Rehousing the Goddess

Chapter 18: Rehousing the Goddess

Castles, and though it boasted 4 towers Gillamoor Court was not a very convincing example, are normally built on high defensible places but Sir Thomas’s home was located in the lowest place in its vicinity. It did used to once boast a moat formed by diverting part of the River Dove along a different path but that had been filled in more than a century ago. The 15th century turreted manor house had been in his family for generations, and would normally have been inherited by the current Duke had not an earlier bequest diverted into his father’s hands.

As Thomas lived there on his own, although he used to have frequent guests, he maintained a very small personal staff who all lived in his gatehouse apart from Andrew who looked after the horses and was a close confidant or had been before the amnesia.

Life was moving fast for Thomas Squires as he had just received Nathaniel’s letter. He noted there was no apology for having shot at him but that hardly mattered now. As part of the agreement he would have a posey ring delivered and had already chosen the phrase “verbero una” , “to lash into one”, engraved in it. He would tell her it meant bound together and prayed her father would not examine it too closely. Then he would set about organising the wedding. However his mind had now switched to the other current obsession of his life.

On this particular day he would be entertaining 2 visitors, the Viscount of Thirsk, known to many as Michael or Thirsky, and the historian, Samuel Atha, who was returning from Whitby. After they had both arrived, he took them into his personal study stocked with books about Greece and Rome and dotted with a few classical statues. Not only had they come to look at his newly delivered relief sculpture but he wanted them to help it into its new home.

Atha had become extremely excited when he saw Thomas’s goddess and agreed that it was not something that should be left lying around. Michael was less enthused but appreciated the astonishing quality of the work.

“She certainly is beautiful. Are you going to leave it in here or put her on display?” asked the noble.

“My wife might view her as competition.”

“Wife!” cried Lord Thirsk in astonishment.”

“Yes. You will of course consent to be my best man?”

“Yes, but who the devil is she.”

“Caroline, daughter of that insane doctor.”

“She seduced you while you were on your sickbed?” queried his disbelieving friend.

“Not exactly. Even in my confused state I was able to seduce her.”

“But she’s hardly suitable. She’s just a commoner.”

“I’m after all only a baronet and her father has been knighted.”

“There are a lot more suitable matches out there.”

“Then why haven’t I married them?” Taking advantage of Michael’s hesitation, the impending groom added “Enough! She is the right one, trust me. Be happy for me.”

“Of course” and he hugged his friend heartily.

“Congratulations” added Mr Atha.

“Thank you both. And now Mr Atha, I have a secret to show you, if you would be so good as to turn around and close your eyes.”

All Sam could hear were mechanical noises and when instructed to look he saw a secret room behind the curve of the bookcase.

“So you could hide her in here and show her off to special friends?” volunteered the local history expert.

Thomas offered no response but asked Sam to fetch the rope, which he had asked him to bring, from his wagon. Meanwhile he went off himself to fetch Andrew and Thirsky’s leering coachman, Bernard. It was a tight squeeze in the room, which was also new to that soul of discretion Bernard, especially when Thomas closed the door after the other 4 carried the stone in. As he did two recesses were revealed in the floor, one a mere hole, the other was the first step of a tight winding staircase.

Thomas used a fork to open the wooden ceiling up to an oculus on the roof. Just above the room was a pulley system. The classicist, carrying a torch, and the historian then went down the stairs and into an ancient dungeon. No-one knew how many, had perished down there alone and forgotten in the dark but any remains there may have been had long since been cleared away. Thomas used the torch to light the oil lamps in the room making it surprisingly bright. It was clear he had recently cleaned and filled them.

The light showed the only features were shackles on the wall and a couple of cages just capacious enough to lie down in if you curled up. Presumably any racks and iron maidens had been cleared away. Above the pulley system was now fully roped and the owner went back up to double-check his goddess was secure. Once he was satisfied, Thomas returned to the dungeon to help ease his centrepiece into its designated home.

Once they had moved the relief sculpture into place and all 5 men were safely above ground, the lord and gentlemen sat down in the study to discuss plans for a very secret society. Plans Thomas was sure Caroline was not ready for. Plans that were they revealed would have outraged almost everybody in this Christian country.

Lord Thirsk departed for bed. Sam doubted the sincerity of the departee’s commitment to the cause, but he probably should be more worried about his host’s intentions to pervert it, which would lead them all down very dark paths. Now they were alone, the expert on mysticism brought in his overnight bag. From it Mr Atha pulled out a black object.

“I’ve always carried this piece of jet around since I found it in Whitby many years ago. It is undoubtedly Roman as I think you will attest when I show you.” He rotated it and Thomas nearly fell out of his chair.

“But that’s …” he exclaimed.

“Yes it is the same as your lady below. Identical in fact and if you look at the reverse, it says Aphrodite. Not Venus, Aphrodite!”

“Then I’m not mad. Oh my Goddess, it’s all true. We must start at once.”