Page 90 of How to Ruin a Rake

“But you’ll be in London, which means that all the work will fall to me,” Allegra said.

“Good lord, woman, are you so desperate for me to leave?”

“I’m only saying—”

He spoke over her. “I’m too tired to have this discussion again. All I ask is that you do not take it upon yourself to alert my father to the circumstances we find ourselves in.”

“Fine.” Allegra flounced over onto her side. “Good night, my lord.”

Max blew out the candle, and they were plunged into the sort of velvety darkness only the countryside could provide. Allegra didn’t have long to fume over Max’s orders, because sleep claimed her in an instant and she knew nothing more.

Max woke up early and got out of the enormous bed. It was so large that his wife might as well have been in a different county. He put on the clothes Claude had laid out for him and went down the main staircase. He wished he could say that the house looked better in the bright sunlight, but that would be a lie. In truth, it looked a lot worse.

Mrs. Smith was already in the kitchen, and she curtsied when Max came in. “Would you care for some tea, my lord? I just made a pot.”

“Thank you. I’ll help myself.” Max sat down at the table and poured himself a large earthenware mug of tea.

“I have bacon and eggs for breakfast if you want them?” Mrs. Smith inquired.

“Yes, please.”

The smell of bacon sizzling in the pan revived his spirits momentarily. Today some of the old staff would arrive at the house, and Allegra would want to find a housekeeper. Max had also been told about several men on the outlying farms who had previously worked in the stables. As they rarely came into the village, he’d have to visit each farm and inquire not only as to the state of the holding, but whether any of them wished to return to work.

There was a lot to do. Max had never been a proponent of hard work, but he’d have to learn how to exert himself rather quickly. Allegra’s assumption that he’d immediately hare off to London, leaving her to do everything, had stung. But it was his house, and obviously, it had once been lovely. For the first time in his life, he wanted to make something beautiful again.

“Your breakfast, my lord.” Mrs. Smith put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him, and his mouth watered. “I’ll just get your toast.”

Anne came down while he was eating and requested a breakfast tray for Allegra, which suited Max just fine. He had a lot to accomplish, and he knew his wife well enough to guess she’d be more than happy to manage not only all the necessary tasks, but him as well.

“Mrs. Smith,” Max asked. “Do you recall exactly where Mr. Cobbins decided to store the furniture from the house?”

“Yes, my lord. There’s an old, thatched building behind the stables that was once used as a tithe barn. I know he stored a lot of things out there.”

“Do you know why he chose to remove the furniture in the first place?”

“Originally he claimed it was because he needed the rooms cleared for refurbishment purposes, but as he did nothing of the sort, I think he wanted to be able to steal the pieces he wanted to sell without anyone realizing.”

“I’ll go and take a look after I’ve been to the stables.” Max stood up. “Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious.”

Mrs. Smith blushed. “I can do much better than that, my lord. You wait until we have the dining room restored to its proper purpose.”

Max went out into the bright sunshine and walked across the cobbled yard to the stables, where he hoped to find his coachman, Bennet, and head groom, Scott. He spent a few minutes looking over his horses and then went to find them.

“How is everything?” Max asked. “Did you find somewhere to sleep?”

“Yes, the coachman’s house was in good order, my lord, so we both slept there,” Bennet said.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“From what I’ve heard from the grooms, the stables were maintained in better order than the house, my lord,” Bennet said. “There’s plenty of hay, feed, and a good water supply.”

“Thank God,” Max said. “At least Cobbins did something right.”

“We’ll need more staff if you intend to bring your London stable down here, my lord,” Scott spoke up. “We can manage the four horses we have, but not much more.”

“I agree,” Max said. “I think we’ll wait to send for the rest until we are certain we can provide them with the best care.” He paused. “I might need you both to help with certain matters in the house until I can employ a full staff.”

“That’s quite all right, my lord,” Bennet said, and Scott nodded. “We’re more than willing to help.”