: 10 - Sale Of Contents
Will is re-united with Matty and Jack again – only to find that the contents of the ancient hall are being sold at auction.
Mary and Brian Tattersfield’s wonderful children’s story moves towards its conclusion – but there are still surprises in store.
The Whitley Marble is published by Sarisberie Publishing, The Street, West Clandon, Surrey, GU4 2ST, England.
Will caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head to see the lead soldiers had changed their position. He sat down and stared hard just in case they did it again. The bright red coats faded into khaki and they grew before his eyes until they were the size of normal men. Will was no longer surprised by such things, but sat and patiently waited to see what would happen.
The soldiers were soon filing along narrow seats which appeared like the pews in a chapel. They sat down and turned their heads in the direction of a voice which had become clearly audible. Will looked in the same direction and saw that the voice came from a vicar in a pulpit. He was present at some sort of service, and there were some women in hats and children in best clothes in the congregation as well.
The vicar was talking about the fruits of the earth, but Will wasn’t very good at concentrating on sermons. Besides, the people were much more interesting. He couldn’t take his eyes off the hat of the lady in front. It sat on the top of her heard, and a lovely little soft green ostrich feather gently trembled from it in the slight draught made when she moved.
Will was itching to give it a stroke with his finger. In the end he couldn’t resist it any longer, and quite forgetting where he was he got up and reached forward to touch it.
The lady was very startled. She jumped and then shrieked. Will’s hand froze in mid air. Then the lady giggled, and after a moment giggled again. Will couldn’t believe his ears, and tried to peer round into her face to see if she really was giggling. The ‘lady’ stood up and turned round. Standing up she was suddenly only the same size as when she was sitting down. And why was that?
“Oh, Matty, it’s you!” said Will laughing with relief, “I thought I was in for it that time. What are you doing all dressed up like that?”
The green hat was so big on Matty’s head that it came down to her ears, and she was laughing so much that the feather wobbled all over the place.
“I’m just trying on a few things from the ‘sale of contents’. Can’t you see – this is the ‘sale of contents’,” Matty said gesturing round at the piles of old costumes, bric-a-brac and pieces of furniture which now filled the chapel.
“Sale?” said Will vaguely, but he was so glad to see her that all his words started coming out in a rush. “Matty, I’ve had such a time since I saw you last! Where’s Jack? I was in this terrible battle with real cannon balls flying about, and Jack was there – at least I think it was Jack. And he was blown up!”
“Blown up,” said Matty, astonished, “he’s not blown up! He’s over there ferreting out some old marbles.”
Will looked across the huge jumble of furniture. He thought he could still hear the vicar’s voice droning on up there. Was it the vicar though? A man was standing in the pulpit where the vicar had stood, but Will could hear he was saying something very different.
“…lot three hundred and forty-one. Let me bring your attention to this handsome group of alabaster figures in the classical style, ladies and gentlemen – in superb condition, I think you’ll agree, bought by George Hawthornethwaite on his Italian tour during the 1740’s….”
Will recognised many of the objects from the house, and groups of people stood about poking at them, rather like a lot of chickens picking in a farmyard, thought Will
Matty led him round a large cupboard, and there was Jack, taking some luscious looking marbles from a game of solitaire. Will saw that his clothes were very nearly the same as his now.
Matty ran up to him. “Will says he saw you blow up,” she said excitedly.
Will tried to explain his adventure on the battlefield. Jack looked very thoughtful, and then he said, “What you’ve described is just like the great painting in the library. It’s called the Battle of Waterloo and there’s a lad lying on the ground on the right hand side.”
Before Will could answer, Matty said emphatically, “It won’t be in the library any more now, Old Major Cartwright bought it this morning.”
This reminded them of where they were again, and they looked round solemnly at the sad collection.
“If the house is being sold,” asked Will, “where will you live? You can’t go away just when I’ve found you again.”
“We have to, Will,” said Jack. “We can’t afford to look after the house anymore. It’s in a terrible mess. It’s getting too sad to look at. Come on, I’ll show you.” And as they walked round the people towards the door, he added, “You said you saw Matty at the harvest festival, well, we’ve got a room called the harvest room. You just come and see what they’ve done to it.”
