Where the Action Is

Chapter 3 - Strange Happenings at White Sands

The first week at Grey House went by uneventfully. Max and Impie played in the environs of Thelstone and explored, although they had explored many times before, but there was always a hope of finding a new cave or secret passage. There was no word from Radio Madeleine about the competition they had entered, but they could always hope. A favourite place of theirs was the so-called Folly, an ancient lighthouse, from the top of which was a marvellous view over the sea and from which the two forts were visible, and ships out at sea.

Today, everyone was at the Folly, lookng out over to Fort Madeleine, when Impie suddenly said, “Look, I can see a small boat over at Wite Sands Fort.” She was looking through binoculars.

‘No, there can’t be, it;s been disused for years,’ said Max.

‘Let me see,’ said Jack.

Sure enough, there, under the larger of the five forts, was a small motor boat, which was strange, because people hadn’t used the forts since the war, because there too few to use for a radio station or any such thing. But the children dismissed the boat as being a sightseer’s boat, and decided to go to Thelstone Manor to see if Lady Juliett would come out with them. So they descended the steps of the Folly tower, and so did not notice the small boat move away from the forts at speed, with four or five men aboard.

The Irvings discovered that Juliett could come out, as she had nothing else to do. Max and Impie went off of their own, leaving Jack and Juliett to go into Thelstone. Juliett was going to buy herself some new clothes in town, and so they went into a large boutique. Jack helped Juliett to choose clothes to buy. Then, this being done, and Juliett being pleased with her purchases, they went for a walk in the streets of the town. As they walked, Jack told Juliett of the ‘sightseer’s’ boat, off White Sands Fort.

‘Strange’, said Juliett, ‘there’s not much to see out at the fort. You’d have thought they would have been more interested in Fort Madeleine.’

‘Maybe they’re going to have another radio station there’, said Jack, ‘and they’re just looking it over to see if its suitable or not.’

‘I doubt it, it’s too near Madeleine for comfort, and besides, that fort’s in the three-mile limit.’

‘Probably sightseers then.’

At this they dismissed the boat, and talked of other things.

That night, when Jack had returned to Grey House, she was sitting at the window of her bedroom, looking out to sea, when suddenly a light flashed out at sea, and then again, and again. At first Jack thought it was a ship, but when it stayed in the same position for some time, still flashing, Jack realised that it came from White Sands Fort. Obviously it was being used by someone, but who? Jack ran downstairs to the sitting room where her Aunt and Uncle were sitting watching television along with Max and Impie.

‘Hello, Jack,’ said Uncle Graham, ‘what brings you here?’

Graham Blaire was tall, with a moustache, grey-blue eyes and brown hair greying at the temples. He had been a Major in the Army when he was younger. Greer Blaire was shorter than he was, and her hair was also greying. Her eyes were hazel, and she was a warm personality.

Jack now told them of the light out at sea, and the boat that was at White Sands Fort.

‘Oh, stop worrying,’ said Aunt Greer, ‘that light was probably a ship.’

‘Strange, though,’ said Uncle Graham, ‘that fort isn’t used by the Army, and I have heard of strange ships seen around these shores. There are even stories of smuggles, but myself I doubt it.’

‘Ooh, smugglers!; said Impie and Max together. ‘Have they got a galleon and cutlasses and everything, like on telly/’

‘No, these are ruthless men and dangerous, and they are not the sort that you see on these period films. They smuggle things like drugs and watches. They are people to steer clear of,’ said Graham Blaire. ‘Do not intefere in such matters yourselves. Inform the Police if you see anything else strange.’

But when they looked out of the window, the strange light was gone. And for a few days they saw no more. However, it became a subject for discussion amongst the Irvings and Juliett. Lord Clarence, Juliett’s brother, became interested when they told him.

‘Smugglers, maybe,’ he had said. ‘We must keep our eyes open for them.’

‘We must be careful, though, they’re dangerous, probably,’ This was Juliett. How right she was.