Caroline stopped and turned to face him, suddenly serious. “Please do not make light of their circumstances. They cannot know if you mean to sack them or increase their wages. The life of a servant is precarious and often decided on the whim of an employer.Everyoneon your estate is loyal and their priority is seeing that Wyndview Farm not only produces the best wine, but that every other aspect is successful as well. They have a mind to increase the earnings and eliminate waste, not only for you, but because it is also their home and they take pride in their duties. As you have never had to worry where your next meal may come from or where you might live, you cannot understand their concerns when the absentee owner of an estate suddenly makes an appearance seven years after he inherited that estate.”
Sterling sobered. Not only had Caroline’s impassioned speech taken him aback, as if she had a personal stake in what happened, butshe had also humbled him. Perhaps she was more sensitive to their plight because she was forced to return to her father because she had no means to support a child.
He really should be more considerate and sensitive and would begin doing so now.
Then maybe everyone at the estate would not fear him so much.
*
Caroline surprised herselfwith the emotional speech to Sterling, but he needed to understand what he so easily disregarded.
“You are correct,” he said after a moment. “I should have realized…”
“Lords usually do not give much consideration to those in their household so long as there is no upset,” she explained and knew it to be the truth. Or at least that was what she had observed when she was in London and how her own grandfather treated those who worked for him.
“Do you think it would make a difference if I said anything?”
Was he truly so concerned that his servants may fear him? “I do not think that is necessary.”
“They do not leave the room the moment you walk in, or keep their eyes down, and not speak in your presence. It is all rather disconcerting if you must know the truth.”
She supposed there could be several reasons. One being they didn’t want to be asked questions that Caroline would not want them to answer. “They likely only need time to become used to you,” she finally suggested.
“I may be gone by then.”
“At least they will then know you are not a horrid employer.” She shrugged.
“I suppose,” he said quietly.
She would have never guessed that when he arrived that Sterling cared about being liked.
Maybe it wasn’t so much liked as he didn’t want to be feared.
“Mrs. Sutcliffe, Lord Wyndham.”
They both turned to find Kaya hurrying toward them. Caroline hoped that Malik had told her the news and that she wasn’t here to beg for Sterling’s permission.
“Thank you, Lord Wyndham,” she gushed after she quickly curtseyed and then turned to Caroline. “The wedding is to be today.”
“So soon?” she asked in surprise.
“We need to return to Wyndview Farm tomorrow. Who knows when we will return and Malik and I want to be wed now, and in front of our family.”
“Then I am happy for you,” Caroline replied. What more could she say?
“Promise you will be there.” She turned to Sterling. “And you too, of course, Lord Wyndham, that is, if you would like to, but I understand it…that is…it is presumptuous of me.”
“I will be happy to attend your wedding,” he finally said, much to Caroline’s relief because she feared Kaya was about to dissolve into a puddle for even speaking to Sterling, but she had been so excited that the words were likely out before she realized that an earl usually does not attend the wedding of a servant.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The wedding andfollowing celebration, which was not a wedding breakfast, was unlike anything Sterling had ever witnessed.
The bride and groom had said their vows on the steps ofMoederkerk,the Dutch Reform Church, surrounded by family and friends. They were then escorted to a field where chairs and tables had been placed, the latter loaded with food. After everyone had eaten, the musicians set up and began to play with everyone dancing as it grew dark. Then torches were lit and more food and drink were loaded on the tables.
There was freedom and happiness. Distant relations approached not only to greet Sterling but to reminisce about their childhood, sharing stories. Memories came flooding back and he ached for what had been and wished he could be nothing more than the keeper of Wyndview Farm, not the Earl of Wyndham.
He was told that the feast had been planned for him as soon as he arrived so that he could visit with family, a celebration of his return, even if it was only a visit. It had become a wedding celebration instead but he did not mind because it would have been odd to have a celebration just because he had visited Stellenbosch.
