Thomas choked as he swallowed his bite of eggs. He was back in England. The blissful holiday from his financial affairs and responsibilities was now over. “Very good, Hibbert. I shall come at once.”
The butler bowed and his face looked pained.
“Is there something else, Hibbert?”
The older man shook his head. “You are an earl, my lord. You should finish your breakfast. Your man of business should wait upon your pleasure.”
Thomas stood up and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I wish that were so, Hibbert, but that world, I think, is now gone. I am as much at Mr. Merrill’s mercy as he is in mine.”
The butler’s implacable expression was back in place. “Very good, my lord.”
Thomas patted the man’s shoulder and then regretted it. He’d meant to show affection and gratitude, but the look on Hibbert’s face was shock. Thomas had allowed the more casual manners from America to affect his behavior. He walked slowly to the library, tripping over the tears in the carpet. He and Cordelia could not update Ashdown fast enough.
Opening the door, he saw a man probably in his thirties standing by the window. His hair was black and slicked back, with hints of gray at the temples. His forehead was rather short and his dark eyes small, giving his face a pinched look.
Mr. Merrill bowed to him.
Thomas returned the motion before gesturing with his hand for the man to be seated. “Mr. Merrill, how good it is to meet you. I have heard from my mother and my staff that you have been a godsend to Ashdown.”
The man smiled and his small eyes practically disappeared into his face. “I am pleased that my work has met your approval, my lord.”
Thomas took a seat behind a desk, conscious of his young age. He did not know what he was supposed to do next. Drumming his fingers against the mahogany, he smiled self-consciously.
“Have all of my father’s debts been paid in full?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And all the outstanding tradesmen’s bills?”
Mr. Merrill laughed. “Indeed, my lord, or you would not have fresh food in the abbey. Nearly every local tradesman had not been paid in many years.”
Thomas could only nod, the shame turning in his stomach. His family had eaten but not bothered to pay for their food. He hoped that others had not gone hungry because of his family’s mismanagement.
“After the wedding, my father-in-law gave me some sound advice on how to make the estate more profitable.”
Mr. Merrill pulled a small notebook and a pen out of his interior jacket pocket. “Yes, my lord?”
Thomas swallowed heavily. “He suggested that, with the poor harvests lately, it would be in our best interest to farm the home field with several different crops, then take on cattle in one section, and if there is a good place, plant an orchard…That way if any of our crops fail, we will have diversified our holdings and be able to weather poor years better.”
“Very sound ideas, my lord,” Mr. Merrill said. “Shall I have a draftsman make out a map of the estate, and then we can discuss where it would be best to locate your new projects?”
“Excellent,” Thomas said, and then bit his lip. He felt like he was playing at being a grown-up. He had no idea what he was supposed to say or do.
Hibbert opened the door to the library and announced, “Lady Farnham.”
It wasn’t his mother but Cordelia. Thomas got to his feet as she swept into the room in shining magnificence. To use Cook’s phrase, Cordelia was looking all “silk-gownified.” Her dress was midnight-blue and it shimmered with every step. Her gorgeous hair was piled on top of her head and her smile dazzled. She was bright, new, and beautiful. His wife appeared out of place in his shabby abbey.
“Mr. Merrill, may I introduce my wife, Lady Farnham.”
The estate manager blinked his small eyes, as if stunned by her. He recovered himself quickly and gave her a sharp bow. The man was rewarded with one of Cordelia’s brilliant smiles and her outreached hand. He hesitated a moment before shaking it.
“I hope that I haven’t intruded.”
“Not at all,” Thomas said, and he was about to pull her up a chair, when she found a perch on his desk. He sat down beside her and breathed in her intoxicating French perfume.
“I assume you were talking about the estate.”
“Yes, my lady.”
