Tea Is For Terror Read online

  And he wasn’t a young man!

  But then she conceded perhaps he would seem so to Mrs. Maus.

  “I’m very sorry to hear about Emma.” She grudgingly held out her hand for his firm grip. “I understand you’re taking her place? I believe we need to discuss today’s schedule.” She started down the aisle, forcing him to retreat, saying firmly, “Not here. Outside, please!”

  She squeezed past him and down the steps just as Arnie approached. She paused at the surprise on his face when he saw Jack.

  “Arnie White, Jack – ,” Claire began.

  “Hanford, of Kingdom Coach Tours.” Jack stuck out his hand as he stepped out of the bus.

  “Yes, our guide. Emma was called away.” She looked at Arnie closely. “Do you know each other?”

  Arnie blushed, stammering, “No, but Jack looks so much like a guy I work with I got confused about where I was. Nice to meet you, Jack.”

  “Well, they say everyone has a twin,” Jack quipped to Claire as she led him to one side, out of the path of the people trying to get on the bus.

  “Mr. Hanford how much do you know about our tour? I’m afraid I’m very disappointed about Emma. I was really relying on her knowledge to get us through the trip. Our tour leader broke her leg last week and had to cancel. So we’re all novices.”

  “Don’t worry, Luv. I have Emma’s crib notes and I’ve always been keen on history. I think I can cover most of the questions and perhaps even make a contribution.”

  “Well, let’s go over the schedule for today.”

  “Ah, a bit of a test?”

  Claire’s annoyance flared again only to be forgotten when she saw Rosa struggling with her tote, the computer, a portable file box and a large suitcase while the wind tore at the clutch of papers in her left hand.

  Claire captured the papers to Rosa’s relief. “This is Jack Hanford, Rosa. He’s our new guide. Emma’s mom took ill.”

  Rosa handed over the suitcase and file box with only a headshake at Jack’s attempt to take the laptop. “Good morning. No, not the laptop. I’ll need it on the bus.”

  She explained to Claire, as close to flustered as she seemed to get, “I got so busy this morning with the notes from yesterday that I didn’t get my bag out in time for pick-up. I was afraid I was going to miss the bus, I mean, coach.”

  She was so conscientious, so serious, completely devoid of humor.

  Claire told her earnestly, “Rosa, look, you don’t have to work all the time. Lucy wanted you to enjoy yourself, too.”

  “That’s nice of you, Claire, but I have to get it all down. You know Lucy needs this information. I’m sure it won’t be like this every day. Now that we’re heading out into the country, I won’t have so many sources to check each day.” She nodded her head towards Liz, now climbing onto the bus, her camera at ready in her hand. “Besides, if I become lax you know who is poised to take over.”

  Claire nodded. “I know she’s been making a nuisance of herself. She just isn’t very good with people. You know she spent her whole life with her father, managing his affairs, doing his research and now that he’s gone she seems to be lost. I’ll talk to her again.”

  “Well, as long as she stays away from me I don’t care what she does.” Rosa boarded the bus ahead of Claire, taking a seat in the back, a long way from where Liz sat.

  Betty Brown was the last one on the bus. As usual she arrived impeccably dressed and coiffured, looking stunning. Claire noted Jack’s obvious approval of Betty as he gallantly assisted her up the steps of the bus, wondering sourly if he was going to prove to be a ladies’ man. That thought gave her a start.

  Ladies’ man? Where did that come from? She was starting to think like one of her mother’s friends. No, she wouldn’t let herself be like that. Everyone was an adult on this trip. She didn’t need to supervise anyone’s behavior. And, she decided firmly, she wouldn’t!

  Jack stood and counted heads. Then, giving a signal to Harold, the doors closed and the coach pulled out into the traffic.

  “Good day to you. I’m Jack. Your ‘man’ for the trip, and if you notice I’m not as dainty and eye appealing as Emma is when serving tea. I’m sure you’ll appreciate my brawn when it comes time to heft those bags you’re so attached to.” His grin was wolfish but Claire could see the others responding to his style.

  “Kingdom Coach Tours is pleased to have this opportunity to show you our country. And my job is to make sure you enjoy yourselves.

  “Now, we have this great coach with a galley and our own loo so we are fairly self-sufficient.”

  Jack paused, seeing the confusion. “Oops, I see we have hit a language barrier already. Loo is the common word for toilet. I’m sure that bit of information will come in handy for some of you.” He waited patiently for the laughter to die down. “And Kingdom has assigned their best driver, Harold, here, to make sure we travel safely.”

  Harold intent on maneuvering through the London streets grinned in the mirror and waved his hand.

  “So sit back and relax. We’ll arrive at Stonehenge in about two hours and then on to Avebury for lunch. We should be arriving at Hilliary Hall in time for tea. Don’t forget to review your information packet and if you have any questions I’ll try to answer them.”

  Jack cocked an eyebrow at Claire but she buried her nose in the information packet, not willing yet to like him, or to forgive him for his rudeness this morning.

  * * *

  The time on the road passed pleasantly enough. Mike arranged an afternoon tennis tournament with Kim, Annie and Tom after Jack told him that the Hilliary Hall courts were excellent and the hotel could supply them all with rackets. Vern and Joan were joining Mrs. Maus’ entourage to explore the grounds and adjoining town of Castle Combe before tea. Rosa wasn’t committing herself and Liz was frustrated, wanting to shadow Rosa but afraid she would miss something with one of the other groups. Warren, Alex Martinez and Arnie were talking about a round of golf, if they could get on the course.

  The rest were still thinking about their options when the first view of a hilltop with stones appeared on the right side of the bus. Everyone crowded to that side, pressing cameras to the windows in spite of Jack’s assurances that they would have lots of picture opportunities.

  They scrambled off the bus into the bleakness of the big barren parking lot. The wind tore around them.

  “Pretty grim, isn’t it?” Arnie fell into step with Claire as they trudged toward the site, staying on the path as the signs directed them, following the never ending string of tourists.

  “Well, Arnie, this looks like your kind of weather. Not a bathing suit in sight.” She was disappointed. Their first stop, and it was appallingly commercial. Her eyes were weeping from the wind as she struggled to fasten her jacket more securely. She wiped her eyes, set her sunglasses more firmly in place for protection from the wind and then looked up to see where she was going. She came to an abrupt halt. The giant stones dwarfed her, robbing her of speech. All she had read, all the pictures she had seen had misled her. She had not been ready for Stonehenge.

  The size and number of the stones was amazing. How could they even be called stones? The starkness of the terrain, heightened by the howling wind and the gray sky, raised goose bumps on her scalp. She forgot the group. She didn’t see the other tourists milling about, aiming cameras at every angle. She walked away from Arnie without a thought, totally caught up in this giant monument.

  It was a message from the past. Someone had the imagination, the power, and the tenaciousness to move these mountainous stones to this lonely hilltop. Then, out of whimsy, or for a mysterious purpose, had stacked them like building blocks.

  Why? Who? When?

  * * *

  Liz came for her, urging her to hurry. Everyone was waiting, she said. But Claire returned at her own pace, coming back to her world slowly, no longer worried about this trip or its minor problems. She now knew why people needed to travel, to experience things that couldn’t be imagined
, that were beyond description. Pictures and words could never convey the mystery, the grandeur, the awe created by these stones on this hill.

  “Feeling a little fey?” Jack asked with a lift of the eyebrow.

  Claire laughed, surprised at his perception. “How did you know?”

  “You have the look. It affects some people that way. For others, they’re just big stones.” He nodded towards the rest of the tour members straggling into the coach.

  By the time the bus arrived at Avebury, Claire was hungry and a little embarrassed at the thought she might have been rude to Arnie. She made a point to seek him out and was grateful to find he apparently hadn’t noticed her earlier desertion. The Avebury stones were interesting but, for her, they lacked the drama of Stonehenge. She was happy to buy a sandwich and drink and follow Mrs. Maus’ group around the inner circles of stones and through the village before breaking off to explore the small museum. There she couldn’t resist buying a book titled, Stonehenge, Myths, Legends, Facts. Already, she planned to find a quiet time to relax with a cup of tea and learn more about those stones and the people who moved them.

  The trip from Avebury to Hilliary Hall was peaceful. Many of the group took the time to snooze but Claire couldn’t sleep. The coach was lumbering down tiny roads, past cottages and minute villages. Glimpses of farms, cottages and large Manor houses occasionally appeared tantalizingly through the trees. Glenda Martinez slipped into the seat beside her and they chatted quietly about what they were seeing.

  “Lucy told me that this is one of her favorite places in all of England,” Claire told her. And you know we’re going mostly to her favorite places.”

  “Really? What’s so special about Hilliary Hall?” Glenda wanted to know.

  “I guess because it was an old manor house that’s been converted to a hotel but still feels like it’s someone’s house. And this little village is supposed to be one of the prettiest in the Cotswold. I understand they filmed Dr. Doolittle here.

  “And Harold told me the coach can’t go through the village because the roads are so narrow, so we’ll be going in through the back way. I’m glad Harold has to drive this bus. These little roads are so tiny, I keep thinking we’re going to get stuck.”

  Glenda giggled. “Me too. And when I look up suddenly I have to keep myself from screaming at Alex that he’s on the wrong side of the road. Poor Alex, he has a tough life with me as a backseat driver.”

  Claire glanced over at Alex, head against the window, eyes closed, totally out of it. “It looks like he’s really suffering.” She liked Glenda.

  “You know, Glenda, you sure did John Pederson a favor when you talked them all into joining you at the Dorchester Tea Dance. I was noticing yesterday on the barge how much younger and prettier Mary was looking now that she’s more relaxed.”

  “Oh, we had such fun. You should have come Claire, you would have loved it.”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s more fun to go to a tea dance when you have someone to dance with. That’s one of the penalties of being single.”

  “Well, I’ll just have to see if I can’t do something about that. Look at all the material available.” Glenda looked speculatively around the coach.

  Claire laughed. “Thanks, Glenda, but really, no thanks. I don’t have the time or energy at this point in my life.”

  “Time or energy? Really Claire, of course you do. There’s nothing like a little love affair to give one a burst of energy.”

  Claire realized with dismay that she had inadvertently dropped a challenge and Glenda would be working on a match for her the rest of the trip. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “But my friend, wouldn’t like it. He wasn’t that pleased about me going off on this trip without him. He definitely wouldn’t understand a love affair.”

  “Oh, of course, dear. I wondered how such an attractive woman as you could remain unattached.” Glenda whispered back happily, Claire’s imaginary lover satisfying her. “Oh, oh, I see Alex is stirring. I’d better go back or he’ll think they left me back in Avebury.”

  Claire didn’t feel the slightest qualm of guilt about her lie. It made Glenda happy and it couldn’t hurt anyone. She gazed out the window thinking about her options for the afternoon, deciding suddenly that she would take advantage of the sun that had made its appearance during their stop at Avebury to take a swim. Then she might settle with her book over tea. She had only been in England for a few days but she had already discovered how civilized afternoon tea could be. It was a pleasant moment in the afternoon to reflect on the day and to gather energy. She wondered how complicated it would be, and of course how much it would cost, to serve tea to customers who were in the shop at 4:00. It might prove to be popular. She smiled, deciding to think about it seriously when she got back.

  Then the bus broke through the trees into a fair sized car park. Jack was issuing instructions, pointing out the path to the reception area and assuring everyone that their luggage would arrive at their rooms about the same time they did. And even as Claire gathered up her belongings and followed the others she saw the bellmen arriving with carts to take the luggage Harold was removing from the opened bin.

  * * *

  The gardens were wonderful in the half-light of the evening. The scents hung heavily; the shadows were deep and mysterious. Claire had been lucky enough to be assigned a charming room on the third floor, instead of across the courtyard in one of the outside buildings as some of the group had been. She had come down early to make sure all the arrangements for the banquet were complete but was assured she wasn’t needed, and so she had wandered out to the gardens for a stroll before dinner.

  The house was huge and ornate, really more of a castle. The grand entrance hall, visible from the garden path she was on, was now the reception hall. She stared through the half light, imagining the carriages pulling up in the circular drive, the jeweled guests climbing the endless stairs to the wide porch while the lit torches defied the descending darkness and the sounds of the orchestra drifted out through the opened portals. It was like a Merchant and Ivory movie. She sighed, longing for the romance of that era.

  She laughed at herself, admitting wryly that if she had indeed been here at that time she would have most likely been one of the scullery maids, not one of the privileged ladies dancing the night away.

  “...so stupid.” The harsh words cut through the evening quiet destroying Claire’s musing. She paused looking around for the source. Now the voice was quieter, somehow more threatening, and the words were no longer clear. She slipped through the greenery in the general direction of the sound and almost gasped at finding herself witnessing a confrontation between Arnie and Jack. Arnie’s face was in the shadows; his hands, motioning nervously, were indications of his stress.

  Jack’s back was to her but his whole posture was so menacing Claire immediately bristled and crashed loudly into the little clearing intent on saving Arnie.

  “What’s happening here?” She demanded, looking pointedly at Jack.

  He straightened up and turned towards her with a blank look.

  “Problem?” Arnie echoed. “No, no problem.” His face was now bright red with embarrassment.

  “Why do you ask?” Jack’s innocent look didn’t convince Claire.

  “Well for one thing it sounded like you were having an argument.” Claire wasn’t going to make it easy for him. She couldn’t imagine what was happening.

  “Uh, no. We were just talking about the golf game this afternoon.” Arnie shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, I guess I better get going or I’ll be late for dinner. See you in a bit, Claire.” He backed away. “And Jack, thanks for your advice.” Then he turned and scurried towards the manor.

  “So, what was it really about?” Claire scowled at Jack.

  “Just what he said. I ran into him here and he was talking about a problem he was having with his swing on the 5th hole.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Do you play?”

  At her head shake he continued, “Well then,
no use in explaining the problem to you. Suffice to say, it cost him the game and I was able to give him a bit of advice to correct the problem.” His grin dared her to dispute him.

  Claire felt anger surging through her. She hated his pompous, belittling attitude. She had been on the receiving end of someone’s assumption of superiority on too many occasions in her life. She became enraged when people treated her like milquetoast, so now she forgot her tack.

  “Well, I’m so glad you were able to help him,” she said softly. “I’d hate to disrupt this group again by changing the tour guide once again.” She saw by the change in his eyes he understood.

  “Of course, Jack, I’m not as experienced as you are but I do know that the most important feature of this tour is to make sure the group has a good time. I’m sure you agree. And as Arnie is an important part of the group, whatever you can do to make this trip pleasurable for him will certainly be appreciated.”

  “I hear you,” he muttered, heading for the house.

  He got the message but she decided she would watch him carefully. If he caused any problems she’d call the Kingdom Tours Office and report him. Maybe she shouldn’t wait, she considered. Maybe she should just call tomorrow and insist that he be replaced. No, she realized, after only one day it was apparent the group was enthralled with him even if she was not. Well, she decided, she’d still keep a close eye on him.

  She continued her stroll in the garden. Now night was almost upon them. The soft glow of lights marked the paths and highlighted the statues tucked into little nooks. She was looking forward to dinner because she never had time for the tea she had planned. She was so thrilled with Hilliary Hall she just had to look around and that led her to the little village of Castle Combe. Fortunately the residents tolerated the many visitors prowling through their tiny village, snapping pictures of flower bedecked cottages and the picturesque bridges over their wandering stream. But Claire wasn’t so tolerant. She soon wearied of the people, and their cameras, and returned to the hotel with just enough time for a refreshing swim before getting ready for dinner.