at the uneasy woman.
It was very kind of
you to arrange to be here on such short
notice."
Not at all, not at all," the woman
sputtered, and nearly spilled her tea.
We
are ever so grateful for your interest in
local matters."
The vicar made a valiant effort to meet
his host's eyes in a man-to-man look.
Hope you don't mind my saying so,
sir, but your family's lands have been
neglected entirely too long. I am delighted
to say that I have already heard talk in
the village of the improvements you have
begun.
Tis a great relief."
I am glad you are pleased, Reverend
Worth. I couldn't agree with you more
about the status of the estate and the
surrounding countryside." Lucas put down
his cup with a distinct snap that made
Victoria hide a quick grin. Her husband
was concealing his impatience well, but
she knew for a fact that he would have
much preferred to have been allowed to
escape this particular social function.
He was, he had told her in no uncertain
terms that morning, a busy man and he
did not have time to waste taking tea with
the vicar. Victoria had informed him that
he was not going to be let off the hook
and in the end she had won, much to
the interested surprise of one or two of
the new servants who had happened to
overhear the discussion in the hall. It was
not going unnoticed that the new Earl
of stone vale had a decided tendency to
indulge his bride.
There is a great deal to be done,"
Worth noted.
The situation around here
was getting desperate."
Your ladyship has made a wonderful
impression on the local people," misses
Worth said shyly.
When I went to visit
Betsy Hawkins this morning to take her
a petticoat for her daughter, she told me
quite proudly she wouldn't be needing any
more charity. Her daughter had a job up
here in the kitchens, she said, and her
husband was going to start work in the
stables. She was so happy, madam. You
cannot imagine. That poor lady has had
a hard time of it, as have many others."
We are grateful to have so many willing
workers. We shall need a great many
people to get this place in shape," Victoria
said, meaning every word. It had been
a harrowing chore getting the drawing
room in even halfway decent condition
for today's visit. She'd started the new
staff cleaning it at dawn that morning.
Well, I don't mind telling you that
thanks to a poacher's ghost story, you
are off to a fine start as far as folks
around here are concerned." The vicar
chuckled and then caught himself as his
wife threw him a horrified look. He hastily
picked up his teacup and cleared his throat.
Beg pardon."
But Lucas was not to be sidetracked.
What ghost story and what poacher,
Reverend?"
The vicar's initial uneasiness became
visibly more noticeable. It was clear he
felt he had already said too much. He
coughed slightly.
I fear, sir, that a few
of the local men are not above poaching
in the woods, especially when times are
hard, as they have been lately. Lord knows
it's sometimes worth life and limb to do
it, what with the mantraps the previous
earl set."
You needn't worry, vicar. Having served
in the army and thus been obliged to live off
the land occasionally myself, I assure you I
am inclined to ignore a little poaching. I
have already made arrangements to destroy
what mantraps the hunters have not already
discovered."
The vicar's smile broke like sunshine on
a cloudy day.
I am extremely happy to
hear that. Your uncle, as you must know,
had an entirely different attitude."
Now about this particular poacher's
ghost story," Lucas prodded quietly.
The vicar exchanged a quick glance
with his wife and then sighed heavily.
Yes, well, it was just an amusing tale I
happened to overhear this morning. You
know how country folk talk. It seems
a certain intrepid hunter was taking a
shortcut home last night when he caught a
glimpse of the Amber Knight and his lady.
You have heard the legend, of course?"
I am aware of it."
Victoria leaned forward intently.
The
Amber Knight and his lady were seen in
the district?"
The vicar's wife laughed nervously.
Right here on the grounds of the
estate, if you please. At least, according
to the way the tale was being told this
morning. It seems the knight and his lady
were spotted walking home through the
gardens sometime after midnight. Is that
not a delightful notion?"
Fascinating," Victoria said as the truth
began to crystallize in her head. She
pictured how she and Lucas might have
appeared to a startled poacher in the dead
of night, her amber cloak swirling around
her.
Walking home through the gardens,
you say?" She felt Lucas's quelling glance
but chose to ignore him. This was far
too amusing.
What would they have been
doing running around at that time of night,
do you suppose?"
Lucas cleared his throat.
Would you
pour me another cup of tea, my dear? I
seem to find myself rather thirsty."
Yes, of course.
Victoria laughed at him
with her eyes as she dutifully poured the
tea. He gave her a severe glare in return,
which only inspired her to fresh mischief.
You were saying, misses Worth?"
Was I? About what they might have
been doing running around at midnight?
Oh, dear." The good woman's smile was
tentative.
Well, they are ghosts, you know.
I suppose that is the only time they are
allowed to run around. And according to
legend, the pair was very much prone to
midnight trysts. It seems the two had a
habit of riding the lands at night and
returning to the house shortly before
dawn."
The vicar cleared his throat.
That's
quite enough speculation about ghosts,
my dear. You'll have Lord stone vale and
his lady thinking we deal in nothing but
village gossip."
Never," declared Victoria,
I find it all
most interesting, don't you, stone vale?"
I find it all a lot of nonsense," Lucas
said repressively.
You must understand," the vicar's wife
said hurriedly,
the villagers were thrilled
to hear the story. They want to believe it
because they want to believe that things
really have begun to change for the better
around here. According to the legend,
stone vale will prosper again only when
the Amber Knight and his lady return. I
pray you won't begrudge the people their
small tale of hope, my lord."
Yes." Victoria smiled sweetly at her
husband. pray, don't be a killjoy. stone vale."
The vicar and his wife stared in shock
at Victoria. Lucas merely gave his wife
another quelling glance and drank his
tea.
The vicar, apparently sensing that he
and his wife had accidentally stumbled
into a mild bit of marital teasing, turned
a bit ruddier and plowed forth gamely with
a change of topic.
Far rather see a couple
of harmless ghosts than that highwayman
who's been plaguing the district for the
past couple of months."
Highwayman?" Victoria's attention was
instantly riveted in a new direction.
What
is this about a highwayman? Have you
been robbed, Reverend?"
Not I. And not any of the villagers
that I know of. Daresay, none of them
would be worth the fellow's time. But there
have been reports of a couple of coaches
stopped. The villain's a bit inept, I fear.
On one occasion the driver of the coach
pulled a pistol and sent the highwayman
fleeing for the bushes. The second time
the passengers fobbed him off with a few
coins and a worthless ring."
Highwaymen usually have a lair in
the locality where they conduct business,"
Lucas observed thoughtfully.
Do you think
this man might be a local resident?"
The vicar shook his head a bit too
quickly, looking more uneasy than ever.
I
daresay not. Probably just someone riding
through. I wouldn't be surprised if the
fellow has quit the district by now. In
his profession
tis probably wise to keep
shifting business locations." Satisfied that
he had salvaged the social situation, the
vicar fell back on a safe subject.
I say,
stone vale. Don't mean to be impertinent,
but have you given much thought to the
sort of crops you'll want to plant? I've
lived around here for a number of years
now and I have some notion of what does
well in this soil."
misses Worth was instantly alarmed.
Really, dear, I am certain his lordship
will ask for advice if he requires it."
Of course, of course." The vicar flushed
a dark red.
Sorry about that. Horticulture
is a hobby of mine. I fancy myself
something of a student of the subject."
Lucas's head came up alertly.
Do you
indeed, sir?"
The vicar coughed slightly again, but
this time he looked a little more sure of
himself.
Pleased to say I've had one or two
papers published in the Botanical Progress.
Working on a book on flower gardening
at the moment."
What do you know about buckwheat?"