CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

For the next two nights, Anna was unable to resist getting out of bed to stop Scamp crying with soothing words and a cuddle before re-settling him in his basket. On the third one, Daniel kept her too busy to think of it; and on the fourth, there was blessed silence until a little after seven when Scamp decided everyone needed to get up.

Consequently, over an earlier than usual breakfast, Daniel read and re-read a somewhat lengthy letter, before looking across at Anna to say thoughtfully, ‘The one thing we’ve done nothing about so far is bringing the stables up to strength.’

‘You mean you’ve done nothing about,’ she retorted. ‘I distinctly recall saying that was your department.’

‘I just hadn’t got around to it yet.’ He waved the letter at her. ‘But now might be the time. Lord Atherton is a first-class horse-breeder and he writes that he has more than the usual crop of foals due. Consequently, since his stables are already stretched for space, he has a number of horses for sale.’

‘Is he a friend of yours?’

‘Not exactly. He’s thirty years older than I am, so more of an acquaintance. But he says he recalls frequently seeing me coveting his bloodstock and wonders if I might be interested.’

‘Which I gather you are.’

‘Very much so. Rebecca’s aged mare was put out to pasture months ago. Thanks to your mother’s peculiar blind spot on the subject, you don’t ride but have admitted that you’d like to learn. So … two ladies’ mounts … and a pair to draw the curricle which has been languishing unused since February. The family travelling carriage is antiquated and should be replaced before we all travel to London – and a team will be needed to draw it. With luck, Atherton’s stables may be able to supply most of those. What do you think?’

‘That there’s nothing on your shopping list for yourself.’

‘Horses for the curricle,’ he reminded her. ‘For the rest, Cicero is still in his prime and I can only ride one horse at a time. Buying another would be an indulgence rather than a necessity.’

‘Perhaps,’ conceded Anna. ‘But don’t let that stop you.’

‘We’ll see. However, getting back to the point … this strikes me as too good an opportunity to miss. But I doubt I’m the only fellow Atherton’s written to so I want to act smartly. He’s set a date four days from now for interested parties to inspect the animals available. I’d like to get there at least a day before that … and he lives a little way out of Chipping Norton.’

‘Where’s that?’ asked Anna.

‘Oxfordshire. Somewhere between thirty and thirty-five miles, I think.’ Daniel mentally computed the distance and then said, ‘Just over a day to get there and the same to get back … with probably a full day at Atherton’s home while – assuming I’m buying – we haggle over terms. Three nights away if everything goes smoothly. Four if it doesn’t.’

She nodded. ‘The sooner you leave, the better, then.’

‘You wouldn’t mind?’

‘No.’ And with a wicked smile, ‘Scamp will keep me company while you’re gone.’

‘I daresay,’ growled Daniel. ‘But I’d better not come home to discover he’s taken up residence in our bed – or the fur will most definitely fly.’

***

Daniel set off two hours later and by the following afternoon, he was being shown around Lord Atherton’s stables. Not remotely surprised by his early arrival, his lordship had laughed and said, ‘Thought you’d be one of the first, Shelbourne – beg pardon, it’s Reculver now, ain’t it? Come hoping I might be parting with Jupiter, have you?’

‘I didn’t dare be that optimistic, sir,’ grinned Daniel ruefully. ‘But … are you?’

‘Not a chance, m’boy – not a chance. On the other hand, Orion’s out of the same bloodline. He might take your fancy. Come and meet him.’

‘With pleasure … although, much as I might like to, I wasn’t planning to acquire a hunter.’

‘What, then?’ asked Atherton, leading the way into the first of three large stable-blocks.

‘Ladies’ mounts for my wife and sister – sedate rather than spirited. A carriage team. And perhaps a pair suitable for my curricle.’

‘Hmmph. Well, I’ve a couple of mares that might suit the ladies and a very nice pair of greys I’d keep if I had the room. But you’d be better off looking for your team at auction rather than here where their pedigree will cost you more than you ought to be paying for what you need.’ He gave a jovial laugh and slapped Daniel on the back. ‘How’s that for honest trading? Now. Here’s Orion. What do you think?’

Orion, a magnificent black, looked down his aristocratic nose and snorted derisively. ‘Oh lord,’ breathed Daniel, reaching out to pat the glossy, sable neck. ‘You weren’t exaggerating, were you, sir? He’s superb.’

‘Like to try him out, would you?’

‘I shouldn’t. But after I’ve seen the mares and the pair… may I?’

Atherton laughed again. ‘Wouldn’t have offered otherwise, young man. But be prepared to be tempted.’

‘I’m tempted now,’ admitted Daniel weakly. ‘So let’s move on before I ask what you want for him.’

***

With Daniel gone, Anna divided her time between overseeing progress in the guest bedchambers, her weekly visit to the school and starting work on establishing a regular routine of mealtimes, walking, napping and play for Scamp. She had three days, possibly four, in which to astonish her husband with the puppy’s progress upon his return.

This worthy plan fell apart on the second morning of Daniel’s absence when she received a letter from Nathaniel Lowe which he had taken the unusual step of sending by express courier.

Information has finally come to light regarding the incident with the kiln. Although I can and will take the necessary steps on your behalf, I suspect that – when you are aware of the circumstances – you will prefer to take a hand in the matter yourself.

It turns out that our saboteur was Samuel Price who, as you’ll recall, was one of the kiln maintenance team before ill-health forced his retirement. The reasons for his actions and the means by which he was able to carry them out are better left until we can speak in person. However, one thing you should know immediately. There is a possibility that Harvill was behind the entire incident.

The letter fell from Anna’s fingers and, for a moment or two, she stared into space feeling oddly chilly. Harvill. Again. And Daniel away for at least one more night, perhaps two. He would want her to wait … but she couldn’t. Rising, she swung into action.

She scribbled a note to Daniel and left it on his desk along with Nathaniel’s letter. She told Ruth to pack for, at most, two nights and prepare to travel with her; she informed the dowager that her presence was required at Hawthorne’s and she asked Rebecca to look after Scamp. Finally, when her groom brought the phaeton to the door, she gave the puppy one last cuddle and walked out of the house.

***

Arriving in Worcester only a little after three in the afternoon, Anna went directly to the manufactory and trod upstairs to Mr Lowe’s office without even glancing into the exhibition rooms.

The manager rose from behind his desk the instant he saw her, saying, ‘My lady! I hadn’t expected to see you before tomorrow at the earliest.’

‘If there’s any chance at all that Harvill was behind the kiln incident, this is too important to wait even another day,’ said Anna crisply, sitting down in a swish of skirts. ‘Samuel Price, your letter said. Doesn’t his son still work here?’

‘Yes. But as far as I’m aware, he has no idea what his father has been up to.’

‘So how did you find out?’

‘Price was given a thorough mauling in the street and stabbed in the chest. For several weeks, it was touch and go during which he convinced himself he was going to die – at which point he told his daughter what he’d done to the kiln rather than go to meet his maker with it on his conscience. As it turned out, he recovered but by the time he realised he was out of danger, his daughter had already brought the tale to me.’ He paused. ‘But perhaps I should start at the beginning?’

‘Please do.’

‘After his retirement, Price missed his old workmates here so he used to drop in to see them on a regular basis. Everyone was so accustomed to seeing him around that nobody thought anything of it. And there might not have been anything to it had he not also begun gambling with a shady crowd of fellows down on the riverfront – the sort who make a living doing other people’s dirty work – and got into debt.’

‘The idiot ,’ muttered Anna. ‘Go on.’

‘When he couldn’t pay, his new friends roughed him up and threatened worse. Then one of them told him there was a man who’d been looking for someone to do a job at Hawthorne’s; a job which apparently needed inside knowledge of the manufactory. So stuck between the devil and the deep, Price agreed to do it. As he’d done numerous times before, he wandered in for a chat with Paddy on firing-up day. Whilst waiting for the brick-layers to come in and build the clammin, Paddy went out to answer a call of nature and Price used the time to disable the pulley to the crown damper. It was as easy as that – and Paddy had no reason to suspect anything until much later when he couldn’t make the damper work.’

‘But why didn’t he tell you about Price’s visit when you questioned him?’

‘He said he forgot about it in all the panic and, even if he hadn’t, he’d never have supposed Price might be responsible.’ Mr Lowe sighed. ‘However, we know now … some of it, at any rate. It’s likely that it was Harvill who wanted a kiln put out of action and paid Price to do it but we’ve no proof of that because Price never met him. Orders were relayed to him through his criminal friends. But once again it’s likely that the second, more serious attack was ordered by Harvill to cover his tracks. My guess is that he meant Price to die … and Price thought he was going to. Hence his desire to confess – an outcome Harvill couldn’t have foreseen.’

For a long time, Anna was silent. Finally, she said wearily, ‘What I don’t understand is what on earth Price was thinking. Why didn’t he come to us for help instead of letting himself get sucked into this unholy mess?’

‘I think he was too ashamed, my lady. But you’ll want to ask him that question – and others – yourself, I’m sure.’

‘I will indeed.’ Another silence. Then, ‘Have there been any further signs of interference by Harvill?’

‘Not so far,’ replied the manager. ‘But that isn’t to say that there won’t be.’

‘Quite.’ Anna glanced at the clock. ‘I’ll go and see Price now, I think. Please send a message to my mother informing her that I’ll be with her in the next hour or two and will be staying overnight.’

***

In Oxfordshire, Daniel had seen and thoroughly examined the horses Atherton had suggested might suit his needs and expressed serious interest. Atherton waved aside any discussion of price, saying they could get to that later over dinner and a bottle or two and instead led him back to the first stable outside which the head groom had Orion already saddled and waiting.

Although he was by no means blind to his lordship’s tactics, Daniel couldn’t resist the lure he was being offered. Telling himself that, no matter how much he might want to, he didn’t have to buy the horse merely because he’d taken up the offer of a ride. He also reminded himself not to partake too freely of that ‘bottle or two’ until he and Lord Atherton had reached an agreement. And, if an excuse for that was needed, he could truthfully say that he wanted to leave for home in the morning.

All of this, he soon discovered, was fine in theory but less so in practice. Once astride Orion, the only part of his good intentions to remain intact was concluding negotiations today so that he could set off back to Anna tomorrow.

Orion wasn’t just powerful, swift and possessed of enormous stamina. He was also surprisingly nimble, good-tempered and intuitive. Consequently, by the time the two of them returned to the stable-yard, the only thing holding to his resolve was the unarguable fact that he’d be spending enough of Anna’s money on horses they actually needed so buying one they didn’t was an extravagance.

He reined in to find Atherton still there, chatting with his stable-master. Not even waiting for Daniel to dismount, he said, ‘Knew you two would get on. Marriage made in heaven if ever I saw one.’

‘Perhaps.But –’

‘Never mind that. Come inside and take a glass with me and we’ll open talks on the mares and the greys while they fill a bath for you. Anything you have to say about this fellow,’ he patted Orion’s neck, ‘can wait until you’ve had a chance to think about it.’

This was a surprise. Daniel had expected Atherton to strike while the iron was hot, as it were and he was still in the grip of the inevitable euphoria of the ride. He dropped from the saddle, nodded and followed his lordship into the house.

There, over a glass of extremely good canary, Lord Atherton named figures for the mares and the pair of greys which, though high, were not unreasonably so. Then, once again telling Daniel to give it some thought before saying anything further, he had a footman show him to his room.

***

Anna, meanwhile, had a long, painful conversation with Samuel Price during which he confessed what he’d done, apologised over and over again with tears in his eyes and ended by breaking down completely when Anna said, ‘I’m disappointed in you, Samuel. Instead of doing something which would damage Hawthorne’s and which you knew to be wrong, did it never once occur to you that your best course was confiding in Mr Lowe? That we would have helped you?’

‘I told him that, the silly old fool,’ muttered his daughter. And a little later, whilst seeing Anna out, ‘I’m sorry, my lady. I went to Mr Lowe as soon as I found out even though I knew it was too late.’

‘I know you did, Lizzie, and it can’t have been easy. But I’m grateful. At least I now understand how it happened – which is more useful than you can perhaps imagine.’

Once back at Hawthorne Lodge, she had to explain her impromptu visit to her mother. She kept it as brief as possible. Predictably, Mrs Hawthorne said huffily, ‘Doubtless you’ll find a reason for laying the blame for this at Mr Harvill’s door?’ And without waiting for a reply, ‘Why isn’t his lordship with you?’

‘He was from home,’ sighed Anna, ‘and I regarded the matter as urgent.’

‘Will he? Or will he just think you’re being headstrong as usual?’

Anna knew perfectly well that Daniel would much prefer her to have waited until he was able to come with her but when she returned home none the worse for her brief excursion there wasn’t really a great deal he could say about it.

She said, ‘What Daniel thinks or doesn’t think would surprise you, Mama. And now, please excuse me. I need to change.’

While she washed her hands and face and let Ruth help her into a fresh gown, she reflected on the fact that she probably ought to set off home immediately after breakfast tomorrow … and that she would have done so had not tomorrow been Sunday. The one day of the week when Hawthorne’s was empty but for the firemen tending the kilns. She’d have the rest of the manufactory to herself and could spend a couple of hours unpacking the Reculver collection and setting it out in the exhibition room. Two hours, she thought – three at the most – and she could still be home by early evening. After all, there was no guarantee that Daniel would be back himself by then.

Yes , she thought. Why not? What harm can it do?

***

After a modicum of bartering, more for form’s sake than anything else, Daniel bought the pair of greys and the well-mannered mares for Anna and Rebecca but managed to refuse to purchase Orion. When he and Atherton had shaken hands on the deal, his lordship said, ‘You’ve got will-power, Reculver – I’ll give you that. But I think you’ll regret turning Orion down. Chances like that don’t come along very often.’

‘I’m all too aware of that, sir,’ agreed Daniel a shade ruefully. ‘But since inheriting, I’ve learned a few hard financial lessons and promised myself I’d profit from them.’

‘Well, I’ve got to respect you for that. Pity, though. Orion’s a young man’s horse. But I’ll not part with him to just anybody . If the condition of the pair drawing your phaeton is any indication, you’d treat him with respect and give him a good home. Now, I won’t try to persuade you against your better judgement … but I’ll knock five percent off the price and tell you something I don’t reckon you’ve thought of yet.’

Daniel stared at him. ‘Five percent?’

‘Yes. Cutting my own throat, as the saying goes. Must be getting senile.’

‘Hardly that, sir. But I wasn’t … I didn’t refuse in order to force down the price –’

‘I know that. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing this. But I’d rather Orion went to you than any of the other young bloods I’m expecting to turn up here in the next day or two. And here’s the thing you’re missing. Have you forgotten I told you Orion came from the same bloodline as my Jupiter?’

‘No. But –’

‘And have you got any idea how many requests for Jupiter’s stud services I’ve turned down over the years?’ Atherton waited, watching Daniel’s expression. ‘Ah. Penny dropping is it?’

‘I … yes.’ Daniel felt oddly dizzy. ‘Do you always refuse?’

‘Yes. Always have. But you don’t have to. You can earn Orion’s price back in stud fees. With the right mare, you could even breed from him yourself. Think about it. And in between, you’ve got a horse a good many men would kill for. So … what do you say? Do we have a deal or not?’

Drawing a long, slow breath, Daniel held out his hand, saying, ‘Yes. I believe we do. Thank you, sir. And I promise that Orion will have the very best care I can give him.’

‘He’d better,’ came the gruff reply. ‘He’d better or you’ll answer to me.’

***

Having made arrangements for the transportation of all five horses, Daniel took his leave of Lord Atherton immediately after breakfast. Impatient to be home, it was irritating that the distance required an overnight stop. On the way to Chipping Norton he’d broken his journey at Stow-on-the-Wold. On the return one, he planned to get as far as Coberley, a mere ten miles from home. Even without a crack of dawn start, he could be at Reculver by ten o’clock at the latest.

He amused himself on the drive by wondering how Anna had occupied herself in his absence and whether she had weakened to the extent of letting Scamp into their bed. He hoped not. He didn’t want to fight that battle again. And after an absence of three nights, he was looking forward to sharing that bed with his wife.

Next day, he entered the house just as Scamp was racing across the hall with Rebecca in hot pursuit, yelling breathlessly, ‘Scamp. Scamp! Come here , you mad animal!’

Ignoring Rebecca and perceiving the newcomer, the little dog skidded instead in Daniel’s direction. Swooping on him and trying to prevent his face being enthusiastically licked, Daniel said laughingly, ‘The last few days don’t seem to have had much of a calming effect, do they?’

‘He’s so quick ,’ panted Rebecca. ‘And unpredictable.’

‘Make the most of it. Where’s Anna?’ he asked, heading for the stairs with the puppy.

‘Not here.’

Daniel was aware of a pang of disappointment. Then, reminding himself that Anna couldn’t have known when to expect him, he continued onwards, saying, ‘Where, then?’

‘At the manufactory.’

This stopped him with his foot on the first step. ‘She’s where? ’

‘She went the day before yesterday. Something urgent, she said. She left a note on your desk.’ And, seeing her brother about to put the puppy down, ‘ Don’t! He can’t climb the stairs yet but if he starts running around here again it will take me an age to – ’

But Daniel wasn’t listening. He set Scamp on his feet and took the stairs two at a time to the library. Anna’s note was brief.

I’m going to Hawthorne’s – Nathaniel’s letter will explain why. I’ll stay with Mama tonight and, barring the unforeseen, will make an early start home tomorrow. I hope your mission prospered.

He skimmed through Lowe’s note and grudgingly accepted her reasons for going. But she wasn’t back, was she? Moreover, if she’d waited a mere day, he’d have gone with her – which she knew perfectly well was what he would have wanted. He glanced at the clock. If she had made an early start, she might be back in the next hour or two. But if she hadn’t … if something had delayed her … he wasn’t going to sit twiddling his thumbs waiting. He could make the journey quicker on horseback and knew the route she’d take. He’d either meet her on the road or catch up with her at Hawthorne’s.

Tossing down both notes, he pulled the bell for Flynn and, when he appeared, said crisply, ‘Tell them to saddle Cicero. I’m going to Worcester.’

~**~**~