Two days later, the family – along with Curtis, Autumn, Sidney and Song – was gathered in the kitchen at Ponsonby Terrace. Song was busily making tea while Sidney cut slices of celebratory chocolate cake. A country singer crooned in the background, although Sidney kept threatening to switch the music over to an Elvis tune. A replay of a rugby match blared on the television, keeping most of the group enthralled – it was England against Australia and had been played in the early hours of the morning. Anna had just got off the phone to her parents.
After being released from their prison, the family and friends had a lot to take in, not least being the sad death of Mrs Thornthwaite and the revelation that Tippie had been behind it all.
Tippie and Lawrence would pay for their crimes – including the murder of Mrs Thornthwaite. The pair were despatched to the prison at Alexandria. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Tippie MacGregor was dead.
Cordelia had been on hand when Percy and Derek were released from the safe room at Ponsonby Terrace. After a lengthy discussion with Percy, she surprised everyone by offering him a position at Alexandria, working on the farm alongside Shugs and Mr O’Leary. Thirty-odd years in prison had been long enough. The shock of finding out that what the twins had told him about his brother was true had completely broken the man. Cordelia knew repentance when she saw it.
As for Derek, Cordelia decided that he’d seen far too much. There was no memory eraser in the world strong enough to make him forget seventy-two hours of revelations. Instead, she would take him into the fold. The lad was far more observant than anyone had ever given him credit for, having identified one of her kidnappers as a former associate of his father’s. With a lot of training and encouragement, there was no reason he couldn’t be an asset. Besides, he knew what the family was capable of.
Romilly Vanden Boom was recovering from her incarceration, and would soon be back at school – although perhaps not for long, as Cordelia was planning to invite her to be the new head of the Inventions Team. Romilly had become Tippie’s first target after working out exactly what the woman was up to. Tippie had then used Romilly as a diversion while she set her evil endgame in motion.
Though Shugs had always come under suspicion from Kensy, it turned out that he hadn’t attacked Mrs Thornthwaite. It was Lawrence – who blamed Shugs when he failed in his task. The groundsman had been trying to work out how to bring Tippie down as soon as he realised what she was up to.
Magoo was naturally devastated by his wife’s behaviour, but he was handling things far better than expected. He confessed all to Cordelia – how he’d known Tippie’s desires, how he’d lied to himself about her character, how he’d allowed her to rule his life. Now he would take control and become the man he should always have been – not only a good leader for the students, but a loyal subject too. He promised he’d never lie to Cordelia again. She had no reason not to believe him.
The rugby game reached half time. Max wandered across to the kitchen island and leant against Cordelia. ‘So what happens now, Granny?’ Max asked.
‘What do you mean, darling?’ the woman replied.
‘Did you find out if anyone within Pharos actually betrayed you?’ Max asked. ‘Did anyone properly accept Tippie’s scarabs? I mean, it sounded as if Miss Witherbee might have.’
Cordelia pursed her lips. ‘Fortunately, you brought this to a close before anyone was forced to choose her path. There were a couple of low-grade agents who have been weeded out, but from other information we’ve ascertained, Tippie mostly employed her own henchmen – all of whom will be hunted down in due course. Tippie’s “death” has been widely reported – and I will continue to ensure that she’s memorialised appropriately in the Beacon.’
Kensy trotted over to join her brother.
‘She doesn’t deserve to be remembered,’ Kensy said.
‘I’d tend to agree with you, Kens, but your grandmother has method in her madness,’ Ed said from where he was sitting on the couch. ‘She’s sending a message. Anyone who worked with Tippie and thought they would get away with it will know for certain that they can’t.’
‘Anyway,’ Cordelia said. ‘I have an announcement to make and I need you to gather around.’
The group looked at her expectantly and everyone moved into the kitchen.
Cordelia clasped her hands and took a deep breath. ‘I’ve decided to retire and hand over the reins to Edward and Rupert,’ she said, looking at her sons, who were now standing at the end of the bench. ‘I know this will probably come as a shock, but it’s time.’
There was a murmur of dissention throughout the room.
Edward’s eyes lit up and he reached out for Anna’s hand. She kissed his cheek.
Rupert gave his brother a wink and the pair shook hands.
‘Now, I’m not sure, Rupert, if you’d prefer to remain in Sydney with your new family or come to London, but that’s up to you. You know I’d welcome Van and Ellery into the training program if they’d like to be part of it.’
Kensy nudged Curtis’s arm and the boy twisted his lips to stop from smiling.
‘Of course, I’ll be back and forth from Alexandria to London, so you’ll see me often, but Sidney will be the one to travel with me. Song, if you don’t mind, I’d rather like you to stay here and look after this lot.’
Song nodded. ‘It would be my greatest pleasure. Confucius says –’
‘No, he doesn’t,’ Kensy said, shaking her head.
‘I agree, darling. Song, we don’t need any pearls of wisdom while I’m in the middle of my retirement speech,’ Cordelia said, her eyes welling up.
‘And as for you two.’ The woman looked at Kensy and Max. ‘You are the unexpected lights of my life.’ She reached out, taking a hand in each of hers. ‘I know that when your father and Rupert decide to hang up their boots, there will be no two people better placed to take over. Pharos will be in safe hands for generations to come.’
Cordelia drew the children into her embrace.
‘But I’ll be just a tiny bit more of the boss than Max, won’t I, Granny?’ Kensy asked, stepping back to look at the woman.
Cordelia frowned.
‘Well, I am the oldest,’ Kensy said.
Max rolled his eyes. ‘You wish, Kensy, you wish.’
The girl tugged at her left earlobe and Max did the same. It was the twins’ secret signal that everything would be all right – only this time, they actually believed it.
Everyone laughed as tea and cake were passed round. No one in the house heard the car pull up outside number thirteen, or noticed the correspondence addressed to Dame Cordelia Spencer fall through the slot in the door. Hours later, while the rest of the family slept, Cordelia would open the envelope, pull out the enclosed note and gasp. Danger, it seemed was never far away.