Have you ever wondered how a normal everyday garden variety, door key can change your life?

Well my name is Clarissa Wellington, I was born on the 21st day of September, in the year of our lord 1922. At the time of writing this I am 86 years of age. This is an account of of how an everyday brass door key changed my life.

A month after my seventeenth birthday, I had recently  commenced employment  as a housekeeper at the home of Mr and Mrs Seth Wilberforce,.In a little town called Blaxland on the south coast of England, about five miles from Southampton. The previous Housekeeper a Mrs Mopper, had unfortunately been forced to resign her position due to a severe bout of sciatica that had unfortunately, rendered her unable to work for an undetermined time. She is  currently as far as I  know,  convalescing with her maiden sister in Southampton.

I settled in as best as I could, my employers were a lovely couple who sadly had not been blessed with children of their own.But they treated me very well and more often than not like a member of the family rather than an employee. They thoroughly understood the melancholy that overtook me at time, caused by the recent loss of my parents due to them contracting the deadly Yellow fever, whilst working as missionaries in Africa. Their passing obviously left me in an unfortunate position, and forced me to make my own way. 

I was never that close to my parents, as my Mother was a meek, timid, woman who never seemed to voice an opinion on any matter without first gaining my Fathers approval, however they were all I had, nevertheless i did care for them  and as such showed them the respect that was due as their only child. I longed for the day I became of age enough to leave the nest so to speak and find my own way. Which to my Fathers consternation was not following them on their sojourns to Africa  as representatives of their church. I had no aversion to the church or religion in general, but I found my Father's forceful approach too much.

The only other relatives I had were an eccentric great Uncle and Aunt, who as far as I know still lived in a tiny village somewhere near the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. I had not had  much  contact with them as my Father disapproved of his Uncle's, in his words 'frivolous way of life, gadding about all the place collecting all manner of unnatural and weird things, and going about with his head in the clouds all day instead of doing some good, like himself, helping the less fortunate and spreading the good lords word'. My Parents never really seemed to take to my Great Aunt either, they always said she was strange and seemed to somewhere else, 'always away with the fairies and what sort of name is Tyballa, it sounds like something from a children's nonsense story.' Father  repeatedly threw into any conversations regarding his Uncle and his wife, my Mother's  only contribution to those conversations was a vigorous  nod  of her head in  agreement.

I  had always thought Uncle Felix and Auntie Tyballa to be great fun. On the rare occasions we met, they would regale me with stories of their adventures and travels and the people they met. It was hard to believe that Uncle Felix and my Father Winston were related, ( my grandfather Horace Wellington and Felix were brothers). The two men were complete opposites in every aspect, Felix was of mid height with a slight wiry build, dark wavy hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled with merriment, a contagious chuckle, and a smile that never strayed too  far from his lips.

My Father on the other hand was very tall and solid, with grey eyes a permanent scowl etched on his brow and no sense of humor or fun. He was   quite an intimidating figure of a man. I sometimes wondered why he became a missionary because his personalty was not one that encouraged others to open up to him and embrace the words of the good lord.

Thankfully I seemed to have more of Uncle Felix's nature because, from as far back as I can remember I had a vivid imagination and a happy disposition, I found joy in the simple things in life, like the sunsets and magic of the snow and would marvel at the change in seasons. I loved to ramble through the woods near our little cottage making up stories and making friends with the animals that lived there. Imagining myself living in a world full of magical creatures and hero's and damsels.

"I must  my story at this point to say that everything I write from now on is actual fact, I do not know how it happened or why, but I am so very glad it did, and I know many people will scoff and say my story is all hogwash and silly nonsense used to entertain children, but i promise you it is all one hundred percent truth. I sincerely hope anyone who reads this can imagine themselves in my place and enjoy it as much as I have done recounting my life to date."

It all began one Thursday in November 1939, when a telegram was delivered to the Wilberforce home addressed to me. It had been sent by the local constabulary in Lower Castlebridge, informing me that my Great Uncle Felix and  Aunt Tyballa Wellington, had been involved in an automobile accident and as a result of injuries sustained Mrs Wellington had unfortunately passed away. Uncle Felix had been incapacitated by a broken leg and a rather serious knock to the head, but was otherwise alright.

As far as the police could ascertain I was his only living relative and they were hoping it was possible for me  to go to Lower Castlebridge and take care of him, as  because of his advanced age of eighty eight years, and obvious grief  he would require constant observation, and to date had refused ant help from the local nurse.  

Well once I had recovered from the shock the words on the paper had left me in. I went straight to my employers explaining the tragedy that had befallen  my Uncle and showed them the telegram. They insisted at once that I go and assist my poor Uncle in his time of dire need, and not to trouble myself about anything regarding the housekeeping. They thanked me for the time I had been with them and the most excellent job I  had done. Mr Wilberforce went right out and purchased my train ticket after informing the police by return telegram that I would be arriving  in Lower Castlebridge on the next train leaving Southampton  tomorrow morning. They wished me good luck and hoped Uncle Felix recovered quickly.

I only needed a short time to pack my one large traveling case and two smaller suitcases, as I'd not needed many possessions, not that there was much left as everything pretty much had been sold to pay the death taxes after my parents passed away. I really  only had  my clothing and  personal items, as well as a few small family mementos, a small photograph of my parents, my few favorite reading books and my leather bound journal. 

After making sure my duties for the next day were as complete as possible I retired to my bed attempting to rest and set my mind right on the journey I was to undertake on the morrow, and wondered how  to assist poor Uncle Felix in his time of mourning.

The train arrived in Lower Castlebridge at 10:45am, and after thanking the guard who assisted me with my luggage, I stood   waiting by the ticket office as instructed, for the constable who was supposed to meet me and take me in his automobile to my Uncle's home a few miles out of the village.

"Miss Wellington? good day to you Ma'am, my name is constable Papworth, please follow me, Oh here Miss allow me to help you with your luggage."

"Oh yes thankyou constable and good morning to you, I appreciate you meeting me. can you please tell me how my Uncle is and what happened to my Aunt?"

As they reached the police automobile, constable Papworth loaded my cases then opened the passenger side door and assisted me to climb in making sure my skirts were contained inside before gently closing the door. Conversation once we were on our way consisted of the handsome young policeman explaining somewhat regretfully what had happened.

"Apparently Mr and Mrs Wellington had been to London to visit some old friends who were returning to America due to business dealing and the war and such,and after spending the day, were on their way home and just outside the city limits when a stray bomb fell and exploded in the middle of the road, causing Mr Wellington to swerve his vehicle. But unfortunately due to his age and lack of strength he was unable to keep the vehicle from flipping over and landing upside down in  a ditch that was filled to overflowing due to the heavy rain recently . It was a good few hours until a farmer, returning home from the markets, found them and sent his young son for help before getting your Aunt and Uncle out as he was worried they might drown."

"Oh  my goodness that is such terrible nes, but iI thank you for telling me constable."

"You are welcome Miss, i mean it is not happy news but I suppose you needed to know, as far as I know your Uncle is alright in the physical sense, but well obviously he is grieving,  At least according to the Doctors report your poor Aunt did not suffer too much. I am very sorry to upset you Miss."

"No, No it is not your fault constable Papworth, I needed to know what happened and while i am very distressed at my Aunt's passing there is nothing I can do now, except ensure my Uncle is cared for and regains his full health and mobility."

The young constable just nods  his head  in agreement sneaking looks at his passenger from the corner of his eye and for the first time noticing how pretty she is. The journey continues for a few quiet minutes until he turns the vehicle down a  side lane that is indicated by a painted wooden sign half buried in the overgrown shrubbery as leading to 'Fey Estate'

 

A short dirt road leads to an imposing two story, castle like house tucked in behind large oak trees, the house is painted a soft cream color with dark blue shutters and eaves . Standing like a sentinel beside the front door is a flag pole bearing at half mast a flag emblazoned  with the Wellington family crest, which was a shield sitting on top of a pair of crossed swords, and in the middle was a rainbow held up by the top corners by what Clarissa could now tell were golden wings.

 Constable Papworth opens her door and assists her to climb out, before unloading her luggage . Clarissa makes her way to the front door , she knocks and gets no response, so without waiting she pushes the door open and calls out.

"Uncle Felix? it is your great niece Clarissa Wellington, I have come to help you , where are you?"

Still getting no response she looks at the young and rather good looking constable , blushing rather deeply at the unlady like thoughts running around in her head concerning him. 

She jumps slightly, shaken out of her thoughts by the soft voce  over her shoulder.

"He was spending a lot of time in the library Ma'am, maybe that's where he is . It is difficult for him to get about in his wheeled chair and most of his favorite rooms are on the ground floor."

Constable Papworth sends her a soft smile causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle and give him an air of fun and something magical hidden underneath his starched blue uniform and tall bobbies helmet. Clarissa idly wonders if he has a sweetheart, and if he hasn't wonders if she will see h very often, though she supposes now that she is here the police will have no further need to be involved. She sighs and walks further into the dark house, calling for her Uncle every few minutes, until she reaches a door  to what she remembers from a previous visit some ten years ago as belonging to the library. She knocks and calls again.

"Uncle Felix It is Clarissa may I come in?"

"Issi? of course my dear" Clarissa smiles at the nickname, her parents never called her anything but her full name. Felix on the other hand always thought her name was too snooty and boring. She smiles as she remembers Felix saying as much to her father.

"She should have a fun name Winston, she is an old soul and full of magic I'll bet, so her name should reflect that."

Constable Papworth clears his throat behind Clarissa and as she turns to thank him he sends her another charming smile and says. "Well Miss Wellington, Mr Welling Wellington, I'll leave you to it no, but if you need any help or anything at all please let me know... or let the station know and we will do what we can alright?"

"Oh yes o-of course constable thankyou so much very much I truly appreciate your chivalrousness." Clarissa reaches out to shake his hand and as they touch she instantly feels tingles in her bare skin.

"You are most welcome, good day to you both."He turns towards the door, but is too busy looking at the most beautiful lady he has seen in a long while, and very much hopes to see her again  hopefully in happier circumstances. As he makes his way across the room his inattention causes him to bump into the small side near the sofa making the lamp sat upon it wobble dangerously close to the edge. He quickly  gets his mind back on track and bends down to steady it. Seeing from the corner of his eye the old man smiling and his niece with a small hand held decorously over her mouth and a smile that reaches her big brown eyes making them twinkle with amused shyness.

He thinks to himself that he might just have to be in the  area more often so he can maybe just bump into her in the village or drop by the house to see if she needs anything doing, when he is not on duty. He thinks that even though the reason for her being here is a sad one, maybe it  could be turned around and good things or even magic  could happen.

 

2: Chapter II

Chapter - II-

 

I spent the first few days, reacquainting myself with my great Uncle, whom I hadn’t seen for about ten years and helping him to organize Auntie Tyballa’s funeral, he wanted it to be in Lower Castlebridge, and, well he really wanted to bury her on Fey Estate under her favorite oak tree by the stream. But the county planning department representative, a Mr Storme was very against that, his carefully filled in notebook falling to the floor and very nearly having a conniption, at the thought of anyone not following protocol. Citing rules and regulations must be firmly adhered to otherwise they’d have people buried all over the place, and that would just be messy, very messy indeed. So in the end after many heated words   Uncle Felix agreed and settled for a plot in the church yard as close to the river as possible. It was really a lovely spot under the big drooping willow tree, and when the sun rose each morning it shone on the white marble headstone, and bounced soft beams of light off the inlaid colored crystals that were formed into a rainbow. 

It was only a very small gathering that attended Auntie Tyballa’s funeral, obviously myself and Uncle Felix who had recovered somewhat, physically, he was of course still using his wheeled chair, but his emotional state of mind was still learning to cope without his soul mate, after all sixty years is a long time to be with someone, and then to be by one’s self…, well it was hard. The only other people where the Widow Goodbody, a lovely kind  lady that paid her way by house cleaning, the La’Venders, the odd couple who ran the village shop though I suspected they had only attended to pick up on any gossip and for a free feed. The only other one that was in attendance whom  I did not know, though Uncle Felix certainly made his feelings plain, when he saw her at the back of the small chapel was the local Nurse  a Miss Cutterback.

I was pleasantly surprised to see constable Papworth in attendance, nervously clutching to his chest a bouquet of white lilies and red roses. I made my way over to him, after making sure Uncle Felix’s chair had the wheels in a locked position and left him beside the grave.

“Constable Papworth… I-I mean Rodney, how very kind of you to come,”

He spins around at the sound of my voice and nearly trips over his own feet in his haste. I send him a soft smile hoping to ease his nerves, though if the truth be told I was just as nervous. I had been thinking about the tall handsome policeman with the twinkling eyes and very endearing smile. Since I first met him and had often hoped to see him again.

“M-Miss Wellington, h-hello, I hope you have been well... oh these are for you … I mean for your Aunt, not that I would be adverse  to giving  you flowers … it is just that I got them ‘specially…”

I had to smile at his nervousness, and blushed rather deeply when our hands touched when I reached out to take the offered flowers. “T-thankyou Rodney it was very sweet of you to think of bringing flowers, and they are favorites of both my Aunt and myself, but please call me Clarissa”

He looks abashed at my reminder, and I feel  a little guilty, so I reach out with my free hand and take hold of his, noticing at once how red his face suddenly gets, though I smile inside at the way he seems to tighten his hold on my hand and give it a little squeeze. Not to mention the tingles that run through my skin and seem to settle somewhere in my chest.

I had never really been in favor of the habit of wearing a hat and gloves on outings in public, as I always felt too restricted, and if I could not feel the grass and all things nature with my bare hands I felt odd, so discarded the gloves and hat for the same reason, I felt free if the wind was blowing my hair. I know my out spoken attitude and non conformity to the rules of women in society as well as  my association with my Uncle and Aunt,  had  others in town  look down on me as a rebel of sorts and was it any wonder I was still unmarried…,  Yes, I had heard whispers from the other ‘Ladies’ in the village shop when I went for supplies or to collect the post. I just gave all the gossipy old hens a bright smile and a pleasant “good morning ladies” and continued with my business, laughing to my self as they spluttered with embarrassment at being caught talking about me.

 The only woman in the village that seems to hold true animosity towards me was the village nurse a Miss Cutterback, she was a large well built woman with dark hair pulled into a severe bun at the nape of her neck, and her blue eyes that were always narrowed and glaring sharp daggers, held no warmth at all which was unsettling. One would have thought that her profession as a caring soul should make her a tad nicer. For some unknown reason she was always saying rude and spiteful things, well aware I was within hearing range, and had nothing nice to say about Aunt Tyballa, either. I know Uncle Felix refused to allow the woman entry to the house, after his accident. I heard him a few times, muttering things like, “evil witch, sticky fingered treasure hunting thief.” especially when he is dozing in his favorite spot in the library window  or in Aunties study,  when I was looking for him to ready him for his dinner.

 

“But I digress from my story, now where was I? Oh yes, constable Papworth…, I for some reason had a feeling about him from the first time I laid eyes on him, he gave the impression of fun, but it was something else… more like magical, I do not understand it but put it down to the stress about my relocation and caring for my Uncle with this tragic business, also my overactive mind and my love of all things fantasy and romantic. I’d had male friends before but none of the chaps made me feel tingly and happy just by thinking about him.” 

  

 “Come along and say hello to Uncle Felix, I’m sure he would love some male company, and maybe if you are able, you might like to join us for refreshments in the vestry in a little while.”

Unthinking I had not released his hand, probably due to the pleasant feeling the contact created and by the time we have reached Uncle Felix, his blue eyes are alight with magic when he see our joined hands, and he happily welcomes Rodney asking him to stay and talk while I see to the refreshments, the minute our hands loose contact for some strange reason I feel a cold shiver pass through me. Not understanding what it means I bent down to place the new flowers on the grave and excuse my self, noticing from the corner of my eye that Rodney is watching every move I make, blushing cutely as Uncle Felix nudges him in the side to get his attention.

 

Once we arrived home from the church, Uncle Felix said he wanted to take a little nap, so I helped him on the chaise lounge in Auntie’s sitting room and after covering him up with a light throw rug, gave him a small peck on the forehead and told him to rest, and that I would make him something nice for his dinner. I asked him gently “If there was anything he wanted me to do in regards to Aunties things”

  He thought for a few minutes and said “if I wanted to maybe I could start sorting through her wardrobe in the upstairs bedroom and try and makes some sense of things,”

 I nodded and said “Of course I don’t mind,  what if I put all the clothing and such like  in a box and  separate the books or papers and trinkets, then  maybe when you feel up to it you can decide what

you would like to keep hmm?”

“Thankyou Issi, that would be wonderful, now the hard part is what to keep she had so many special things, some are even quite magical you know. Maybe you could call young Rodney Papworth to help if he is not on duty?” Uncle looks up at me and something in his bright blue eyes seems to be trying to tell me something.

I feel my face heating up and bend to smooth my hand over his grey curls before smiling shyly at him and simply saying “Uncle Felix, I am sure Rodney has more  important things to do, and would find sorting through a lady’s  books and nick-knacks a tad boring.”

“I’m sure you two young people would find something to talk about Issi, and I promise I won’t be a nosey parker, but I am positive he is quite taken with you my dear.”

 I shook my head at his presumptions, though I was secretly hoping there was a grain of truth to my Uncle’s words as I had to admit to being rather fond of the tall handsome young policeman. “Have a good rest Uncle.” I walked out of the room towards the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea before heading upstairs to make a start on Auntie’s room.