8
Tobias gazed out of his drawing room window and considered how much things had changed in such a short space of time. It was just over twelve months now since he had first met Megan and whilst it had been one of the happiest periods of his life, it had also been tainted with worry. Treweham Hall had been left with crippling debts, due to his late father’s financial inadequacy. It beggared belief that Richard Cavendish-Blake had produced an heir with such business acumen. Tobias had managed to turn the place around, from running headlong into the red, to the thriving operation it now was.
The estate contained acres of orchards and vegetable plots that supplied local businesses; it also housed the training yard, allowing his close friend Dylan the space he needed to train his racehorses, which in itself brought in a huge income. Then Tobias had persuaded his family to open Treweham Hall to the public. By securing private quarters and carefully restricting access, he had cleverly made certain rooms free for visitors to share, always accompanied by a tour guide. Unbeknown to his wife Megan, he had also installed extra security on the open days. Tobias was ever mindful of how the media, plus any other undesirable opportunist, could operate and had learnt to be protective over his family, especially Megan who hadn’t been used to such invasion in her life. Now that they had Edward, his vigilance had reached fever pitch and security was of paramount importance.
His gaze moved to the woodland where the folly was nestled. There lay the latest venture. He smiled to himself. The Folly Players was his brother Sebastian’s newly set up theatre company. Sebastian was an actor who had made a huge success playing Richard III at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The part had catapulted him into stardom, making him a household name. He had met his partner, Jamie, who’d been a runner in the documentary TV crew whilst filming in Treweham. Together they had created The Folly Players, using the beautiful, tall, stone building, with small slits of windows and a castellated top, tucked away in the Treweham Hall woods as their headquarters. Their debut play wasA Midsummer Night’s Dreamand seemed the ideal choice as an open-air production with its leafy surroundings.
Tobias was pleased for his brother, who had had his fair share of heartache. Now it appeared Sebastian had finally found happiness with Jamie.
So, all in all, things were on the up, Tobias thought with satisfaction as he surveyed his estate. Gone was the deep feeling of uncertainty. He wished his father could see it all now, and was saddened to realise that his last days must have been riddled with money worries. Not for the first time he cursed himself for not spotting it, not seeing for himself the pressure his father must have been under; but Tobias had been too preoccupied running his own business, renovating and selling property, to notice.
He shook his head and vowed never to let his relationship with his son suffer like that. Tobias had learnt a valuable lesson the hard way – family came first. On that note, he decided to call in to the folly to see his brother. Whilst he appreciated how happy Sebastian obviously was, he couldn’t help but notice how tired he was looking too. Clearly setting up his new theatre company and preparing for the production was taking it out of him.
As he strolled through the woods, he could hear voices in the distance. Sebastian, in true form, was playing the court jester. Squinting through the trees, Tobias could see his brother place a donkey’s head over himself and call out, ‘Ee-oo, ee-oo!’ to a small crowd of actors who cheered him on with laughter. He chuckled to himself, then stopped suddenly when seeing Sebastian lose his footing and fall over. The crowd carried on laughing, thinking it was Sebastian fooling, but Tobias knew different.
As Sebastian lay on the ground, Tobias saw Jamie quickly pull off his donkey head and help him up. Sebastian quickly recovered and took a bow to a still-cheering group. As Tobias approached through the woods, they dispersed quickly, leaving him alone with Jamie and Sebastian. He overheard the tail end of their quiet whispers.
‘You need to be more careful, Seb,’ urged Jamie.
‘Stop fussing,’ came the curt reply. Tobias frowned. Sebastian quickly changed the subject. ‘Ah, very kind of you to pay us a visit.’ He bowed again theatrically.
‘I take it that’s Bottom?’ He nodded towards the donkey’s head on the grass.
‘It sure is,’ laughed Jamie.
‘All set?’ asked Tobias.
‘We’re getting there,’ Sebastian replied looking more serious now. ‘It should all come together for the opening night.’
‘You sure?’ Tobias looked at the props and wooden scenery scattered on the ground. He knew the costumes were carefully labelled and hung on racks inside the folly. The play was due to open in a fortnight.
‘It’s all under control,’ reassured Sebastian. He picked up the donkey’s head from off the grass and threw it on a pile of outdoor rugs. Lanterns, blankets and rugs were to be supplied to the audience, creating a cosy, comfortable atmosphere in the early evening dusk. Tobias noticed Sebastian’s hand tremor slightly.
‘If you need any help, just ask.’
‘Will do, thanks,’ replied Sebastian, then he turned to Jamie. ‘Right, let’s crack on. We need to work on the programs.’ Tobias turned to go.
‘I’ll leave you to it!’ he called and made his way back to the Hall, feeling a touch of concern.
