Authors: Stella White
The view from the lane they were driving down was magnificent. Down the hill, in front of them, there were green fields full of cows grazing. Beyond the fields, Victoria could see a church spire surrounded by cottages. When they reached a gate, Rosie jumped down and opened it.
''We're entering the Landsborough Estate now,'' Edward said. The village below us is called Wendsbury. Most of the houses belong to the estate. There are five farms in all and most of the villagers work on the farms.''
Victoria noticed how enthusiastically he spoke about the place. She'd heard his father had been a difficult landlord, but she was sure Edward was a kinder man, by far.
''It is much larger than I thought.'' Why had her father gambled so much away? Had he been so unwell that he had lost all clarity of thought, and what about
poor
mother? For her, it must have been awful.
''I will show you the village and then take you to meet Mr. Jepson, at Manor Farm.'' The fact he was showing her all this, and introducing her to a tenant farmer was a good sign, and Victoria was suddenly a thousand miles away from her life in
Ashworhy
.
Edward noticed how her expression had changed. She'd lost the pained look of someone downtrodden, and gained a smile that made his heart race. He had never been with a woman
before,
and he was surprised when he began to have thoughts that made him afraid
he
would embarrass himself when he had to get down from the trap.
''It's beautiful,'' she exclaimed as they drove through the village. It was a linear village, with a strip of green running between the road and the houses which lined it. The church was at the end of the
village,
and there was a quaint thatched inn called the Lamb and Flag opposite.
''Yes, it is
very beautiful
. In all, there are sixty-three tenants here.'' Victoria had no idea how much
a tenant
was expected to pay
in
rent, but sixty-three times what she paid to Mr. Pickford was a lot of money each week.
They left the village and took a left turn at a fork in the road. Signposted Manor Farm.
This was
an arable
farm,
and there were two teams of shire horses plowing the land to the right of the narrow road.
At
the end, they reached a farmyard. It was probably the tidiest farmyard in the
land
. Mr. Jepson couldn't stand a mess.
Edward stopped and got down. He walked around the other side and helped Victora to the ground. As he did so, he caught her scent. It made him
want her
more.
''Mr. Jespon, allow me to introduce Miss Lambert,'' Edward said proudly.
Mr. Jepson
was dressed
in a check shirt and a pair of very baggy trousers, held up with a pair of yellow braces. On his feet wellingtons. ''You mean Landsborough, my Lord, not Lambert.''
''No, Lambert,'' Edward reiterated.
''Well if ever anybody had a face like Mrs. Landsborough it is the young lady standing here.'' He pointed to Victoria, who smiled.
''It's a long story, I'll tell you about it sometime. Will you show us around the farm, please?'' Jepson nodded and motioned them to follow him.
*****
After their excursion, Victoria retired
to her room
to rest. Far from resting, her mind was churning. What she'd seen had been idyllic, and beyond anything she had seen before. She knew if the Duke
would see
his way to giving her the estate back, she would remain there for the rest of her days, quite happily.
Her thoughts turned to the Duke. He was
handsome,
and she
was taken
with him. It could be
a perfect
alliance, she thought.
At six, Rosie knocked on the door. She'd come to dress Victoria for dinner.
''Miss Victoria, I have brought two dresses for you to try. They used to belong to Mr. Edward's grandmother.'' She put them on the bed. ''They are very
fine
evening
gowns,
and I am sure you are the same size as she was.''
''Rosie, how considerate of you. I'm afraid I have never worn anything this grand
before;
perhaps you will help me?''
Rosie bathed and dressed Victoria in a silver gown made of the finest silk satin in pastel green. When Victoria looked in the
mirror,
she was shocked to she almost all her bosom protruding from the low square neckline. ''Mary, I can't wear.....''
''Miss Victoria I have seen the way Mr. Edward looks at you. If you want to impress him, I urge you to wear this dress.''
''But it's far too low,''Victoria complained.
''If a Duchess saw fit to wear it, I'm sure it is fine,'' Rosie said wisely.
Victoria accepted her argument and turned her attention to her hair. When they
were finished
, Victoria looked magnificent. Her dress flowed elegantly to the floor, covering her silver shoes. Rosie had managed to find a necklace
of
pearls and a bracelet. The piece de resistance was her hair. It seemed Rosie was a master hairdresser, for Victoria's hair was curled to perfection in tiny ringlets down the side of her face.
On the way down the grand staircase, Victoria suddenly remembered the mill.
This was
her second day
off,
and if she didn't return
soon,
she would be cast out of her home. But strangely
she
didn't care. Rosie had noticed
it,
and she had noticed it. The Duke wanted
her,
and she was sure nothing would come in their way.
When she entered the library for pre-dinner drinks, Edward almost dropped his glass. He'd told his mother about Victoria and the story behind her
visit,
and she'd been eager to meet the young lady. Edward's
mother
smiled and nodded to her son approvingly.
''Victoria, it is quite
improper,
but I fear we have no alternative,'' the Dowager Duchess began. ''It has been splendid to meet you and now that dinner
is finished
, I would like to retire, but that would leave you alone with my son. Perhaps I should escort you to your room.''
Edward quickly intervened. ''I would like to talk to Victoria for a few moments mother. I will ask Rosie to see her to bed.''
His mother wasn't much of one for the English stiff upper
lip,
and she nodded in agreement. When she
was gone
, Roberts came and cleared the table. He left some brandy and brought tea for Victoria.
Edward cleared his throat as if he was preparing to address the Queen. ''Victoria, dear Victoria. I have been thinking about the estate and indeed about you.'' Victoria daren't lift her tea cup fearing her tremoring hand would spill some over her borrowed dress. ''You are a
very beautiful
woman,
and I am enormously taken with you. I have been able to think of nothing else but you, since the moment you walked into this house.'' He looked at her trying to gauge what her reaction mighty be, but her expression remained passive. ''It would be proper for me to ask your father if I may approach you, but your poor father is no longer with
us,
and I am unable to do so. Victoria, I would like to know if you would be amenable to the idea of becoming my wife.''
Victoria was stunned.
So soon?
Was it too early? She felt something for him, but did she love him? Did she love him like she knew her mother had loved her father?
Before she had a chance to say anything, he spoke again. ''If we were to marry, you could manage the estate.''
Victoria could
not believe
what she was hearing. ''Was it not your intention to hand it back to me as the rightful owner? You led me to believe you would,'' she asked.
''I wouldn't need to hand it back to you if we
were joined
.''
Victoria exploded. She stood up and threw her teacup into the fireplace. ''If that's what you think, then you can keep the estate, you're welcome to it. Marry me
and make
me the manager, indeed,'' she scoffed. ''I can see you're not better than that father of yours. He was dishonorable and
dishonest,
and your are worse because you are taking advantage of a lady's delicate situation.''
*****
''Who is it?'' the innkeeper shouted. ''I'm coming, stop hammering on the door.'' He unbolted the door and looked outside. He was surprised to see a young woman carrying a travel bag. ''It's awfully late for you to be out
alone,
miss.''
''Can you please give me a room for the night,'' Victoria asked.
When she stepped into the candlelit hallway, the innkeeper noticed she had mud on her shoes, and that the hem of her dress was
wet,
and mud splattered. ''Come along now miss, I'll get the wife to help you. Out at this time alone, well I never,'' he restated.
His wife appeared in a dressing gown and a pair of slippers. ''Oh miss, what a mess you're in, come along with you.'' She led Victoria up the stairs and into a small bedroom at the end of the corridor. ''Where have you come from at this time?'' she asked.
''From
Easingborough
Hall, over the fields.''
The Innkeeper's wife looked quizzically at her. The old Duke was
dead,
so it wasn't one of his women.
''Is there a coach from here to York tomorrow?''
''Yes, it calls here every day at nine am.''
*****
''Three days, three whole days,'' Mr. Picford shouted. ''Where have you been all this time?''
''Pleas sir, I've been at home. I wasn't too well.''
''Nonsense. On the second day, Mary went to see where you were. You were not at your cottage. Where were you, and I want the truth?''
Lizzie had told Victoria to expect a showdown when she went into the
mill
but she hadn't told her that Mary had been to the cottage. Perhaps she didn't know. She would have to think of an excuse and fast. ''I have an aunt, in Haslemere. She's gravely ill. I went to visit her,'' she lied.
He was walking around her as she stood in the middle of his office. He leaned into her and sniffed her scent. It reminded her of a
dog,
and she began to feel faint. ''Well whatever the truth, you have missed three days. You will not go back to work in the mill.''
''But, Mr. Pickford, please.......''
''Today is Friday, on Monday morning, you will report for work in my cottage as one of my assistants. If you refuse, I will have nothing more to do with you.'' He smiled before delivering the rest of his terrifying message. ''You will not work at the mill, and you will not live in one of my houses. You will be on the streets. Is that
clear
?'' She nodded.
Victoria waited for Lizzie on the wall at the entrance to the mill. Lizzie was covered in dust when Victoria saw her. ''What happened to you?'' Victoria asked.
''Mary had me cleaning out some of the air pipes, they're full of dust and rat droppings.'' Lizzie took Victoria's
arm,
and she wanted to pull away. Rat's droppings didn't sound too healthy. As they went down the hill towards the village, Victoria told Lizzie all about her trip to the solicitors and then to
Easingborough
Hall. When she came to the end, Lizzie was in tears. ''You mean, you refused the Duke's offer?''
''Yes.''
''You're mad,'' Lizzie said.
''He's just like all the others. He should have given it back to me, expecting me to be the manager
is.....
well I don't
know,
but it isn't honest.''
Lizzie wanted to say that it was her father's fault
really,
but she refrained.
''Pickford wants me to start work in the assistants house on Monday.''
''Jesus Victoria. Go back to the Duke and accept his offer.''
''No never. He's just as dishonest as his father,''
Lizzie didn't understand. ''You’re bloody
headstrong
, and it's not good for you.''
At the village green, Jack was waiting. Lizzie kissed Victoria goodbye and went towards her house.
''Can I walk with you Victoria?'' he asked.
''Yes I'd like that,'' she said. He almost jumped in t
he air, it was a result he wasn’t expecting
. They walked together without saying anything until they reached Victoria's cottage. ''Thank you, Jack, that was nice,'' she said.