“And they all live in poverty, town and country dwellers alike,” Mrs Edgerton said. “At least the mills and their engines make goods cheaper, and so help those who have little money to make the pennies stretch a bit further.”
“Would you then encourage the farm labourer to go to the nearest town and seek employment there?”
“Perhaps. A man may be better off taking employment from whichever mill owner will pay him the most money, and find his own lodgings, rather than working on a farm with a tied cottage such that a single disagreement with his employer would see him lose his livelihood and his home as well. But in all cases, it is for the employer to ensure his workers are contented. So many of them will pay as little as they can, even though they make vast profits.”
“And how do you make them pay more?” Edward said. “If there is an abundance of workers, wages need not be high. Only if there is a shortage will pay increase.”
“I do not have the answer to that,” Mrs Edgerton said with a sigh. “I should like every family to have enough to live on and a little to spare, and nobody have to depend on the parish for the necessities of life, but I do not know how that is to be achieved.”
“All we can do, those of us who own land and have tenants, is to ensure our rents are fair, and that we offer a helping hand to those who might need it. We cannot fix the world, only our own small part of it.”
Tess was listening intently to the discussion, and now she said, “I think you could do more. Those with moneycan always do more. Why must mill-workers live in cramped accommodation? Why do their employers not build decent housing for them, with a little bit of land to each cottage for vegetable and chickens?”
“That would be expensive,” Edward said frowning.
“But you have money to spare, do you not? It could be a charitable project… orIcould do it!” she cried, an excited smile lighting her face. “I do not need fifty thousand pounds, after all, for my wants are small. I only need a cottage myself—”
“With a drawing room and dining for twenty-four,” Edward said, chuckling.
“Well… a large sort of cottage, certainly, but the rest of my money could be put into something of the sort… decent housing for families.”
“Who would pay rent, so it would be an investment,” he said.
“Oh, yes! So it would.”
She beamed at him happily, and since they were approaching Pickering, the subject was allowed to drop. To Edward’s surprise, the carriages drove directly to Apstead House.
“Should we not secure accommodation first?” he said.
Mrs Edgerton smiled. “Michael has already made arrangements.”
The front door opened, revealing the blond Scotsman, Mr Alexander, and James Neate, who had contrived to reach Pickering before them. Behind them stood two neatly dressed maids. Captain Edgerton dismounted swiftly enough to open the carriage door and assist first his wife and then Tess to alight.
“Since the house is presently uninhabited, I thought you might like to stay here while you are in Pickering,” Edgerton said to Tess.
“Stay here? Am I allowed to?”
“It is your house, Miss Nicholson,” he said gravely.
“Is it? This is not a part of my inheritance that Uncle Charles will take from me?”
“My understanding is that he will take what is owed to him in gold bars, and you may have the house and everything within it. Which you may choose to sell, if you have no need for it.”
“Or I could live in it,” she said, her face alight with enthusiasm. “It is the size of a large cottage, is it not?”
Edward laughed, although Edgerton looked mystified.
“Only if your trustees agree,” he said quickly. “Sandy, have you acquired a cook?”
“In a manner of speaking,” the Scotsman said. “Ye’ll have a good dinner, Michael. Come away in. Yer attracting some attention from the neighbours.”
It was true that a little crowd had gathered to watch the arrival of two carriages, laden with luggage, outside Apstead House, where such occurrences had not been commonplace. The watchful neighbours were no doubt aware that the ladies of the house had fled in the night, after which a number of men had come each day, and now it seemed there would be people staying there, perhaps living there. Naturally they were curious.
Edward crossed the road to the largest group of onlookers. “Good day to you all! I am Lord Tarvin. I shall be staying at Apstead House for a day or two.”
“Is it your house now?” one of the crowd called out.
“Not mine, no. You see the young lady in black? Miss Nicholson. It is her house now.”
