The Gilded Cage - Taking my Place

Partial Victory

"Grandpa...I am so sorry...I know I let you down today and I promise it will never happen again...I am so ashamed..." I burst out, after ten minutes spent sitting in the drawing room with Nicola, waiting for Grandpa to arrive. Nicola and I had been waiting in silence, neither of us sure why we were there or what Grandpa was going to say to us. I spent the time convincing myself that I was going to get told off again, brooding on it, and as he walked through the open door, I could not hold my emotions inside a moment longer.

"Hermione...my dear girl...I am aware that Miss Knight has spoken to you about...well, you know what about...and I have nothing to add to that," Malcolm Montague said, smiling at me as he moved towards an armchair, followed by Papa and Grandmama. Nicola and I were sitting on a sofa, and the gentlemen sat either side of us, whilst Grandmama took the couch opposite us, with an imperious look on her face.

"Although there were extenuating circumstances, dear." She said, kindly. "I found the look on Edwina Deacon's face just as offensive as you did..."

"Catriona...please?" Malcolm said, and Grandmama hung her head and fell silent. Nicola and I glanced at each other, and I glanced at Papa, who winked at me. "Hopefully, my election to the Council of Elders will have taken the smile off of her face...but what I wanted to talk to you all about is another development...something that harks back to the very start of this whole mess, I suppose...your so-called great escape, Nicola?"

"Grandpa?" Nicola looked shocked, and I reached out to take her hand, offering reassurance I hoped, letting her know that I was there for her.

"I don't want to drag it all up again, Nicola...you are forgiven here, and your progress since has impressed everyone...but you deserve to know that whilst you acted unwisely, you were not to blame for what happened at that party." Grandpa said, as Nicola made a good attempt at breaking my fingers. "Michael Drummond groomed you and he deliberately coerced you in to breaking out of Charlesfield to attend this illicit party...but you knew nothing about there being alcohol and nothing about the presence of drugs...did you?"

"No...Grandpa...I promise? It was just supposed to be a dance..."

"I know, darling...and we believe you, I promise?" Grandpa said gently. "But Michael knew all about it, because he arranged it all, including tipping off the police. The whole event was planned to disgrace Charlesfield and the intention was always to close the school, so that Mr Richard Ellesmere could sell the land to Barry Scott, who was of course working for Michael Drummond's father at the time. Mr Ellesmere made one hundred million pounds out of that little deal, and used maybe half of it to buy himself power in the village. He did donate all of the money required to extend and enlarge Deepdene, but that was not his main purpose. He was trying to get control of the bank, which would have made him very powerful in the whole community...and he was prepared to use any means to do so. That included essentially bribing the likes of Mr Joshua Blackstone...and your father, Hermione...to do his bidding...using the money he made from the Charlesfield deal, not dipping into his own pocket. I am not sure how many others he bribed...or bullied, as in the case of Kieran Radcliffe, I think...but I have proof of his business with the Drummonds and this afternoon, after my election was confirmed by the Council, I called an emergency meeting of my new colleagues...and I duly presented the evidence Colin and I have gathered to them...which was quite extensive."

"Golly." I said, into the sudden silence.

"It is not the deal in itself which causes Mr Ellesmere problems, but the fact that he and his cronies arranged to destabilise Charlesfield...and damage your reputation, Nicola...so that he could argue for the closure of the school and make his killing...whilst enhancing his own reputation and position in the community. Then, when I added evidence of the pressure he has been putting on certain people...and the money he has been paying others...it was obvious that his position on the Council was untenable...he was forced to resign, immediately."