The Earl and the Hoyden. Mary Nichols

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ position in society. Rank in society was not the same as rank in the army and he much preferred to be known as Major, a position he had earned, than to be made much of on account of his title.

      ‘Oh, you don’t know how I have longed for you to come home,’ she said, leading him into the house.

      He paused to speak to Travers. ‘Find the stables and see to the horses, I’ll join you when I can.’

      ‘Did you receive my letters?’ she asked, as they stepped into the hall and she relieved him of his riding cloak and hat. She was, he noticed, very thin, her face lined with worry, and he was sorry if he had been responsible for putting any of the lines there. And though she was dressed in deepest mourning, her blue eyes shone and her mouth smiled with joy at having him home again. ‘I wondered why you did not come at once.’

      ‘I was away from headquarters and could not be contacted,’ he said, following her into the drawing room and refraining from reminding her that his letters home had gone unanswered. ‘It was nearly two months before I returned and your first letter was put into my hand, only the day before the second arrived. I came as soon as I could. I am only sorry I did not arrive in time.’

      ‘Never mind, you are here now. Sit down and let me look at you.’

      Roland pulled up a chair and sat on it, his head full of what he had seen: the poor state of the big house, the neglected air about the village, the arrogant Miss Cartwright and her assertion Browhill did not belong to the Amerleigh estate. When and why had it changed hands?

      ‘You are grown so big and strong,’ his mother went on.

      ‘That is down to the army, Mama. It made a man of the boy.’

      ‘You will always be my boy.’

      He smiled and reached for her hand. ‘I know.’ He paused. ‘I passed the house. It looked thoroughly neglected. What happened?’

      ‘It is a long story. Your papa lost heart after you left. He did not seem able to do the work he always used to do and things went from bad to worse. Two years ago he had a seizure and Dr Sumner said he was not to be worried. I wanted to write and tell you what was happening, but your father forbade it. We moved here so that he might be peaceful and hoped to let the house, but there were no takers. After his last attack he suddenly changed his mind and said he must see you.’

      ‘I am deeply sorry I was too late. I would have been glad to be reconciled with him. Did he ever forgive me?’

      ‘I think so, though I always thought there was nothing to forgive, except perhaps your hasty departure, when he might have come round to listening to you, and you to him.’

      Roland did not think so, but forbore to say so. ‘What would you have me do?’

      ‘It was his wish that you restore the Hall. It is, after all, your home. It has been the home of the Amerleighs for hundreds of years. One day you will marry and pass it on to your sons.’

      ‘I know, Mama.’ He gave a sigh. From what he had seen, it would be a monumental task and one that would take every penny he owned and more. ‘I had better see Mount-ford and talk it over with him.’

      ‘Yes. He will tell you about the lawsuit.’

      His heart sank. ‘The lawsuit?’

      ‘Yes, your father was in dispute with Mr Cartwright over a strip of land that he said the man had cheated him out of.’

      ‘Browhill?’

      ‘Yes, how did you know?’

      ‘I came that way and met Miss Cartwright.’ He smiled wryly at the memory. ‘We had a few words about it.’

      ‘Oh, no, not you too. Will there be no end to it?’

      ‘I do not know. Tell me what happened.’

      ‘Later. Now, I must go and have a room made ready for you, then you can change and we will have dinner.’ She bustled away.

      He sat on for a few minutes, gazing at a portrait of his father that hung over the mantel. It showed a big, proud man, master of all he surveyed, supremely confident. How had he come to be so far in debt he had had to leave his ancestral home? His mother seemed reluctant to tell him.

      He stood up and left the room to go in search of her and found her in one of the bedrooms supervising the making up of a bed for him. His portmanteau and haversack had been brought up and put on a chest under the window. A jug of hot water had been placed on the wash stand. ‘There, will that do?’ she asked.

      ‘Very well, Mama. I am used to far less than this.’

      ‘Come down when you are ready. I do not know what Mrs Burrows is making for dinner, but I am sure she will do her best.’

      He washed quickly, changed his shirt, put on his best uniform and returned downstairs where they were served a simple meal in the dining room by Mr Burrows. He had been the butler even longer than his wife had been the cook. He had always been one to stand on his dignity in the hierarchy of the servants’ quarters and held sway over at least twenty indoor servants. Now, according to his mother, Mr and Mrs Burrows and one girl were all the indoor staff they had.

      ‘And outside?’ he asked, after Burrows had left them to serve themselves. ‘Gardeners, coachmen, grooms?’

      ‘We go out so little I cannot remember the last time the coach came out. I drive the gig when I want to go calling or shopping. We only have one horse and Bennett looks after it. He still does the garden and keeps an eye on the big house.’

      Roland speared a piece of mutton on his fork. ‘Is that all that’s left?’

      ‘Yes, but we do not need them here and would have no room for them in any case. Some of them went to Mandeville. Jacob Edwards has done very well there. You remember him; he is a year or two older than you. He used to share your lessons before you went away to school and you used to go fishing together in the holidays.’

      ‘I remember.’ Jacob had been with him the first time either of them had set eyes on Charlotte Cartwright. It was at a horse fair that had come to Amerleigh. The boys had been enjoying themselves going round all the stalls and listening to the banter of the stallholders and had stopped at a shooting range where a row of wooden ducks were set up for the contestants to shoot down. Jacob tried first and had hit seven of the ten. Roland had his turn and hit the first nine, but failed at the last.

      ‘Missed!’ said a triumphant voice. He had swivelled round to find a girl of about twelve standing close by. She was well clad and well shod and her reddish hair was crammed under a blue chip bonnet, so she was not one of the villagers. There seemed to be no one with her.

      ‘You think you can do better?’ he had demanded, while the stallholder looked on, grinning from ear to ear.

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘You are more likely to shoot yourself than the ducks.’

      She held out a brown freckled hand. ‘Give me the gun and I’ll show you.’

      He laughed and gave it to her and was thoroughly chagrined when he found she could load and prime it and was astounded when, hardly seeming to take aim, she СКАЧАТЬ