Reid was positive he would see Elise today as it was the first working day of the fall harvest. Now that the calendar was solidly into October, it was time to bring in the wheat. Many of the tenants were working together, as was tradition, and he was anxious to join them. He was excited to have a reason to perform manual labor again, having been out of the army for over four years and spending too many hours behind a desk. The next few weeks would be an ideal opportunity to gain the trust and respect of the farmers while deepening his knowledge of land cultivation. Of course, seeing Elise would undoubtably be the best part of his day.
Making his way across the field, Reid couldn’t contain the smile widening his cheeks when he saw Elise among the growing crowd. Jonathan spotted him as he descended an incline and raised his hand in greeting before making his way towards him. The two men met in the middle, sharing a hearty handshake.
“It’s good to see you, my lord,” Jonathan said, gripping his arm affectionately.
“Enough of that, we’ve been through too much together for such formality, please call me Reid.”
“I’m not sure I should be so casual with you in front of the others. How about Captain?” Jonathan suggested as a compromise.
“I think that could work,” Reid said with a grin before slapping him on the back. “How are you settling in? How’s life with Lady Elise?” He was dying to know anything he could about how she was adjusting but tried not to sound too eager.
“It’s been wonderful, I love being here, it’s perfectly situated. My mind is at ease doing good, honest labor and the sea has a calming effect.” Reid was grateful to see Jonathan at peace. Haunted by the war as he was, that had been missing from the young man for far too long. “I can’t thank you enough for thinking of me and Evie, it’s the perfect position for both of us and I think we will be very happy here.”
More tenants were gathering, and once Fairleigh arrived, everyone set to work. Many were astonished that Reid joined them as his father would never have lowered himself by getting his hands dirty, but he relished the work. As the day progressed, though he had known it before, it was obvious that the wheat was not thriving. The yield this year would produce less than many of the tenants needed to sustain themselves, and the high taxes would only exacerbate conditions. Reid knew the estate should be producing much more than it had been for the past several years and understood why his father had looked to sell off what land he could. He didn’t think that was the proper solution, just the easiest one. What the land needed was to be properly cultivated rather than sold off, as the money gained from partitioning would result in greater losses over time with less product available to sell.
“I can see the problems you’ve been telling me about, Fairleigh,” Reid said, sitting down to lunch. “The lands not producing as it should be, and it’s hurting the tenants. What do we need to do to turn this around?”
“Your soil’s no good,” Jonathan stated baldly.
“What do you mean?” he asked. “It’s no different from what was here before.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Fairleigh replied. “The makeup of soil changes over time due to weather and what has been planted in it. Over time, the vegetation will strip the soil of nutrients if they are not replaced with different crops.”
“Why haven’t we been alternating crops?” Reid asked Fairleigh.
“Because it means less wheat is planted overall,” the land manager replied. You need to plant a portion of the land with a different crop each season, rotating around which lots are used for wheat. Your father wanted to capitalize on the high price of wheat and see the immediate results that came from planting all available land with the most profitable crop. He didn’t want to listen about how it would be less lucrative over time.”
Reid grunted in frustration, thinking about how he had wanted to address these types of issues with his father when he was younger, but the man would never let him in. What little he did know regarding agriculture was what Jed had shared with him in his summers between school years, and what he had read before ceasing to indulge his interest out of self-preservation once he moved into the army. “So what’s the best way to fix this?” Reid asked, hating he did not know the answer himself.
“We need to enrich the soil again, and we can only do that by planting a different crop,” Jonathan said. “If you want to turn things around quickly, only half of the land should be used for wheat at the next planting. A cover crop, like clover, should be used on the other half. It will mean a difficult harvest with half yield, but you should be back to the current level by the following year. Once all the land has had a chance to replenish, by year three you should have close to twice the current yield.”
“I like the speed of that plan, but it will be difficult for everyone next year, and I don’t have the funds to make up for the entirety of the loss,” he said in frustration. “We’ll have to move more slowly, a quarter of the land at a time—unless we can find another way to make up for the lost income. Jonathan, what do you think would be best to plant as the cover crop in order to replenish the soil?”
“It would be best to sow native plants that are well suited to our climate in Dorset and that will use different types of nutrients when placed side by side, so they can feed off each other.”
“I had an idea when I was in town with Lady Elise the other day,” Reid said excitedly. “Could part of the land be used for fruits and vegetables? Most of the tenants have neither the space nor time to plant their own gardens, but I’ve seen how much they love Lady Elise’s produce. If we planted a portion of the area with vegetables, it could both improve the soil for future wheat production and provide food for the tenants, helping alleviate the loss of income.”
“It could work,” Jonathan said with a smile. “Not all vegetables would work seasonally, though, as some thrive for years to come when left alone, but others would be good options.”
“Perhaps a smaller portion of the plot could be used to create a permanent vegetable garden for lasting varietals. The tenants would appreciate the food security,” Fairleigh said.
“That’s a good idea, I should ask Lady Elise to help with the planning,” Reid said with a smile as he thought of her.
As they finished their meal and continued planning, Reid felt that, for the first time, maybe he could be a good steward of the land and these people. He used to love learning about agriculture and botany when he was younger, but that passion had been trampled out of him. And while he found a new purpose through his work in Parliament, aspiring to make large scale changes in the fight for the rights of every Englishman, he was starting to wonder if it were possible to help his tenants now and seek lasting change. Maybe both types of work were a part of him, and he just needed to learn how to balance them in the long run.
CHAPTER17
Elise hugged her knees to her chest, sitting on the ground beneath a large oak tree on the edge of the wheat field. Leaning her head back with eyes closed, she tried to soak up the light that was peeking through the cloud cover.
It had been a lovely day to begin the harvest, cool enough that those working would not overheat. And the rain had held off, making it easier to reap the crops. Evie had proven herself to be a true blessing in the last week, helping Elise and the other women provide meals for those working in the fields. Yesterday the two women had baked all day in preparation for the week it would take to clear the land on the estate, and the kitchen was now filled with loaves and pies that would be used to feed the workforce until harvest was over.
Though this was Elise’s third harvest, she had loved every single one. Being in the autumn air was invigorating, and the landscape seemed to glow as the leaves changed to burnished oranges and golden yellows that blanketed the surrounding hedgerows. And just as the clinic provided her with a sense of accomplishment, so too did sharing her stores of preserves and pies with those who worked so hard to make the most of the land that provided for them.
This year felt different, however, as everyone was surprised to see the new earl participating. While it was not completely unheard of for a member of the gentry to dirty their hands by working with the tenants, it was rare enough that she knew Reid’s participation was raising more than a few eyebrows. After feeling neglected by the previous Lord Weston, it was a refreshing change for those tied to the estate to see him taking such an active interest, but many were still cautious in their expectations after being disappointed for so many years.
Elise rather enjoyed the sight of Reid working in the field. She had always found him to be attractive and clearly felt something deeper towards him, but watching him work, becoming dirty and sweaty took the attraction to a new level. Seeing his powerful muscles work as he hauled sheaves around and the way his silver hair shined in the midday sun sent a thrill down her spine. Elise was not the only one affected by the sight as she overheard some of the young ladies giggling at the specter he made. Never mind that the man was at least twice as old as they were, he still cut a fine figure.
Elise reluctantly pushed herself up from the ground as work wound down for the day, making her way over to the dinner table.
