Moorcroft - the Possession: Book One of the Moorcroft Trilogy (23 page)

“What am I to do about Richard, Charlotte, he is so angry all the time, he won’t listen to reason, and blaming Sarah for Victoria’s death and now banishing her from the house, this family is falling apart and there’s nothing I can do.”

Charlotte held her hand. “Don’t you worry about Richard; I’ll have a quiet word with him if you like?”

“Would you do that for me, I’d be so grateful, he might listen to you.”

“No more worrying, just settle down and get some sleep. I’ll stay here and watch over you.”

Emily sighed and closed her eyes.

Charlotte moved to the window and looked out onto the darkening evening, a smile crossed her face, she would have a quiet word with Richard alright, she couldn’t disappoint his mother now could she.

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When Richard was not exercising Dancing Lady he was in his study thinking. Everything was in such a mess and he couldn’t see a way out of it without selling the remaining tenanted farms or the horses. Reg Phillips from the adjacent farm, knowing his circumstances had offered a ludicrously low price for the farms and Richard was reluctant to sell. He had tried talking with his mother but she seemed to live in a world of her own, constantly talking of the past. Henry Davenport was as worried about his mother as he was. It seemed that the shock of Victoria’s death and then the loss of her husband were too much for her to bear and Sarah’s departure was the last straw. Despite Henry’s opinion, Richard refused to ask Sarah back, somehow he would cope without her.

Emily would sit in the armchair staring into space and only spoke when spoken to. Mrs Shaw had tried to encourage her to take walks or to tend to her garden but Emily didn’t seem interested. She ate like a sparrow and had lost a lot of weight, her clothes hung on her. Mary tried making her favourite food but when she collected the tray most of it was left uneaten. Emily would sometimes stand by the window looking down the drive hoping for the sight of Sarah and Charles but they never came. Sarah had written a couple of letters telling her of her forthcoming wedding and how wonderful it would be if she could be there. When she had mentioned it to Richard he had gone into a rage so she never mentioned it again and the then letters stopped coming. Now all she had were her memories and the view from this room, she didn’t have the energy to venture further. Charlotte still sat with her at night which was a comfort, such a sweet young woman and obviously infatuated with Richard.

Richard decided he would take the horses to the next horse fair, he had a good eye and knew they would bring a good price, enough he hoped to settle the outstanding debts. With only Dancing Lady and her colt left behind, he knew that he would have to give notice to Eddie; there just wouldn’t be enough work for him. The local traders, knowing his financial state would only supply goods cash on delivery. Richard found this embarrassing and depressing. He became more and more angry over his father’s business failures and often voiced them to his mother, she would try to defend her late husband but in the end this would only bring her to tears. Richard visited her most evenings and when she was settled he would go down to his study and drink himself to sleep.

Charlotte kept her word to Emily and would talk to Richard as he slumbered in the chair. He would sometimes look up and through a drunken haze he would see her sat before him and he would reach out and touch her face so lovingly. A smile would cross his face and he would whisper loving words to her, but Charlotte knew that the face he saw before him was the face of Victoria. She didn’t mind, at least he was now speaking to her and in time he would realise that it was not his dead girlfriend but a woman who would show him real love and passion.

A few weeks later he found himself in the office of Aubrey Metcalfe, a pompous little man with beady eyes and a pointed nose, who constantly sniffed and cleaned his glasses. Richard looked across the desk at the thinning hair as the bank manager looked through a thick file on his desk. At last he looked up and faced Richard with a smirk on his face.

“At last Mr Gardener we seem to be seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel. Your cheque this morning will cover all your arrears and leave your account in the black. Your only problem now is to keep up your mortgage payments; do you have the necessary funds to do that?”

Richard wanted to punch him but inhaled deeply and smiled. “I still have two tenant farms; I think the income from them should just about cover the monthly payments,”

Another little grin crossed his face as he looked at Richard. “Just about, you say. How do you expect to pay your day to day bills, wages for your staff, the running costs and maintenance of Moorcroft, I really cannot be expected to give you another overdraft. Perhaps the sale of your farms and lands would pay off your mortgage? I have heard rumours that an adjacent land owner may be interested in them, that may be the best way to go. What do you think Mr Gardener?”

Metcalfe looked over the top of his glasses and could see the rage mounting on Richard’s face.

Richard stood up and began to pace the room. “No, I will not sell to him, his offer is daylight robbery.”

“You may not have any choice, you do realise that should you fall behind in your mortgage payments the bank can still repossess Moorcroft and leave you with nothing? It could be your only option, I am sure should you sell, you would be able to acquire a position on another estate and earn a comfortable salary, enough for the upkeep of Moorcroft your home.”

Richard stood leaning over the desk and was inches from Metcalf’s face. “Reginald Phillips wouldn’t be a friend of yours and a customer of this bank now would he?”

Metcalfe drew back in his chair. “What are you implying?”

Richard walked to the door and opened it and looked back. ”If I sell the farms, it will be my choice of purchaser, not yours.”

He slammed the door behind him. Aubrey Metcalfe took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face, he picked up the phone. “Hello Reg, that acquisition we talked about the other day may take a little longer to acquire, but I’m still working on it. Should there be any progress I’ll let you know.”

In the car park, Richard kicked the door of his Land Rover. Once inside he hit the steering wheel and cursed. He buried his head in his hands. What was he going to do; he couldn’t risk losing Moorcroft that would finish his mother. The way he looked at it he had two options, he could sell the farms for a pittance or he could auction off Dancing Lady and her colt.

From an upstairs window, Metcalfe watched the tormented man. Sooner or later the farms would have to be sold on, if he secured them for Phillips it would be a nice little earner for him and a cruise for his nagging wife.

Richard stopped at the post office to pick up his mail. In the Land Rover he shuffled through the envelopes. Another letter from Sarah to their mother, he ripped it in half just has he had done the others, there was no use in upsetting his mother further and he had nothing more to say to his sister. He made his way to the pub and sat in a corner drinking whiskies. The barmaid came over to collect the glasses and Richard put his arm round her waist.

“You’re drinking a bit heavy today aren’t you Mr Gardener?”

“I have a lot going on at the moment and this helps to ease the mind.” He lifted the glass and smiled at the young woman. “Why don’t you come back to my place and I’ll show you a good time, what do you say?” He tightened his hold of her and pulled her nearer.

She tried to release his grip. “I think you’ve had too much to drink; now why don’t you go home and sleep it off?”

Richard laughed causing the landlord to look over.

“So, you think I’m not up to it, do you?”

With that he tried to pull the girl down onto his knee. The landlord was quick to cross the pub and was soon pulling the girl away.

“I think it’s time you were on your way Mr Gardener. Now are you going of your own free will or do I have to kick you out?”

Richard laughed again and stood up and waivered and almost knocked over the table. He staggered to the door and turned round and looked at all the sour faces looking his way. “I’ll show you all, I’m not dead yet.”

Richard drove down the country lane, weaving from one side to the other, as he reached the gate he lost concentration and collided with the gate post sending it sideways. He shook himself trying to clear his head and turned the key but the engine wouldn’t fire up. He got out and leant against the vehicle and felt the blood trickling down his face, he had a cut just above his eye. He made his way up the drive swaying from side to side and singing raunchy songs. Mr Howard stood in the doorway watching him, shaking his head. Richard pushed him to one side as he entered the house.

“Don’t just stand there in my way get somebody to get the car.”

He made his way to his study and collapsed in a chair. A short time later Mr Howard entered the study, he dropped the keys to the Land Rover on the small table by the side of Richard.

“The car is parked in the barn, but it’s in a terrible mess. I know it’s none of my business, but you really must pull yourself together, stop this drinking and get your affairs in order.”

Richard looked up, another pompous little man; he’d had enough of them for one day. “Get out and leave me alone.”

“You are just being stupid drinking like this, it really must stop.”

“Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?”

“I have worked for the family for many years and I am entitled to my say.”

“Well that can soon be remedied, you’re sacked.”

“You can’t do that, I have an agreement.”

“I think you’ll find that your so called agreement was with my father and not with me. I will not have any jumped up servant talking down to me that way, you’re sacked. Now go and pack and leave my house.”

Mr Howard stood looking down at Richard and began to complain, but seeing the rage on the young man’s face stopped him saying anything more. He turned and left the room, Richard laughing behind him.

Mr Howard sat at the kitchen table and repeated his altercation with Richard. Mrs Shaw was in shock. “I’m sure things will be different in the morning Mr Howard when he’s sobered up, don’t go doing something you will later regret.”

He shook his head. “I’ve had enough Mrs Shaw, if it wasn’t for Mrs Gardener I would be leaving first thing in the morning. I feel sorry for that poor woman, she is wasting away and there’s nothing we can do for her.”

“Well you can rest assured I’ll keep an eye on her, but there’s not much more that Mary and I can do for her, we can’t force her to eat. As for Master Richard he’s a changed man since Miss Victoria died, a changed man. I do wish Miss Sarah would come back, I’m sure that would cheer up Mrs Gardener.”

Mr Howard looked up. “Now that is a good idea, before I leave this house I will suggest to him that he gets in touch with his sister and asks her to come home.”

Mrs Shaw gave her daughter a sceptical look.

The next morning Mary was setting a tray for Mrs Gardener, and discussing with her mother the conversation they had had with Mr Howard the night before. He was now, upstairs packing his belongings. Her mother approached the table to collect the tray. “It’s a sorry state of affairs we have this morning. Now have you done his breakfast, you know what he’s like with a hangover, a bear with a sore head. You’ll have to take it in to him this morning as Mr Howard is busy.”

Mary frowned. “Must I?”

Mr Howard entered the kitchen. “Don’t worry Mary I’ll take it in to him, I mean to speak my mind before I leave this house, is everything ready?”

Mary took the cooked breakfast from the warm oven and placed it on a tray along with toast and marmalade and a pot of coffee. Mr Howard picked up the tray. “Here goes.”

Mrs Shaw followed close behind, at the study door Mr Howard stopped and looked at the housekeeper; she wished him luck and watched him enter the room. She sighed and then made her way to Mrs Gardener’s bedroom.

Emily sat by the window looking out over the garden. “Isn’t it a lovely day, Mrs Shaw, I think I may venture out later and do some weeding.”

Mrs Shaw stared at her in shock. She placed the tray down on the small table and walked to the window. Outside the sky was grey and what was once a rose garden was now a circle of dead plants and weeds. Mrs Shaw poured them both a cup of tea and handed one to Emily. “Here you are a nice cup of tea, now eat your breakfast, it will set you up for the day and when you’ve eaten I’ll clear everything away and I’ll come and help you with the gardening. How does that sound?”

“I’m sure you have other duties to perform, Mrs Shaw, besides, Charlotte said she would help me this morning.”

Emily looked into the room and smiled. Mrs Shaw looked around, the room was empty. “Who is this Charlotte, then?”

Emily sipped her tea. “Why she’s the nice young lady who sits with me at night. We have such long chats, mostly about Richard.” Emily smiled and again looked into the room.

Mrs Shaw looked over her shoulder, she felt chilled to the bone and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She shivered and tried to encourage Emily to eat. “Our Mary has cooked you some nice scrambled eggs this morning, just the way you like them, now eat them up before they get cold.”

Emily nibbled on a slice of toast, picked up her fork and moved the eggs around on her plate, occasionally she would lift the fork to her mouth but Mrs Shaw saw that the fork was empty. Charlotte watched from the shadows.

In the study things were not quite so calm. Mr Howard knocked and walked into the room. As usual Richard was slumped in a chair still wearing the clothes from the night before; it looked like he had slept there.

“What are you doing here; I thought I sacked you last night?”

Mr Howard put down the tray. “You did but there is something I need to say before I go.”

Richard groaned. “Must you?” Richard stabbed at a sausage and took a bite.