The Purchased Peer

by Giselle Marks

  “Surely they were precious heirlooms that meant a lot to the family, Eliza?”

  “I doubt it my lady. I know his lordship’s father, threw a couple of them at his lordship’s head when he was in the gout. My lord is good as swerving and ducking, my lady,” Eliza admitted giggling.

  Celestina tried to keep a straight face at the idea of Xavier avoiding flying missiles.

  “Perhaps I should get some cheap ornaments specially to keep him on his toes, do you think Eliza?”

  “I couldn’t say, my lady,” Eliza grinned back.

  They wandered through the rooms together, determined to give them a new, fresh touch. After they had decided the upper floors décor, they moved to the rambling ground floor.

  “We’ll do the library next, Eliza. Oh it looks much better than it did last time I saw it, you have made the book cupboards shine. This room needs the least decoration, although I suspect we should get the books specially checked over and some of them recovered. New curtains, upholstery and carpet, do you think?”

  “The room has more light, now the creepers have been cut back a bit, my lady. Has his lordship shown you the secret passage, ma’am?” Eliza asked moving to one of the bookcases and pulling part of the carved woodwork. The book case swung out into the room, creaking a little, but Celestina suspected that the hinges would be quieter if oiled. It revealed a dark full height opening which descended into a spiral set of steps leading downwards.

  “Where does it lead to, Eliza?”

  “To the cellars, my lady, there’s a priest hole behind the huge fireplace in the smaller dining room too, my lady. Would you like to see that too?”

  Celestina sat down, shocked, realising that if Xavier had wanted to drink, nothing would have stopped him. Hector’s presence and the cellar key not being in his possession had made no difference whatsoever.

  Eliza worked the mechanism, and Celeste found herself staring into a dusty passageway and a set of stairs leading downwards. Celestina could see by the dust on the floor and cobwebs that the tunnel had not been used for some time. The only footprints were of rodents.

  “I’d like to send the rat catcher down that tunnel, Eliza and yes I would love to see the priest hole.” But when she saw that the huge front of the fireplace slid aside allowing a narrow entrance to a very small and uncomfortable looking space, she shivered. She could not imagine being confined in so tiny a place without a shudder.

  “I get the impression that my lord’s father was not much liked in the neighbourhood?” Celestina ventured trying to find out a little more about Xavier’s upbringing.

  “Oh, the gentlemen liked him well enough, except if they had pretty wives or daughters, but no woman was safe with him. Not lady or servant, he didn’t care. From what I gather they threw themselves at him when he was younger. However, I don’t think he ever accepted that he had grown old and was no longer the handsome young rake he was once. He got nasty about being rejected though and refused to take no for an answer,” Eliza said with a certain amount of disgust.

  “I gather my lord rescued you from his father once?” Celestina asked.

  “The old satyr got me cornered in one of the guest bedrooms. I had been cleaning out the fireplace and he sneaked in. I had no way I could get past him to escape. Lord Soningbury, as my lord was then, heard me scream when he grabbed my … so your husband wandered in. He distracted the old man with some gossip about the earl’s best friend Sir Frederick Bomsby’s mistress, allowing me to make a run for it. He saved his pa from being clouted with the poker too,” Eliza said heatedly. “I was much more careful about not being caught by his father after that.”

  Eliza was also a great source of information about the young Xavier and his father whom she had utterly detested. Eliza also told her tales of the young Xavier, he had been home schooled by a tutor whom Eliza described as drunk more often than not. As his father had largely ignored the growing boy, he had been left mostly to his own devices. His father had seen no need for his heir to go to university, believing that society would give him all the further education he needed.

  Celestina was aware that one of Kittleton’s original dinner services had been Meissen and getting a replacement for that would not be easy. The Wedgwood and Spode services she had had delivered to Kittleton had been the best available new in London. She had however left a list of items of some antiquity which she was considering buying, with agents in London, who would purchase them on approval for her, should they come on the market. From these sources she had discovered some of the original portraits from Kittleton Place were being sold privately, which she had taken the opportunity to purchase. Her agents had been requested to look out for any other paintings which were of some serious quality and had chosen those which she believed were beautiful.

  The biggest changes which Celestina wanted to undertake were the complete stripping out and refurnishing of the kitchens, which in her and Antoine’s opinions were primitive in the extreme and needed some serious updating. That would have to wait until after Easter when the London season would commence and then most of the house staff could travel to London while builders ripped out the kitchens and replaced the ranges. Their new steward, Bayliss, had been instructed to deliberately be vague when questioned by her husband about her plans. However those were long term and would be dependent on many factors. She did not want to build up Xavier’s hopes at present, because she had no guarantees that she would be able to carry out all her objectives.

  Kittleton Place, once all the repairs, refurbishments and ground maintenance were done, was still basically incapable of supporting itself. Too much land had been sold off for the estate ever to provide an income sufficient to keep itself and Xavier in even modest comfort. It certainly would not support an aristocratic family of sons and daughters, even with modest aspirations for their futures.

  For the earl and any future family to be able to keep up appearances in society, she would have two choices. She could gift him with a huge sum of money which would be kept in trust, allowing the family to live on the interest, a fairly inefficient way of using money, Celestina believed, especially if prices escalated. Then the interest could quickly become inadequate. The other alternative was to buy sufficient land to replace the sold estates, so that by rents and their produce, they made enough money to keep the house in good repair and pay for the necessary retinue of servants. At least it appeared Xavier was trying to reduce costs and use the land he still owned now he had labour to work it.

  The house no longer felt derelict and so far Xavier seemed appreciative of the efforts she had been putting into restoring Kittleton Place. Celestina had planned on revealing who she had formerly been by now, but she suspected that when he discovered who she really was, he would be absolutely furious. For all his charm, she feared that underneath the veneer, he was very hot-tempered. Her spies had dug up as much as they could on Xavier Falconer, including a number of duels, which had been largely hushed up. Xavier had been the victor in all. Whilst his rivals had suffered the inconvenience of some fairly major wounds, Xavier had calmly avoided a killing stroke. That implied a degree of coldness in his character which he had not yet revealed to her. She found it hard to see the hardened duellist and rake in the man who spent their nights together making love to her so gently. She sighed, how she wished he really had fallen in love with her when they first met, instead of making her false promises which he had never intended to keep.

  Besides the duels, there were also gossiped reports of his having given a good drubbing to a few tulips who had apparently offended him. However, society had closed ranks and was not revealing the details about those bouts, or why they had taken place. Celestina found it hard to imagine that such a hot head existed, under the languid charm and nonchalant manner Xavier normally presented. But then you would not expect a belted earl to get on with menial chores on his own estate. Nor for all her determination of not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much she enjoyed his love making, could you c
onsider him anything other than a most passionate and proficient bed partner. How he would feel when he discovered that he had wed the vicar’s daughter he had seduced and promised to marry all those years ago, Celestina was not certain. The longer he went without knowing the harder it was going to be to tell him.

  ***

  Robert Avery was happy to ride to the nearest market town with the earl. They discussed together choosing the working horses and Xavier suggested that Robert bid on the horses rather than himself. Even though he was dressed in old clothes, his looks and height were distinctive. If the news had gone round about his marriage to a rich woman, some of the horse traders or farming fraternity might decide to try and push the prices higher, simply because they thought he had money. They had set out early, but had some distance to travel, so they reached the town after the livestock auction had already started. They handed their own horses into the care of the ostler of the best post house in town, which was known as The Feathers and was where Xavier suggested having a meal before returning to Kittleton Place.

  They made their way on foot through the market day crowds and found some space on a bench put out for those who were planning to watch or bid on the livestock. Cattle were sold first and the prices were moderate, Xavier did not think much to the stock being sold. Three red bullocks tried to escape and disturbed a couple of stalls selling food to the onlookers, but were soon redirected back to the ring and sold for a better price than he thought they were worth. After the cattle there were some sheep and then some tough, shaggy small ponies, intended to be used as pack ponies or for a young boy’s first pony. There was a nice pair of bay horses but Xavier thought they were showy with not really enough bone. He doubted they would make much of a top speed or would have lasting stamina.

  There were half a dozen riding horses, which made fair prices and then three of the new huge black horses that had supposedly been bred in Northumberland. Robert bid on the smallest of the trio, but the mare went up to eleven guineas and he dropped out at a gesture from Xavier. Now there were some more traditional draft horses and whispering together they selected three that were possible, a stallion and two mares. The draft horses were sold separately and the bidding was moving faster as the market was coming to the end.

  Some of the farmers were getting up and heading to an inn or home, now their lots had been sold, or the lots they had been interested in buying. The first two horses went for eight and nine guineas. Then they came to the first of the mares they had selected. Robert managed to get her for seven guineas and the stallion came up next, but as the horse was moving around the ring, Xavier noticed a limp in his gait, so he held Robert back from bidding. The slight limp was not noticed by the other buyers and the bidding went up to twelve guineas. A gelding was put up next and Robert bid up to five guineas for him, but he went for eight which neither of them thought he was worth.

  Then was the other mare and there was only one other bidder, he bid them up to eight and a half guineas before dropping out. Robert and Xavier made their way to the market clerk and paid over fifteen and a half guineas before collecting the two mares and leading them back to the Inn where they had stabled their horses. They headed to the public room as neither of them were dressed better than the rest of the farmers. Xavier ordered two pints of ale from the tap-man and two servings of the ordinary. The ale was served and they took it to a newly vacated table to wait for their meal.

  A buxom red headed lass was clearing the empty tankards and being teased by the lads. She gave back as good as she got and at least one lad went red from her teasing. She dumped the empty tankards on the bar counter and turned towards the table where Xavier and Robert Avery had sat.

  “My lord, you’re in the wrong room!” she declared plonking herself in his lap and giving him a buzzing kiss, which drew a cheer from the farming lads.

  Xavier awkwardly stood up, setting the girl down gently.

  “Sorry Sally, I’m a married man with a jealous wife.”

  “You, married? Never, my lord. I don’t believe it!”

  “Robert, please tell Miss Sally that I am married.”

  “His lordship married five days ago, Sally, her ladyship employed my father as his lordship’s chief groom.”

  Her face dropped, but then she smiled again.

  “You’ll be back to normal once she’s given you your heir. You nobs are all the same.”

  “No, I think not Sally, I was so far into debt I married a rich businessman’s heiress, her terms were clear. I have to be good.”

  “My lord, do you think I could have a private word?” a new voice, asked from a balding portly man who Xavier recognised as mine host.

  “Certainly Mr Watkins,” Xavier said following the landlord to a small room behind the bar. At least this time as he was being dunned, he did not have to think up some exotic lie or admit that he could not pay.

  “It is about your bill, my lord. I wondered if I could have something on account.”

  “Did you hear what I said to Sally about my marriage, Mr Watkins?”

  “Yes, but I assumed that was just to put Sally off. Is it really true?”

  “I married Celestina Blighton at the beginning of the week and she’s paying off my debts. The ones I could find bills for have already been paid, together with those from local creditors who’ve turned up in person to be paid. Is my bill particularly large? I have paid for our lunches and ale in cash and I have now got four horses in your stable, whose brief keep today I have to pay for.”

  “I think the amount is about twelve guineas, my Lord, I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but it has been some time unpaid.” The landlord was busy looking through his papers trying to find the relevant piece of paper.

  “Amazingly I think I can pay that, my wife gave me enough to buy a couple of draft horses and eat, but the horses came at a decent price. She doesn’t trust me with money, because of my past gambling. Should I ever ask for strong drink, please refuse to serve me. I’ll need a receipt to show where I spent the money,” Xavier said while counting out the twelve guineas from his now much lighter purse. “If the bill is actually more, send it on to Kittleton and if you hear anyone else complaining that they’ve not been paid, then tell them to send a bill.”

  “Certainly my lord, may I wish you congratulations on your marriage, I hope you and your Countess are very happy together.”

  “She has got the worst end of the deal and is being very generous, considering. I don’t know whether I should discuss Sally with you?”

  “Sally is employed as a barmaid. I take no portion of anything else she earns, or any interest in how she earns it. She is good for custom even if Mrs Watkins berates her morals, my lord.”

  “That’s the problem, she never charged me. I told her I couldn’t afford her when we first met. If I offer her money now I’d offend her wouldn’t I?”

  “I suspect so, my lord. She did have her favourites, though you’re the only lord I’ve heard of among them.”

  “I’ll have to arrange some trinket as a gesture of appreciation when I have a little money of my own. I can’t expect my wife to pay for that.”

  “It might be hard to explain, my lord.”

  Chapter Eight – Changes

  By the time Xavier and Robert had returned with the draft horses, Celestina and Eliza Feltsham had marched over the whole house and made provisional decisions on decorating and furnishing schemes.

  Celestina had asked her new butler to inform the staff, that if they wished to attend church, she would be leaving an hour before the service and transport for staff members would be made available. Antoine the chef, who was Catholic, had indicated that he would not be coming, but as the parish church within the village and the local Methodist group who met in a private house had their services as the same time, both other groups of Christians could be accommodated. How the vicar would react to the arrival of the Kittleton party, Celestina did not care. She invited Xavier not as a direct order and was surprised when he accepted. S
he had planned to hold his refusal against him somehow, but his charming acquiescence stifled her worst vitriol.

  Celestina was having trouble explaining how she felt about Xavier, even to herself. She had not forgiven him for abandoning her. Her brother and father’s deaths and sickness were all emotionally entwined with his desertion of her. She had been so happy and deliriously in love with him, yet suddenly she went from the raptures of satisfied desire to the total devastation of dealing with her brother’s death and father’s sickness. Xavier’s treachery was all tangled with the loss she felt over her brother and father. She had got over their deaths slowly and had replaced them in her affections with her uncle, with whom she had been content, but since his death she had felt very alone and isolated. Hector was a friend, but he had been her uncle’s man before her and there remained a slight restraint between them.

  The decision to marry had been necessary if she was going to have a child who could inherit and give her someone to love. Yet she had become used to her independence and she had no intention of handing her wealth and businesses over to any man to control. So she had considered her many suitors with a view to how easily she could manage them as individuals, and whether she thought she might be happy living with them. Perusing the files on each of her other suitors, none of them had even attracted her. Celestina had kept coming back to Xavier’s file, even though she knew he had lied and failed her. She had swallowed his sweet words believing him to be an honourable man. She had not imagined the flowery promises of love and devotion, which had poured from her discarded suitors’ lips to be sincere in any detail.

  Not one of them had even made her want to pretend they could be speaking the truth. She had despised the lot of them for their hypocritical lust for her money. Xavier, though he probably needed the money more than any of them, had not presented himself, and he had not taken umbrage, when she had treated him appallingly. He had not sulked or shown any ill temper over her one-sided contract.