made conversation with him during the meal. Who’d have thought it’d turn out like this? Old Greenbough the Woodsman hob-nobbing with Hallfolk! He remembered waiting here for an audience with Magus, when he was worried about Yul. Magus had dismissed his concerns about Alwyn’s cruelty, blaming the boy for making his brutal father angry – at which point Greenbough had begun to turn against his master.
Looking at the dark young man now, it was impossible to believe that this was the same lad who’d once worked for him in the woods; the boy he used to cuff if there was any slacking or cheek, the one who could shin up trees and the bonfires like a squirrel. He recalled the boy’s dirty face, often sporting a black eye or split lip, and the matted hair that always hung in his eyes. Hard to believe he’d grown up into this determined, powerful man. Hard to believe the wild boy was now the magus, keeper of the magic.
‘Shall we get started again?’ said Yul impatiently, signalling to the waiting students to clear lunch away. ‘We’ve still got a lot to get through.’
Sylvie watched him as the afternoon progressed and he became increasingly restless. Yul found it difficult to sit still for such a long period and his quick mind raced ahead of some of the slower, older ones there. She sympathised with Greenbough and Tom, who stumbled through their reports. They, along with everyone else, had been obliged to attend the adult education classes held every evening in the Great Barn and Village School. Miranda had enjoyed organising them in the early days and prided herself that now nearly every Stonewylder was more or less literate. The two old men preferred to talk from memory than from notes though, and Sylvie felt for them as they groped for words in front of an audience. This must be quite an ordeal and Yul’s barely hidden exasperation was almost tangible, for all the two men were dear to his heart.
Whilst Martin droned on interminably about the boilers, the roofs and chimneys and the state of the floors at the Hall, Yul drummed his long fingers and gazed up at the roof carvings and stained-glass windows with glazed eyes. Sylvie longed to stand behind him and massage his tense shoulders, or sit on his lap and kiss his annoyance away. She understood him so well; the battles he fought with himself, knowing how important it was that the people had their say, but also knowing that he’d run the estate far better without their interference.
‘Alright, Martin, thank you. I think we are now fully aware of the dilapidated state of the Hall. And yes, Tom, of the Village too. I’ll study your reports in detail later. The point is that whilst we do have materials and labour here, we also need hard cash for some of the repairs and renovations needed. The cost for a new heating system in the Hall is astronomical and it’s one of the things we simply cannot do ourselves.’
Yul looked around at the circle of faces, annoyed to see that Clip seemed to have gone off into a trance. Not that he could blame him, really. Sylvie smiled at him encouragingly and he understood her message.
Don’t be hard on them and don’t get angry – they’re all doing their best.
He grimaced at her and raised his eyebrows. These Samhain annual report meetings felt like stirring set honey and it only seemed to get worse each year. He was just grateful that Clip allowed him to chair the meetings, or it’d be even more rambling and tedious.
‘So, we’re going to hear the final report now, which comes from Harold. Before he begins, I want to stress how important it is that everyone—’
‘Oh, Yul – sorry to interrupt, but could I just say something?’ said Dawn. ‘It may be relevant, about the money problem. It’s just that … I had an e-mail the other day from Rainbow. Do you all remember her? She—’
‘I didn’t realise you were in touch with the old Hallfolk,’ said Yul slowly. Sylvie noticed the tightening of his mouth.
‘I’m not, not really. But I think she knows David, the new art teacher, and she got my e-mail address from him. It’s not difficult to work out, is it? Once you know that we’re all to be found at Stonewylde.com. Anyway, she was very nice and it turns out she’s doing really well in the art world. She’s quite