The Purchased Peer Page 9
Help from the lad’s farm was soon coming. The young lad had bruises and several deep cuts, but was declared by the local doctor to live a charmed life. His father’s gig was smashed beyond repair, the pied pony had some grazes on his fore legs and a swollen rear ankle but would be fine after a few days’ careful attention. Gregory Wellmouth was carried on a board to the farmhouse. He had a few broken ribs, but his lower right leg had been torn to pieces by the remnants of the carriage and the hedge he had been thrown into. The doctor shook his head over his leg and did what he could to remove the foreign bodies and bandage his leg up. He feared that it might need to be amputated. The horses were lathered and wide eyed but had escaped with only minor scrapes and bruises.
During a brief period of consciousness Gregory dictated a letter to his sons telling them of his injuries and Henderson’s fatality. The doctor wished to keep him as pain free as possible, so dosed him frequently with laudanum. He did not want to take responsibility for making the decision to amputate his leg but feared that in a few days he would need to do so. He prayed that the cuts would heal with very little hope. After five days his sons bore their father away, they had brought a doctor from London with them and by easy stages they ferried him back to town.
Chapter Ten – Revelations
Celestina had mentioned during dinner that she hoped to arrange for a priest to visit at some point, so that Antoine could have his confession heard and be able to take communion.
“That is very open-minded of you to allow him to follow his own religion, my lady,” Hector had robustly declared.
“Foreigners living in our country should follow the religion of the state. My family have always been firm supporters of the Church of England,” the steward Bayliss declared somewhat pompously, but no further comment on the subject was made.
The following morning broke fair and after a hasty breakfast, Celestina prepared for church. She was pleased to be handed into Xavier’s new curricle by him and that he had made some considerable effort to tidy himself up. Most of the staff had elected to join the procession to the village. The maids and Millett the butler boarded a large carriage and the rest of the male servants crammed into two large farming carts. Bayliss and Mr Avery the head groom, rode together chatting in an amiable manner. Xavier gave his horses the office and set off down the now more even drive. John Burland opened the gates to the estate before climbing on the roof of the carriage. His father Amos had agreed to take the position of gate keeper and among his other work, the two lodges were being made more habitable.
Celestina admired how well Xavier drove the pair of horses as the curricle soon put some distance between itself and the rest of the procession.
“My lady, do you remember the Reverend Lytchefelde remarking that I was a heretic?”
“Yes, I thought it very rude of him.”
“Strictly speaking he was accurate, or I could declare that the rest of England is heretic and does not follow the true faith. I just wanted to explain that I am not a Church of England communicant and do not intend to convert.”
“You are Catholic, my lord?”
“My family have always been Roman Catholic; any official conversions were from duress and not followed in private. So if you do summon a priest, could you include me for confession and communion along with my man Hodges?”
“Certainly my lord, I understand. Do you consider our marriage to be invalid because the vicar conducted it?”
“No, we were married by the law of the land and your contract bound me more explicitly than any words from Reverend Lytchefelde. If you would like, the priest can bless our marriage, but we are married and I am honoured to be your husband.”
“You don’t have to cover me with flattery, Xavier. It is a marriage of convenience and so long as you keep to the terms of our contract, we will not fall out. I will arrange for the priest to bless our marriage as well.”
“When I was younger I intended to marry a vicar’s daughter, she had a similar first name to you, Celeste. I intended to ask her father to marry us, but I’d have had the family priest conduct a Catholic service back at the Place, if my bride agreed. However Father Francis died four years back.”
“Why didn’t you marry her?” Celestina asked, interested by his mentioning their past.
“She died from a dreadful epidemic of cholera that hit her village, taking her father and brother along with a goodly number of the villagers. I was delayed from visiting her by my father’s death and funeral. Then I had to go to London to try and sort out the mess his affairs were in. By the time I returned to Celeste, she was dead and buried along with her family.”
Celestina was staggered to hear Xavier’s revelations. It had never occurred to her that he had ever looked for her, or that he assumed she had died. She had been unconscious when she had been carried from the vicarage to her uncle’s carriage, she had not realised that the local people might have believed she had died. Her uncle certainly would not have bothered to leave any messages, explaining where he had taken his niece, as he had been a very private man and he knew nothing of Xavier’s existence.
During most of the church service Xavier seemed to doze although he stood for the hymns and psalms when his voice rang out in a deep, rich baritone. Celestina did not think much to Reverend Lytchefelde’s sermon which rather sanctimoniously dwelt on the parable of the talents. Comparing it to her father’s sermons on the same subject, she thought the vicar had deliberately used long words, that most of his congregation would not understand and that he had failed to understand the parable himself. She intended to talk to Xavier about the sermon on the way home, because she wondered whether he had heard any of it and had an opinion.
At the end of the service, Xavier handed her down from the Kittleton pew. Then he offered her his arm as they walked back down the aisle together. Waiting at the entrance the vicar gushed over the earl and his countess. However Xavier cut it short.
“Reverend Lytchefelde, how many pupils does your school now have?”
“Only fifteen or so regularly my Lord, but of course they are on holiday for another week until the harvest is fully over. We recommence classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after Harvest festival next Sunday.”
“What hours do you hold school during, Reverend?”
“Between nine and three, most children bring some packed food to eat at noon. We teach from age five to sixteen”
“And you have room to teach how many more?”
“Another twenty or so, my Lord.”
“Wonderful, I will make sure the children of my employees have transport so they can make use of your excellent teaching. Expect a full house on Monday week. Lovely service, Reverend.”
With that final remark Xavier moved on leading Celestina away.
“Surely your employees can’t have that many children, Xavier?” Celestina asked.
“We have two lads and a lass working who are under sixteen, none of them can read or write. Many of the maids and workers have younger brothers and sisters who would benefit from some rudimentary lessons. You gave him a very generous donation to his school, well I think he should work for it and not just appear to be doing good works.”
“I get the impression you don’t like Reverend Lytchefelde much, Xavier?”
“I dislike hypocrisy, Celestina. His wife died three years back. I attended the funeral, despite that he denounced me as a heretic and rake from the pulpit. I felt sympathy for him being left with four small children with no wife. Despite his vilifications I did not remove him as vicar, as his living is technically in my gift. Then he took up with a seamstress over in the next village, I assumed he was going to marry the lady, although she had had lovers before. Then the banns were read between him and his present wife, a girl half his age who came with a moderate dowry. If that was not sufficient, gossip informs me, that he is still visiting the seamstress.”
“Disgraceful! Why have you not fired him from his living?” Celestina replied shocked.
“No, that is true, so you are going to leave him in position?”
“I am going to make sure that my workers’ children get the most out of his school, while it is running because I am sure he did not expect or want the country children to attend. I trust you will not mind my using the estate’s transport to take and fetch them from school?”
“Not at all, in fact I think the estate could go as far as providing a free packed meal for every child. Antoine has enough helpers to arrange that.”
“That is very generous of you, Celestina. I appreciate that.”
Celestina headed back to London the following morning, with a lot to think about her marriage. She had informed Xavier that she would be unable to visit on the following weekend, but she already suspected that she was not yet carrying a child. She had hoped that she would fall pregnant quickly, so that she would no longer have to enjoy Xavier’s lovemaking. She had however not considered how Xavier would view that restriction. Having forced him to promise to be faithful, was it really fair of her to expect him to stay married to her? Particularly as she was planning on avoiding his caresses once she was pregnant. His revelation about his intention of marrying Celeste had knocked holes in her case against him. It was quite possible that everything had happened as he said. She doubted he had yet realised who she really was and could not think of any reason for him to lie to her.
***
Meanwhile Xavier got on with assigning the work for the day. The mason and carpenter had turned up with their teams of apprentices and skilled men. They made a start on some of the repairs that needed to be done at Kittleton Place. Xavier had hopes of having pheasant rearing pens built on the land behind the stables, which at present was very overgrown. He set the working party to clearing and burning the brambles and other weeds that had flourished there. Meanwhile he gave himself the job of repairing the stable door belonging to his stallion Xerxes, who had decided to kick in the somewhat battered door and had succeeded in detaching a number of small planks. It was not a job requiring a skilled carpenter in Xavier’s view, so he reutilised some planks from a stall that needed to be comprehensively rebuilt.
Later in the day Mr Hopwood, the master carpenter, having enquired of the earl’s whereabouts from Hector, located him just putting the finishing touches to the door. He was surprised to find the earl on his knees rubbing down a rough edge to make sure it did not harm either his horses or grooms. Xerxes meanwhile was looking hopefully over the door, wishing his master might take some notice of him. As all he had received so far from his master that morning had been a rebuke for kicking in the door panel, he was looking very solemn as if pretending to be repentant. On seeing Mr Hopwood, Xavier stood and shook his hand.
“Are you going into the carpentry business yourself, my lord?”
“No I’m just repairing the door my horse kicked in, I thought it was really beneath your skilled workers to repair and it needed doing. I’d have had to move Xerxes, if anyone else tried to repair it. He is not a very sweet tempered brute.”
Xavier ran his fingers through the horse’s mane and he tossed his head and snickered in reply.
“Now behave yourself and I will take you out for a ride this afternoon,” he chided the horse who seemed to understand exactly what was said.
“A beautiful horse, my lord,” Hopwood declared admiring the black stallion.
“Temperamental, for all he seems to like me, he tries to throw me every time I get on board. Now was there something I can assist you with,” Xavier said putting away his tools in an old canvas bag.
“You have a lot of chisels compared to most carpenters, my Lord.”
“I was interested in wood carving when I was younger, and I got the local smith to make me some more delicate chisels. I never thought to separate them out for this job. Now you were going to tell me the reason you came to find me?”
“It’s the ornamental edging to the panelling in the great hall, my Lord. There are a couple of places where the panelling has got wet and has rotted. I can replace the panels and I think blend the new ones in with the old. But the floral carving on the edging has perished in two places and none of my craftsmen are capable of work as delicate as that.”
They were walking back to the house as Hopwood explained the problem.
“So what is to be done? Do you know of a carver who could replace the damaged sections?”
“I know carvers, but not one who could do work of that delicacy. It is such a shame, because they were carved by the hand of a master.”
They entered the Place and walked to the Great Hall, where a number of Mr. Hopwood’s assistants were working on removing a number of the wood panels. As they came away from the wall in pieces it was clear how badly damaged they had been. Two pieces of a band of floral carving above them were also clearly damaged. The details of the carvings were still visible but the bands would have to be removed or they would damage the new panelling.
“How easy will it be to match the wood in the bands?”
“The flowers are made of linden wood and they are attached to the oak band, the varnishing helps the newly fitted wood blend in with old. I can get the wood easy enough, but I cannot replicate the carving.”
“Well the bands will have to be replaced with matching oak and if you could get me some linden wood, I will have a go at copying the carving. Even a poor copy will look better than a void in their place. I have plenty of time, so it will amuse me to attempt it.”
“If you wish my lord, I’ll find you the right wood and I promise you can rely on my discretion not to mention your hobby elsewhere.”
“No, I suppose it’s not the accepted thing for a belted earl to do. I am pleased to find work to do indoors considering the dreadful weather storming out there. I was relieved to get the harvest in before the weather changed.”
Over the next couple of days, work within the house repairing the neglect continued apace, under the supervision of Mr Hopwood and Mr Rutter, the mason. They found problems which Xavier and Eliza had not noticed, but they were clearly not making themselves work. The repairs needed to be done. Xavier reported to Hector that he thought both the masonry and carpentry bills would be higher than they had first estimated. So they examined what had to be done and what had been done so far together and Hector agreed it was necessary to be done, if they did not want another huge set of bills in a few years’ time.
Some more deliveries arrived from London, the first of the new curtains and an upholstered double stool clearly intended to be used with the large pianoforte, as it was in the same fabric as the drapes for the Great Hall. Another three oil paintings arrived together with two crates which had been labelled fragile and do not unpack. All of these items were carefully stored and covered to prevent any dust from the wood working from dirtying them.
On the Wednesday, a tailor and his assistants arrived through sodden, muddy roads at the Place. He had a pile of plain livery for the indoor maids and some fancier livery for the footmen and butler. Time was taken off work to arrange any alterations needed. Each maid would have two dresses and a supply of white linen aprons and caps. The footmen would have one set of formal fancy livery which would be used in public or when they had important guests and two of plain black for doing work that might be more physical or dirty. Millet, the butler had two fancier everyday outfits and a very ornate livery for best. He even had a wig if he chose to wear it, but Celestina had obviously decided not to force the footmen to wear them, especially as their master, the earl had always refused to wear one, or even to powder his hair.
Xavier had never liked powdering his hair, even before the duty on hair powder tax had been introduced in 1795, but unlike many society men he had yet to have his hair cropped short in defiance of the tax. He approved of his wife’s decision not to make
the footmen wear wigs, which he considered both unattractive and old fashioned. At around noon, most of the outdoor workers and stableman filtered into the kitchen for lunch and after they had eaten, they visited the tailors who provided them with plain but serviceable overcoats, hats and two sets of work clothes together with four work shirts each. There was no need to do alterations on their clothing, which came in a number of sizes and did not require fitting to their forms.
Antoine accepted a number of huge pristine white linen aprons but refused any additional garments, stating that his own were “suffisant.” Xavier thanked the tailors for visiting and asked if they would tender their bill in due course.
“Her ladyship, the countess, said to deal with you last, my lord. She apologized that she has not yet dressed you more fashionably, but will organize a fresh wardrobe for you next season in London, but in the meantime she was embarrassed by you looking shabby. She complained you frequently work on the estate in old clothes and whereas she did not think she could order you to desist, she thought it unacceptable that visitors might see you working in patched and frayed clothing. She brought me some of your garments, so I could get the measurements about right. For which I am grateful because I doubted that you could actually be as tall as you are.”
“So am I to ruin good clothes working?” Xavier said in frustration before regretting his temper and apologizing.
“I am sorry, that sounded ungrateful, what have you prepared for me?”
“I have laid the garments out in your bedchamber my lord, and I ordered a fire lit early so that you are not discomfited.”
Xavier was slightly amused at what he found there, because there were two sets of working clothes which were made of slightly better quality material, than those provided for his labourers. They came with half a dozen loose linen shirts which had been beautifully tailored, but would be comfortable for working or country pursuits, such as fishing. There were some riding clothes which seemed to be modelled on military uniforms but which fitted comfortably. Having dealt with his more physical activities, there were three sets of jackets and breeches in a dark blue, black and claret colouring. These were fitted slightly tighter than the riding clothes and the tailor stated that the fashions for men were becoming more figure hugging.