The Garlic Dragon Series - Lord Gothely's Story

Published in THE DRAGON CHRONICLE Issue 25 - Summer 2003

Lord Gothely was worried. He was worried about money and after talking to his accountant, Mr Greenfield, he had decided a special strategy needed to be drawn up and executed as detailed as any battle plan.

He hadn't spoken of his anxiety to Lady Antoinette, as she was very absorbed with Gisela and Ciprian (now Keeper of Chantley Lodge after old Tom Barnstable had retired) and their three baby dragons - Zachary, Pearl and the new addition to their family of Viola, so called because when she was born her small, soft scales were the purple of wild violets. But Lord Gothely would have to discuss the matter with her and breakfast tomorrow would be a good time - the sooner the better now he had made up his mind.

Gisela had bloomed into dragon motherhood and her inclination to depression had disappeared, but her liking for garlic had intensified. Hubert, Lord Gothely's French chef, had been researching even more dishes including garlic and had found a new slow-roast garlic recipe. When the bulbs came out of the oven they were cooled slightly and then each clove was squeezed out and spread on lightly toasted, sliced French loaves. Gisela loved it and because the garlic was cooked, it didn't leave quite such a pungent aftermath.

Ciprian was just beginning to develop grey scales around the temples, which gave him that distinguished look Gisela loved so much. He was developing a taste for good wine, especially the red varieties, such as Château Neuf du Pape and Côtes du Rhône. He was still besotted with Gisela and had become wise beyond his dragon years and his favourite saying of the moment, when Gisela's volatile nature erupted from time to time, was "C'est la vie!"

Gothely Grange was an Elizabethan mansion set in 100 acres of deer park, fields, meadows and woodland. The river Wentward, full of trout, carp and perch, flowed through the Park. Lord Gothely had decided the time had come to diversify. He would have to open part of Gothely Grange and Park to the public at certain times of the year, allow fishing in his river and he had decided to set up an Art Gallery and Natural History Museum with a special feature of Dragons and Dragonlore. He also thought opening a restaurant would be popular and necessary after lengthy consultations with Hubert.

"What are we going to call the restaurant, eh?" Lord Gothely asked Hubert one Saturday morning, as he hovered with the silver platter holding poached eggs, crispy bacon, venison and garlic sausages, baked tomatoes and fried mushrooms for Lord and Lady Gothely's breakfast. Lady Antoinette had been rather surprised when her husband had broached the subject of opening up Gothely Grange and Park to the public last night as they sat up in the four-poster bed reading, but she had warmed to the idea and was excited about the restaurant.

"Of course, we'll need Guides to show people round specific rooms and we must get our coat of arms printed on all the literature."

Hubert served breakfast expertly onto the gleaming white plates with the help of two large silver spoons.

"I 'ave been thinking and ze best name for zees enterprise is ze River Restaurant."

"That's a rather wet name, Hubert," retorted Lord Gothely. "I was thinking more on the lines of incorporating Gothely and Grange into the title."

"But you can 'ave zose names for ze Art Gallery and Natural ' istory Museum. 'ow about ze Grange Art Gallery and ze Gothely Natural ' istory Museum."

"Mmm - it does have a certain ring to it. What about you, m'dear?" he said turning to Lady Antoinette, who was in raptures over the venison and garlic sausages Hubert had prepared.

"I adore the name for the restaurant." She always respected Hubert's opinion in anything related to food. "And you do get the family name and coat of arms above all the signs and literature appertaining to Gothely Grange. Why don't we take Hubert's advice and go for it?" Her dark blue eyes and curly chestnut hair zinged with so much enthusiasm that Lord Gothely momentarily forgot gout was playing merry hell with both his big toes.

"All we need next is to get our brochures and guide books printed pronto and let Hubert get on with overseeing the River Restaurant." Hubert had re-entered the breakfast room surreptitiously to remove Lord and Lady G's empty plates. He bowed slightly at the mention his name.

"I weel do ze best for you, Lord and Lady Gothely. 'ow about adding a Garlic Bistro in Gisela's honour?"

The large Baronial Hall was buzzing with the drone of distant voices, which increased as Lord Gothely strode as purposefully as he could with swollen toes towards the assembled group. They were waiting for their first lesson of the training course as a Guide for Gothely Grange and Park including the new Art Gallery and Natural History Museum, which had been partly rebuilt and totally refurbished from the older, unused West Wing.

"Good Morning, everyone."

"Good Morning, Lord Gothely," bounced back the reply. The potential Guides were a motley crew of friends of friends and neighbours of the Grange and a small (but very noticeable) contingent of dragons headed by Gisela and Ciprian determined to help Lord G in his hour of need. They were able to be there, because Pearl and Zachary were having lessons in the Nursery with Mrs Tranter and Viola was being coddled by Lady Antoinette, who liked nothing better than playing Peek-a-Dragon from the side of her playpen.

"It's very good of you all to turn up at such short notice," boomed Lord Gothely, as his right hand twiddled the pocket watch attached to his waistcoat with a lustrous gold chain.

"I know you've been surprised at the speed with which we are ready for opening Gothely Grange and Park, but I know you're as excited about this new venture as I am." Murmurs of approval filtered up to the vast beamed ceiling above. "Firstly I'm going to take you all on a grand tour of the Grange and Park together with the Art Gallery and Natural History Museum, including the new River Restaurant and Garlic Bistro starting with the Baronial Hall. Then I'll be giving you each a Guide Book, so you can read up on the subject. Any questions so far?"

"Are we, that is the dragons, going to be Grange or Park Guides?" asked Gisela. Her pungent breath, infused with a bulb of fresh garlic cloves, wafted a purple cloud of fumes above the upturned faces of the guides-to-be. Some grimaced, some strained to maintain their natural composure and some coughed so hard it was if a bronchitis epidemic had hit the group exceedingly hard. Thinking of his rather painful feet, Lord Gothely replied.

"I was thinking how regal our dragons would look with the backdrop of the Grange in the parkland outside. I would like you, Gisela, and you, Ciprian, to be joint Head Parkland Guides and I know Hubert would like Gisela to consult with him about the special recipes for the Bistro and Ciprian to be Keeper of the Wine Cellar with your acquired knowledge of wine." Both Gisela & Ciprian, scales sparkling as a silver sea, smiled bountifully at their patron as the tour of the Grange began midst the clatter of dragon scales upon flagstones.

"Oh, and I thought you ought to cut the ribbon to the Dragon Department in the Museum on Opening Day. Dragons introducing dragons, you might say, eh?"

Hubert, the chef, was bogged down in the new kitchen of the River Restaurant. Gisela was wiping a fleck of garlic from the corner of her mouth with a delicately painted fingernail, which she then wiped on a white damask napkin, as she sampled one of the recipes she & Hubert had devised for the Garlic Bistro.

"It is absolutely fantastica", lilted Gisela. "'ubert, you are so clever. I never knew zer were zo many deeshes with garlic as ze major ingredient."

"Weech do you like ze best, mon petit chou-fleur?" sang Hubert's musical accent.

"Mon Dieu, I love zem all, but if push comes to shove you over ze cliff, my favourites are ze Stuffed Garlic Mushrooms on eets bed of Wild Rice infused with White Truffles and then ze Roast Red Onion and Garlic Tart with Tarragon - sublissimo!" Her French accent was becoming very tinged with Italian-flavoured expressions lately.

Hubert was looking scarlet and stressed, but he managed to spare a second to stop, put his hand to Gisela's face then kiss her left cheek, her right, then her left again. She blushed and her steel eyelashes fluttered dangerously close to Hubert's face, nearly grating his skin into the dish he was preparing.

"You are such an 'elp, Gisela. You make my day go weeth a ray of sunshine." He beamed as Lady Antoinette glided into the steam and garlic haze hovering around the huge stainless steel cooking range.

"Lord G asked me to ask you, Hubert, can we be ready to open in two weeks?" His already scarlet face turned the deepest shade of magenta, though he managed to retain his Gallic stature, as he waved a large, steel spatula in the air and replied airily,

"But of course, Lady Antoinette, everyzing iz in ze 'and, az you say!"

The Grand Opening Day dawned with a pale, pearly sky, the sun making its entrance with obvious determination. Gisela was up early making sure she looked as ravishing as possible for a great deal of attention would be focussed on her as joint Head Parkland Guide and at the special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Dragon Room with Ciprian, who had been expanding his already considerable knowledge on wines lately by becoming very interested in special vintage Champagnes.

Hubert's River Restaurant was beautifully decorated in every shade of blue with a mural of the vista over fields and meadows leading down to the River Wentward with a border of different freshwater fish along each wall painted by the up-and- coming painter, John Barnstable, old Tom Barnstable's youngest son.

The Garlic Bistro lived up to its name and every starter and main course had garlic infused into its recipe. Lord Gothely's vast and priceless art collection had been hung in the new and very upmarket Grange Art Gallery. The Gothely Natural History Museum had been overseen by Lord G's friend, the famous explorer Davy Richardson-Fenn, the Dragon Room being magnificent, tracing Dragonlore and Mythology for over 200,000 years together with a reconstruction of Tyrannosaurus Draco Magnifica, which towered up to the vaulted ceiling and cast gigantic shadows over the stone walls.

The new Guides looked resplendent in their new blue and deep purple uniforms and they were becoming extremely excitable as the 2 o'clock opening time drew ever nearer - many 'big' names were to descend on Gothely Grange. Lady Antoinette looking stunning in a Chanson suit, wafted 'Bellisimo' perfume in her wake, sashayed over to Lord Gothely and planted a carefully rouged mouth on his cheek as they stood on the balcony.

"Everything will be fine, dear - don't you worry," she whispered as he twiddled with his gold pocket watch more than usual while the first limousines of the VIPs could be seen winding up the manicured driveway.

That evening Gisela was cushioned on the six-seater sofa with her large but slim dragon feet soaking in a bowl of lavender-infused warm water, while Ciprian was popping open a bottle of celebratory Champagne. All the small Smythes had been bathed, had stories read to them and been put to bed by Mrs Tranter and would be fast asleep by now.

"Gisela, didn't it all go so well and what about the top reporter from The Dragon Chronicle, Kieran Matheson, turning up?"

"Oooh oui, and what about ze Choux Brothers visiting 'ubert's Restaurant and ze Garlic Bistro?"

"It will really put Dragons on the map again and didn't they love us being Parkland Guides?" Gisela sighed contentedly, liking nothing better than being the centre of attention and being married to Ciprian.

Lord Gothely, turning to Lady Antoinette in the four poster bed, clinked Champagne flutes and entwined his arm with hers as they toasted to the pecuniary benefits of diversification.

"Well, m'dear, here's to our new venture. Cheers! Branching out is more fun than I thought. Mr Greenfield will be considerably happier than he was this time last year. What can we get Hubert to come up with next year?"

"And", replied Lady Antoinette excitedly, "we'll be in all the papers tomorrow!"

"We'll be well and truly 'chronicled' so to speak!" laughed Lord G, as he drained the last of his champagne, took their crystal goblets and placed them on the bedside table. Switching out the lights of the Parisienne master bedroom, he noticed as he wiggled his big toes in anticipation that they didn't hurt at all.