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Ellie and Hub lived in Lagoa 10
years ago, while in their early 40's, they had a carpentry business near
Algoz.
You can reach Ellie at: Gantree1@aol.com |
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To the Manor – Not born !
When sir had shown us the small cottage that was to be our future home we
were at first worried, as it only contained one bedroom. However, before
Hub could enquire about a second bedroom sir asked us to follow him. He
had led us round the back of the cottage and to the door of an annexe that
fitted onto its rear. Unlocking the door we followed him into a tiny
self-contained apartment, with its own bed-sitting room and bathroom. This
was to be Jamie’s space.
The week leading up to our move was a hive of activity. Jamie had
interview at the local secondary school where they were very impressed by
his school reports from the Silves college. So that was a huge relief and
he could now take up his studies once more when the new term began.
The caravan had to be cleared and the personal bits and pieces we had
stored at our older son’s garage had to be collected; on calling the Manor
house it was arranged that we could move into the cottage over the weekend
in order to start work on the Monday.
I was very nervous about the job and had no idea how it would be. I had
never cooked for a large household before and being the housekeeper I was
to be in charge of all domestic goings, on which I found rather daunting.
It was Saturday and moving- in time. Jane the elderly maid was there to
greet us and after dumping our belongings in the cottage, we went into the
Manor’s huge kitchen where she made us tea. When I saw all the appliances
and gadgets my stomach went into knots as I visualised a large family, all
complete strangers, sitting there whilst I cooked a meal for them. Jane
had worked there for years yet I was to be her ‘boss’! I didn’t like the
idea but it was my job and I would have to get on with it.
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Jane showed us around the Manor, leading us up
a grand sweeping staircase that lead out onto a spacious landing with
various bedrooms and bathrooms leading off. Then up more flights of stairs
to ever more rooms and bathrooms; a large Sauna room was installed under
one of the staircases. It was all very confusing and I was convinced I
would get lost wandering around this enormous building.
Retreating back to the kitchen for yet another cup of tea I expressed my
concern to Jane, she was very kind telling me not to worry, that she would
be there to help out. Then, before we went back to our little cottage, she
said,
“Come and look at this”
Taking me through a door leading from the back of the kitchen and along a
narrow hallway I saw high on the wall a large glass cabinet that held an
array of rifles. Then she beckoned me to follow her up a steep twisting
staircase. We came out onto a wide landing with doors leading off,
“This is another way to the upper floors”
Now I really was lost!I enquired after sir and Jayne said he was at his
yachting club for lunch and evening drinks. He would be out all day
sailing on the Sunday but was leaving for his penthouse in the City of
London on the Monday morning and would require a cooked breakfast before
he left. This would be the first meal I would cook but it shouldn’t be too
difficult. Then Jane told us about the rest of the family. The eldest son
was working abroad. The second son worked in the City. The eldest daughter
was at university and the younger one away at boarding school; the
youngest girl would be home soon for the summer holidays.
Sir’s wife, milady, was abroad in their villa in Spain; both she and the
older girl would be home in a few weeks and the second son came home most
weekends with his girlfriend. I remember feeling so nervous at the thought
of cooking and waiting on this well to do family!
Jane made us a nice evening meal before going home to her cottage in the
town and as we trudged back to our own small
cottage, the sky was beginning to darken. We were all feeling tired, so
after a hot bedtime drink, Hub and I saw Jamie safely tucked up in his own
little apartment, with his TV on and surrounded by his books and CDs.
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Outside, the light was beginning to fade and
all was very quiet. The Manor and cottage stood in very large grounds, so
there were no sounds of traffic or of other human life going on, just the
occasional hooting of an owl. Feeling the effects of our move I decided on
an early night and rummaged in a box for a book to read.
Settled in bed, I could just make out, through the gap in the curtains,
the outline of the greenhouses and as I lay trying to concentrate on my
book, I began to think of the plants I might find in them. Sir was a keen
gardener; maybe I would find new species of plants and hopefully grow some
of my own. I drifted away from my reading and began to plan the garden I
would create around our small cottage. The thought excited me and for the
first time in ages my homesickness for Portugal subsided a little.
Gardening was and always has been a balm to my worries and fears.
Something woke me; suddenly I was wide awake. An absolute, almost deadly
silence and apart from very pale moonlight through the gap in the curtain
the bedroom was cloaked in heavy thick darkness. I could make out Hubs
form as he lay sleeping soundly next to me. But there was ‘something’,
someone in the room. I had no doubt of it. I could feel it, nothing
visible but a definite presence. I had the terrifying feeling that if I
put my hand out, something, someone would take hold of it! My heart
pounded. In that cloying blackness I felt we were being watched and I
could hear the sound of my own breathing. I pulled the duvet up around my
head and I lay there feeling very afraid.
Sleep must have come, for my eyes opened to the grey light of dawn
filtering through the curtains. The clock said 5.30am. Too early to get up
but I sat up against the pillows thinking of my disturbed night and so
happy to see a new day dawning.
The Manor house was quite old, maybe a couple of hundred years or more and
this cottage felt just as old and my mind dwelt on all the previous
occupants that had lived in it possibly for hundreds of years. I shivered
at the thought. This was our new home and I would be sleeping in this room
for some time to come. I was far from happy with these thoughts!
From my bed I could see the greenhouses more clearly now as they were but
20 metres from the cottage. The grey morning light gave them an austere
look but to relax my thoughts I planned the plants I would grow there,
tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and salad vegetables…
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A movement caught my eye and a figure glided
into view. A tall robed, hooded shape appeared to float across and in
front of the window. I was looking at the figure of a monk! The dark grey
hood, pulled forward, hid any features from view and I wasn’t dreaming. I
pinched myself. I was wide awake and it was daylight! This gave me courage
and I moved to the window, pulling aside the curtain and as I did so, the
figure turned towards me, the hood fell back, a hand waved at me..
It was Sir! He mouthed a ‘Good Morning’ to me and disappeared into one of
the greenhouses. What on earth was he doing, wandering about at such an
early hour of the day and nearly giving me heart failure!
I knew from that moment on, that our life here was going to be far from
‘normal’!
The memory of that first night and morning ‘in service’ remains as clear
as ever to this day.
It was Monday. I was in the kitchen early and had put the tomatoes and
bacon under the grill. I had just taken the eggs from the fridge when a
sudden voice behind startled me,
“I don’t like the whites”
It was Milord. I stared at him for a moment.
“Can’t stand the whites of eggs”
I muttered something and my trembling hands proceeded to shovel the
cracked egg back and forth draining the whites into a cup before sliding
the yolks gently into the frying pan.
“Thank-you Ellie, that was very nice”
I turned from the sink to answer but he was gone and as I looked out onto
the driveway, Sir, clutching briefcase, was climbing into the back of the
Rolls Royce with Hub at the steering wheel and they were soon moving off
to deposit him at the station, for his train into the City.
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I was on an upper floor in the Manor house. Id
changed the bed linen and cleaned Milord’s bedroom, then went to look out
of the window at the grounds that spread out far below. It was a splendid
view. I saw a man’s bent figure working in the large allotment beyond the
hedges that bordered the flowerbeds. Sir had told me about old Bob. He was
the one who grew the vegetables for the big house and had been in service
there for many years. Bob was another one to be under my supervision and
as I watched him limp amongst the vegetables I began to wonder just how
old, old Bob was? I ran down the staircases and wandered out into the
grounds, glad to get some fresh air on a fine summer’s day.
I walked over and introduced myself to Bob and I asked if he needed a
hand; I felt the itch to get my hands into the soil. He gave me a stern
‘No thanks I can manage’. A man well into retirement years, I guess he
felt some resentment at a younger woman ‘being in charge’!
“I’m going to make some coffee, would you like one?”
He muttered that he’d be over soon and preferred tea, so I left him to it.
In the kitchen Jane had the kettle on, so I went over to the cottage to
give Maria her weekly call.
I felt a little lonely in this huge environment and she was my closest
friend at that time. Listening to her brought me a warm, colourful vision
of Algarve, something to cling to and keep hope going to the day when we
could return there once more. They had been to the coast and Carlos had
been fishing.
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Immediately my mind went back to the day we had eaten the giant eel that
he had caught of the coast at Carvoeiro; how my stomach had squirmed, yet
it had turned out a delicious meal.
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She had her usual moan about the local church,
the priest had visited wanting funds for the church. Not being very well
off, she resented being asked for money. It was one of her pet hates, a
visit from the clergy! Maria only went to church on special occasions. She
did have a beautiful singing voice and although belonging to the church
choir, Maria wasn’t especially religious and in her ways was very much the
modern woman.
All was going well at the workshops and after promising to call her in a
week’s time, I made my way back to the Manor kitchen.
“You haven’t met all the family yet have you?”
Old Bob posed the question with a sly grin on his face and continued to
slurp his tea.
“No not yet. We’ve only just arrived”
“Rum lot they are. Right Jane?”
Jane looked slightly embarrassed.
“Specially the oldest girl; a bit weird and her ladyships a right fuss
pot, runs her fingers over surfaces looking for dust”
My stomach sank as Jane said this was true and added,
“Likes the bed linen changed every day when shes here”
I said she must be joking but Jane shook her head. I asked about the
youngest child who was due home in a couple of weeks. Jane said she was
quite a nice girl and felt sorry for her, as she seemed quite a lonely
child.
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| Having some time to ourselves during the week, I got going
on my own patch of garden. There was a sundial in the centre, so I
sketched a design on paper of herb and flower beds radiating from the dial
with small gravel paths in between. Jane brought me some perennial plants
from her overcrowded garden at home and we shopped at a local market
buying in herbs and bedding plants; this would of course have to include
my favourite plant and herb, English Lavender. We did get some strange
looks from folk in the town, as we had stepped out of the handsome Rolls
Royce in our working clothes and began buying plants off the market stalls
and loaded them into the boot of the Rolls! |
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We had been given permission to use the Rolls. It was a sumptuous,
beautiful car, so comfortable and smooth, that I had delusions of grandeur
when riding in it, even though I wasn’t exactly dressed as the lady of the
Manor! |
On the Thursday evening, the phone went in the cottage. A young and
strange voice spoke. It was the son of Milord, speaking from his London
apartment. Introducing himself he suddenly said,
“Its always fish and chips on Friday nights Ellie, did Pa tell you?”
I said no, that he hadn’t. But I would make sure dinner was on time at
around 7.30pm.
Panic started to set in. I wasn’t very good at chip making. I told Hub and
he said not to worry that he would cook the chips. Although he doesn’t
like cooking, he was and is a good chip maker. The children had lived on
these (and sausages!) when they were young on the few times I had been ill
and Hub had been in charge!
We had just settled down to watch TV, when the phone rang again. This time
it was Sir,
“Hello Ellie. Its fish and chips tomorrow night please and I like fresh
cod from the fishmongers in town. Tell him you’re from the Manor and you
will get the finest cuts”
I recall that when I went to bed that night, I wasn’t just fearful of
turning off the lights and experiencing the ‘something in the dark” again
but also nervous of the dinner expected of me the following evening. Could
I cook to the standard expected?
Sleep didn’t come easily that night! |
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