Page 15 of An Amiable Foe
“It was kind of you to come to see how I was doing.”
“I wish for us to be on good terms,” he replied. He turned and caught her gaze. She dropped her eyes to his strong chin and lifted them to his mass of tousled curls, suddenly aware of his attractiveness—a thing she most certainly should not allow herself to dwell upon.
Miss Fife, who had finished her tea, then took the conversation hostage in an unexpected spurt of volubility. Marianne was not able to get another word in edgewise. Before long, Mr. Osborne took his leave, and she surprised herself by finding that she could almost forgive him for keeping Sarah after his visit. He had eaten her cakes.
She spent the rest of the day scrubbing what corners she could reach while Miss Fife pointed out some of the spots she had missed. When her stomach began to growl, and the light started to fade, Marianne went into the kitchen and stared at the dwindling fire there, nearly extinguished after her midday efforts.
She leaned back against the wood table and put her hands on it at her side, unable to muster the zeal to attempt to cook something new. How would she do this every day? Her first task tomorrow must be to hire someone local, but no one could replace Sarah in her affection. The sweet maid was only a couple of years older than her, and she had known her since she was ten.
Another knock came—the third visitor for the day. Perhaps life here would not be quite so lonely as she’d feared. This time it was on the door to the kitchen that led to the outside. She could have shown Robert into the kitchen this way earlier, but she had forgotten it was there. She went over and turned the stiff key, already set in the lock, then tugged on the door until she was able to open it.
Standing on the other side was Sarah, her crisp white cap over her blonde hair and her neat apron covering her dress. She dipped into a curtsy, her lips turning up in a cheerful smile.
“’Tis me, miss. Mr. Osborne said he no longer had need of me and that I should come to ye. Said my wages ’ud still come from Brindale Castle for the present, and that I should apply to him for ’em.”
Marianne’s mouth fell open in surprise as she opened the door wider and stepped back. As she welcomed Sarah into the cottage, she couldn’t help but wonder what had come over Mr. Osborne. To have a change of heart like that, to go back on his decision and do something so selfless as to give her back her maid when he so obviously needed every servant at Brindale, showed there was more to him than she had first thought.
It was too soon, however, to apply noble attributes to his character with broad brushstrokes. He might have done so on a whim.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Once Perry had visited Miss Edgewood and seen the state of affairs at the cottage, he had not been able to live comfortably with his conscience. It had been an act of pure selfishness that prompted him to deny her the one thing that was absolutely essential—a maid. The decision was prompted by the wave of panic stemming from not having enough servants for his own estate. The thought of losing one was untenable at this juncture.
However, it had taken only one glance around the room to see that the little touches of comfort from a well-run establishment were missing and that Miss Edgewood deserved better. Then, there was Miss Fife’s unpleasant conversation peppered with querulous undertones, showing her to be of absolutely no help to her mistress. Even a glimpse at the lumpy cakes Miss Edgewood had been obliged to make herself—which were surprisingly tasty, he must own—made him ready to repent of his selfish refusal and send her Sarah straight away.
Mr. Mercy’s unexpected visit that afternoon only solidified his decision when the steward promised to arrange for more hired help. When asked about the lack of servants at the castle, Mr. Mercy informed him that Mr. Edgewood had not had the funds necessary to run Brindale as needed. But with the new servants in place, Perry would be able to meet his friends with his head held high.
The next couple of days were spent in a frenzy of readying the castle. He had one of the hired hands put lime plaster in the chinks of Raife’s room, and he’d had all of the mattresses restuffed with fresh straw, including his own. He was still missing the extra footman, butler, and maids that his friends were accustomed to from their own establishments, but the cook was skilled, and he would do all he could to see they were well entertained.
He certainly hoped to impress them—and hoped he could find enough to do to keep them occupied. These were the first friends he had made in London after having made few at Oxford, none of which proved lasting. The fact that he had only made these connections after being named heir to a barony reminded him of just how difficult it was to form friendships. He couldn’t lose the ones he had.
Perry decided to examine all aspects of the castle and grounds. He would not again be caught by surprise at the mention of a pighouse, or a cottage that had been carved out of his bequeathment, or the sight of an unused apiary. He would know every inch of the castle grounds, used or unused, in perfect order or in need of repair.
The walls damaged by damp in the northern wing led Perry to inspect the roof more closely where he discovered the timbers to be rotted beyond repair, and the tiles above it decayed with age. Mr. Mercy was looking into what they might accomplish in the short term with a limited budget. Repairing the roof was a matter of utmost urgency, and although he had spent the majority of his father’s small inheritance most foolishly, he should have enough for these most pressing issues.
He stopped by the stables and visited Beau, then went around to see the pighouse with the famous Buttercup that Miss Edgewood had spoken of. He didn’t know much about swine, but surely the girl couldn’t be as aggressive as Miss Edgewood had indicated.
Perry approached the wooden gate that enclosed the covered pighouse and leaned against it, looking down. A large white pig turned in his direction and charged against the wooden beams, ramming against them and shaking the wood. Although he was well-protected by the gate, the aggression caused Perry to take a step back.
Very well. The pig had won this round.
Continuing on the path behind the stables, he came upon another covered wooden structure, whose center was open and whose roof attached to a decently sized dependence. The door and shutters on the house were falling apart, showing it to be unused. But it was the brick structure near the far end of the sheltered area that caught his eye, along with the iron rings and bars that were meant to hold tools. Perry examined the forge and determined it to be in working order, before turning to see if he could access the building next to it without a key. He could not, but this was still a very good find. He supposed no medieval castle was complete without a resident blacksmith.
His return to the castle was filled with thoughts about what might be done to put the smithy to good use and the recollection that the steward must also look into purchasing a few bee colonies to set up the apiary.
* * *
The second of April arrived at last—the day his friends were to come. Matley and John remained nearby to direct the gentlemen’s servants when they arrived. The grooms would have lodging above the stables, but he feared the valets would have cause for complaint. And thus it was with both trepidation and excitement that he lifted his hand in greeting as the three of them pulled into the castle at last. Lorry was the first one down from his traveling carriage.
“So this is it, eh? Not quite Steere’s estate, I imagine, but it should do for you in the meantime. A bit out of the way, is it not?” He signaled to his valet who was sitting beside the groom at the front of the carriage.
“He said he would be renting it out,” Neck reminded him. Unlike Lorry, he’d not brought his valet, which meant that Matley would be serving more than one of them. “Keep that in mind should you wish for a repairing lease.”
Lorry looked up at the castle. “A repairing lease? This? I should hope my need for a repairing lease would lead me to something slightly more congenial should I need one.”
He spoke in jest, but Perry couldn’t help but look at the castle with fresh eyes. It was true that Brindale didn’t look precisely hospitable.
“You’re always on the brink of needing a repairing lease,” Raife said as he stepped to the ground. He had come in a closed carriage and let his groom do the driving with his valet seated beside him. He handed his gloves to the valet and went over to shake Perry’s hand, the only one to do so.
