Dot and Mr Homes are inside the amazing Fernbank Cottage - completely hidden from the world under a long earth bank covered in ferns, deep in the Dendringham woods, where Angharad the Welsh terrier led them, chasing Laetitia Langton on her horse. It’s a really extraordinary home built by her brother, Giles Langton the inventor – but as Laetitia appears again, there are still more surprises in store!
And Laetitia certainly could make a delicious tea!
Which was VERY unusual for a young lady of the Victorian era, Dot thought, as she tucked in to her second scone covered in Devonshire cream and home-made raspberry jam. She knew that ladies then usually let the servants do everything.
The same thought had obviously occurred to Mr Holmes.
“I must compliment you on the excellence of your tea, Miss Langton!” he said, helping himself to another crumbly shortbread biscuit.
They were all sitting in comfy chairs around the black pot-belied stove, which
was crackling and fizzing away with the wood burning inside it. Though it was still a warm summer’s day outside, you could feel that it could be quite cool inside the cottage if you weren’t near the fire. Which is where the three dogs were, all snoozing away after their treats – Victor letting out a big “BrrrrrrPPFFFF” snore from time to time.
Laetitia looked at her brother and smiled. “Well, I came to look after Giles when he was studying at Birmingham University” she said. “He may be a great inventor, but he can hardly make a piece of toast for himself!”
“But I did build you a kitchen just right, didn’t I?” said Giles, leaning over to pour himself a fresh cup of tea.
And he had!
After they’d heard Laetitia’s muffled voice coming up the big brass voicepipe, it was obvious that there was a cellar below where they’d all been standing since they entered Fernbank Cottage. The only thing was, how did you get down into it?
“Now, what do you think? Where can she be?” chuckled Giles, having great fun looking at how baffled his visitors were.
The human visitors, that is!
Because as soon as Angharad had heard Laetitia’s voice and found out where it w as coming from, she started to search Welsh terrier-style, eyes glinting, strong little legs marching stiffly up and down, beardy face sweeping along the big flat flagstones that made up the floor of the cottage.
Didn’t take her long! After just a minute she stopped on one big stone over in the far corner of the cottage, next to a big sideboard covered in more strange objects – a spear covered in feathers, a pyramid-shaped pile of false teeth that seemed to made out of wood, a stuffed squirrel in a glass dome and a huge pink and white seashell – and sat down and looked at them with her head on one side.
Giles had laughed and leant over the big brass voicepipe once again. “You have a Welsh reception committee awaiting you, Letty!” he said. “Mind your tray!”
And then, in the next moment, the big sideboard suddenly started to lean over, lifting up the flagstone it was standing on as it did so. Angharad gave a startled yap and shot off to one side.
“Oh no!” said Dot. “Look out – what about all that stuff!”
But none of it moved - and as the sideboard got further and further over, with two thin wires attached to the top of it slowly letting it tip to one side, it became clear that all the funny things on display were stuck on. Next moment it was lying flat on its front, revealing the hatch that had been covered by the flagstone.
And then Laetitia’s head had appeared, coming up as if she was rising up out of the ground – then the rest of her, complete with a tea tray loaded with goodies.
“Ha!” said Mr Holmes. “Excellent!”
“Let me help you with that!” said Giles dashing forward. “I made those steps a little steep, I know!”
“You did!” said Laetitia, letting him take the tray and put it down on a low table with a patterned brass top.
“Can I…?” asked Giles.
“Oh all right then!” said Laetitia, smiling. “But don’t be down there for hours letting the tea go cold!”
