“I would do so if I had the slightest idea who he might be, but I am not acquainted with anyone of that name.”
“Acquainted! I do not believe he is a person one would beacquaintedwith. He has the air of a tradesman about him.”
Edward raised delicately arched eyebrows. “And what is a tradesman doing bouncing all over the north of England looking for me? He has been here twice, and to Corland once, and at one point he was sent to York.”
“Well, Jeffries sent him back to Corland,” Lady Tarvin said. “I must say, it is most intriguing, Edward. What on earth can the man want? Whatever it is, he is most determined to see you, and he will not write any message for you. Jeffries even suggested he might care to talk to an attorney, and make his approach that way, but he would have none of it.”
“Whoever he is and whatever he wants, we do not want him here,” Mrs Harfield said firmly. “Edward, dear, ring for the tea, will you, and perhaps then we might have a rubber or two of whist before bed, if that would amuse you.”
He did not look as if it would amuse him at all, but perhaps he had no more energy for fighting, for he tamely agreed to it at once, and for the rest of the evening not a syllable of consequence was uttered.
26: Myercroft
The next morning, Edward took rather a stiff leave of his mother, and once again handed Tess into the carriage. Tess had to admit that her mother was right — Edward’s luxurious travelling carriage was a great deal more comfortable than travelling post. Betty always settled into her seat with a sigh of pure satisfaction, and the baronial arms painted on the door not only afforded them priority on the road, but ensured that they received instant attention from the ostlers at every posting house.
There was no change of horses needed on this journey, for Myercroft was but a few miles from the Priory. They stopped first, however, at Holly Cottage for Edward to talk to his aunt about Tostig, and explain his proposals for the boy.
“I hope you will consider the girls, too,” Tess said as the carriage rolled smoothly along. “They could benefit from a proper governess.”
Edward frowned. “I do not believe there is room in that house for another female.”
“There are rooms in the attic, and a school room, of a sort.”
“I shall discuss it with Aunt Joan, another item to add to the long list of items to be discussed.”
“Shall we arrive at Myercroft this month, do you suppose?” Tess murmured as they turned into the drive of Holly Cottage.
She was rewarded with the glimmer of a smile from Edward. “I shall be as quick as I can,” he said. “Will you come inside? There will be a fire to warm you.”
“I am not cold,” she said, for although the morning had begun with a sharp frost, the sun was now shining enticingly. “I shall walk about the gardens, I think, to stretch my legs. I will not go far, not beyond hailing distance.”
He nodded, the smile widening a fraction. “I wish I could go with you. Enjoy the sunshine.”
It was a welcome sign that his mood was improving.
There was nothing in bloom in the wilderness of a garden. The flower beds were choked with weeds, and the crunch of the path under Tess’s boots owed more to fallen leaves than to the gravel beneath. Tess recalled the neatness of the grounds at Apstead House, and Mrs Mayberry’s enthusiastic work with a trowel, but there was no sign of interest in the gardens here. A strip of lawn was more mud than grass, and in the distance was something that might once have been a pond, but was now so overgrown that it was hard to make out at all. As she turned a corner, she saw a lone gardener tending the vegetables.
Still, it was pleasant to walk in the crisp autumn air, the sun adding enough warmth that even Betty, following dutifully behind, had nothing to grumble about.
Of course, her thoughts turned instantly to Edward, who seemed to have accepted her rejection finally, and was now turning to his heir. How sensible of him to— Sensible! What was happening to her? Here she was, a person who had always revelled in her own idiosyncrasies, admiring Edward for takingthe sensible option! She, who tried never to be sensible if it interfered with her comfort. If she were sensible, she would never even have thought of marrying Tom or Ulric. The sensible course would have been to marry Edward. But then, if she had been sensible, she would never have set her sights on Ulric, Edward would not have come tearing up from London to protect his cousin, and they would never have been thrown together. What a strange, dull life it would be, if she were sensible.
She had seen enough of the unkempt garden and made her way back to the carriage. Edward arrived shortly afterwards with Mrs Jack clinging to his arm, crying piteously. He shook her off, not unkindly but firmly, made his farewell and the carriage set off for Myercroft.
“Is she upset at the prospect of Tostig being sent away to school?” Tess said.
Edward’s face softened into a tiny smile. “Oh no. She is quite happy for me to spend money on her sons. She is cross because she has not been invited to Myercroft.”
“Why has she not been invited?”
The smile broadened. “Because she steals things.”
That made Tess laugh. “Oh dear. Although it was her home for many years, so I suppose she regards the contents as hers.”
“That is a generous interpretation. She is a grasping avaricious woman who will destroy Ulric’s inheritance if left unchecked.”
“I depend upon you to check her,” Tess said.
He only grunted.
