Chapter 14
"Let's grab you a cup of tea first. I certainly need some coffee in me" sighed Dempsey as he entered the kitchen.
He stopped dead in his tracks, as Harry bumped straight into him with a "Hey, watch out!".
Right in front of them were standing a little person covered from head to toe in flour who they assumed to be Ada standing next to Mrs Bradshaw both laughing so much that they didn't see or hear the couple entering the room. They were rolling some kind of dough on the big wooden table and it was hard to decide whether there was more flour on the table than on Ada. Mrs Bradshaw seemed to be in the midst of retelling a very funny story "… and that's how we found her, absolutely covered in chocolate, telling us that no it wasn't her who ate the chocolate cake".
"Oh oh I know that story" intervened Harry with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.
"Miss Harriet! I didn't hear you coming. I was just telling Miss Ada what a delightful child you were when you were growing up and how much fun we had" smiled Mrs Bradshaw with an endearing faraway look on her face.
"Now, Mrs Bradshaw, it seems like you have plenty of underhand information on my partner I need to hear about! The chocolate monster, hey?" laughed Dempsey with a twinkle in his eyes. "Next time you try and torture me with a salad, I shall remind you of that!"
Harry smiled at him while boiling the water and getting some cups out of the cupboard. "James, I need to keep my fair share of mysteries. Gotta keep you on your toes otherwise where's the fun?!"
"Mr Dempsey I will just say one word: custard! You can't go far wrong with Miss Harriet when custard is involved" added Mrs Bradshaw winking at James.
"Mrs Bradshaw, you're a star, you know that? If it wasn't for Harry here, you'd be my number one girl!", smiled Dempsey, laying on the charm, which got him one of Harry's famous eye rolls.
"Mr Dempsey you're such a charmer!", laughed Mrs Bradshaw.
"And what are my favourite girls baking here? If you need a Guinea pig, I am entirely devoted to you!"
"I bet you are. I have no idea how anyone can eat so much crap and still be as slim as you are. You're a medical mystery Dempsey!"
"Plenty of exercise, partner. I'll show you when you're fit again!" explained James with a mischievous smile on his face.
Harry blushed and coughed her embarrassment away.
"Anyway, Ada, why don't you get cleaned up a bit and meet us in the orangery for a glass of milk and some biscuits. I'm sure all this baking has made you hungry"
"Yes, I'd love a biscuit or 2! I'll be right back. Oh, and Mrs Bradshaw, I'll help you decorate the cookies later, ok?" asked Ada
"I was counting on you for that Miss Ada. Can't do it all by myself, can I?"
Harry was smiling at the scene in front of her, reminding her of when she was Ada's age and the hours she spent baking and cooking with Mrs Bradshaw in that same kitchen. She had been a great listener when her mum died.
"Thanks, Mrs Bradshaw. It means a lot to me that you're looking after Ada like that. Reminded me of a similar scene a few years back"
"You and me, Miss Harriet. You and me", sighed Mrs Bradshaw. "She reminds me an awful lot of you, you know. The same energy, the same blond curls, the same determination! She'll be alright, just like you were. Trust me!" added Mrs Bradshaw with a determined look in her eye as she was giving a last roll to the dough on the table. "Oh, and by the look on your face, you're going to have one of those hard conversations with Miss Ada, so mere biscuits won't cut it. You need the chocolate cake that's in the larder. Mr Dempsey, if you don't mind fetching it, only I have my hands full right here!" looking at her hands covered in flour and bits of dough.
Harry smiled at the old cook knowing full well that she won't hear anything about the fact that it might spoil the child's appetite. To every evil in this world there was a remedy in the shape of food according to Mrs Bradshaw. Her heart was in the right place, bless her. It's perhaps a good thing she didn't live full time at Windfield Hall because her diet would never recover! Dempsey, however, seems to have developed an absolute adoration for the old cook. He couldn't eat her food quickly enough! She even managed to find some pastrami for him just because he once said that he missed it from his New York days! Another one who has become part of the walls here …hum, an interesting thought for another day!
Dempsey carried the cake reverently to the orangery followed by Harry who had a tray filled with tea, coffee and milk and various plates. The orangery facing the back of the house gave a fantastic view of the gardens and the lake. The warmth of the sunshine made you relax instantly and somehow Lucky had found his way there napping the afternoon away. The minute Ada made her entrance, Lucky was by her side, looking adoringly at his new playmate.
"Hey, Lucky! Come here, boy. Oh, goodie there's chocolate cake but that's not for you Lucky. Freddie said it could make you very sick. So, it's all for me and James. Isn't it, James?" beamed Ada looking straight at a delighted James who answered with a shrug saying "straight from a child's mouth! How can I say no, really?"
"You two are ganging up against me! Small slices for everyone here or you'll all spoil your appetite!", admonished Harry with a no-nonsense frown.
"Yes, mummy!" sighed Dempsey humorously while Ada giggled at their antics.
« Shush Dempsey! Behave yourself or no cake for you! »
« Hey, Harry, that's not fair! You're mean! » pouted Dempsey.
« Anyway, Ada, we need to talk to you about your stepdad, sweetheart. He's here and wants to see you. He says he's your legal guardian. » Ada started panicking, eyes wide with fear, all chocolate cake was now forgotten.
« No! I don't want to see him! You promised me I would be safe! How did he even find out that I was here? », shouted Ada.
« Honey, you ARE safe here. We would never let him hurt you. But we need to know exactly what his rights are towards you. Did your mum ever sign some papers making him your guardian? Do you know whether she had a will? Surely as she got sicker she would have made arrangements for you."
"I have no idea. She never said anything. The only thing she kept repeating towards the end was "Look after your teddy, look after your teddy, Ada". I just thought the medicines were making her say that. She wasn't very well towards the end and would talk nonsense for hours on end. I'm not sure, really". Ada looked suddenly so defeated and so much older than her age. "I'll have to go back with him and leave England, won't I? I'll never see you again, will I?" added Ada as she burst into tears, stroking Lucky's head who was now looking up at his new friend and licking her tears off her face.
Dempsey stood up, went round the table and kneeled in front of Ada, stroking gently her hair "Hey, hey, hey, what are those tears for, baby girl? We never said that we were giving up on you. We're just trying to get all the information we can so we can actually help you stay here."
"He can't just come here to see you for the time being as you're in our custody and the police department will protect your whereabouts so for the time being you're safe so you don't need to worry", added Harry reassuringly.
"Ada", started Dempsey gently, "you react quite strongly at the mere mention of your stepdad's name. I know sometimes when our parents remarry or meet someone new, we might not be happy about the new addition. From what you told me you were quite close with your mum, you were a team, right?"
"Yes, we were really happy together. We were doing alright. But I know mum worried about money but I never cared much about that, I just wanted to spend time with her. She kept dreaming about moving to London. The only thing she was really strict about was that I had to speak English only all the time. She wouldn't let me speak Romanian to her EVER.", she added sadly, tears threatening again. "One day she came back home and said that she had met someone who liked her and if it all worked out he would be our ticket to England. And a week later we moved in with Matheos. And that was it. He didn't care about me, ignored me most of the time so I made myself scarce really. When mum was out, I was out, when mum was home, I was home and I only ever really talked to him when I absolutely had to. I did my best to avoid him to be honest. When mum got sick he was hardly ever home and I cared for her, cooked, took her to see the doctor, went to all her appointments, held her hand till her last breath" she explained with tears falling slowly down her face as she remained factual about the care her mum received. "And I did as she said I have held onto my teddy and will do always".
That's when Dempsey had a light bulb moment. "Ada, have you always had your teddy? Was your teddy with you when your mum went to hospital and you stayed with her?"
"Of course, he went everywhere with me. Always!"
"Ada, may I have a look at your teddy please?", asked Dempsey gently.
"Huuum...sure...but why?"
"Just a thought" as he studied the animal in his hand looking at it up and down, front and back, when suddenly he smiled and looked at his partner.
"Makepeace, how good are you with a needle?"
"Beg your pardon? I'm not a seamstress Dempsey and certainly not yours. If you have shirts to mend, you're on your own!" reacted Harry quite offended.
"Oh, it's not me, but I think this little James here might be in need of a good old stitch if I'm right. Look here just behind his head...the thread is a different colour and the needlework seems different. What do you think, partner?"
Harry was smiling to her partner "You're not as stupid as you look Dempsey, you know!"
"Jeez! Thanks...I think! Let's have a look then shall we? You OK with us opening up your teddy a bit Ada? We think your mum may well have hidden something inside", asked Dempsey, conscious that his next move could well upset the little girl who was already, understandably, quite emotional.
"Sure, if you can fix him afterwards"
"Don't you worry sweetheart. Harry, here has golden fingers", he explained with a wink to his partner who went to fetch a small sewing kit.
And as Harry ever so delicately pulled apart the thread, the head of the teddy wobbled on its front and eventually Harry plunged her hand inside the body of the teddy.