CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Mostly about the Belvederes

Next morning, the ten children were woken by the gentle sound of birdsong, and the sun forcing its way through the curtains as their wake-up call. Julian and Dick woke up before everyone else, and talked about what they had seen last night as they washed and dressed.

'I wonder what those men could possibly have been delivering,' said Dick, pulling on his jersey. 'I wish I could have seen inside the crates. Whatever was in them must be most awfully exciting!'

'Well, the man in the jacket said to check a list, so it must have been a great many things,' said Julian, flinging open the curtains to reveal the outside world. 'I noticed the men handled those crates with care, so the contents must have been quite valuable and – given what we've come up against in the past – jolly expensive too! Come on if you're ready. Breakfast is most likely served.'

The two boys left the room and hurried downstairs into the kitchen, where everyone else, man and beast, was already seated round the table – everyone, that is, except Alex. The boy was nowhere in sight, but an empty chair showed that he wasn't forgotten. Nonetheless, Anne asked where Alex was.

'He's gone for a jog down the road to clear his head,' said Seb, spooning thick, creamy porridge from a large saucepan into china bowls and handing them round. 'It's good for young people to get a bit of exercise to start the day! There you are, children. Help yourselves to cream, sugar and treacle.'

Julian and Dick exchanged glances as they began their breakfast. Alex had said he would return to the beach next morning, and that was clearly what he'd done! What would he find when he got there? Would there be any clues that might tell them what was really going on?

However, any questioning was postponed for, at that moment, they heard running feet on the drive outside, then the sound of the front door opening and closing. A few seconds later, Alex himself entered the kitchen, red-faced and panting. The first thing he did was fling himself into the one remaining empty chair, the second to take a bunch of keys from his pocket and hand them to his mother. Only then did he start attacking his porridge with relish. The others longed to know if he'd gone back to the beach and what he'd found there if he had, but they agreed wordlessly that asking it in front of Seb and Sam was not a very good idea at all.

Thus it was that, after breakfast, the children ran upstairs, grabbed their rucksacks and ran back down again. They were about to leave when Seb slipped a handful of money into David's hand.

'Take yourselves out to lunch somewhere on Duck's line,' he said, giving a cheery wink. 'There are some topping restaurants in Haultraugh – and splendid bathing too, if you all fancy a trip to the seaside later today! Now Edward's train should be at Suddery in twenty minutes. We have business to see to in Tidmouth, so we'll go on ahead of you. Oh, and by the way, I should think that Timmy's fully recovered. But have a great time, all of you!'

'Have you found anything, Alex?' asked Anne, once they were out of the house and heading up the road towards Suddery. Seb and Sam were already a quarter of a mile up the road, marching in perfect step. 'Did you even go back to the beach at all?'

'Yes I did,' said Alex. 'I double-checked every nook and cranny – but nothing! The beach was completely empty, and it didn't look as though anything had happened there at all!'

'Most peculiar,' mused Julian. 'How can three or four heavily loaded lorries simply disappear into thin air? There's also the matter of the man in the big jacket. Who do you reckon it could be?'

'It can't have been Father,' said David. 'We saw him in the drawing room as we came out. He did look jolly weary, but apart from that, we know it can't have been him.'

'Your father is so very good to us,' said George. 'I simply can't understand why...' she swallowed '...HE can't stand him.' Everyone knew she meant Lord Belvedere.

'It's nothing new,' said Justin. 'The Belvederes are the sort of people who hate everyone, and whom everyone hates. It's their nature, really, you know how it is. Living a life shut off from the outside world can do that to you. I take it you know that already, giving what you're capable of.'

'How exactly did they come to cut themselves off from everything around them?' asked Dick.

'Well, Lord Belvedere's a retired stockbroker,' said Polly. 'That's how he earned his living, and how he got himself such a big house like Bosworth Manor. He sold big stocks of huge companies to anyone starting up a business. He's been doing it all his life. The reason he's called Lord Belvedere is that he is, in fact, son of the late Marquess of Wiltshire.'

'What does Lady Belvedere do?' asked Anne. 'Does she sell stocks as well?'

'No, she used to work in fashion,' said Alex. 'But she decided it wasn't for her, so she resigned and let her husband earn the proper living. They've been going on like that for over half their lives, and that's really how they became so unpleasant. That's the trouble with stockbrokers. They only earn a part of what they set out to gain, and they can get quite snappy if things don't go their way.'

'His Lordship gained his short temper when children started mocking him for being overweight,' said Charlie. 'Because the Belvederes believe money should be spent wisely if you're poor and extensively if you're rich, much of their money vanished on food, drink, clothes and furniture.'

'They started giving money to the poor, as a way of getting rid of it,' said Lily. 'But they quickly realised that they could benefit from all the money, so they used the cash on themselves instead.'

'But that's not fair on anyone else!' exclaimed Julian. 'If they want to live in style, then that means other people who don't earn as much must think that the Belvederes are so stuck-up, they're not worth getting acquainted with!'

'Do you know what, Julian?' said David. 'You've really hit the nail on the head! Because, you see, that is precisely why no one on Sodor likes the Belvederes! Everyone thinks His Lord- and Ladyship are just telling everyone else how rich, powerful and proud they are, whereas everyone around them is just part of the package, as it were. So they turn a blind eye – and a deaf ear – to everything around them, saying it is utterly beneath them. That makes everyone on Sodor think they're not worth contacting, so they all develop a hatred for those fat cats, and that's why no one likes them!'

There was a silence, while everyone concentrated on reaching Suddery to catch Edward's train. As they entered the village, they could see the station at the end of the road and, just beyond, Edward waiting patiently with a short passenger train that was almost full. Breaking into a run, the children reached the station in very little time indeed, where they dashed through onto the platform.

'Oh, there you all are!' said Edward joyfully. 'I was wondering where on earth you'd got to! Seb and Sam are already on board. I did consider asking BoCo to take the train instead. But since he's busy at Brendam Bay and you want to ride on my train again, I'd be honoured to allow it! Get down, Timmy! George, would you be so kind as to stop Tim from trying to lick me?'

'Thank you, Edward,' said Dick. 'You're too kind for words, and you make a very smooth ride indeed, unlike some of the trains we've ridden on in the past. You are a jolly good friend!'

Once George had restrained Tim, the children climbed onto the train. At once, the guard blew his whistle and Edward set off. The ride was as smooth as yesterday's, and the children were sure that, despite what they saw last night, nothing could possibly spoil their holiday!

'I wish we could see what Bosworth Manor's really like,' said Dick suddenly, before he knew what he was saying. 'I know you said looks can be deceptive, Ju, but His Lordship's attitude seems to me anything but deceptive! If only there was a way we could see inside his house...'

'I think there might be,' said David, even more unexpectedly than Dick. 'We – that is, me, Justin, Charlie and Alex – tried it out once. We nearly got caught, but it's worth a second try.'

'Oh dear,' groaned Anne. 'We're talking adventures again! I did want an adventureless holiday!'

'With a group like you, not a chance,' said Justin. 'But like David said, we can get in. All we have to do is ask to be taken there.'

'What do you use to get in?' said George, whose hatred of Belvedere was gone in her fascination.

'We'll show you when we get there,' said Polly. 'But for now, we should enjoy the Arlesdale Railway and Haultraugh Beach.'

'I would really like to see Tidmouth again,' said Julian wistfully. 'It really is a great place to be! Unlike some places, like with Lord Belvedere! You should have seen him the other day, David! The way he hit Tim with that walking stick of his – it was dreadful! And then he threatened George with it! And none of the engines did anything to oblige!'

'They were just afraid that shouting at His Lordship would be bad for business,' said David glumly. 'Remember, lords and ladies are much more dangerous to offend than normal passengers. They are very high socially, and in any case, no engine can ever be rude to his or her passengers, otherwise they'll go away and never come back!'

'Do people do that on Sodor?' asked Dick.

'They can at a moment's notice,' said Justin. 'Just one wheel out of line and, bang, they're gone! But I don't know what made George lose it with His Lordship! None of us have done it before now, so why should she?'

'It's all because of her devotion to Tim,' said Julian. 'She won't hear one single word against him, and can get most disagreeable if she does!'

'No one will mistreat my Tim!' said George, looking as fierce as Lord Belvedere himself. 'Certainly no one who thinks they can get away with it!'

'That's as may be, but you can't afford to lose your temper with His Lordship,' said Polly. 'If you do, he could very well complain to the Fat Controller, and have you sent home. That would be awful for all of us!'

The Five fell silent. The thought of George losing her temper again was not at all nice, but the prospect of being sent home was even worse! And all because of some insensitive, stuck-up noble who hated people, animals and possibly steam engines as well!

'So what about your family?' said Julian, wanting to shift the conversation away from the Belvederes. 'Have you really lived on Sodor all your lives?'

'Indeed yes,' said Alex. 'Our grandparents lived on Sodor when the line was being built, years and years ago. Grandfather and Lord Belvedere actually went to the same school. Evidently, both men loathed each other on sight! That's why Mother and Father have always hated the Belvederes!'

'Grandfather thought that Belvedere came from too fancy a background, which wasn't actually Sudrian-based!' explained Charlie. 'And Belvedere was always jealous of Grandfather's many talents, all of which he passed onto Father, who in turn passed them onto us.'

'Why should people half the Belvederes' age despise them like that?' asked Anne. 'That sounds like me or Dick hating one of the porters.'

'I know it sounds queer, but I'm afraid that's how life goes,' said Lily. 'What's important is that we've never liked the Belvederes – you can guess why.'

'But as to your family, you say your grandfather had all the talents of you and your father,' said Dick, not wanting anyone to get upset. 'Tell me, what was life like for your parents before your time?'

David scratched his head. 'I'm sure Father told me,' he said. 'Oh yes, I remember. Father went to the same school as Grandfather, and both made astonishing progress. But Father went off to Cambridge University where he got a first in Medicine while Belvedere went to Oxford for a degree in Economics. I might add that, whenever Father returned home for the holidays, he would always receive a jolly rousing welcome from the Fat Controller's engines.'

'How wonderful!' said George happily, who had now developed quite a liking for most of the Fat Controller's engines. 'He must be a very popular man!'

'He is!' said Justin. 'There isn't a single person on Sodor who doesn't know Uncle Seb! He's so clever and brave, and he has every reason for people to like him – a big house, a joyful life and such a loving family as well! And Aunt Sam is very much the same!'

'He's always been very close friends with the engines,' said Polly. 'In fact, it was thanks to them that Mother and Father got engaged. It's a long story, but...'

Polly trailed off, her eyes fixed on the window. Everyone whipped round and stared through the glass in shock and disbelief. They had reached Tidmouth and pulled into the station without noticing, and there, standing on the platform, were Lord and Lady Belvedere! Lord Belvedere seemed to be talking severely to a porter, waving a piece of paper at the man to emphasise his point, whilst the porter was looking utterly at a loss. The window was ajar, and the children heard the exchange.

'Do you mean to say that no claim has been put through to the Other Railway?' Belvedere was saying, sounding almost as wrathful as he had done when he'd lashed out at Tim two days before. 'I remember most distinctly sending a summons to Doncaster for one of their largest, most efficient diesel engine! That was three days ago, and I have not had a reply since!'

'But, my Lord,' protested the unhappy porter, 'the Fat Controller contacted the Other Railway on your behalf, and they said they never had a summons to begin with.'

As the children watched, His Lordship suddenly lashed out at the porter, catching him behind the ear. The porter reeled back, more startled than hurt.

'HEY!' yelled David through the window. 'Pick on someone your own size, Chunky!'

Lord Belvedere heard this, and looked up, his face scarlet. Anne and Dick stared at David, astonished that he could have the nerve to speak to Lord Belvedere like that, but Julian and George understood, remembering that he and his family had always detested the Belvederes.

'It is those little brats from Francisco House!' scoffed Lady Belvedere, raising her lorgnettes in a most haughty manner. 'And they have brought their friends with that dreadful dog of theirs! It ought not to be allowed!'

This was too much for George to handle. Without knowing what she was doing, she flung the door open and leapt out onto the platform. Instinctively, the others piled out after her. The Belvederes saw her and Lord Belvedere's eyes blazed.

'Not you children again! I do not know what the Fat Controller was thinking, asking you to stay! Children are horrible little creatures, made to interfere and prove useless!'

George wasn't listening. She straightened up and glowered at Belvedere, eyes flashing furiously.

'How dare you talk about us like that! How dare you try and get rid of us! You don't deserve to live on this glorious island! Fancy beating up a helpless porter like this! The engines were perfectly happy until you miserable wretches came along, and so were the Franciscos! I'm surprised the Fat Controller hasn't done anything about you! You're the ones who don't deserve to be here, not us!'

Belvedere's face purpled, his moustache quivered and his monocle seemed in danger of falling out. For a moment, anger deprived him of the power of speech. But then it returned – with a vengeance!

'HOW DARE YOU!' screamed Belvedere. 'How dare you speak to me like that! How dare anyone defy me, Lord Reginald Belvedere! I will have you know, my little pest, that I and my wife are peers of the realm! I warned you last time we met that next time you spoke to me like that, you would be next to be handled with my stick! Well, now I realise I was foolish to leave it too late!'

As he spoke, he raised his stick menacingly, but before he could strike, it was seized from behind by Julian, who snatched it from Belvedere's grasp.

'Excuse me,' he said, sounding very grown-up indeed. 'Kindly leave my cousin alone, Lord Beaver-Face. I'm sure the Fat Controller wouldn't like you to see you cudgel total strangers like this. None of the people we've met have done it, so I don't see why you should start. Mark my words, if you make another crack at any of us, I will personally tell the Fat Controller and then he'll have to take action.'

Lord Belvedere said nothing, but merely glared at Julian. First anger and now astonishment had overwhelmed him. He had never known children to speak to him like this, much less children he'd never met before! Lady Belvedere gazed at Julian as well, equally caught off guard. Edward was listening intently, for he had heard every word of what had happened.

'I think we should let them be, my dear,' said Lady Belvedere at last. 'This young man clearly has it in for us. Maybe we should leave them to it. Like they've made clear, they want to be left alone. Perhaps we ought to keep out of their way till they leave Sodor for good.'

Belvedere still said nothing. Julian felt it safe to return the man's stick, so he held it out. Belvedere snatched it from his grasp.

'You seem to have things in control, Julian,' he growled. 'Well, I suggest you clear off for now, before someone gets hurt. Well, I cannot see what there is in steam engines for people to fawn over. They are just old rust buckets on wheels, and the Sudrians are no exception. I do not understand why the Fat Controller simply moves with the times and brings in more modern diesels. I understand that he already has two, but they seem to have sided with the kettles. Well, for now I bid you good day.'

He turned to go, but before he could take two paces, something sprang onto his back from behind, boiling him over. It was George, who had heard Belvedere's speech and hadn't liked it at all! She leapt at His Lordship and pinned him in place with her hands and knees.

'Never –' she screamed, emphasising each word with either a blow to the man's head or a kick to his stomach,'– insult – the – Fat – Controller's – engines – in – front – of – me!'

Before George could do Belvedere serious harm, she felt her arm being seized from behind and pulled gently but firmly away from the man. She looked up into the irate face of Seb! Sam, who had been hovering in the background, hurried forwards to help and grabbed George's other arm. They had clearly emerged from their compartment on Edward's train.

'Children!' said Seb reproachfully as he managed to pull George away. 'This is madness. I'd better take you to the Arlesdale myself.'

'Well, well, well – Francisco senior,' wheezed Belvedere, clambering awkwardly to his feet.

'Reginald,' said Seb, nodding coldly as he released George, and wishing he'd left the little girl to it.

'Busy time, taking care of endangered species,' remarked Belvedere. Neither he nor Seb had noticed that the spectators had all fallen silent. 'Might I say that that mission is doomed to failure? These creatures are going to die anyway, even if I do not raise a finger to make a difference. The same can also be said for taking care of this lot.' He scowled at the children, and George glared right back.

'And what exactly would you know about children, Belvedere?' demanded Seb. 'Nothing! Because you've never had children and, by the look of it, never will do either! We, however, have had children because we wanted to be parents. You and your senseless wife hate children, and don't hesitate to throw that fact at us all the time.'

'At least people like I have the sense not to increase an already teeming planet, Francisco,' retorted Belvedere. 'If I had any sense, I would have left this island almost as soon as I set foot on it. The way of life here most certainly leaves a lot to be desired. Deary me – what is the use of being a shame to the human race if there is nothing you gain from it?'

Seb flushed darkly. 'I think we have a jolly good idea of what shames the human race, Belvedere!' he snapped.

'Evidently,' sneered Belvedere, wisely ignoring George who was giving him a most ferocious glare. 'The company you associate yourself with – rust buckets and tin cans! And there was I thinking that your lot were already a disgrace!'

To the children's enormous surprise, Seb just took a deep breath and spoke in a calm, stately tone.

'Very well – if that's the way you think, so be it. But there's just one thing I want you to know, Lord Beaver-Face. We, the people and engines of the Island of Sodor, have borne your attitude for six months, maybe more. But this time we plan to put patience behind us! This time, it's...' he reached out and seized the metal tip of Belvedere's walking stick, '...all...' he yanked the stick out of the man's grasp, '...OUT...' he took hold of the other end of the stick with his free hand and raised his leg a few feet of the platform, '...WAR!' He brought the stick whistling down onto his thigh and the wood shattered. Seb threw the two pieces away across the platform and pointed a trembling finger at the station exit with a thunderous: 'NOW GET OUT!'

Lord Belvedere knew when he was beaten. He said nothing, but spat at his mortal enemy Seb, turned on his heel and stormed out of the station, followed by his wife. Moments later, there came the slam of a car door, the rev of an engine and finally the fading sound of screaming tyres.

'My word!' gasped Edward, astounded. 'What an exhibition! Well done, Seb and Julian! Though I think you really shouldn't have lost your temper with His Lordship, George.'

'He insulted us all!' said George, her face still a mask of rage. 'And he tried to kill me and Tim!'

'I know,' said Sam unhappily. 'But we've told you before, George, shouting at anyone is bound to be unpleasant – tenfold if they're a knight of the realm.'

'She's right,' said Duck's voice. Everyone looked up to see him appear from a siding at the head of a short goods train, looking tired, but ready to start the day. 'You can't go losing your head like that. We all know Belvedere's a dreadful piece of work, but that's no reason to try and show yourself up! You could land yourself in very big trouble! For that matter, you were nearly killed just now!'

'That rogue hates my Tim!' said George, who was breathing heavily and felt quite faint. 'I won't let him come anywhere near my dog! I might have to leave on the Express after all!'

'Don't be silly!' protested Dick. 'After what you and Julian said to him, I should think it's jolly unlikely that he'll try and have another crack at us. Besides, we've been invited to stay here for the summer, so there's no need to go tearing off like a mad thing! Just take things steady and do try not to lose your temper again.'

'Yes, please don't get set on leaving!' said Duck imploringly. 'We want you to stay, George! Me, Edward, all the branch line engines – in fact every engine on the island! If you leave, I bet you and your cousins wouldn't have half as good a time as they would if you stay and you share your holiday.'

'All right,' said George with a sigh. 'I'll stay. But only as long as Tim never, ever has to come up against Belvedere again!'

'That's a good boy,' said Seb paternally, making George go a brilliant shade of magenta. 'But I thought Julian handled the situation brilliantly. I was actually quite surprised that someone had the courage to stand up to him. You were amazing, Julian! You handled that very capably indeed!'

'I think it's always nice for children to have a role model in life,' said Edward. 'One to whom they can look up for wisdom and guidance.'

'That's our brother!' said Dick, clapping his elder brother on the shoulder. 'Calm and stoical whatever happens! He's stumped a lot of awful people we've met, and impressed even more others. You have to hand it to him for his dignity.'

'Well, we're very proud of you, Julian,' said Duck. 'I myself was surprised that you'd threaten to tell the Fat Controller about Belvedere's attitude. Normally, it's Belvedere who does the telling.'

'Thanks, you two,' said Julian modestly. 'But as you know, I have a younger brother and sister to take care of, and George and Tim joined the fray years ago. So I suppose, as acting head of the family, I have a duty to make sure nothing bad happens to any of them.'

'Well, that was a fine display!' said David admiringly, slapping Julian on the other shoulder. 'We take our hats off to you – or in Duck and Edward's case, our domes!' Everyone laughed, even George, who was all too willing to forget what had just happened.

'But enough of this,' said Duck. 'Come along, children. My branch line awaits. Who wants to come with me to Arlesdale and travel on the Arlesdale Railway?'