did you know?” The Sargent bounced the coin from one hand to the other, “Possibly valuable”

“That right?” Gwladys asked, innocently.

“I am not an expert in such matters but this is quite a find” The Sargent nodded, “It would be most useful to determine who brought this in and where it came from”

“Werl, I’ll ‘ave a look in me book but I ain’t ‘oldin’ out much ‘ope” Gwladys made her way into the shop.

“You all look a trifle grubby, if you will excuse the personal remark?” The Sargent let his eye rove over the party before him.

“We’ve been…” Aefelthrith searched frantically for a believable answer.

“Planting veg” Dolly suggested.

“Yes, that’s it” Aefeltrith looked relieved, “we have been planting vegetables ready for winter”

Constable John bustled over and peered out of the window.

“There’s an ‘ell of a mound of soil out there, ‘ow deep are yer plantin’ stuff?”

“Ah, well…” Aefelthrith was at a loss, again.

“It’s about turning the soil over, proper like” Dolly explained, “I don’t think anyone’s planted anything out there for years”

“Most commendable.  I wish more people would take responsibility for growing their own foodstuffs.  It is as well to insure against hard times” The Sargent beamed at them.

Gwladys marched back into the kitchen, clutching the book of transactions.

“Werl, like I tole yer, I couldner be sure who brought it in” She dumped the book on the kitchen table and pointed to a number of entries for collections of goods pledged. “It could’ve been any of ‘em” She shrugged.

“Would it not be a problem if the customer returns for his (or, indeed, her) goods and finds the coin is missing?”  The Sargent perused the entries in the ledger.

“Erm…” Gwladys frowned.

“I think, Sargent, that we would then return the coin to the rightful owner, on demand” Aefelthrith smiled warmly at the Sargent, who blushed. “It was just a harmless amusement for the child”

“’S’not real, any road” ‘Arry grumbled, sulkily.

“There I would have to take issue with you, young man” The Sargent said, indulgently, “I have seen drawings of coins, coins that were believed to be part of the King’s Treasure, and I have to say that, this coin…this coin…” He turned it over in his hand, and sighed.

“Cor, yer mean it’s ..it’s…part of the ‘oard!” Constable John was wide-eyed with excitement.

“Well, I’m not saying that…not exactly” The Sargent squirmed a little.

“If it’s the ‘oard, bloody ‘ell” Constable John took off his helmet and scratched his head.

“I think, under the circumstances, it would be prudent to take some details of the depositors of these items” The Sargent reached for his notebook.

“Werl, yeah, you’re welcome BUT, I ain’t sayin’ it is any of these, right?” Gwladys frowned.

“Fully understood, ma’am, but I think that making some further enquiries might be a worthwhile use of our time” Sargent Argent started to laboriously copy the names from the ledger.  “We have to start somewhere and this seems as good a place as any”

Gwladys flashed Aefelthrith a look and furrowed her eyebrows.

* * * *

That night, Gwladys and Aefelthrith sat up in bed, staring at the mound of jewels and coins that was now piled in the corner of their bedroom.

“I dunner like it” Gwladys shook her head, slowly.

“What?  Being fabulously wealthy?” Aefelthrith giggled, “You will get used to it, trust me”

“Nah, not that” Gwladys frowned, “I mean, ‘aving the ‘oard ‘ere”

“Where else could we put it?”

“Yer see, that’s it, innit!” Gwladys threw her hands up, “We canner put it anywhere else, an’ we canner risk leavin’ it fer a minute.  An’ that’s not the ‘alf of it.  It’ll gerrout yer know?”

“The treasure?  I doubt it will walk off, of its own accord” Aefelthrith grinned.

“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout it walkin’ off” Gwladys gave her a stern look, “I mean, word about it… it’ll gerrout”

“Who’s going to say anything?”

“I dunno, burrit’s ‘uman nature innit.  Sooner or later, someone’ll say summat, an’ then…”

“And then, what?”

“Then we’re right in it, that’s what!” Gwlady folded her arms and sighed.

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)