“Come and have a look at this Mum.”
Yvonne walked over to where Lisa was looking into a glass case, inside which sat a variety of girl’s dolls through the years. As she read the labels, she said “have you seen how old some of these are? They are worth a lot of money now, especially in such good condition.”
“I imagine so,” Lisa said quietly, “but people really collect these?”
“Oh yes they do – like antiques, the right ones can be a sound investment, as your father would say,” Yvonne said quietly as they made their way around the Childhood through the Ages exhibition. The family had decided to spend the day in London, but for Mark and his son Charlie that meant going to a rugby match in the afternoon, while they visited the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“I wonder if they played our games in those days as well,” Lisa said as she looked at the ornate costumes.
“Well, I imagine some of them would have, and some of them would not have, just like today,” Yvonne said as she looked at her watch, “anyway, we need to get going – the game will be finishing soon, and we’re meeting your father and brother at Leicester Square. You still fancy some Mexican food?”
“Oh yes – got have my nachos…”
“I take it Saracens won?”
“Yeah – beat the mighty Quinns,” Mark Williamson said as he sat in the armchair, holding a mug of coffee, “more’s the pity. The kids?”
“Both asleep,” she said as she sat down, “I meant to ask how Andrew took the news?”
“Of his bonus and pay rise? He was saying something about replacing his plough with it,” Mark said with a smile, “so, ready to hear my idea for our next visit?”
“Why not – I take it this is purely for our own pleasure?”
“Oh yes – but I let Brian and Sarah know,” Mark said as he picked up a manila wallet, and took out a picture of a grey haired man in a tuxedo, standing with an older woman with sandy blonde hair, wearing a silver dress.
“This is Lord and Lady Montfort,” Mark said quietly, “Lord Montfort is the head of Montfort Investments.”
“We’ve met them haven’t we?”
“At a charity dinner – but I have been looking into their accounts, and I think we can make a fair profit from a visit to their home.”
“They live in a large house near Oxford don’t they?”
“Yup – it’s called an taigh babog.”
“Is that Gaelic?”
“With a name like Montford, what do you think,” Mark said with a smile. “Anyway, they live there with their daughter, Morag, and her three daughters, April, May and June.”
“Let me guess – born in those months?”
“Nope – April is eleven, and born in June – May is ten and her birthday is in October – and nine year old June has hers in January.”
“Fair enough,” Yvonne laughed as she looked at the picture of the brown haired mother, and the three dark haired girls. “Where’s the dad?”
“America – long divorced,” Mark said as he took a drink of his coffee. “There is a live-in nanny come au pair, a twenty two year old Australian girl called Danni. That’s the main contingent we need to plan for.”
“Okay – so we need how many friends? Five?”
“I think so to ensure we are prepared for unexpected surprises. The plan is to make our move on Friday – the local schools are having a holiday, and Agnes – sorry, Lady Montfort – and Morag are at a charity event that afternoon. Gives us plenty of time to get ready…”
“Girls! Remember lunch will be ready in a few minutes!”
“All right Danni,” a young voice called down as the nanny smiled, and made her way back into the kitchen. She had already laid out four plates with some cold meat, and some sliced bread was on the table with butter in a dish. Walking back to the work area, she chopped some cucumber, tomato and lettuce, and put them on the plates as well. The twenty two year old had long dark hair, which fell over her shoulders and the pink vest top she was wearing, the legs of her blue jeans tucked into a pair of short brown leather boots.
Laying the plates on the mats, she called up and said “right girls – come on down.” She watched as June came in first, wearing a black cardigan over a white top, crimson red jeans and black suede ankle boots with three studs on the side. She was carrying a brown hared doll, which was dressed in a blue dress with a black ribbon round the waist, tied with a bow at the back, and brown botties, and she had a black bow in her long brown hair.
April came next, a white Alice band holding her hair back, wearing a grey top with black diagonal stripes over a black vest, black pants with white star dots, and black felt boots. She also had a doll, which was wearing a tartan sleeveless dress and black short boots, the brown hair platted into two pigtails with blue ribbons.
May was last, skipping into the kitchen. Her top had elbow length sleeves, and black and white stripes of various widths, while her black jeans were tucked into the same style of felt boots as April. Like the other two, she had a doll, hers with the hair tied in a ribbon at the back, and wearing a red cardigan over a floral dress, black shoes and white ankle socks.
“I see the girls are hungry as well,” Danni said with a smile, “well, sit yourselves down and we can have lunch. What are you planning to do this afternoon?”
“Play some more upstairs,” April said, “we want the girls to have a tea party.”
“That sounds like fun,” Danni said as she sat down, “well, I will be clearing up downstairs, so stay out of my way for an hour or two, all right?”
“Yes, Danni,” the three girls chorused as they ate, pretending to feed their dolls as well. Smiling, she took a drink from her glass, and started to eat, when she heard the doorbell.
“Funny – not expecting anything,” she said as she stood up, “wait there girls.”
She made her way to the hall, the three girls talking as they heard her talking to someone. As they looked up when she came back in, they saw the worried look on her face – and then the two people with her, wearing black boiler suits, black leather gloves and masks over their heads, only allowing their eyes and mouths to be seen.
“Hallo gahls,” one of them said, a woman with a Scottish accent, “Dianne worry or fret – I’m Mrs McPhee, and this is mah freend Jay Edwards.”
“Hello girls,” the man said in a Geordie accent, “I hope you don’t mind, but I and my friends will be staying a while. Don’t worry – we’re not going to hurt you, but you need to do what we say, isn’t that right Danni?”
“That’s right,” Danni said as she sat down, “so finish your food girls – I think we’re going to be doing something different this afternoon…”