Page 9 of Lady Audacious
‘I am not sure that dignified will get you anywhere, my dear,’ the countess replied, frowning. ‘Gentlemen require a little encouragement,’ she added, fixing Reuben with a significant look.
‘I say.’ Arthur, Reuben’s younger brother, bounded athletically into the room. ‘There’s something going on at Fox’s Reach.’
‘There’s always something untoward going on there, dear,’ their mother replied with an absent wave. ‘That’s what comes of leaving a property vacant indefinitely with no one to take care of it. I cannot think what else the owner can expect, really I cannot. The place is a blot on the landscape and lowers the tone.’
‘That’s just it, Mother,’ Arthur said. ‘There is a new owner, a single lady.’
‘A single lady?’ Sarah sent Reuben a vaguely alarmed glance. ‘One assumes she is of advanced years. Even so, surely she doesn’t intend to live there alone?’
‘I really cannot say if she intends to remain, but the village is rife with speculation,’ Arthur replied. ‘I have it on the very best authority.’
‘The best authority being the taproom at the Portcullis, one assumes,’ Reuben said, grinning at his brother, whose breath smelled of strong ale.
‘Naturally. The gossip there is normally up to the minute. Anyway, the lady arrived by cab this afternoon and has taken up occupation.’
‘Good heavens,’ the countess said, looking alarmed. ‘The beds won’t even be aired.’
Reuben shared an amused glance with his brother. Their mother’s priorities were an endless source of amusement to them both.
‘I should have thought that the sagging roof would be of more immediate concern,’ Beth, ever the practical one, remarked.
‘Do we know the lady’s name?’ the countess asked. ‘One assumes she is a married lady and that her husband will follow her down. Personally, I cannot imagine what he must have been thinking, allowing her to come on ahead of him with just a maid for company.’
‘She came alone, Mother,’ Arthur said, probably enjoying their mother’s shocked reaction as much as Reuben did. ‘And I understand that she is a young, unmarried lady.’
‘Good heavens,’ Sarah said, turning pale and looking vaguely alarmed. ‘One assumes she is not top drawer, if that is the case.’
‘That’s a pity,’ the countess said. ‘I should have liked to invite her to my house party, what with her being such a close neighbour. I feel duty-bound to call and welcome her, but if she isn’t quite the thing…well, I shan’t know what to do.’
‘I shall certainly call upon her,’ Emily declared. ‘I think it incredibly brave of her to come alone. One assumes that other family members will follow, but even so…’
‘Quite right,’ Avril agreed. ‘If a young gentleman arrived to take occupation of the house, no one would think anything of it.’
‘The rules are different for gentlemen, dear,’ the countess said. ‘They can take care of themselves, whereas we ladies need protecting from all the wickedness in the world.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Emily muttered, so quietly that only Reuben heard her. He sent her a censorious look, which made her burst out laughing. Reuben shook his head, aware that keeping Emily’s behaviour in check when she was presented—which she would be despite her earlier protests—would require a deal of ingenuity and hard work.
‘I do not,’ Emily said in a more normal voice. ‘Need protecting, that is. I am more than capable of taking care of myself.’
‘That’s what concerns me,’ Reuben said, smiling in spite of himself.
‘It’s got everyone talking at the Portcullis,’ Arthur assured them all. ‘The lady’s name is Miss Aspen and the word is already out that she is recruiting servants to help put the house back into good order.’
‘Then she will have her work cut out,’ Reuben said. ‘The place is falling down. I wonder at its owner leaving only one man to look after it.’
‘A very responsible man, dear,’ the countess said. ‘Your father had his steward appoint him not long before he died. He was one of ours, you see, but his position was taken by another whilst he was away fighting and we had nothing for him here when he returned, so…’
Reuben scowled. ‘The pater didn’t hold open a position for a trusted servant who did his duty by king and country?’
‘Your father did his very best to help everyone. Happily, more of our local men came home than he supposed would be the case,’ the countess said. ‘I recall him feeling very torn at the time and remarking that he couldn’t turn away the person who had taken the man’s position. So he was pleased when he found out that someone was required to take charge at Fox’s Reach. This would have been about five years ago. The previous caretaker retired, or died, or…well, left for some reason. I have no idea how your papa heard about the vacancy, but it seemed like an ideal solution, so he recommended his displaced man for it.’ She waved a hand. ‘I do not recall his name.’
‘Harris,’ Arthur said. ‘I have seen him in the Portcullis.’
‘That’s right, dear. It’s a shame you were not able to track down the owners of Fox’s Reach and purchase it yourself, Reuben,’ the countess said. ‘It would make a wonderful dower house for me to retire to after you are married and I cede my position in this household to your countess.’
‘I did try, Mother, but the lawyers who look after Fox’s Reach wouldn’t even tell me the owner’s name, insisting that the property was not for sale. Perhaps now we know why, or we will very soon find out. As to your future accommodation, don’t give it another thought. My own thoughts have not turned in the direction of matrimony, nor are they likely to for some considerable time to come, so you will be needed here.’
‘You are five-and-twenty, my dear,’ the countess replied mildly. ‘It is beyond time that you thought about doing your duty. You need to produce an heir. We have the continuance of the family name to consider.’
