CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Two days went by during which Anna managed to persuade Daniel to settle for putting measures in place to prevent Grimshaw gaining access to his mother either in person or by post but, for the time being at least, say nothing to either her or Rebecca about the possible threat.

On the third day, Anna received letters from Mr Landry and Nathaniel Lowe. She was about to break the seal on the second of these when she became aware of the change in Daniel’s expression as he read a letter of his own.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘Longhope telling me we can’t make a charge of extortion stick without any proof – which we already knew. And that, from this point, I should cease all communication with Grimshaw and leave the matter in his hands.’

‘And will you?’

‘What choice do I have?’

‘You could consider my suggestion,’ she replied without much hope. And when he said nothing, broke the seal on her own lawyer’s letter instead of the one from Mr Lowe. After a moment, she said, ‘Mr Landry has found something peculiar at Hoare’s … although, knowing what we now do, I don’t know how useful it’s likely to be.’

‘Tell me anyway.’

‘There’s only one account in the name of Grimshaw – but the initial on it isn’t H, it’s W.T.’ She continued reading. ‘Mr Landry’s helpful friend hasn’t the authority to access the account itself, so he can’t check the address. But this at least proves that the letter Grimshaw sent you from Hoare’s confirming the payment to your father wasn’t genuine.’

‘So it would seem,’ agreed Daniel. ‘I’ll pass that on to Longhope and suggest he asks Hoare’s to confirm no such letter was sent. What the bank does about Grimshaw’s forgery is up to them. Meanwhile, perhaps we could instruct Longhope and Landry to deal with each other directly on this rather than through us?’

‘Good idea.’

‘Does Landry say anything about Harvill?’

‘No. Perhaps I should do as you suggested and ask him to find an investigator.’

‘Definitely – although he may not find one in Worcester.’

‘Well, we won’t know until he tries.’ Anna began gathering up her papers and then, realising Mr Lowe’s letter remained unread, sat down again and broke the seal on it. For a few moments she read in silence, a frown gathering on her brow. Then she said, ‘I’m going to have to go to Hawthorne’s.’

‘Trouble?’ asked Daniel.

‘Yes. The worst kind. Something is wrong with one of the kilns though Nathaniel doesn’t say what. But it’s out of action – and that will affect everything. Production, fulfilling orders, everything! ’ She stood up, clutching the letter. ‘Nathaniel is dealing with the situation, of course, but I need to know precisely what is going on. It’s time I went, anyway. I’ve left it longer than I meant to.’ She turned to go, then hesitated and said a shade awkwardly, ‘You won’t mind?’

‘Of course not.’ Daniel eyed her thoughtfully, turning his next words over in his mind. ‘Perhaps I could come with you … but only if you wish it. Otherwise not.’

For a instant or two, shock rooted her to the spot and froze her brain.

Then, Why? Why is he suggesting this? It isn’t to spend time with me or because he’s interested in Hawthorne’s. So why?

She said bluntly, ‘Given the current situation, will you be comfortable being from home just now?’

‘I don’t see why not. I can’t do anything that Flynn isn’t already doing,’ he shrugged. ‘And I’m curious to see your manufactory. I’m also conscious of how much effort you’re putting in here. It’s time I gave something back – even if it’s only understanding enough about your business not to make it a waste of your time talking to me about it, should you ever want to. At the moment, I’d wager your maid knows more about porcelain than I do.’

Anna smiled. ‘She does. Her brothers are both employed at Hawthorne’s. And if you truly wish to visit the manufactory and have the time, please come. I would welcome it. But I’d like to go soon – the day after tomorrow, at the latest.’

‘That isn’t a problem,’ said Daniel. ‘We can leave tomorrow if you want to.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. There’s nothing urgent requiring my personal attention and if some such should arise, I can be back within a few hours. I imagine we’ll be staying with your mother?’ And when she replied with a faintly gloomy nod, ‘I see the prospect fills you with delight. But ought you not to warn her?’

‘No need. Father insisted that guest rooms were always kept ready and that hasn’t changed. Also, unless things at the manufactory are a good deal worse than Nathaniel says, we need not stay above two or three days; too short a time for Mama to try to pull us into her social circle – which she would do if she knew we were coming.’ Anna stood up. ‘Since we will be able to visit Mr Landry, there’s no point in writing to him. But I do need to remind your mother that the new bedchamber hangings are due to be delivered tomorrow … and I think there’s a shop in Worcester that may have the lace she’s been looking for if she’d like me to try.’

When she had left the room and he was about to reply to Mr Longhope, Daniel found his mind dwelling on his wife. Thus far, he admitted to himself, marriage hadn’t been as bad as he’d feared it would be. Anna had somehow settled into Reculver with scarcely a ripple despite simultaneously setting in hand the improvements his mother had long wished for. She didn’t make demands on his time, being seemingly far too busy with projects of her own and was, in fact, independent to a degree that he suspected many gentlemen would find alarming. Daniel didn’t. He found it convenient and also rather admirable. He also found discussing situations and potential problems with Anna was very much like discussing them with Anthony or Gerald; insightful, clinical and productive.

Anna, meanwhile, spoke to the dowager, told Ruth to pack for a stay of three or four days and said she wouldn’t need her since, when necessary, she’d borrow her mother’s maid. Throughout it all, she tried not to read too much into Daniel’s desire to accompany her to Hawthorne’s. This was difficult because, despite them both being plastered in mud at the time, she still treasured and all too frequently relived those brief moments in his arms. The coming days would be the most time they had spent together since that awkward evening at Upton-on-Severn. But this would be different. Things were comfortable between them now; they had shared goals. And that, she told herself optimistically, was something on which to build … as long as she was patient.

***

It was these thoughts that were responsible for Anna failing to notice the odd gleam that lit the dowager’s eyes when she learned that her son and daughter-in-law would be from home for at least two nights, possibly three. Anna was also unaware that, on the following morning, the dowager rose much earlier than was her usual custom and, still clad in her chamber-robe, watched the carriage disappear around the bend in the drive before she sent for her daughter.

Rebecca, also still en deshabille , came in yawning but anxious.

‘What’s wrong, Mama? You aren’t usually up for hours yet.’

‘Well, I am today. We have a lot to do and must start immediately.’

‘On what?’ asked Rebecca, mystified.

‘On a surprise for Anna. The new hangings for the master-suite will arrive today and she chose the paint for the walls a fortnight ago. So if we summon extra help from the village, we may be able to have at least her bedchamber redecorated before they come home. What do you think?’

‘Perhaps. But it will still reek of new paint.’

Her mother smiled. ‘I know.’

Rebecca’s gaze sharpened. ‘Mama? What are you up to?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Yes, you are. I know that look!’

The dowager hesitated and then said, ‘I’m just … giving things a little nudge.’ And when Rebecca continued to stare at her, ‘Oh very well. You are aware, I presume, that though Daniel and Anna share the master-suite they don’t share a bed?’

‘Oh. Yes. I should think the whole house knows it. But – ’

‘Well, it’s time that changed. And this is how we can change it.’

Rebecca stared at her. ‘Mama – you can’t interfere in Dan’s life like this. Don’t you think he’s been dictated to enough already? He’ll be furious – and rightly so. And then there’s Anna. You must have realised by now that she’s in love with him?’

‘Of course I’ve realised it – which is even more reason to help things along. It isn’t as though they don’t get on with each other. Clearly, they do.’

Rebecca shook her head and turned towards the door. She said, ‘I can’t stop you. But I’m having nothing to do with it.’ And she walked out.

The dowager watched her go, her mind still made up. But it was as well, she decided, that Rebecca didn’t know that Daniel and Anna’s private arrangements had been shared with Anna’s mother.

***

By means of their early start, Daniel and Anna hoped to arrive in Worcester between one and two in the afternoon. This, they agreed, would make it possible to go directly to Hawthorne’s – from where Anna would have a message sent to her mother.

‘Purely,’ she explained, ‘so she will be expecting us for dinner.’

Daniel grinned but said, ‘I assume you’d prefer to talk with Lowe privately?’

‘Not at all. Why would I? There will be nothing you can’t hear. But you may not find it very interesting, in which case Nathaniel will find someone to give you the basic guided tour we devised for visiting members of the public.’

‘You’d be surprised at the things that interest me these days. And, I suspect I would prefer the less-than-basic tour that I feel sure you would give me – when you can spare the time, of course.’

Pleasure brought a hint of colour to Anna’s cheeks but she said awkwardly, ‘Of course. I’ll be happy to. But only if you promise to stop me the instant you’ve had enough or I lose you in technicalities.’

‘I promise,’ he said solemnly. ‘I also promise to pay attention … in case there should be questions afterwards.’

***

Despite being surprised to see them, Mr Lowe wasn’t noticeably discomposed. He led the way up to his office, asked for tea to be brought and then, coming directly to the point, said, ‘I hadn’t expected you to come, my lady, but I can’t pretend I’m not glad you have.’

She nodded. ‘Tell me about the kiln. What’s wrong with it?’

‘Extensive internal damage to just about everything. I’ve got a team of men working on repairs but it will take time.’

‘What exactly happened – and how?’

Mr Lowe drew a heavy breath and said grimly. ‘The pulley to the crown damper wasn’t functioning. It couldn’t be closed.’

‘ What? No. That can’t be right.’

‘So I thought. But it is. Paddy was fireman that night. By the time he realised what was going on inside, it was too late to do much about it other than stop feeding the fire – which was already at temperature and still rising.’

They stared at each other in wordless horror for so long that Daniel eventually dared to ask a question. He said, ‘Excuse my ignorance … but what is a damper? And what does it do?’

‘A kiln is heated slowly and takes roughly twenty-four hours to reach temperature,’ said Anna tonelessly. ‘At first, the dampers are opened to draw the fire. But once the temperature has risen to the right level, they are closed – and largely remain so, except when the duty fireman feels some subtle adjustment is required. I imagine you can guess what happens if one or other of them is left open.’

‘The furnace burns too hot and the temperature rises above acceptable levels?’

She nodded but looking at Mr Lowe said, ‘What was being fired?’

‘Pieces of the new Pembroke tableware. All gone, of course.’

‘Bulk orders?’ asked Anna.

‘For the Pembroke? Six so far, only two of them filled.’ He paused, then added, ‘But that isn’t the worst of it, as I’m sure you’ve realised.’

‘Quite.’

Daniel waited and when nothing further was forthcoming, said, ‘So what is? ’

There was what seemed a long silence. Finally Mr Lowe said, ‘The business with the damper. The pulley must have been disabled before the clammin – the brick wall that seals the kiln – was built. After that, there’s no access to the mechanism itself.’

Daniel immediately understood what was making Anna look so sick. He said slowly, ‘Meaning that it could seemingly only have been done by one of your own workers?’ And when she nodded, ‘Could it have been an oversight?’

‘Possible but unlikely. Everything is supposed to be double-checked,’ she replied. And to Mr Lowe, ‘You’ve investigated, of course?’

‘Immediately, my lady. I’ve questioned everybody who works with the kilns or has access to them. They were as horrified as you and me. Nobody knows anything.’

‘You believe them?’ asked Daniel.

‘Aside from the fact that this didn’t happen by itself, I’ve no reason not to. But as well as finding out how it happened, there’s the problem of being down to one working kiln. And it’s not just replacing the Pembroke. It’s all the other orders ready and waiting for firing and how we’re going to meet the delivery dates.’

‘Clearly we’re not,’ said Anna, rising and shaking out her skirts. ‘Give me the list of clients and I’ll write apologising for the delay. For the rest, we’ll talk more when I’ve had a chance to think about it.’ And to Daniel, ‘I’ll show you around tomorrow. But if we leave now, we’ll just have time to catch Mr Landry before he closes his office for the day.’

During the short drive into the centre of Worcester, Anna stared silently through the carriage window. Unable to think of anything he could usefully say, Daniel watched her without seeming to do so and considered what he’d heard so far.

Their business with Mr Landry was swiftly concluded. To Anna’s surprise, he said he not only knew of but had previously employed a man who undertook private investigations.

‘He is not cheap but I found him reliable. He charges ten pounds a week, plus expenses. And since, in this case, the obvious place to begin with this man, Harvill, is Bristol, there will undoubtedly be the latter.’

‘Engage him,’ said Daniel briskly before Anna could speak, ‘and send the bills to me. No, Anna – please don’t argue. If, as seems likely, you’re going to be travelling back and forth between home and Hawthorne’s in the coming weeks, I want to know that Harvill won’t be lurking in the shrubbery somewhere waiting to accost you.’

Once back in the carriage and en route for Hawthorne Lodge, Anna said shyly, ‘You didn’t need to do that, you know.’

‘I disagree – but we won’t argue the point.’ He smiled at her. ‘Humour me. Can your other kiln work harder to partially make up for the one that’s under repair?’

‘No. A kiln can only be fired once a week because that’s how long the process takes. Two days to get the temperature up, two for the actual firing and two more for it to cool down sufficiently for the wares to be removed.’ She paused before adding disapprovingly, ‘Some pot banks save a day by sending the men in to retrieve the wares after only twenty-four hours – at which stage, the oven is still glowing. It’s not only dangerous but also very bad for the men’s health. Responsible manufactories always wait at least twice that.’

Daniel absorbed this and then said, ‘Ah. Not quite like baking a pie, then?’

In spite of everything that was on her mind, she gave a little choke of laughter.

‘Not quite, no. Is that what you thought?’

‘Something along those lines. Bear in mind that I’ve never even seen a … what did you call it just now? A pot bank? And to me, kiln just translates as big oven – hence the baking connotation.’

Catching the expression lurking behind the hazel eyes, Anna finally realised that he was probably less ignorant than he pretended to be and that the point of this conversation was to distract her. But a glance through the window told her that they were nearly at the house, so she said merely, ‘I generally find it best not to talk about the manufactory in front of Mama.’

He nodded. ‘Then we’ll restrict the conversation to things at Reculver; speaking of which, I hope it doesn’t need saying that you must invite her to stay whenever you wish.’

‘I must … or I may? ’ retorted Anna. And was warmed by his laughter.

***

Inevitably, Mrs Hawthorne had a great deal to say about having been given only a few hours warning of their arrival. When he could finally get a word in, Daniel apologised for this and claimed responsibility. His lawyers and Anna’s appeared to be at an impasse over a trifling matter which could quite easily be resolved by speaking to Mr Landry in person … and a rare few days of quiet at Reculver had suddenly made this possible.

‘And naturally we have both been eager to see how you are faring, ma’am,’ he added with his most disarming smile. ‘Anna has been a little anxious, if needlessly so. Clearly, you are flourishing.’

Watching her mother preening and fluttering, Anna felt faintly bilious … but this was nothing to how she felt when Mrs Hawthorne accompanied her upstairs and turned, not towards the blue suite as Anna had expected, but towards the other guest bedrooms.

‘Wait.’ Anna laid a hand on her mother’s arm. ‘Where are we going?’

‘To the Venetian room. It’s the loveliest one in the house and it has the best view.’

This was true. The problem was that it wasn’t a suite; it was a bedchamber with, naturally enough, just one bed. But before Anna could make any objection, Mrs Hawthorne continued onwards saying, ‘There’s a suspicion of damp in the blue suite so I’ve had the hangings removed until it can be dealt with.’ And opening the bedchamber door, ‘You’ll be perfectly comfortable here, I’m sure.’

‘I daresay.’ Anna was struggling to get around this without giving too much away. ‘But Daniel and I are accustomed –’

‘And besides,’ continued Mrs Hawthorne without waiting for her to finish, ‘A newly-married couple? And his lordship doubtless eager for his heir?’ A slyly enquiring look, then, ‘No sign of that yet, I suppose?’

‘No sign of what?’ asked Daniel silkily from the doorway. He watched his mother-in-law turn almost as scarlet as his wife and, advancing a few steps, added, ‘We have been married but a few weeks, ma’am. It is perhaps a little early to be setting up our nursery, don’t you think?’

His cool expression and even cooler tone, had the desired effect. Mrs Hawthorne muttered something about needing to speak to the cook and beat a hasty retreat.

Shutting the door behind her and summoning a faint smile, Daniel said, ‘We could tell her that I snore – or that you do. Or we could say nothing and manage the situation.’

‘I’m sorry. She caught me off guard and I couldn’t think quickly enough.’

‘It isn’t your fault. Just out of interest, what excuse did she give?’

‘Damp in the suite, causing her to remove the hangings,’ replied Anna bitterly. ‘I’ll wager she only did that after receiving my message. But goodness knows what she thinks she’s doing.’

‘That’s easy enough,’ he shrugged. ‘Forgive my bluntness … but she’s achieved her ambition of seeing you married to a title so now she’s looking forward to being grandmother to the seventh Viscount Reculver. And in the fullness of time, when we’re ready for that step, doubtless she will be.’ Reaching out, he gave her hands a quick squeeze and said, ‘Anna … you’ve enough on your mind already. Don’t worry about this. It’s a big bed. If it makes you feel better, we can always try the equivalent of bundling.’ And when she stared at him blankly, ‘Laying the bolster between us as a barricade.’

~**~**~