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By four-thirty, the clear-up operation at the stable yard was well under way. Most of the visitors had already departed, either heading for home or to make their way along the short walk that would take them to the illuminated trail. The crafting supplies had been packed away in storage crates ready for the morning and Rhys was helping his father carry the last of the folded trestle tables into the distillery where they would be stored overnight. Though his skills with a paintbrush left a lot to be desired, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. He used the sink in the distillery to wash off the evidence of the hours spent helping the children, then headed back outside to find Tasha while his father locked up. She was standing near one of the workshops, chatting to Hope, and he noticed with a smile that she was holding a couple of take-away cups from the café. ‘Is one of those for me?’ he asked, hopefully, as he joined them.
‘Double-shot Americano,’ Tasha said with a grin as she passed him one of the cups.
‘You angel!’ He stole a quick kiss then slung an arm around her shoulders and turned to his cousin. ‘So what’s the score with the illuminated trail? Are we meeting the others for a walk?’ If it was up to him he’d be happy to head back to the lodge with Tasha and see if he could coax her into the hot tub on the deck for a lazy soak. As fit as working on the farm kept him, he’d spent a lot of time bent over or crouching next to the tables and both his back and his knees were making their protests known.
Hope shrugged. ‘I’ve been trying to get hold of Cam for the past half an hour but his phone keeps going straight to voicemail.’
‘Maybe they’re busy packing up for the day. Have you tried calling Declan?’
She shook her head. ‘If Cam’s busy packing up, then no doubt he will be too. I’ll give them a few more minutes as I did say we were aiming for five o’clock.’
Zap came and joined them. ‘If that’s everything for today, I’m going to head back. Anyone want a lift?’
They shook their heads and Rhys answered. ‘No, we’re fine, Dad. I’ve got my car.’
‘I’ve got mine, too,’ Tasha added. ‘Aren’t you and Rowena going to join us for a walk around the woods?’
‘Not tonight, darling. We’re going to go one evening next week when it’s not quite so busy. You all go and enjoy yourselves. Will we see you later for supper?’ He addressed the last to Rhys.
‘I’m not sure what time we’ll be finished. I’ll be over at some point as I need to do my evening checks, but if I do need to eat then I’ll sort myself out.’ The fridge in the farmhouse was always full.
‘Okay, well, I’ll see you all tomorrow.’ Zap leaned in and kissed his cheek before reaching out to squeeze Tasha’s arm. She placed her hand on top and there was no missing the affection in her smile as she said goodbye. It warmed something deep inside Rhys that they clearly got on so well. He knew from what she’d told him that his parents had been dropping in at the campsite to check on her as well.
Hope’s phone rang and her expression lit as she looked at the screen. ‘About time.’ She answered the call. ‘Hello! Have you had a good day?’ She listened for a moment then started laughing. ‘Slow down! Slow down! I can hardly make out what you’re saying. Rhys and Tasha are with me. Hold on, let me put you on speaker.’
The next thing, Cam’s voice was pouring out of the phone. ‘Oh my God, you have to get up here! It’s amazing and so much more than we ever dreamed of. I don’t know what we’ve got but it’s huge, a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.’ It was hard to make him out over the babble of excited voices behind him.
Rhys exchanged a look with Hope. He’d never heard Cam so animated. ‘What is it?’ he asked.
‘A cr—’ Cam cut himself and they could hear him shouting at someone to wait a minute. ‘I’ve got to go.’ His voice came through clearer. ‘Get up here, Hope, you’re not going to want to miss it!’ And with that he was gone again.
The three of them looked at each other and then Hope’s face split into a wide grin. ‘You heard the man, let’s go!’
They decided it was easier to each take their own car and Hope was off like a shot. Rhys followed her from the parking area behind the distillery at a more leisurely pace and made sure to wait at the entrance to the car park for Tasha, who had ended up in a space in the far corner. By the time they reached the dig, Hope was already parked and looking ready to climb the fence.
Scott, one of Cam’s students, came running over to let them in. Rather than looking excited, his brow was creased with worry. ‘Thank God you’re here! I think Barnie and Declan are going to have a fight in a minute because Declan’s trying to shut the site down and Barnie wants to go down there tonight. Cam’s trying to keep the peace but it’s all kicking off.’
‘Well, that doesn’t sound good,’ Rhys said. ‘Go down where exactly?’
‘We found a crypt under the old chapel. It’s unbelievable!’
‘A crypt?’ Hope exclaimed. ‘How can that be when we’ve explored every inch of the ruins when we were kids?’
She looked to Rhys, who nodded in confirmation. ‘There’s not much up there, just that corner bit of wall and a few lumps in the grass.’
‘We’ve been clearing the site all week and there’s a lot more than you realise,’ Scott replied. The sound of raised voices carried across the still early evening air and he grimaced. ‘Come on!’ he urged Hope and the pair of them set off at a sprint.
Rhys was tempted to break into a run as well, but his back and knees were still a bit sore from crouching at the crafting tables so he settled for a brisk walk. There was no more shouting, which he hoped was a good thing, but they’d soon find out.
‘That lad who met us at the gates,’ Tasha said as they made their way across the large field that had been the focus of the dig the previous summer. ‘Do you know him?’
Rhys paused to glance at her. ‘Scott? Yeah, a bit. He was here last summer with the rest of the team. He’s one of Cam’s students. Nice kid, but shy, but I think that’s more to do with his dad.’
‘They don’t get on?’
Rhys wondered why she was so interested, but then he remembered the odd bits he’d picked up about the strain in her relationship with her mother, and it made more sense. ‘He’s a bit of a bully by all accounts. He certainly tried to throw his weight around when he showed up here, but Cam gave him short shrift.’
‘He’s been to Juniper Meadows?’ Tasha burst out.
