by Dilly Court
‘More or less, and this is where you come in. You said you wanted to expand your business, and we have plenty of land. We need fruit and vegetables and you could supply those to us free, in lieu of rent. It’s a chance for all of us to benefit from the estate, or else it will be sold to the highest bidder in order to pay off the creditors.’ She stopped and encompassed the gardens and park with a wave of her hand.
‘It’s true that I was thinking along those lines,’ Danny said doubtfully, ‘but this is something different.’
‘I don’t see why, Danny. The walled garden produced enough to feed the family and servants when we had gardeners, but now there’s only one old man who does his best, and you can see the size of the problem. There’s a greenhouse, although it’s never used these days. You could grow tomatoes and cucumbers in there and do us all a favour at the same time. What do you think?’
He scratched his head, frowning. ‘I need a bit of time. I have to say I like the sound of it, although if it doesn’t work we’ll all be in Queer Street.’
She smiled. ‘At least we’ll be there together. I owe you this chance, Danny. If you hadn’t given me a sack of mistletoe to sell I wouldn’t be here today. I don’t forget my friends.’
They had arrived at the gates and Danny stopped, reaching out to clasp Angel’s hand. ‘I’ll speak to my dad and let you know what he thinks.’
‘Yes, please do. I think it would benefit us all.’
His grasp tightened and he held her gaze, his lips curved in a smile. ‘You’re quite a girl, Angel Winter.’
The warmth in his eyes brought a blush to her cheeks and, for a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy being the object of someone’s admiration, but then she withdrew her hand. ‘Goodbye, Danny. Let me know soon.’
‘I will.’ He walked off, whistling a popular tune as if he had not a care in the world.
As she watched him stride homewards Angel felt more optimistic about Grantley’s future. There was a spring in her step as she made her way back to the house, and she braced herself to face Aunt Eloise’s displeasure; after all, it was nothing new. It was not that Eloise had ever been overtly unkind, but when things had gone wrong in the past Angel had always been the one most likely to suffer the consequences. Toby was his mother’s favourite with Humphrey coming second, and Susannah a close third, and Angel had been the scapegoat. Nothing much had changed over the years, and probably never would.
Angel headed for the stables, hoping to have a few quiet words with Percy. She caught up with him as he was about to enter the coach house. The sounds of hammering and sawing were encouraging, but when the carriage was roadworthy it would mean the Montgomeries would be on their way. Angel called out to him and he came to a halt.
‘Angel, have you come to view the blacksmith’s progress?’
‘Not exactly. I wanted to ask a favour of you.’
‘Of course. Anything within my power – consider it done.’
‘You know that Grantley is in financial difficulties.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, and it’s such a pity.’
‘You’ve enjoyed your stay here?’
‘Most certainly. We couldn’t have wished for more.’
‘All I want you to do is to spread the word amongst your friends that Grantley is somewhere they can stay in comfort and safety, away from the putrid air in the city.’
‘So you do intend to run Grantley as a hotel?’
‘Yes, I do. At least until Sir Adolphus returns home. We have to pay the bills somehow.’
Percy’s smooth brow creased into worried lines. ‘I am so sorry, Angel. I know I speak for Belinda when I say that we’ve enjoyed your hospitality, even though we could see how difficult it must be to run such a large house with the minimum of staff. I’ll do everything I can to put business your way.’
She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. ‘Thank you, Percy. I had a feeling I could rely on you.’
He smiled ruefully. ‘I wouldn’t want to see you back on the streets selling flowers.’
‘Who told you about that?’
‘Susannah told my sister. It must have taken courage to survive on the city streets, and I admire that.’
Angel faced him squarely. ‘Did Susannah also tell Belinda that I was a foundling, abandoned in Angel Alley, Whitechapel one Christmas Eve?’
‘Only a fool would hold that against you.’ Percy held her hand, giving her fingers a comforting squeeze. ‘You are a remarkable young lady, and it was a stroke of good fortune that caused our paths to cross. I’m proud to know you, Angel Winter, and I promise I’ll do my best to send custom your way.’
Angel was in a buoyant mood as she returned to the house, but her feeling of euphoria evaporated at the sight of Eloise pacing the floor in the entrance hall.
‘I’ve been waiting for you, miss.’
‘Is anything wrong, Aunt?’
‘Wrong? How dare you ask that when you’ve humiliated us all by waiting on table at luncheon like a common lackey. What were our guests to think?’
Angel forced herself to remain calm. ‘The Montgomeries are paying guests and they enjoyed a splendid meal that Cook made out of almost nothing. If you visited the kitchen occasionally you’d realise what hard work went into creating such a feast.’
‘You behaved like a servant. It was utterly embarrassing.’
‘A servant gets paid for their services. I did what I did out of love and loyalty to my family. I know it’s not what you’re used to, but if we don’t act now you’ll find yourself living on charity, as I have done since I was a child of twelve. I can tell you that it’s not nice to be constantly reminded of your obligations.’
Eloise clutched at the newel post. ‘I feel faint. No one talks to me in that manner.’
‘Perhaps it’s time they did. There’s a harsh world outside Grantley’s gates. I’ve experienced it – you haven’t – and I wouldn’t want you to either. But if you want to keep Grantley I suggest you allow me to try, because I don’t see anyone else coming up with ideas.’
Eloise held her hand to her head. ‘Help me up to my room, Angel. I’m having one of my turns.’
‘No, you aren’t,’ Angel said coldly. ‘You’re perfectly well, and you use these megrims in order to get your own way. Shout at me if you like, send me away if that’s what you want, but if you’ve got a shred of sense you’ll let me do things my way and then you might keep a roof over your head.’
Eloise snapped into an upright position, her face ashen and her eyes blazing. ‘You are a very impertinent girl, but what can one expect from a foundling? Your mother was no better than she should be and I dare say you’ll turn out the same. I’m going to my room and you must do what you like, but Sir Adolphus will hear of this when he returns from South Africa. We’ll see what he has to say.’ She ascended the stairs with her head held high and no sign of the weakness that often accompanied one of her fits of pique.
‘So be it,’ Angel said loudly. ‘Uncle Dolph deserves our support. He has mine and I won’t let him down, even if I have to beg, borrow or steal enough money to keep Grantley in the family.’
Percy and Belinda left early next morning for the wedding they were to attend in Colchester, but they booked rooms for an overnight stay in order to break the journey on their return to London. Angel went to the village and purchased a diary, and Miss Creedy let her have one for less than half price as there were only a few months left of the year. She was on the way home when she saw Danny striding towards her and she came to a halt, crossing her fingers beneath the folds of her cotton print gown.
‘Well?’ she asked breathlessly. ‘Have you come to a decision?’
He fell into step beside her. ‘That’s not much of a welcome, but yes, we have, and Pa and I want to take you up on your offer. Working together we can produce more, and Pa will sell the excess on his stall in the market.’
‘That’s wonderful. When can you start?’
‘I’ll come with you now, if that’s all right. I wa
nt to get the measure of the greenhouse and work out what we can plant and when, although the growing season is almost over. We might be able to force things along in the greenhouse if we can heat it during the cold winter months.’
‘I believe there’s a coal stove, but it’s fallen into disuse and covered with ivy. I came across it one day when I was a child.’
‘That’s what I was hoping, and if we can get it working again we might be able to go into business much sooner.’
They came to a halt inside the gates. ‘I’ve got our second booking,’ Angel said, holding up the diary. ‘The first of many, I hope, so do whatever you have to do, Danny.’
He gave her a mock salute. ‘Yes, General Winter.’
‘Very funny, but you’re not far wrong. Trying to convince the family that this is the only way to survive would be a challenge for the Iron Duke himself.’ Angel left Danny to go about his business and she took the diary to her room, where she sat down at the small escritoire beneath the window and entered the Montgomeries’ booking for one night.
‘It’s a start,’ she said out loud, addressing a startled pigeon that had landed on the sill and then flew off in alarm.
The money from the Montgomeries, together with the allotments Eloise received from her brother and Hector, were just enough to cover the next mortgage repayment, although it left virtually nothing for the family to exist on, and the servants would have to wait for their wages. Not to be beaten, Angel did a deal with the farmer whose land abutted the Grantley estate, allowing him to use the five-acre field for pasture, in return for milk, butter, cream and cheese. Similarly, the kitchen waste was kept in a bin and used to feed the farmer’s pigs in return for cuts of pork and bacon when they became available. These measures, together with the produce from the kitchen garden, kept the family and servants fed, with enough fruit and vegetables left over to store for the winter or make into preserves.
The kitchen was the hub of Angel’s small empire and she worked alongside Cook and Lil, pickling vegetables and bottling fruit according to the recipes in Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. The aroma of raspberry jam, simmering on the range, filled the house with the scent of autumn, and Angel managed to persuade Susannah to help her gather blackberries from the hedgerows. They returned from a particularly successful foray carrying baskets overflowing with ripe berries, their lips stained purple from sampling the fruit. Susannah complained that her skirts were muddied and her hands were ruined, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright with laughter. Angel was satisfied that, for once, Susannah had forgotten that she was an elegant young lady and had enjoyed herself without worrying about what her mother might think. Humphrey also spent most of his time out of doors, either helping the aged gardener or working in the stables. In fact he showed more aptitude for estate management than either of his older brothers, and his latest project was building a hen house on the far side of the walled garden where he intended to keep chickens and supply the family with freshly laid eggs. Angel encouraged him, although Eloise said it was a passing phase and Humphrey would return to Rugby at the start of the new term and forget all about wanting to work the land.
‘You will go into the Church if you cannot think of another profession,’ Eloise said one day at breakfast. ‘I didn’t raise my sons to become farmers. Just look at your hands and fingernails, Humphrey. You look like a common labourer, and your skin is as swarthy as that of a gypsy. It won’t do. It simply won’t do. What would Sir Eugene say?’
‘What has he got to do with anything, Mama?’ Humphrey said crossly. ‘He’s not my father.’
Bright colour flooded Eloise’s pale cheeks. ‘Well, my dears,’ she said, looking round at her children’s startled faces. ‘That’s the thing. Sir Eugene has proposed marriage, and although naturally I didn’t give him an answer straight away, I fully intend to accept.’
‘I say, Mama, that’s a bit sudden, isn’t it?’ Toby dropped his knife and fork on his plate with a loud clatter.
Humphrey sniggered, receiving a warning look from Angel, but Susannah pushed back her chair and leaped to her feet. ‘Mama! How could you? I thought you had him in mind for me, not for you. You’re too old to remarry.’
‘I am not old,’ Eloise said angrily. ‘I’m forty-seven, two years younger than Sir Eugene – an ideal age. As for you, my girl, you made it plain that you thought he was far too senior in years to be your suitor.’
‘So you decided to marry the richest man in Essex. I’ll never forgive you, Mama.’ Susannah stormed out of the room.
Toby rose to his feet. ‘I suppose you realise what this means? You will go and live at Westwood and give up any claim you might have to Grantley. Sir Eugene has an heir and I doubt if he would want your family foisted upon him.’
‘Really, Tobias, you’re being ridiculous,’ Eloise said faintly. ‘Of course you would be welcome at Westwood Hall, but you would still have a home here.’
‘I very much doubt it. You might take Susannah with you, but what about Humphrey and me, not to mention Angel? We don’t know if we will be able to keep Grantley, and if it were sold where would we go?’
‘But I’ve almost finished the hen house,’ Humphrey protested. ‘I was going to market to buy some pullets.’
‘You’re all being ridiculous,’ Eloise stormed, tears flowing. ‘Don’t you want your mama to be happy?’
Toby threw up his hands. ‘Happy? Will you be content when you know that you’ve ruined your children’s lives?’
‘You’re being unreasonable. Your uncle won’t allow Grantley to be sold.’ Eloise stood up, shaking visibly as she faced them. ‘I can’t see why anything would change.’
‘He can’t afford to keep the estate going, Mama,’ Toby said bluntly. ‘We’re only hanging on because Angel is running it like a business.’ He turned to Angel, holding out his hand. ‘Tell my mother how many bookings have come our way so far.’
‘We have three couples booked in so far this week, with another two next week, and the sign that Humphrey made should attract the carriage trade. It’s taking time but we’re gradually building up the business.’
‘And you wonder why I can’t stand seeing the old house, my ancestral home, turned into a common lodging house?’ Eloise’s voice broke on a sob. ‘I refuse to live like this. I want my old life back and when I marry Eugene I’ll be a lady again.’ She hurried from the room, sobbing into her hanky.
‘Look what you’ve done, Toby,’ Angel said angrily. ‘That was uncalled for, and you don’t know what Uncle Dolph plans to do. Why did you have to spoil her announcement?’
Toby put his hand in his pocket and took out a crumpled sheet of paper. ‘This came yesterday. It was addressed to Mama but as head of the house, in the absence of Uncle Dolph and Hector, I opened it. Read it for yourself.’
‘What does it say?’ Humphrey demanded nervously. ‘You’ve gone awfully pale, Angel. Is it bad news?’
Chapter Fifteen
It was very bad news, and once again, Angel travelled into London to see Galloway, but this time she had Toby with her. Galloway refused to see them at first but Toby lost his temper and threatened to break down the door, and eventually they were admitted to Galloway’s dingy office.
Angel noticed that a snarling stuffed fox’s head had been added to the trophies hanging from the wainscoting, and a pair of antlers hung precariously over a portrait of Galloway himself. It was crudely executed and unflattering, but he stood beneath it, thumbs tucked in the lapels of his expensive pinstriped jacket, glaring at them with an expression a little less friendly than that of the unfortunate fox.
‘Well?’ he snapped. ‘What do you want? I could have sent for a copper to arrest you for disturbing the peace and assault, but I’m a generous man. Say what you have to say and then get out.’
‘You, sir, are no gentleman.’ Toby clenched his fists at his sides.
‘What do you expect, Galloway?’ Angel said angrily. ‘You’ve threatened us with eviction, even
though we’re up to date with the repayments on the mortgage.’
Galloway sauntered over to his desk and sat down. ‘But you’ve ignored the conditions of the agreement by letting rooms to travellers. It’s clearly stated that the residence is for private use only.’
‘I read the document and I don’t recall seeing any such clause,’ Angel said suspiciously. ‘What proof have you got?’
Galloway opened a drawer and pulled out a sheaf of papers. ‘It’s clearly written here. Your uncle signed the document so it’s legal and binding. Either you cease trading or court proceedings will be instigated.’
‘Surely you can’t do that,’ Angel protested. ‘You are supposed to be my uncle’s solicitor, but you seem to be representing the creditors.’
‘I’m merely offering you my advice,’ Galloway said smoothly. ‘As your lawyer I can only give you my opinion based on many years’ experience and my extensive knowledge of legal matters.’
‘I happen to be studying law, sir.’ Toby leaned over the desk, his face close to Galloway’s. ‘I suspect that you have an ulterior motive and you want us to lose Grantley.’
‘Prove it if you can.’
‘I want a copy of that document,’ Angel said firmly. ‘We need to study it in detail.’
‘Impossible. Has Sir Adolphus given you authority to handle his affairs?’
Angel and Toby exchanged anxious glances, and Galloway uttered a bark of laughter.
‘Precisely my point. Go home and enjoy Grantley while you have a roof over your heads. Stop this ridiculous attempt to turn the old house into a business and you might be able to remain there for a while longer, but continue as you are and you will lose your uncle’s home for ever. Do I make myself clear?’
‘You, sir, are a villain.’ Toby slammed his fist on the desk, causing the glass inkwells to rattle on their silver stand. ‘My uncle will hear of this.’
Galloway’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘I’ll say this once more – you have to cease trading immediately or the creditors will foreclose on the mortgage under the terms and conditions of the agreement. I’m only doing my duty as your uncle’s legal representative.’
