“Who is Mr. Dawkins?”
“He is your neighbor to the west. He owns Huntsby Grange.”
“Send him in.”
It would be nice to meet a neighbor. Jasper Dawkins entered, a large grin on his face. The gentleman looked to be close to his age, but several inches taller, with blond hair that was almost white and bright blue eyes. Heath extended his hand in greeting.
“How do you do, Mr. Dawkins? I’m Heath Foster.” As usual, he’d forgotten the “sir” part. He’d never get used to that.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m Jasper Dawkins. I was coming home from Dover and thought I would stop by to introduce myself.”
“That is most kind, thank you. Please have a seat. Would you like a drink?”
“Certainly.”
Heath went to the sideboard, which he had already frequented earlier in the afternoon, and poured them each a whiskey.
“How are you finding Stokesby Manor?” Jasper asked as he sipped his drink. “Rumor has it your grandfather was the black sheep of the family. Forsook the family name and went out on his own.”
“Yes, he became a farmer.” Heath sipped his drink. “Unfortunately, neither he nor my father informed us about his titled background. I don’t even know if my mother knew. I grew up in Derby. My sister and her husband are there working the family farm.”
“It must have come as a shock to discover you have a title and an estate.”
“It will take some getting used to.”
“You were a soldier, correct?”
Heath raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Jasper chuckled. “Word travels fast, no matter where you are, but it seems to travel particularly fast in the country.” He held up his glass in salute before drinking.
Heath would have to be careful with what he said to whom, if that was the case. “Yes, I was in the Navy, but was sent home from New Zealand after my injury.” He tapped his leg and nodded toward the cane. “A bullet and I had a disagreement, and unfortunately, it won.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“I was luckier than others.” Heath’s thoughts went to his friends from the hospital. Hopefully, they were all settling into their new lives.
For the remainder of the afternoon, the men fell into a comfortable conversation. Heath found it easy to talk to Jasper, and by the end of the visit, they were on a first name basis. Jasper was a good listener as Heath spoke about several of his concerns and gave advice on some issues. It was the first time since leaving his fellow soldiers that Heath felt like he had a friend.
“Jasper, may I tell you something?”
The other man leaned forward, his expression serious. “Of course.”
“You seem an upstanding fellow and I need advice on a rather embarrassing topic.”
Jasper waited for Heath to continue.
“I lack certain skills that are required for me to adequately fulfil my new duties. My father died when I was young, so I had to work the farm, which meant my schooling fell to the wayside. Because of this, my reading and mathematics skills are sorely lacking. Being a farmer and soldier, it was never a major issue, and I’ve been able to pass through most of my life with no problems. But now—now I feel the weight of this determinant even more, and I don’t know what to do.”
Jasper pursed his lips, mulling over the situation for a few minutes before answering. “I think the answer is obvious. You need to hire a tutor.”
“And tell them what? That an imbecile farmer has inherited an estate and can’t even read the simplest of correspondence?” Heath rose, suddenly restless and irritated. He dragged his hand through his hair. It was bad enough to admit his faults to Jasper, but to have another person know and judge him, that was another matter. But what other choice did he have? Even if he hired an estate manager, Heath would still need to review accounts, read ledgers and other documents. He couldn’t keep his secret forever.Damnation!He sighed loudly. “I suppose it is the best solution.”
“I would recommend sending for someone from London if you are concerned there might be talk by the locals.”
Jasper had a cool head, and his idea made sense. What else was there to do?
Heath met his friend’s stare. “Would you write the letter for me?”