The conversation was the oddest Cammy could remember. Incredibly, Tori behaved as if this was just an ordinary man, using the same tone and words she might use with Huckabee. Cammy marveled, knowing she herself would babble incoherently if he looked down at her. No, actual words left Tori's lips: "We don't need your charity. We're fine."
His brow creased. "I would hope your estate would help mine if I needed it."
I'd help, Cammy's mind cried.
As if he heard her, he turned in her direction. His eyes widened, then focused on hers.
"It's incidental whether I would help or not," Tori rejoined. "We don't need your assistance now."
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, seeming at a loss for words. Finally, in a low voice, he said, "Regardless, I will return." He wasn't looking at Tori when he said the last, having never taken his eyes from Cammy.
Twenty-seven
Sell the books, milady?" Mrs. Huckabee asked in a choked voice. "Many are antique first editions."
Tori sighed. "Then sell them, but charge extra. Every one that doesn't have to do with business or commerce. I suppose I'm going to need those directly."
In fact, once Huckabee returned from selling the jewels, Tori began wading through those tomes, studying business and negotiating as diligently as a young lady preparing for her first season. The Huckabees also advised that she study sheep farming because, as they related to her horror, they didn't have anyone in charge of the wool operations.
"When the man quit, we couldn't find another to hire on," Huckabee explained. "I took up the books, but the truth is--I just don't know sheep. Crops, yes. Sheep, no."
"So no one here knows about sheep farming?"
"The villagers do, but they don't know the business end."
"We've got to find someone. Place an advertisement or something. Find me a sheep man!"
And during this time, when she wasn't having Huckabee point out everything--anything--that could be converted into money without affecting future production, she was following Gerald Shepherd around. As he fed and examined the ewes, she clomped about in her borrowed heavy boots and peppered him with questions. One thing that struck her in particular was that the sheep didn't act very...sheepish.
In fact, she would swear she'd heard one growl.
When asked about them, Gerald answered, "'Pon my word, we dunno how that came about. Even the lambs can make some of the smaller dogs skittish. Confounds the poor pups."
Gerald scratched his shaggy beard and Tori gawked as they stared out over the nearest field--a dozen sheep were climbing atop the stone walls that were supposed to fence them in, using them as walkways.
"Nicole!" Amanda called, shaking a letter in the air. "The earl of Belmont passed away a week ago." She ran down the lawn to where Nicole and Nanny had spread a blanket to play with Geoff after breakfast.
"What?" Nicole jumped up. "Why didn't they say anything?" Last week, they'd received a missive saying that Tori and Cammy were settling in just fine.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
Nicole turned to Nanny. "Will you be all right?" Amanda heard the Scot burring in an amused tone about the wee bairn being such a doddle so not to fash yerself.
Amanda was mystified when Nicole nodded in understanding. She gave Geoff a quick kiss before she and Amanda stormed to the carriageway. Amanda asked, "You or I?"
"Me. Carriage!"
When the two rolled into the overgrown gravel drive of the Court, they saw the oddest thing. Tori dug in the dirt, then ran around the corner of the home, then back to her excavation site. With a swift glance at each other, Amanda and Nicole descended from the just halted carriage and followed.
"I don't care what you have to do, do it!" Tori shouted. "The stone's not important. Just get that iron out. Does it look like I care about how this place looks?" she asked with a wave of her hand, indicating the walled rose gardens of the estate that were now tilled, hoed, and in the process of being planted. With crops.
The girl, who before had only had eyes for Grant, was now a self-sure woman.
And a tyrant.
"Ahem."
Tori whirled around. "Nicole! Lady Stanhope!" She greeted her friends, then sighed. "I suppose you heard?" When they nodded, she said only, "It's a long story." She was saved from further explanation when Cammy arrived to welcome them.
"Cammy, will you take them up to tea?" Tori asked in a distracted voice. "I've got to get this iron out today or we won't get paid."
"Certainly," she said with a light smile, but it was clear Cammy was worried.
Amanda and Nicole made small talk as Cammy showed them inside to a sitting room. Only four chairs, a tea caddy, and a small table occupied the vacant, echoing room, and large squares of unfaded wallpaper stood out on the walls indicating sacrificed paintings.
The three settled the chairs so they could watch Tori lead the horse pulling at the wrought iron gate.
"Please tell us what is happening here," Amanda said.
Cammy started the tea in a chipped service. "It's not as bad--"
"Don't sugarcoat it, Cammy," Nicole interrupted in a no-nonsense voice.
"Very well. It's been awful." The cup and saucer she held out to Amanda shook in her hand. "For days after the funeral, Tori cried, cried enough to break your heart. She lost her grandfather and then was going to lose her new home to this awful mortgagor even if Grant never got around to claiming it. She felt so betrayed because Gr--" She broke off. "Because she was taken back here and then, in her mind, abandoned."
Amanda shot Nicole a look.
Then all three peered out to see Tori shouting something, brow drawn in concentration. Like a shot, the iron gave, launching her backward in a heap of skirts. The women tensed to run to her, but Tori sprang up with a laughing squeal, grass radiating out from her hair and the back of her dress. She skipped to Huckabee and slapped the man on the back.
"Anyway." Cammy faced them again. "That night, she just snapped out of it. She was no longer sad. Just very, very angry. She sent Huckabee to sell her grandmot
her's jewels that her grandfather hadn't been able to part with. She sold saddles. She's been selling everything that isn't nailed down."
When Cammy paused, they all peeked out to see Tori directing workers with strong arm movements.
"It still wasn't enough. So she..." Cammy bit her lip.
"Go on," Nicole prompted.
"She sold her mother's wedding ring."
"Oh, God," Nicole whispered over Amanda's gasp.
"Why didn't she contact us?" Amanda demanded. "Why didn't you?"
"Because she knew you'd give her money," Cammy said simply. "Tori's very proud. Plus, she didn't want Grant to know the earl had died. She wanted to prepare herself so she could fight his claim--"
"But Grant told us he gave it up," Amanda said.
"He told Tori that, but there was a contract," Cammy pointed out. "Tori can't see how he would just dismiss something he'd worked toward for so long. I believe Grant, but his behavior is rather puzzling."
"Unless he was in love," Nicole pointed out. "He might not even have known it."
At luncheon, Nicole explained Grant's absence to Tori and Cammy. "Grant set off to find Ian. Apparently, he was taken by a crimp gang."
Tori's eyes went wide. "Poor Ian! I can't believe he's going right back out to sea. What can I do?"
"With any luck, Grant will find him and bring him back," Nicole assured her. "And you know how meticulous Grant is."
"So he had a reason for not coming by?" Tori asked.
Nicole nodded happily.
"Then why didn't he send word? Why didn't he tell me about Ian?"
Nicole's nod stilled. "He probably didn't want to worry you. From what I understand, you and Ian became friends?"
"Yes, we did."
"And apparently Ian gets into scrapes. Sometimes there are embarrassing situations that Grant's always managed to keep under wraps."
Tori tried not to sound too hopeful when she asked, "Did Grant tell you to tell me anything before he left?"
Nicole scratched her inner elbow. "Not specifically. But it was damn well implied."
Tori frowned at her.