‘l told him I would never sell Rye End Hall lands to him. That is what he wants, what he is scheming to get.’
There was a short silence, then Donna said, ‘I fear you may have to sell some of them to someone. That paper under your hand is the bill of estimate from Mr Watts the builder from Berkhamsted who came last week. It seems there are more roof timbers to replace than we had realised and, of course, we had not allowed for the cost of lead.’ Her voice trailed off as Antonia spread open the paper.
‘It seems a reasonable and honest estimate,’ she said blankly when she had read it through carefully. ‘But you are right, it is quite beyond our means.’ They stared at each other across the table finding nothing to say, the tea cooling between them.
Chapter Six
The gloomy silence was broken by the arrival of young Jem, whistling cheerily. ‘Good day! Is there anything you'd like me to do, Miss? Ma’s sent the eggs you wanted, and Pa thought you might like a look at the Lunnon paper, it got left behind yesterday at the inn.’
Donna pulled herself together with a little shake, thanked Jem for the eggs and paper and hustled him outside to sweep all the paths around the house.
Drearily Antonia unfolded the news sheet which proved to be The Times. For want of anything better to do, she began to scan the advertisements. Young men of good character required posts as secretaries (political gentlemen preferred), any number of aliments would be infallibly cured by one patent medicine after another and drapers offered sharp prices on Irish linens.
Then two notices next to each other caught her eye and she read the advertisement aloud. ‘To be let for six or twelve months certain, a genteel FAMILY HOUSE, handsomely furnished…’ said one and then, ‘A GENTLEMAN, late returned from the East Indies, seeks to LEASE a small country estate within fifty miles of the Capital, comprising both UNFURNISHED HOUSE and PLEASURE GROUNDS. Apply to Rumbold and Gardiner, Solicitors…’
Antonia laid the paper aside with a sigh. That would be one solution, if only she could bear to see strangers at Rye End Hall. Or, of course, if it were in any condition to be leased. If they had anywhere else to live. What had she said to Donna about wishes and horses?
Donna reappeared from the garden, a smile on her face. ‘That Jem is such a good, willing boy. Show him any task and he sets to with a will. Is there anything of interest in the paper, my dear?’
‘I have not yet looked at the news, I was simply running my eye over the advertisements. Listen to this one.’ She read aloud the item concerning the country house required for lease.
‘But that is the very solution to our problem.’ Donna reached for the paper. ‘If you let the house, it would remain in your possession and the rental would allow you to have the repairs done and the grounds set to order.’ She talked on, warming to her theme and Antonia began to feel a flicker of hope. ‘If it were a repairing lease, it would free you from those costs and you could set the fences and land and the tenants’ cottages in order. Then there would be a steady income from those lands as well.’
Perversely, as Donna’s enthusiasm waxed, Antonia’s waned and she began to see disadvantages. ‘How would it appear if I let the house? It would be a clear indication of my poverty. And to see strangers in my home would be so painful. And all the repairs to be done, and the grounds in such disorder – who would look at it?’ And,’ she added, ‘where would we live?’
Donna opened her mouth and then turned to stare at the back door. Jem’s voice could be heard plaintively protesting, ‘But, Your Grace, I’d best tell the mistress you’re here. She won’t like it if – ’
‘l will announce myself.’ Marcus Renshaw stalked into the kitchen past the boy, followed closely by his head keeper, Sparrow, who was dragging a man by the collar.
Antonia found she was on her feet. ‘Your Grace, what is the meaning of this intrusion?’
‘l do apologise for disturbing you in your…’ he cast a cold eye around the homely kitchen, ‘…living room. But I regret it is necessary to deal with this matter immediately.’
He gestured to Sparrow, who pushed his captive forward roughly. ‘This, I believe, is one of your tenants.’
Antonia stepped forward. The man had a bloody nose and the beginnings of a black eye, but she recognised him. ‘Indeed, it is Josiah Wilkins from the cottages at Brook End. Josiah, what has happened to you? Has this person struck you?’
She turned on the gamekeeper, the one who had so impudently manhandled her. ‘You. How dare you come on to my land and assault my tenants?’
‘Sparrow was on my land, Miss Dane, and about the duties for which I pay him.’ The Duke was grim-faced, not yielding an inch.
Antonia turned a contemptuous shoulder on both master and man and spoke to her tenant as calmly as she could. ‘Tell me what occurred, Josiah, and how you came by your injury.’
‘Well, Miss, it was like this,’ he began readily enough, although with a wary eye on the keeper. ‘I was shooting pigeons, like what you said we might, and I got a brace, too, but they came down the wrong side of the brook. I didn’t have my old dog with me, see, so I waded across to pick ’em up and this bullying varmint jumped on me.’
‘You watch your language. I’ve got the measure of you, Josiah Wilkins,’ Sparrow threatened. ‘Who’s to say where you shot those birds? I don’t believe a word of it, Your Grace. All these Wilkinses are a parcel of idle rogues.’
‘Hold your tongue, man,’ Antonia snapped. She remembered with a shudder the keeper’s insinuating touch on her arm. ‘Speak when you are spoken to in my house.’
Sparrow threw her a darkling look and slouched back into the shadows.
‘You may not welcome our intrusion, Miss Dane, but I am sure you will agree that I have every right to detain a poacher, and the man is condemned out of his own mouth.’
‘l agree, you do have every right to apprehend a poacher, Your Grace. However, this man is not a poacher. He was shooting my game, on my land and with my permission. And forgive me, for I imagine my knowledge of the law is not as extensive as yours, but I know he was within his rights to retrieve the birds from your land providing he did no damage.’
‘What nonsense is this?’
‘Kindly moderate your tone, Your Grace.’ She was clearly throwing oil on the flames, but she did not care. ‘All my tenants have my permission to shoot, trap and fish over my land. In the absence of crops in my fields, I harvest whatever my land yields for the benefit of both myself and my people. You were the one who told me to look to my starving tenants, after all.’