‘Nearly finished, I see. With the accounts, I mean.’
‘Oh, yes, won’t be long now, and I shan’t lie, I will be glad to see the end of them.’
‘Quite an achievement.’
‘Thank you, Mr Brown, very kind of you.’
‘I wish to apologise, Mrs Hardwicke,’ he said, after the moment of awkward silence which had followed his compliment. ‘About this morning.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t follow.’
‘His Lordship, you see, he asked for my thoughts. On you...’
‘I see. Mr Brown, please do not trouble yourself.’
‘On the contrary, Mrs Hardwicke,’ he said proudly. ‘I meant no trouble. You and I may not have begun well—however, the opinions I expressed to His Lordship were nothing but positive. I may not have agreed with your chosen course, but I’ve watched you put so much care and devotion into restoring Thornhallow. I’ve seen how proud the others are once again to be a part of this place. To be a part of what you have started. You have not balked at any point upon realising the Herculean nature of the task you set yourself—which, in all honesty, I believed you would. I, too, wish to be a part of your worthy endeavour. Any assistance I may provide you, please do tell me.’
‘I...I don’t quite know what to say, Mr Brown,’ Rebecca managed after a moment. The butler’s kind words and the loyalty he was demonstrating were rather unsettling.
You’ve won him over after all...
‘Thank you. I shall welcome your assistance. But, please, in regard to His Lordship, think no more of it. I could never believe you would intentionally cause trouble, whatever your opinions. I disregarded his orders knowingly; he had every right to upbraid me.’
‘You must not be too hard on him, Mrs Hardwicke,’ Mr Brown said with a faint smile. ‘He has a rather volatile temper, but beneath the overbearing exterior, despite any tales you might have heard... He is a good man.’
‘You have known him all his life, have you not, Mr Brown?’
The butler nodded, clearly slightly perplexed by the question.
‘As has Mrs Murray. Tim has known him since he was a boy. I like to think that a master capable of such things as I’ve heard would not inspire such devotion and loyalty.’ Rebecca smiled. ‘I do not set any score by gossip, Mr Brown. Or I wouldn’t be here.’
Any doubts she might have harboured in the darkest recesses of her soul regarding the truth of those rumours had been quashed when she’d first set eyes on the Earl. She knew evil, and there was none in that man.
‘Why are you here, Mrs Hardwicke?’
‘To do what any servant does. Set this house to rights, in any way I can.’
The old butler studied her thoughtfully for a long moment, his piercing grey eyes twinkling in the candlelight. Finally he inclined his head, ever so slightly, and rose.
‘You have my respect, Mrs Hardwicke, and my loyalty. Know that.’
‘Goodnight, Mr Brown,’ Rebecca said, swallowing the lump in her throat.
‘Goodnight, Mrs Hardwicke.’
His words, not spoken lightly, had touched her. It wasn’t so much that she felt she’d finally managed to pierce his thick armour of propriety, it was that she knew he respected her, and wanted to be a part of her plans. Throughout the years Rebecca had worked alongside many different people. She had served with eight butlers, most of whom had been professional and polite, but none of whom she’d felt proud to be respected by. It made her heart swell, and gave her a surge of courage. The courage to face anything.
Even these pesky numbers...
Feeling revived, and not wanting to waste the new candle, Rebecca turned her attention once again to the ledgers, the slight smile on her lips refusing to disappear.
Right, now, where was I?
Chapter Four
Over the next two weeks the weather turned even more towards winter, with gales, storms and an increasingly bitter cold slowly overthrowing the brisk but enjoyable autumn days. It somehow made the house feel warmer. More inviting than Liam had ever felt it to be. Or perhaps, it was the indomitable Mrs Hardwicke, and her seemingly mystical ability to bring warmth and light wherever she went.
He hadn’t seen much of her since she had come to his study and presented him with the reconciled accounts for the past ten years. The smile of proud satisfaction on her face as she piled them high on his desk for review had nearly made him laugh. Not quite the reaction she’d expected, he sensed.
