She laughed.“And you think I do?”
He raised his eyebrows and cast her a knowing smile.“Don’t you?”
“Yes, but only because my uncle and his wife kept a vegetable garden and raised a few cows and chickens on their property.Some of the Hester relatives happen to be farmers, too.I’ve been to their grain mill once or twice.But you have an estate manager to oversee the farms and dairy, and any other Davenport operations.Your Mr.Carver is solid and reliable.I have known him forever.I’m sure he will instruct you in all you need to know.”
His smile broadened.“Perhaps, but he won’t be as pretty as you.”
She laughed again.“I should hope not.Mr.Carver is a sturdy, barrel-chested fellow, and one of the most capable men you will ever meet.”
“See, you knew this and I did not.How do you know him?”
“He grew up in Burnham and went to school with my mother and her brother, William Hester.Uncle William and Mr.Carver stayed quite friendly over the years.He’s a good soul.You only need ask him a question and he will answer truthfully.”
“That eases my mind greatly.See, you are already proving yourself to be invaluable to me.”
She smiled and shook her head.“Mr.Carver is the one to be appreciated.You could not ask for a better man.I think this is one of the first things you ought to do, have him walk you around the properties and inspect what is going on.He will be happy to do it.And if you wish to sit on a milking stool and milk a cow, or take a basket into the chicken coop and collect eggs, he won’t stop you,” she teased.
“But I do want to learn these things,” Alex said in earnest.
“And I would love to watch you make your first attempts,” she said with a soft trill of laughter.“Well, that is up to you.But if you were to ask me, I think you should concentrate on reviving the Davenport cheese works first.”
“Why that?”
The sidewalks were heating up as the day grew warmer, but Tulip did not seem to mind walking beside him.
In truth, she seemed to be enjoying their walk immensely.
Perhaps it was that they were finally having an extensive conversation, something she had avoided doing with him for months.
It felt nice to have a pleasant chat with her and not experience the disappointment of watching her run away from him as though he were an ogre.
The Davenport ogre.
“Have you never heard of the Davenport cheeses?”she asked.
“No.”He had made it a point to stay away from his family and not stick his nose in anything remotely connected to them.
“Your estate was once known for its excellent cheddars.That cheese-making process originated in the nearby town of Cheddar itself.The Davenport dukes had extensive holdings there, too.So, you also adopted the name of the town for your cheeses.”
He grunted in surprise.
“But the Davenports stopped making their cheeses about twenty years ago.I was but a newborn at the time, so I do not know what happened.I’ve only been told that they abruptly stopped production.Mr.Carver will know, for certain.I heard it was a profitable operation at one time.Your great grandfather was the Davenport duke just before your grandfather inherited and it is said he had some business acumen.Unfortunately, he also happened to be a big gambler.”
“So was my grandfather.”
She nodded.“Yes, your grandfather was certainly an eccentric character.Mr.Carver claims he was also a very smart man, but something happened around that time and it changed him.”
“What was it?”
“Mr.Carver didn’t know.All he ever said was that your grandfather began to live life heedlessly and spent whatever came in rather than amassing his fortune or protecting it for future generations.”
“There’s a surprise,” Alex muttered sarcastically.
Tulip grimaced and continued.“The dukes that followed were no better.Your grandfather, despite his dissolute ways, tried to keep the farms and dairy going.But there was never enough money to properly maintain them, or so Mr.Carver would complain to us.Many of those assets are still going, but I don’t know for how long.The cheese production has stopped completely, as I mentioned.It was the first to go under.Other businesses run by the Davenports have had to close down since then.Not that any of the subsequent dukes cared.I think one of the first things you must do is take a close look at each asset and determine what is needed to revive it.”
“Tulip, do you realize that your eyes shine when you speak of Somerset and the Davenport estate?”
“No, I hadn’t.But I do love Somerset and I have missed it.”She looked up at him again.“I cannot believe I will be returning there as your duchess.My friends will have quite the laugh.Are you going to demand they refer to me as Your Grace?”
