So the mysteries are all solved – and Dot, risking being sent into the cold grey world of Void if her bid for a Reset Extraordinary failed, did save Herbert d’Auberley from being sent away forever. After being such a silly, selfish boy, he changed and became a kind and thoughtful man – doing all he could to help the people he governed in one of Great Britain’s old colonies in Africa. There’s only one thing needed to make the story perfect…
“Two coffees and a Coke, please!” said Bill, Dot’s dad. “And what is that delicious smell?”
“Coming my lovelies” came a voice from the café kitchen. “I’m a cook not a space rocket you know!”
The girl behind the till grinned. It was funny… Dot was sure she’d seen her somewhere before.
There was a crash as the door to the kitchen flung open. Out came a lady who looked quite like the one who’d been showing them all round – only she wore a chef’s uniform, and had a tall white hat on her head. She was carrying a big metal tray covered in lots of golden cakes.
“There we are my dears!” she said, plonking the tray down behind the counter.
The smell..! Mmmm!
In the outside seating area Wiz – who could also smell them - did his “Oh please!” whinebark.
“Coming!” said Suzie Com. “Lucky it’s a nice day, we can eat outside with Wiz.”
“We could do that even if it was raining” said Dad. “That’s exactly what my new Super Rain Terminator self-correcting umbrella is for!”
Dot giggled. “Didn’t correct itself much when we were in the park yesterday!” she said.
“Well come on, be fair” said Dad huffily. “The wind speed was too high!”
“Never mind that!” said Suzie. “What are these cakes called? We must have some!”
“You tell ‘em Rosie!” said the lady who’d brought them out. “ ‘Scuse me my lovelies, but I’ve another batch just on the turn now!”
Rosie! thought Dot. Rosie! That was the name of my chambermaid when I was in Dendringham Hall. She looked at her again… it can’t be, she thought. That was more than a hundred years ago.
Then she spoke. And that was it. Her voice was just like Rosie the chambermaid’s.
“Well it’s a speciality of ours here at Lady Sarah’s Café” she said, smiling at them. Dot jumped when she heard the name. “They’re called Engineer Cakes – after a naughty Frenchman who worked here as a pastry chef for a bit years ago. Wonderful cook he was too, but turned out he was really a big thief called L’Ingénieur – that’s French for engineer, see. Anyway, they’re made from one of his recipes. Gorgeous, they are!”
“We’ll have four!” said Bill. He caught his wife’s eye. “Oh well, Suzie, got to have some spare for a treat for Wiz, haven’t we?”
They paid and took their tray outside. It was a pretty seating area – just on the edge of the ha-ha, the open green space that ran down to the Dendringham Woods.
Dot sighed to herself as she remembered all the things that had happened there. Chasing the “ghost” with Sherlock Holmes … the strange handle they’d found… Fernbank Cottage, hidden away in a clearing deep in the forest… Laetitia riding away at top speed after cutting through the girth that held the saddle of Mr Holmes’ horse… L’Ingénieur roaring off in Herbert’s car… so many exciting times!
She wished she could tell Bill and Suzie all about it – but somehow she knew they’d just think she was making it all up!
“Mmm – mm!” Dad wiped his lips with a napkin. “Those cakes really were good!”
“Good enough to eat two, I see” smiled Suzie.
“Did I really?” said Dad. “Oops!”
“Oops nothing” said Suzie. “If Dot and I hadn’t held back a bit, poor Wiz wouldn’t have got so much as a morsel!” She brushed some crumbs onto the floor. Wiz got up to investigate.
Dad clearly thought it was time to change the subject. “We haven’t done much for you yet darling” he said, smiling at his daughter. “Sorry if it’s been a bit boring!”
If only you knew, thought Dot!
“There’s something here you might like” said Suzie, reading through the leaflet they’d picked up with their tickets. “Pony rides! You can go any time. Come on, let’s go and have a look… that is, if your father is quite sure he’s had enough Engineer Cake!”
Dad chuckled. “All right, all right” he said. He pointed to a post with lots of different signs on it near the gate into the seating area of the cafe. “Looks like it’s over there – by the Old Stables.”
They walked round together, Wiz sniffing the ground as they went. Always lots of good smells when horses are around!
It was still a warm, sunny day, with wind sighing gently as it rustled the leaves on the trees in the woods.
What an adventure, thought Dot. My best yet!
But when they got to the stables, where it said ‘Pony Rides – Half an Hour Each’, there was no-one there.
“Bother!” said Dad. “Don’t tell me they’ve finished!”
There was a big old-fashioned handle by the door to the stables. Dad gave it a tug. Deep inside a bell rang – clang-click, clang-click.
“Must be chipped!” said Mum.
Chipped or not, the bell did the trick. “Coming!” said a voice.
Dot couldn’t see anything at first, but she heard a clip-clop of hooves. And then, out of the darkness of the Dendringham Hall stables where Victor the St Bernard and Angharad the Welsh Terrier had lived, came a young girl in muddy jodhpurs leading a pony.
A very special pony…
Deep gold in colour… with a dark brown mane. He had a shiny saddle and reins and a bit, and all the brass on his “tack” was polished so it glinted in the afternoon sun.
Dot caught her breath. It couldn’t be! He was EXACTLY like Capulet, the pony Lady Sarah had given her in the adventure!
“This is Capuccino!” said the girl with a big smile. “I think you’ll like him!”
And the pony tossed his dark brown mane and looked straight into Dot’s eyes.
And gave her a great – big – WINK!!
