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  Nor could she see herself sitting embroidering while she entertained some brainless aristocrats, who despised her common birth. She had discussed the idea of her marriage with Hector Browne, He had advised checking out those suitors she might consider possible and extending the pool to any gentleman in society, who might be on the lookout for a rich wife, who might be prepared to allow her to continue to control her fortune and to administer Blighton Holdings. So he had reports produced on the better looking members of the ton who could be bought and moulded to her will. The reports had included one on the Earl of Kittleton, which did not make entirely pleasant reading. His father, the former Earl had died a couple of weeks after Xavier had left her to ride home, but Xavier had never married. Instead he had a darker history, with a string of mostly married mistresses, several duels and a shower of gambling debts. Although he still was a very attractive man, his alcohol consumption was horrendous and her agent suggested he was trying to drink himself to death. Most of the Kittleton estates had been sold off and now he was only one step away from eviction.

  None of the other gentlemen in her reports had interested her much although she made a point to have each of the gentlemen pointed out to her. Nor had they attracted her in the animalistic manner that she had felt about Xavier. So as time passed, she found no other contender for her hand who she would consider as husband, so the idea of buying the husband she had always wanted emerged. However he might balk at the idea of marrying Celestina Stainton as she had been, so the veil had been necessary. Somehow despite her uncle’s business training when it came to Xavier Falconer she found she had a soft spot that logic could not wipe away.

  Nor did Celestina like to think of him so desperate and troubled, when she had so much money. Even Hector had agreed that she needed to get a husband, but no other man stood up in comparison to Xavier. Yet he had deserted her and her anger at him had only festered through the years. So when she had put together the idea of marrying Xavier Falconer, it was with very mixed feelings. She wanted to give him everything, but to keep him firmly under her control. Even though Celestina knew he had slept with many women, she was not prepared to share Xavier with any more. She wanted to rescue him from starvation, yet she wanted to punish him for how he had broken his promises.

  She feared one glance at her bright red hair would remind him of his broken promises. No let him wonder and worry, like she had worried and wondered why he did not come. Let him suffer and not realise how much she loved him. But she would never trust him, no matter how much she desired him. She might as well be unhappy with him as her husband, as unhappy with any other man. It would really hurt his pride when he finally discovered why she had bought him, and for all his neglect of himself, Xavier was a man who reeked of arrogance and pride. As Celestina settled to relax through the rest of the journey back to London, feeling relatively satisfied with the bargain she had made.

  ***

  As Celestina’s carriage was nearing the Southwark mansion which she had once shared with her uncle, two men were meeting in a dimly lit and less than salubrious inn in Cheapside. Sitting quietly nursing a small beer was a shabby man, whose hooded eyes seemed to be assessing the contents of his tankard. He showed no interest as a well-rounded man wearing a dark drab coat and a flashy beaver sidled up beside him, never turning to address him. The man presented his back to the seated man. As laughter went up from the bar as two punters were arm wrestling while their friends bet on the outcome, the sitting man placed a package of papers into the open hand of the drab coated man.

  A small purse was handed across in return.

  “Mr Ferris, I think he is beginning to suspect, is there no way we can speed this business up?” The seated man asked in a sage whisper.

  “I’ll talk to my principal, Claud. We’ll see if Wellmouth can’t have an accident himself which might speed things up. The sons have not got the old man’s mettle. A shame you can’t persuade him to stop being so obstinate and sell.”

  “He is determined to leave the business to his sons, Mordecai.”

  “It is that kind of attitude that makes bad things happen. Here, in five days’ time, Claud,” he declared then made his way to the door without a backwards glance.

  Chapter Five – Progress

  Xavier was up early the following day and was ready to greet his outdoor work party which had swollen to six, including John Burland’s younger brother Peter. He showed them where they would find scythes, gloves and honing stones. When they had got their tools organised, he marched down the rutted and pot holed drive to the gates with them, explaining what needed to be done first. Either side of the gates were a pair of small gate houses which were more overgrown and hidden by the undergrowth than visible. He set them first to clearing the brambles, thistles and even young trees that had grown at the edge of what had once been a rolling lawn from the left hand side of the drive and pointed out where the path headed off to the orchard. Then declaring John Burland, foreman, he left them to their task, with the advice that lunch would be served at a little past noon.

  While he was organising the outdoor party, Eliza Fretwell drove past in a farmer’s cart which was filled with around seven young girls. She parked and tied up outside the house. Xavier walked back up the drive and then led the dark brown horse around to the stables, unharnessed him from the cart and placed him into a freshly cleaned out stall. He left the animal with a bucket of water and some rather stale hay. Still he would be more comfortable out of harness for the day. Xavier was certain that Mrs Fretwell could organise her cleaning party and would leave her to direct her team as she wished.

  But first he had his mind on feeding the workers who were now putting the estate to rights. So he asked Lizzie, if any of the girls was a decent cook who could assist him in making lunch, and a plump girl named Matilda agreed to help him. Together they made breakfast for Hodges, Hector and himself and left her preparing pies and cake to sustain the working party. She seemed to be unperturbed by the quantities required and said that she would prefer to work in the kitchens to cleaning the upstairs’ rooms.

  Xavier franked some more letters for Hector, but it seemed that he had reached the end of all the bills that Hodges and Xavier could find. Another two creditors called that morning, Hector paid them before a procession swept up the drive. First to appear was a large sprung black carriage with my lord’s crest freshly painted upon the doors, pulled by four matching black horses. This was driven by Jeffreys, but it seemed to be fairly well laden with parcels within the carriage and upon the roof, a footman sat on the box with Jeffreys, but two horses were tethered behind. One was a charming chestnut mare and the other was a beautiful thoroughbred raven stallion of at least sixteen hands.

  Jeffreys drove the carriage round to the stables and started by untying the two riding horses and leading them into clean stalls. Xavier came out of the house, still dressed in working clothes and the black stallion acknowledged him with a toss of his head.

  “He’s a beauty, my lady is a good chooser of horse flesh.”

  “I bought him on her exact instructions, but he is a temperamental beast, my lord. Her ladyship said if you couldn’t handle him, to ride the black mare following. Some of this is feed for the horses, but there is plenty to be carried inside if you have staff to carry them. Glad someone cleaned the stalls out.”

  “That would have been myself and young Simon, but we are beginning to make some impression on the house, Jeffreys. The stable accommodation is still unliveable in.”

  A light curricle pulled up, this too was painted black but the interior was upholstered in scarlet. The two horses that pulled it looked to be closely matched to the four that Jeffreys was unhitching from the carriage. The man driving the curricle neatly manoeuvred it around the carriage and tucked it into the carriage shed, before leading out the two horses.

  “I’d be your new chief groom, my lord. Paul Avery by name. That is I am assuming there is no other that matches your description.”

  �
��How did my wife describe me, Avery?”

  “T’was Jeffreys described you, my lord. Swarthy and dark as a gypsy with blue eyes the colour of forget-me-nots and the handsomest man he’d ever seen.”

  “Very kind of Jeffreys! There is one young boy who wants to help in the stables, who is currently working with the detail at the front of the house. He is named Peter Burland. There is also another strong lad called Simon Pattinson who should be trying to tidy up the tack room. I apologize but the stable quarters are not yet fit for habitation, but rooms have been made ready in the main house.”

  “Thank you, we’ll manage. When the word goes round your bills are being paid, we’ll be able to pick and choose labour. The carriage horses and the pair are interchangeable although the left wheeler insists on leading.”

  Two riders pulled up behind the curricle and dismounted. The rider of a slightly smaller grey looked to be an intelligent young man and approached Avery and his lordship leading his horse.

  “Your new steward, my lord, his name’s Matthew Bayliss.”

  “My compliments, my lord. The countess asked me to deliver this note,” Bayliss said handing over a sealed letter. Xavier examined the seal on the letter which showed a swan behind the letter B which he assumed was for Blighton, before he slit it open.

  Dear Husband,

  I hope this finds you in good health. I trust young Bayliss will become a useful addition to your employees. He comes with good references, but may be a little too progressive in his thinking. Like Xerxes, he may need a steady hand guiding him. You will find various essentials in the carriage. Your new chef, Antoine, and butler, Godfrey Millett, will arrive tomorrow. I will bring swatches of fabrics for you to select the new curtaining and upholstery fabrics which generally needs replacing when I visit Friday night. I have replaced some items with the best I could obtain at short notice, but do not like to presume on your taste for furnishing your house.

  Your wife

  Celestina Falconer.

  The final rider was clearly Avery’s son and he led two more horses, a black mare only a little smaller than Xerxes and a pied pony of less than fourteen hands. He himself was riding a chocolate gelding with a white blaze on his forehead. The footman who had ridden with Jeffreys on the carriage, had headed straight to the house and rounded up assistance to unload the carriage. While Avery and son tidied away the horses, the maids and new footmen carried in the various boxes and packaging as directed to the hall. There were also some new saddles including a side saddle which Xavier assumed would fit the chestnut mare which had been packed away and the luggage for the Averys, and Bayliss to be taken indoors.

  The packages ferried inside and opened by Mrs Fretwell, revealed two new complete dinner and tea services together with a generous variety of serving dishes. Silverware of all sorts necessary for presenting a good table, table and bed linen and a considerable amount of cooking and basic utensils for decent living. Xavier was rather confused, while his wife wrote stilted letters to him and treated him with barely veiled contempt, she had not stinted on providing for replacing the necessities in his house or in mounting him. She had however made one omission; which he hoped he could correct on Saturday when a market was held in the nearest town.

  He led Bayliss into the house and introduced him to Hector. They shook hands and looked each other over.

  “Are the horses to your liking, my Lord?” Hector enquired.

  “Beautiful animals, but her ladyship has forgotten that we will need working horses. The riding animals and carriage horses are very fine and look in good health, but we could do with a couple of draft horses as well.”

  “Her ladyship thought about it just before we set off. She said they would have to wait and that at least she would not be ashamed about what you were riding for now,” Bayliss declared.

  “I’ll suggest to her ladyship that I visit the market with young Avery on Saturday and see what we can find locally. They will almost certainly be cheaper than what can be bought in London.”

  “I’ll want to see maps of what is left to the estate and the surrounding area, your lordship. If you know where some are?” The new steward, Bayliss, requested.

  “I will look them out after dining and from the sound of that bell ringing I believe young Matilda is calling us to luncheon. I am afraid we are all dining in the kitchens until we are properly staffed. Would someone ask Mr Avery to come in and send young Avery down for the front gate work party?”

  The rest of the week continued fair which as far as Xavier believed in an ultimate deity, he had prayed for. The first area of grass to be cut had been rowed up and turned by his group with pitchforks. Now the area on the other side of the drive was being cut. Xavier decided to take it upon himself to temporarily fill the worst of the drive’s potholes, thereby keeping an eye on the hay cutting party.

  He was joined by young Bayliss who was trying to get a feel for the run down estate.

  “My Lord, her ladyship did not expect you to have to get your hands dirty, she is prepared to provide you with sufficient labour to put the estate to rights. But Rome is not built in one day.”

  Xavier had stripped off his shirt and was busy shovelling a mix of clinker, gravel and tar from on top of an oil cloth which he had placed on a very basic cart. His original old brown horse was in the traces. Xavier straightened up and allowed Bayliss to see his musculature.

  “Ever since I gained my title, I’ve been in debt. I have a reputation as a rake, I did not get it for the huge sums I have lavished on my mistresses. The dibs were rarely in tune. I am now formally a kept man, and my Countess has declared she does not like fat men, so it behoves me to keep in shape. I might not have been able to solve my financial problems, but I’ve always been prepared to work for my living. There are a number of ‘crops’ that need to be got in urgently and all I can pray is that the good weather holds.”

  “My instructions are to see what needs to be done on the estate and write a report before taking major action, so I’ll leave you to organising your crew then.”

  “The gate houses are not in bad condition, but they need a coat of whitewash inside and out and some new furnishings. I’d like to get a gate keeper in there for my countess’s security. It is known that she is a wealthy woman and there are desperate men about. I was at no risk before, because everyone knew I was broke. There is a row of cottages to the south east of the house. They are occupied, even if they don’t pay rent. They desperately need re-thatching before winter comes; the high winds over the last few days will have already done some damage. Can you work them into your report without stressing the ‘they don’t pay rent part’.”

  “I was told there was an orchard down this way.”

  “Follow the path the lads have cleared on my left, tomorrow I am going to organise for it to be picked. That will be a baptism by fire, for this French chef, her ladyship is sending.”

  “I am glad that you are keeping your sense of humour, my Lord. I hope we shall get on well.”

  The butler and chef arrived as promised along with a number of other parcels which contained food stuffs and miraculously a large quantity of spices and sugar. They arrived in Celestina’s carriage and the coach-driver introduced himself to Xavier as Simon Hamill, his lord’s new driver and assistant groom. Jeffreys returned that carriage to town and would drive down Celestina on the following evening. Matilda had located a large number of jars for storing preserves and had scrubbed them all, so they were ready for making jams and pickles. Xavier drove Eliza’s crew down to the orchard in a farm cart laden with trugs and wicker baskets. Leaving them there to pick whatever they could. The weather had been fine but there had been high winds. He was not sure what they would find when they reached the orchard, so all he could do was hope they would get a good crop.

  Meanwhile the outdoor crew had dried the first area of hay and now turned the second area again to finish its drying. They loaded up the dry hay and carried it to the stable loft for using later in the year.
Xavier was beginning to feel proud again of his house and could imagine it once more becoming a gracious home. He was anticipating Celestina’s return with some confusion. She had generously spent so much money already and he did not think she was really getting a fair return for her money. He would not complain of her coldness, even though he did not understand it.

  A few more men had applied for work, three more had joined the outdoor work party. As for the others, apart for one, who would assist in the kitchens, they were turned away. Another young girl would be sought by Mrs Fretwell to assist in the kitchens. Xavier believed he currently needed three additional employees; the first was a head gardener who actually had some experience in botany to re-establish the formal gardens at the back of the house. The second would be a gamekeeper, although Xavier did not see any hurry to employ one. The third was a gate-keeper and with that in mind he went to talk to John Burland.

  “How is Amos doing these days, John?”

  “Not so good, my lord. He finds it hard to keep up with farm work these days and is struggling to pay the rent, which is why I needed to find work quickly for me and Peter.”

  “Does your mother keep good health? How many little Burlands remain at home?”

  “Mother is good, but she works too hard taking in sewing, because father cannot always work. There are four still at home”

  “Do you think he might manage something lighter like being my gate-keeper, John?”

  “I think he’d jump at the chance, my lord.”

  “Suggest it to him and next week we will clear out the gate cottages and whitewash them. If your mother could come and see if it would work and what she would need to furnish them. If I get material I expect she could make curtains. One cottage is set out for sleeping and the other for cooking, eating and washing. There used to be a vegetable plot behind each which I expect you could re-establish. There is a small outbuilding to keep a horse, so the house can be informed fast about any visitors.”