Fairfield Hall (21 page)

‘We could now,’ Annabel said mildly, ‘if you’d like one. Give it some thought, Dorothea, and let me know.’

Without waiting for another word, Annabel left the room.

Edward had been as good as his word. The following morning, when she walked down to the vicarage, it was to find that three women – the wives of his farm workers –
had already arrived in a horse and cart, armed with all the cleaning materials they would need.

‘’Morning, m’lady. Where do you want us to start?’

‘How good of you all to come. I’m so grateful.’

‘Your grandfather explained,’ the oldest of the three said. ‘We’ll do all we can to help. Poor folks – if only we’d known earlier.’ The other two nodded
their agreement.

‘You’re here now and that’s what matters. Could we start at Chaffinch Farm, please? The family are in the workhouse and I want to get them out and back home as soon as we can.
The other farm – Sparrow Farm – is to be taken on by a young man in the village. The place isn’t as bad as Chaffinch Farm, but it will need some work and Betsy Cartwright
isn’t strong. She’s not long had a baby and they’re all weak from lack of food.’

‘We heard.’ The spokeswoman was grim-faced. ‘But we’ll help. And before we start, m’lady, there’s one thing we must settle. Don’t you go offering us
payment, else you’ll offend us. We’re glad to help these poor folks who’ve been suffering so and we didn’t know.’

Annabel held out both her hands to the woman, who took them into her own, which were wrinkled and careworn. ‘Then I won’t – but thank you.’

‘My name’s Rebecca Clifton. And this ’ere’s Tilly Abbott and Rosie Hall. Now, if you’ll tell us where to be, m’lady, we’ll get going.’

The three women worked in the farmhouse at Chaffinch Farm like beavers and Annabel knew she could safely leave it to them.

‘We’ll likely be a couple of days here and then we’ll do Sparrow Farm, an’ all,’ Rebecca told her. ‘I’ll go and see Mrs Cartwright first, of course,
afore we start there.’

James, accompanied by a young soldier, arrived at midday. Annabel saw the hired pony and trap coming along the street as she was about to go up the hill from the village
towards the house. James drew the trap to a halt beside her and the young soldier leapt down to help her into the trap.

‘Were you watching for us?’ James smiled.

‘Yes – and no.’

James arched his eyebrows as she added, ‘I’ve so much to tell you.’

‘This is Private Jenkins. He’s my batman.’

Annabel smiled and nodded. ‘Pleased to meet you, Private Jenkins.’

He was a stocky man, with strong, broad shoulders and a face that looked as if he had done a lot of boxing in the army. But he had kind, hazel eyes. ‘Just “Jenkins”,
m’lady.’

‘How is my mother?’ James asked.

‘Rather poorly, I fear. Dr Maybury visits every day and I’ve sent word to him this morning that I’d like him to find us a nurse to live in for a week or so. She needs expert
care that neither Dorothea nor I can give.’

‘A live-in nurse will be expensive,’ he murmured.

‘That will all be taken care of.’

No more was said for the moment, but as they entered by the front door held open by the butler, Dorothea came forward to greet him.

‘James, I am sorry to bring you home, but your wife has been interfering in matters which don’t concern her.’ She turned briefly to the butler. ‘Searby, bring refreshment
for his lordship and tell Mrs Parrish we’ll have luncheon in the dining room in half an hour. And take his lordship’s man with you.’ She looked the soldier up and down with
obvious distaste, silently indicating that such a person should not have entered by the front door.

‘Why’s
he
here?’ she asked her brother before the man was out of earshot.

‘He had some leave due and as it’s too far for him to go to his own home, I invited him to come with me. Surely, one more mouth won’t stretch our finances too far. I’ve
brought some provisions with me as usual.’

Dorothea shot a look at Annabel and pursed her lips but said no more. Instead, she led the way to the morning room. At the door, she turned to face them. ‘Not you.’ She nodded
towards Annabel. ‘I wish to speak to my brother alone.’

‘I’m sure there’s nothing that Annabel can’t hear. She seems most concerned about Mama.’

‘It’s not about Mama,’ Dorothea snapped. ‘It’s about
her
.’ She jabbed her forefinger towards Annabel.

James raised his eyebrows. ‘Then she certainly ought to be present. Come along in, my dear.’

He brushed past his sister and opened the door. On the threshold to the room, he paused. ‘Good heavens! What’s this? A fire? Now, that is a welcome sight. Early September can be
chilly.’

He moved towards it, held out his hands briefly to warm them, then turned and stood on the hearth with his back to the fire, smiling with contentment. ‘Now, Dorothea, what is it you want
to say to me?’

‘She’s been interfering in the running of the estate. It’s no concern of hers. And she’s been spending all her time down in the village, most of it in the company of
Jackson
.’ She almost spat out his name as if it was abhorrent to her.

‘And your point is?’

‘It’s not seemly for Lady Fairfield to be occupying herself with matters of the estate nor to be keeping company with your bailiff.’

James glance swivelled to Annabel, but she could not read his expression. ‘May I ask what
exactly
you have been doing?’

Annabel took a deep breath. ‘I understand that the money paid to you by my father upon our marriage has been enough to secure the estate for the time being, but it has not been sufficient
to help the villagers. Your farms and their tenants – indeed all your tenants – are suffering.’

‘They’ve all been given notice and we plan to get new tenants who will start paying rent,’ Dorothea interrupted, but James held up his hand to silence her.

‘Go on,’ he said to Annabel.

‘I have some money of my own—’

‘That should belong to James now.’ Dorothea was not to be kept silent for long, but Annabel was gratified to see that James was shaking his head. ‘No, Dorothea, you’re
wrong there. Married women now have the right to keep – and manage – their own money.’ He nodded towards Annabel inviting her to continue.

‘I’ve sold some of my shares to raise more capital and I plan to use it to help the estate become a thriving concern once more. Your tenants were starving, James. A baby almost
died—’

‘She’s exaggerating.’ Dorothea was incensed. ‘They’re nothing of the kind. They’re just idle layabouts, who think the estate will always bail them out and
unfortunately your meddling wife has proved them right.’

He turned slowly to look at his sister. ‘In my absence, you were placed in charge of the estate to work with Jackson. I knew things were difficult, but I had no idea they’d got so
bad. Why was I not told? And why, might I ask, have you thought fit to summon me home because of what my wife is doing, rather than because my mother is very ill?’

‘Mama’s old. She’s bound to get sick now and again. Do you want to be summoned every time she has a head cold?’

‘Pneumonia is hardly a cold.’

‘The estate is what matters,’ Dorothea persisted. ‘It’s my son’s inheritance.’

The brother and sister now stared at each other in a battle of wills. But when James said quietly, ‘Or
my
son’s,’ she gave a strangled sob, turned and rushed from the
room, slamming the door behind her.

Annabel went at once to stand in front of James. She put her hands on his chest and looked up into his dark brown eyes. ‘James, I have no wish to come between you and your sister, but I
had to do something. Two farms are already empty and at Blackbird Farm, Mr and Mrs Chadwick were about to give up and go into the workhouse in the town.’ She shuddered. ‘I understand
the Broughton family are already there. I have arranged for their farmhouse to be cleaned and I intend to bring them home as soon as it is ready. Everyone in the village was hungry. The shops here
are closed down and the town’s tradesmen had stopped supplying the village and even this house. My grandfather helped out at first, but I’ve paid what was owed and supplies are now
coming into the village again. James, I wouldn’t have done it without your knowledge, but there was just no time to write to you to ask for your approval. People were ill with hunger. If you
don’t believe me, ask Mr Jackson – ask the vicar.’

‘I do believe you, Annabel, and I’m grateful to you for what you’ve done. I knew things had got difficult, but I didn’t realize they were quite so serious. I know I
should be here running the estate myself, but my life has been the Army. I was never trained to manage the estate. That’ – his face clouded – ‘was supposed to have been my
brother’s job. But he squandered his inheritance and left us with a mountain of debts.’ His dark gaze searched her face. ‘But you – you seem to know what you’re doing.
How come?’

Swiftly, Annabel told him about the many happy holidays she had spent on her grandfather’s farm, how one day he had promised it would be hers. And how, too, he had instructed her in the
intricacies of the stock market and how, happily, she seemed to have a sixth sense for trading and was able to make more money than she ever lost.

‘Trading on the stock market is always a precarious business and over the last few years it has been even more difficult, though things seem to be improving a little now. Under my
grandfather’s guidance, I have invested most of my money in the larger, reputable railway companies.’

‘How unfortunate that my late brother didn’t have your foresight,’ James murmured dryly. ‘I understand he lost a lot of money speculating on doomed ventures.’

‘So,’ she asked him at last, ‘have I your approval to carry on with my plans?’

‘Of course, but don’t spend too much time with Jackson, will you? I don’t want him falling in love with my beautiful wife.’

As he bent to kiss her, Annabel felt a thrill of pleasure. There had been a warning note in her husband’s voice that she believed to be the delicious sound of jealousy. Perhaps, after all,
she thought as she wound her arms around his neck, he really does love me.

The following morning, after a night of passion that left Annabel tired but exhilarated, she took James’s arm happily as they left the house together. She was sure now
that he loved her; surely no man could make love to a woman as ardently as he had and not be in love with her. Private Harry Jenkins followed at a discreet distance behind them.

‘I thought I’d bring Jenkins along. He’s a great chap and always likes to be busy. He might be able to help.’

Annabel turned briefly and smiled at the young soldier.

‘Now, now,’ James patted her hand. ‘No flirting with my batman.’

Annabel chuckled. ‘I wasn’t. I only smiled at him.’

‘Well, some young men take that as an invitation, Annabel. I did myself at the ball where we first met.’ He raised her gloved hand to his lips and kissed it.

‘James, I’m a married woman now. I wouldn’t dream of flirting with anyone – except you, of course.’

‘Mind you don’t.’ The words were said jocularly and yet there was a hint of steel about them – a scarcely hidden warning. You’re mine, his tone said, and the
thought thrilled her.

From his windows above the archway, Ben Jackson must have noticed them leaving for he hurried to catch up with them and touched his cap politely. ‘Good morning, m’lord –
m’lady.’

‘My wife has been telling me all that the two of you have been doing, Jackson.’

Did Annabel imagine it, or was there a veiled threat in the seemingly innocent words?

‘It’s mainly her ladyship, m’lord. She’s doing a wonderful job. But for her—’

James nodded swiftly and interrupted, saying, ‘We’re on our way to have a look at the shops first and then the farms.’

‘I’ll fetch the trap, m’lord. The pony’s harnessed and ready.’

‘You walk with us. Jenkins will fetch the trap.’

After James had given instructions to his batman, the three of them walked down the hill and along the street until they reached the three empty shops and the smithy. After a few moments, Eli
Merriman appeared down the narrow passage at the side of his shop. He was scowling and made no move to touch his cap in greeting.

‘Come to give me notice, have ya,
your lordship
?’ His tone was heavy with sarcasm. ‘And where d’you think I’ll end up? The workhouse, I suppose? But do you
care? Nah.’

He spat on the ground, his spittle landing inches from James’s shoes. At least, Annabel thought, this time it had not hit her dress.

His tirade was not finished. ‘Saved your grand house, ain’t she, but she’ll not save my shop and my livelihood, will she? From what I hear, we’re all to be turned out.
But who do you reckon will come to take our place, eh? No one in their right senses.’

Before James could answer him, Annabel said, ‘Mr Merriman, it seems you’re rather behind with the latest news. No one is to be given notice and we’re here this morning to see
what can be done about these shops and the smithy.’ She turned and looked up at her husband, anxious not to be seen to be taking the lead and belittling him. A wary expression came into Eli
Merriman’s eyes and he met James’s gaze.

‘Merriman, I’ll be honest with you. I’m no farmer nor have I experience in estate management. That was supposed to be my brother’s place in life.’

Eli’s frown deepened as he growled, ‘And a fine mess he made of it, an’ all. He’s brought us all to ruin. You included, because unless you get this estate paying its way
again, or your fine lady here has a bottomless pit of money, you’re going to lose it all eventually.’

‘Like I say, I’ve no experience in such matters and my life is dedicated to the Army. I want no other, but,’ he went on swiftly as the other man opened his mouth to speak,
‘we are fortunate in that my wife does have the experience needed and, even more importantly, she is willing to spend her own money – over which she has complete control – to help
us all.’

Eli’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but still he muttered, ‘Aye, an’ I’ll believe it when I see it.’