Jamie got out of his car. He obviously had no idea that I was watching him as he fluffed up his hair in the wing mirror of his red Mercedes. He looked very vain. He was wearing a pale pink shirt under a smart navy pinstriped suit. His shoes looked highly polished and very expensive, and his hair was over-styled. Not like my Dad, who always goes around with scruffy hair, wearing jeans or cords and knitted sweaters.
Jamie let himself into the grand hall.
“He looks a right nerd,” said Rory over the walkie-talkie. He and Finn were peeking out from the keyhole in the big cupboard in the hall, ready to make their entrance in due course.
“Ssshh,” I giggled. “We don’t want them to hear these phone things crackling.”
“Tell you what, Katie. It stinks down here,” he said.
“Why, have you had an accident?” I said.
“Very funny. We’ll do the jokes,” said Finn.
“Shut up, everyone,” I said, worried we would give ourselves away.
“Do you think a poltergeist will spook them?” whispered Mallie.
“Definitely,” I assured her. “Remember to be subtle.”
“Mallie? Subtle?” laughed Rory.
“SSSHHH!! Alert! The viewer, Mr Parker, is arriving!” I announced as a big car turned into the driveway. “Action stations everyone. Will give you the all-clear when both cars have exited the estate.”
I was sweating with nerves. Mr Parker parked his car and got out. He was youngish, around thirty, and was dressed a bit like Jamie, but he seemed to look less ridiculous. Maybe it was because his job really did suit smart clothes like that, whereas Jamie just showed people round properties yet tried to look like he owned them. Mr Parker looked over the outside of the castle and gave a smile. Blast! He seemed to like the look of it.
Once he was inside the castle, I couldn’t see what was going on. I was so curious. When the two men properly started the tour, I sneaked down to the gallery which surrounds the main staircase, where I could watch the drama unfold. I had a perfect view from behind a huge pillar.
“Yeah, it was built in 1856. It’s a fine example of the Scottish baronial traditions, similar to the royal castle at Balmoral, on Deeside,” said Jamie knowledgably.
“And what about things such as heating and plumbing?” said the American man.
“Well, obviously it’s a little old-fashioned at the moment,” said Jamie.
“Old-fashioned?” said Mr Parker in a heavy American accent. “Smells like a darned herd of cows lives in here.”
Jamie coughed nervously. “Moving along, please do notice the ornate plasterwork ceilings,” he said, sounding very flustered. “It’s the work of the famous Finlay Carruthers.”
Just then, Rory and Finn appeared, as if from nowhere, with empty cans of lager in their hands.
“Oi, this is our place,” shouted Rory. “What you doin’ here? Did anyone invite you?” Finn looked on menacingly.
This was brilliant! They were made for this role.
“I’m sorry about this,” Jamie apologised to Mr Parker. “These local youths must have dropped in as it’s unoccupied, but I can assure you, there isn’t a genuine problem with squatters here.”
“I’m trying to believe you, Jamie,” said Mr Parker. “But this place is not what I expected from the brochure. You guys sure know how to dress things up. It stinks, and it obviously has intruders. I’m not liking this place, Jamie, I gotta tell you.”
I was so pleased I almost punched the air, but I didn’t want to risk getting noticed.
“Please bear with me; there are so many lovely features to see. The exquisite ballroom, for example. You must see that,” said Jamie.
I knew Mallie was in there, ready to billow the curtains around and pull a few ornaments to the floor creepily on the invisible threads we had tied to them.
I didn’t see it happen, but she must have done a great job, because after a few moments in the ballroom, Jamie and Mr Parker ran out of the castle and into their cars at breakneck speed. I dashed back up to the lookout tower in time to see the two cars whiz out of the estate.
“Nice work everyone. They’ve gone,” I said over the walkie-talkie. “Coming down to meet you all in the grand hall.”
When I got down there, we all fell about laughing and high-fived each other.
“Katie, you’re a lucky girl, owning a castle like this,” said Finn. “No wonder you want to keep it.”
“I know. Let’s hope we will own it for a while to come,” I said. “And thanks to you, we just might. Mr Parker was not impressed.”
“We’d better get back to Tullyacre,” said Mallie. “We’ve got lambs to feed. And Dad doesn’t even know we’re away.”
“Well, don’t scare the lambs with those hairstyles,” I said to the boys.
“See you tomorrow for the ballet rehearsal in Perth,” said Mallie.
“Yeah. Bus leaves at two o’clock, doesn’t it? See you down in the village,” I replied as I waved them off.
I took the stinking wheelbarrow back to the stables. It was going to take a few days for that smell to die down in the grand hall.
When everything was done, and Bella was fed and watered, I let myself quietly back into Holly Cottage. Mum and Dad were chatting in the kitchen.
“I thought Jamie would have waited and given us some feedback,” said Dad.
“I know. That was really weird, the way they both went shooting out of the estate,” agreed Mum.
“Yeah. He’ll probably give us a call on Monday. Maybe he’s got another property to show now. It’s not as if the castle is the only property on his books,” said Dad.
I felt so guilty, but nicely confident that we had done an excellent job of scaring them off. All Mum and Dad needed was some confidence that we could afford to take on the castle, and I was very much hoping to provide that. I needed one piece of good luck to bring the plan together.