Page 20 of A Summer of Castles
‘If that’s what you say it is.’ He wasn’t convinced Camilla was telling the truth; her rosy cheeks weren’t entirely due to alcohol, and she had fiddled with her earrings. A gambler would describe it as a tell.
Standing by his car, the artist turned and inspected the towers one last time. He wouldn’t be back here again. Tomorrow, his destination was further afield and in the direction of Newcastle. He wasn’t planning on stopping there for long either.
Twelve
Warkworth
As if all their other residences were not sufficiently grand, the Percys finally had a prestigious castle, their chief residence, and Warkworth kept that status even after it fell into decline. The symbolism of the Percys’ success was carved on to the entrance of the hall, the location of the earl’s bedchamber, the exclusive room of the castle. The heraldic sculpture of the Percy Lion, their dynastic badge, includes the three fishes of the Lucy family, an important provider of inherited land, and the incorporation of the Herbert’s portcullis, another related family. Weathered by time, the bold statement of ownership has stuck fast to the tower, helping create an interesting focal point for photographers.
Moving on through the castle, don’t forget to visit the Little Stair Tower with its spire.
~ Alistair Braithwaite’s Touring Guide of Northern Castles
Tottering precariously on a low stone wall, which were the remains of a structure that once reached for the skies, I slipped and twisted my ankle.
‘Ah, ow!’ I hopped on one foot, comically clinging on to my camera, and, failing to keep my balance, I dropped onto the slippery stones, and screwed my eyes shut.
‘Please, please,’ I muttered. ‘This can’t be happening.’
With my lips pressed tighter, I tried hard to ignore the throb, but when I placed any weight on my leg, the pain worsened.
‘Are you alright?’
I shaded my eyes and looked up to find a man looming, his face cast into the shadows.
‘Hurt it?’ he asked.
‘Not sure. I fell off this wall.’
‘Stones are treacherous after rain,’ he said with a strong Yorkshire accent. ‘With somebody?’
As if summoned to my side by some invisible emergency siren, he hovered expectantly, his broad shoulders hunched, and his hands shoved into the depths of a black bomber jacket. I couldn’t help noticing his jeans were streamline and low around his hips. I paused before answering. The issue of lone working had concerned Dad and he had made suggestions. ‘Make something up. You know, boyfriend popped to the bog or something. Don’t let anyone, especially a man, know you’re alone.’
Mum had expressed an interest on my behalf in self-defence classes. I hadn’t seen the point; I wasn’t capable of flinging anyone over my shoulder. I could appreciate why she would have been panicked by the situation I was in; there was nobody else in the vicinity and one strange man had me at a disadvantage.
I opted to deflect the stranger’s question. ‘You?’
He straightened, revealing a young face in the sunlight, unremarkable in character except for what seemed like an excessively short nose.
‘Wife is in the car with the sleeping bairn.’ He grinned. ‘She’s probably gone to sleep too.’ The smile extended into dimples. ‘It’s only, I’m a nurse. So if you want, I can take a look at your ankle?’
‘A nurse,’ I said tentatively. Was the whole “wife in the car” speech just an excuse to wriggle into my pants. Did perverts hang out in castles? I smirked -unlikely, Robyn, get a grip.But there again, what was wrong with a little flirtatious indulgence? After my doomed relationship with Craig, I needed to regain some trust in men.
‘Aye.’ The nurse crouched in front of me. ‘Leeds General Hospital. The wife comes from these parts, so we’re visiting.’
Before I could protest, he had the heel of my shoe in the palm of his hand.
‘Do you work in Accident and Emergency?’
‘No,’ he said, gingerly loosening the Velcro strap. ‘Orthopaedics. So I see a fair share of sprains and breaks.’
‘I hope this isn’t broken.’ I winced.
‘You’d be howling more if it were,’ he said, cheerfully. ‘Does this hurt?’
He tugged on the heel and lifted my foot out. A twinge of pain, but nothing else. I felt like a fraud. ‘Not really.’
‘Good. Promising so far. Wriggle your toes.’