Two mouths dropped open.
“It will not be easy, but I am prepared to advance you a small loan which I hope will get you started and with luck render the farmhouse liveable over the winter.” She returned to her seat and leaned the cane up beside it, sitting and folding her hands in her lap. “There should be enough for a couple of cows if you can find some at a fair price, and seed too, but planting this year? Probably not. So I would suggest the first thing would be to repair the house, grow whatever you can in the way of late vegetables, and perhaps set up a hen house. Chickens seem to be in ready supply and are easily bred.”
Two pairs of eyes remained fixed on her face.
“What say you? I am not offering much, I’m afraid, but with hard work and luck, you might be able to make a go of it…”
“Ma’am,” sputtered Harvey. “I don’t know what to say…”
“Me neither, Miss Ridlington,” agreed Digby. “’Tis more than we could have hoped for…”
“I want to return Doireann Vale to its former health, gentlemen. I see signs of the estate it used to be, and I believe it can return to that condition with the help of the right people. Should you be able to work that farm, then I will ask that you regard yourselves as Doireann Vale tenants, until such time as you have provided us with fair and equal amounts of grains, meat and other supplies that will equal the value of farm. At which time it will become yours. I will still expect provisions, and the land will still belong to the Vale, but the farm will be yours.”
“You mean we’llownthe farm? Not just work it?” Harvey struggled.
“I do,” nodded Hecate. “There are several more farms that could use fresh blood. But now is not the right time to look at each of them and talk to the farmers, since none of us can control this damned weather.” She glanced out of the window at the grey skies. “It won’t be easy. But it could be worthwhile…”
“Ma’am, if you’re serious, then yes. Yes, indeed. We’ll do it.” Digby’s voice broke.
“We will indeed, Ma’am. We’ll give you the best farm we can, and the best in the county if the sun ever shines.” Harvey’s eyes glistened. “Thank you. You’ve saved our lives, you know.”
“She does that a lot, I’m coming to realise,” grinned Finn.
“I will ask Dal to attend to the financial end of things for you,” she said. “He will let you know when the matter is done. In the meantime, if you’d prefer to stay here…”
“You’ve done too much already, Miss Ridlington,” said Harvey with a small bow. “I think I speak for both of us when I say that right at this moment, we can’t wait to get to this farm.” He looked at Digby. “Ourfarm.”
“SabrageFarm,” Digby grinned.
“An unusual name?” Hecate raised an eyebrow.
“But an appropriate one,” Finn interjected. “Sabrageis the act of opening a champagne bottle with a sabre. A feat, I might add, that is the specialty of the Hussars. The rest of us pop the cork off like everyone else.”
Hecate held back her snort. “Then Sabrage Farm it shall be.”
Cheers and back-slapping took place, followed by a period of awkward and profound expressions of gratitude she waved away. “You’ll work hard, sirs. Don’t thank me yet.”
Finally, they took their leave, and she smiled at the sound of excitement in their voices. A far cry from the sense of desolation which had surround them a scant hour or so before.
“You are an angel in their eyes, now, you know.” Finn came back into the room after seeing the two new farmers on their way. “A guardian angel.” He retook his seat and sneaked a biscuit from the tray. “Is that to be your lot in life, Hecate? Ministering to those in need?”
“You make me sound like a nun, Finn.” Flustered at his comment, she shifted in her chair.
“And we both know you’re not,” he smiled gently. “You kiss much too enthusiastically to be cloistered away.”
“I-I do?”
“Mmm hmm.” His smile was pure Irish charm, his blue eyes filled with laughter as he watched her confusion.
“Well then.” She swallowed.
He rose and gathered the tea things. “I’ll take this down to Mrs. Trimmer. No sense in her rushing around when I need the exercise.”
“All right.” It was a weak response, but he’d caught her off guard. Again.
These flirtatious moments had to stop. They were unnerving, and she liked them far too much.
