Earl - 5. Earl Chapter 5

“You better be, or I will send you straight back home, and not in Business class either, it will be in Economy the whole way,” Tyler threatened. “No please don’t, I will be good, I would like to stay please,” Lucas pleaded, and Tyler looked at his uncle who shrugged his shoulders.

“Hmm, I will think about it, in the meantime, you are on behaviour probation,” Tyler said to his friend, who nodded his head in acceptance, and relieved that he was staying, as he has had an awesome so far, with the stopover in Switzerland, where he saw snow and enormous mountains for the very first time.

“All the countryside is so different from back home,” Tyler stated as he looked around, unaware that Charles was not heading north-east towards his home, but instead heading north towards Welbeck Abbey, which is only just slightly longer in distance and travel time, which the lads were not to know, since it is their first time out of Australia.

Even when they went from the M1 to the A38 and the A60, the two lads had no idea where they were heading, until Tyler saw a road sign. “Creswell Road? Uncle Charles, we are close to Welbeck are we not?” Tyler asked, and Charles smiled.

“Yes we are nephew, today, is one of those rare days that estate opens the abbey for tourists to have a look at the main house, so I thought we might just pop in and take a quick look around, just like the other tourists,” Charles said, and Tyler laughed, “Very sneaky uncle. Lucas my friend, I want you to say absolutely nothing while we are at Welback, I do not want anyone to know who I am, do you understand me?” Tyler said to his friend, seated in the back seat of the car.

“Yes, My Lord, loud and clear… err I mean Tyler,” Lucas replied smiling and Tyler chuckled at his response. A few minutes later, Charles slowed down and turned right, into a wide driveway, and shortly after there was a fork in the road, with a high wall on the right, with signs saying to the gallery, café, gardens and farm shop, while the road to the left leads to the workshops and for deliveries, which is the road that Charles turned onto.

Tyler and Lucas were now fully alert, as Charles drove slowly down the driveway, with huge trees blocking any view on the left and low hedges and the occasional building on the right. Not long after, the trees thinned out a little with the occasional view of paddocks, with a wooden fence on the left, and on the right, there was now this huge wall that must be about three metres tall, with the occasional tall access gates that are all closed.

As the wall ended and there are trees now on both sides, there was a large building that we could see in the distance, and Tyler took in a breath, waiting to see if this was the abbey, as Charles slowed and turned right down a road that runs alongside a large building, with a huge big open space now visible in front of us. Charles turned left, and they drove along the front of the building, but it didn’t look grand enough to be an abbey.

They drove past a series of large and small buildings, and they gave way to a more wooded area, as the road continued. Passing by a few more small cottages, and the alongside the road there are now well-maintained hedges with tall trees behind them, which seemed to keep on going forever.

As they approached a gatehouse of two square buildings, one on each side of the road, Tyler could see something in the distance, but he wasn’t sure what, as there are too many trees in the way. “My Lord, welcome to Welbeck Abbey,” Charles said, as a large building started to come into clearer view.

“Wow,” was all that Tyler could say, as they saw two long buildings in front of them, but to the right of them was the abbey itself, which looked huge. Charles turned left where the sign stated visitor parking is located, and once they had found a space, they walked back to the front of the two buildings, where there is a team of guides and security officers.

“£28, what is that in Australian?” Lucas asked when he saw the admittance price, “About $54 Australian for a rough guess, Tyler you better let me pay for this, as your credit card will trigger an alert that you are here,” Charles replied, and Tyler just nodded his head.

Once they had paid their fees, they were given an information leaflet, which informed the visitors where they are permitted to go, and that included most of the outer buildings and only the ground floor of the abbey. “Your honour, I had a feeling you may call into here before going home,” a lady said as she approached.

“Mrs Philips, what are you doing here?” Charles asked the lady, as she came to a stop and gave Charles a short curtsey, before stepping forward and giving him a light kiss on the cheek, which made Charles laugh.

“Boys this is my talented housekeeper at Hougham Manor, Mrs Doreen Philips,” Charles said making the introductions, and the lady looked at the boys one at a time carefully, before fixing her gaze on Tyler, “Your Lordship, welcome to your ancestral home, Welbeck Abbey,” she said to Tyler giving a deep curtsey.

“Thank you, Mrs Philips, but I prefer not to be identified for my position, I am just an ordinary tourist today, doing a tour of this magnificent place,” Tyler responded. “Very well, Master Tyler, if you will follow me, I would be honoured to give you a full tour of the abbey, not just what the tourists can see.

The new caretakers asked me to assist with the tours since I have worked for the family and have been to the abbey many times,” Mrs Philips stated. “I see, that is good to know that we have an expert for a guide,” Charles said which made Mrs Philips laugh.

“It is all your fault, your honour, if I hadn’t travelled with you that many times here, while the late Earl was still alive,” Mrs Philips stated as they followed her down a long pathway, before turning right and passing through a large archway, into a huge courtyard, with the main Abbey on the left.

“Holy moly, this place is huge, what did the last Earl do with this place, it is way too big for a single man,” Tyler said, “The late Earl only used the east wing that is directly in front of you Master Tyler, as it is the area closest to the kitchen and breakfast room, and everything he needed is on that side of the abbey,” Mrs Philips replied.

“This is the gothic hall, quite impressive, isn’t it?” Charles said as they entered the Abbey and went into the first big room. They spent a good two hours looking at all of the rooms on the ground floor, and also the giant ballroom that is underground, and they had just reached the top of the stairs of the first floor when a loud voice boomed.

“What are you doing allowing tourists into a restricted area, you know that it is not permitted,” the man said as he approached, “Let us handle this Mrs Philips” Tyler whispered to her, as she showed signs of distress, and she nodded her head in understanding.

“Is there a problem here, and why is there tourists on the upper floors?” a lady said as she approached. “This is Mrs Anne Banks, and he is the troublesome husband, Linley I think his name is,” Mrs Philips whispered. “What did you just call me?’ the man said in a loud voice, which echoed all around.

“I said troublesome, Mr Banks, as I have had non-stop complaints about you, ever since my employer has been away,” Mrs Philips said as she stood up straight to confront the man face on. “What is happening? Linley, will you stop shouting, people can hear you clearly, and … oh, your honour, I was not aware you would be visiting today,” the women stated as she recognised Charles.

“Mrs Banks, it is good to see you again, it has been a while, now can we please address all of this in a more private environment?” Charles said to the lady, “Yeah downstairs and outside,” the man growled. “That will be enough Mr Banks, you will not address my uncle in that way, he is a retired High Court Judge and should be treated with respect,” Tyler snapped at the man, as he stepped forward, facing him with just two feet of space between them.

“Who are you to talk down to me that way, and with a strange accent to boot,” Mr Banks said as Tyler saw two security officers racing up the stairs, to find out what all the noise is about. “Mr Banks, you are addressing his Lordship the 14^th Earl of Portland,” Charles said to the man, and Mrs Banks immediately curtsied, and Mr Banks just gave a little nod of the head.

“Mr Banks, in view of a large number of complaints, and the way that you have behaved to me and my uncle, you and your wife are hereby dismissed from working at Welbeck Estate and any other estate that is part of the family property. You have exactly 6 hours from noon today to pack all of your belongings and leave the estate,” Tyler said clearly, and loud enough for the two approaching security officers to hear.

“Is there a problem Mrs Philips?” one of the officers asked, “Yes, as you have just heard, Mr and Mrs Banks have been dismissed by their new employer, please ensure that they leave the estate with only their belongings and nothing that the estate owns,” Mrs Philips responded.

The two security officers looked at the group of visitors trying to work out who she meant by the new employer, and Tyler chuckled at this, as he stepped forward. “That would be me, Tyler Finch, 14^th Earl of Portland,” Tyler announced to the two security officers, who immediately gave a bow as a sign of respect.

“My Lord, welcome to Welbeck Abbey and Estate, we had no idea that you would be visiting today, although we did hear on the news that you had arrived in the UK,” one of the officers said, and Tyler smiled.

“Thank you for the welcome officer, now would you please assign two security staff to supervise the departure of these former caretakers, and keep my presence here as low key as possible, I do not want any media to learn that I am here,” Tyler said. “Understood my Lord,” one of the security officers said, as he grabbed the arm of Mr Banks.

“Come along you, it is about time that you got sacked, you have been trouble the moment the late Earl employed you,” the officer said, as he dragged the man down the stairs, with a shocked Mrs Banks following close behind, and Lucas was quietly chuckling at what had just happened.

“Now can we please resume the tour,” Tyler asked, and Mrs Philips smiled, “Gladly, my Lord, this way please,” Mrs Philips replied. Over the next three hours, the visitors saw nearly most of the abbey’s three levels, and lower ground level, with a short break for a bite to eat. Everyone was very tired and exhausted by the end of it, as they sat down in the Tapestry Room on the first floor.

“If it is ok by you Uncle Charles, I would like to have this place open on a more regular basis, as there is no way that I will be living here. I would like to ask if I can hire Mrs Philips here, to co-ordinate the establishment of a permanent team of guides staff, to open the house for three days a week, say Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, which will allow for the other days to be for cleaning of the abbey,” Tyler said.

“I have some close friends who are tour leaders here today, shall I call them to come and meet you now my Lord?” Mrs Philips asked, “Yes, why not, no time like the present,” Tyler replied, as Mrs Philips retrieved her hand-held radio, to make the call.

“Doreen Philips to Agatha, Eliza, Thomas and Vernon, over,” she said over the radio, and one by one they all responded, “Please report to the Tapestry room as soon as possible, it is urgent, over,” Mrs Philips asked. Less than ten minutes later two women and two men arrived, and they greeted Charles, as an old friend.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you the Right Honourable Tyler Finch, 14^th Earl of Portland,” Charles said making the introduction and indicating towards Tyler, as Lucas stepped back away from him.

“My Lord, may I introduce to you your volunteer staff, Mr Vernon and Mrs Eliza Harkney, and Mr Thomas and Mrs Agatha Prentis,” Charles announced, and Tyler stepped forward to greet them, shaking each of their hands. “Please, take a seat everyone,” Tyler asked, and everyone sat down in the available seats in the huge room.