The Purchased Peer

by Giselle Marks

  He thought if he ordered some large, soft cushions, to make it more comfortable in the matching fabric to his wife’s bedroom upholstery, that it might make a nursing chair for her, although he supposed if she did bear him a child she would find a wet nurse. Xavier doubted she would stop work and live in domestic bliss with him at Kittleton Place. Still it was a project he was enjoying, trying to turn the ugly old chair into a thing of beauty. He muttered reciting to himself as he rubbed down his evening’s work,

  “Proverbs 24, verses 30 to 34, ‘I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.’”

  Then as he packed his tools away for the night he recalled another quotation. This time it came from his mostly forgotten classics, finding a motto from Horace.

  “That which is well started proceeds well, have the courage to be wise.”

  Xavier told himself he had been foolish for too long and it was time to accept his responsibilities and become an adult. He turned down the oil lanterns and blew them out. Then he took his candle to light himself up to his solitary bed. Although Eliza always made sure on the autumnal nights, she had a warming pan placed in his bed before she went off duty, the bed lost most of the heat by the time he reached it. In spite of his catholic religion, Xavier was not much one for taking his troubles to the Lord, but he muttered a prayer begging Celestina would not dissolve their marriage before laying his head on his pillow.

  He slept and dreamed of Celestina sleeping beside him, but then his dreams moved to an earlier lover and his slumbers remembered a younger girl on Midsummer’s Night. A sweet naiad had lain innocently with him beneath the stars and moon. It was a pleasant dream and if by the time he woke, it had slipped away from his memory; at least he woke determined to not renege on his promises and more hopeful that she would return for Christmas. He remembered she had promised to let him come to London for the season, so he could attend the house and see his friends. That would be harder to do and stay sober, all his friends drank nearly as heavily, if not heavier than he had himself. He hoped some small room in her townhouse could be set aside for his carving and then he could spend the evenings, when she was not in his company making something beautiful.

  Where the Italian sculptures should be placed in the gardens had been a committee decision between Xavier, Matthew Bayliss and John Cagnet. All had totally differing opinions and John Burland’s crew had to move the sculptures, until they reached a consensus on their positioning. The sculptures were not made from the best marble, so Xavier believed they were modern copies of classical statues from antiquity. He thought it was quite acceptable to place them around a garden, but they were not really of the quality you would display indoors. Xavier wondered how much more difficult it would be to carve stone than wood. He was considering making the attempt when he could locate some stone masonry tools together with some off cuts of marble or other carvable stone for him to practice on.

  He was concerned that in addition to the various horticultural buildings Cagnet wanted to construct in the New Year, he also insisted there should be at least one folly in the grounds. So far that was an idea which Xavier had absolutely vetoed, he wrote to Celestina to get some idea of what she had promised the man and whether she personally wanted a folly of any kind in the grounds of Kittleton Place. He made a jocular suggestion that some sort of fountain would look good in the area circled by the drive in front of Kittleton Place, which he did believe, but was not really asking for.

  Celestina’s reply confirmed that she saw no reason why a folly of any kind should be built but admitted that she had led him to believe he could have more greenhouses and forcing sheds. She said she had a few drawings done by an architect who specialised in conservatories and orangeries and they could consider them when she visited at Christmas. For the first time, she apologised for her long absence, but promised she would drive down on the 22nd of December and would return to London on the 30th so she could be ready for dealing with business on the 2nd of January. Cagnet moved out of the main house and into his new cottage, which relieved Xavier. The final three were very close to completion but as yet had not been allocated to new tenants.

  Xavier breathed a sigh of relief to dine once more without the voluble Cagnet. He spent his days concentrating on the arrangements for their staff party and purchasing suitable gifts for distribution. The estates had plenty of holly and greenery to decorate the place for the festivities. He asked John Burland to organise the greenery in time to make wreaths and garlands to decorate the house. He purchased several rolls of gaudy ribbons when he visited the local town to tie the greenery in place. It had been many years since he had the Place adorned for Yule. He felt a frisson of excitement as the days passed and it got nearer to Celestina’s return to the Place. As the days progressed, he seemed to be working harder than his employees. He inspected the whole house and Eliza Fretwell lost her temper with him.

  “Everything will be perfect by the time her ladyship arrives home, my lord. That is if I don’t belabour you with a broom for getting in the way of my staff.”

  Xavier apologised, and tried to keep out of everyone’s way, but he was full of nervous tension. He walked to where the new pheasant pens had been built behind the stables. Enoch had trapped some live pheasants and was releasing them inside the pens. So far he had caught ten hens and a cock which he had put together in one pen. He would have to trap a few more to breed enough poults to restock the estate’s woods. Xavier was pleased he had settled into working for a living and now seemed proud of his new position. Enoch clearly understood what had to be done to winter pheasants, so Xavier praised his efforts and left him to watch the birds adjust to their new home.

  Feeling useless, Xavier decided to ride over to Brook Farm and see how Matthew Bayliss’ efforts to get the farm working efficiently were going. He rode in and was directed to where Matthew was watching two farm workers drive in a new gate post. They intended to replace an earlier gate, which had been too narrow to get a farm cart through. The work would lessen the labour required to carry animal food stuffs into the field. As Xavier dismounted, Matthew turned and smiled.

  “My lord, good to see you, we are widening the gate, because we could not get the cart through.”

  “Thought I’d come and see how you are doing, as my workers at the Place insist I am not needed,” Xavier said ruefully.

  “Would you like to do the tour, my lord? I was going to inspect anyway when we finish this.”

  The workers were now struggling to bring the newly made larger gate to the post. They had already fitted the heavy metal hinge hooks onto which the matching loops on the side of the gate would need to be lifted. With some effort they lifted the gate hook over the lower hook and then tilted and raised the gate slightly until they could line up the other loop with its matching hook. It took a little manoeuvring, but then the gate dropped into place and swung smoothly. The further end of the gate was tied with a couple of loops of strong twine to the other gatepost and the workers touched their caps to Xavier and carried the old gate to the farm cart which was standing nearby.

  Matthew moved off to where his own horse was tethered and they both remounted. Xavier moved up beside him as he led him down a farm lane, they stopped at the first field gate where a small herd of cattle lifted their heads from grazing to stare at them.

  “I bought a prize-winning bull from Farmer Johnson over towards Sherhampton for a reasonable price. He’s settled in well and seems content with his harem of thirty cows. Johnson has had two generations of cows out of him and did not think it was sensible breeding for him to serve his great-granddaughters as well. We will buy a younger bull and th
irty more cows next autumn to build up the herd.”

  “He looks a fine animal. His calves should be strong beasts,” Xavier said staring at the hefty red bull which was busy serving one of his adoring ladies.

  “He seems to enjoy his work,” Matthew laughed as they moved on to the next field which had been turned over ready to be ploughed in spring. “We spread dung cleaned out from the sheds on the arable fields shortly after moving in. We’ve been lucky to have some good downpours to wash it into the soil.”

  “That is one way of looking at it, Matthew. It held up our building works, so it is an ill wind that blows no good,” Xavier remarked back. “How are the drainage works going?”

  “Fairly well, we have finished the top field which is now draining into the small stream at the north end. We intend to deepen the channel in spring, then reseed the grass as the land dries. These are the new sheep which we got from Comford Market. I have got two of the new rams and hope the first crop of lambs will turn out well.”

  “Is that one of your new tups over there? He seems to be of a bigger variety.”

  “Yes I am pleased with him. Look how many sheep already have ruddle marks on their backs, I am disappointed with the other tup and I think he may end up as mutton for the farm and the Place. We now have fifty breeding ewes and the land should feed about two hundred. But we will keep the ewe lambs from next spring to build the herd up and sell the wethers.”

  “That sounds a sensible policy. Will you get another ram or select one of this fellow’s sons?” Xavier asked, interested in Matthew’s intentions on building up the flock.

  “I will see how the lambs turn out and chose a new ram who will complement their good points. I’d like to breed bigger sheep with longer fleeces, because the price for the fleeces is better. But most of the sheep of that type are also more difficult to nurture.”

  They stopped to talk to another pair of workers who were laying a hedge, but did not stay long. The men had already stripped out all the old dead twigs, brambles and leaves which were burning in a small pile some distance away. They wore thick gloves as they cut with small axes and bent back the stalks of hawthorn, ash and blackthorn that made up the hedge with their bill hooks.

  “There’s not a lot more to see in the fields at present. Most of the other fields are either to grass, where we will move the stock, when the fields they are in have been eaten down, or being preparing for crops in the spring. There is one field of turnips which we will feed the stock when the grass stops growing. Next year we will plant wheat and vegetables for sale, but most will be grazing and fodder crops to keep the animals through winter. The lane doubles round back to the farm where I can show you the improvements we’ve made to the buildings.”

  “Do you intend to buy any more stock this year?” Xavier asked as they allowed their horses to move at a slow walk.

  “I don’t have enough fodder to winter any more this year. I brought some stores of hay, straw, barley and oats from Hubert Maddern before he left, but he sold off a lot of his fodder with the stock. We keep a couple of cows for milk and are fattening their calves. There is no sty for pigs, I suppose a future tenant could build one if he wishes. Next winter we will be organised to winter greater herds. I am keeping my fingers crossed we get a good crop of lambs.”

  Eventually they arrived back at the farmyard where they dismounted. A lad came running and held the reins on their horses, leading them away to the stable block at a nod from Matthew. Everything looked well maintained and a small flock of chickens was scratching around the yard. Xavier was impressed with how efficiently the farm was running.

  “We are fattening a few geese for sale and for your table over Yule, but I hope to have a larger flock next year. We now have six working horses; the smallest can be ridden or will pull a small cart or our gig. I have a few more workers than I really need, because I have been training some workers to take over the other farm when it is set up properly. Would you like a glass of rowan wine before you go? I think it is quite good.”

  “That would be pleasant, the day is turning chilly and unlike your workers I have not built up a sweat.”

  “Lords are not expected to get their hands dirty, nor are stewards according to some of the locals. They were shocked when I showed them some of the jobs I wanted doing. They expected me to know what to order them to do but not to be able to show them how.”

  “Yes the yeomanry seem determined to keep us in our places. You seem to be running a very tight ship, if anything the farm looks too neat to be a proper pastoral scene,” Xavier remarked as they wiped their boots and entered the farm through the kitchen door.

  Xavier had realised with his various employees doing their jobs so well, there was little left for him to do. He was stuck in a life of luxury with little purpose. It made him almost nauseous. He refused to return to being the idle wastrel he had been before Celestina had bought him and Kittleton Place. Everything was improving, becoming how he had always wished it would be. If Matthew purchased sufficient land and found good tenants then the estate would begin to be viable. It would support a son and a spare if they were not overly extravagant and in eighteen years, it would be able to provide dowries for any daughters they might have.

  His carving was decorative and showed some talent, but it could not be said to justify his existence. He returned to the stables at the Place and went in search of Enoch once more. He would take his gamekeeper and a shotgun and reduce the numbers of rabbits who continued to breed almost unchecked. Even Enoch’s poaching had little noticeable difference in their numbers. Xavier suspected the old man was a much better shot and caught more rabbits by setting snares than shooting but it would occupy his time until dinner. He ran Enoch to ground and they set off in relative good humour together to massacre a few rabbits. Enoch was used to being quiet in the woods; he was more taciturn than garrulous. So they spent a few hours contently enough in the woods and Enoch made no comment about Xavier’s being slightly morose.

  Chapter Sixteen – Yule

  Celestina, accompanied by her dresser, Amy, followed by Hector arrived at Kittleton. The weather had been fine if chilly so they had made good time on the roads from London. Her veil was back in place, although she had made no attempt to cover her face in London or in her dealings with Gregory Wellmouth. The house had already been decorated with greenery and she could find no fault in how the house had been displayed or cleaned. Her husband was respectably if not especially fashionably dressed, his clothes were clean and pressed, but his hair glowed in rugged ebony curls. He smelt of cinnamon and lavender soap as he bowed over her hand to bestow a lingering kiss and welcome her home. His smile as he looked up at her for a moment took her breath away. He was almost too handsome to believe.

  The longer time apart had not steeled her heart against his charms, but rather she had yearned for his company and his touch. Celestina found herself looking for reason for complaint in her husband’s behaviour. He was the perfect host, attentive, a good listener and filling the silences with interesting conversation. She found she could not keep her eyes off him and was grateful for the veil to cover her blushes. She ate little but drank more than usual. Xavier however did not stray from his moderation, sticking to the letter of their contract. Celestina had just considered how difficult the drinking restriction might be for Xavier to keep in London during January. Hector was regaling them about a young clerk who had turned out to be useless

  “We employed this lad as a favour to his uncle, but he was hopeless, could not settle to anything, his head in the clouds and always doodling on scraps of paper…” Hector was saying but Celestina was not really listening and she knew the end of the story anyway. She was trying not to think about how things would go when Xavier came to London. She had never worn a veil there before and enough people would recognise her face and wonder why she was suddenly veiled.

  “… I was despairing getting him to concentrate, so I called him into my office…” Hector continued.

  Cele
stina wondered how long it would be, before she was described to her husband and when he realised than she was neither ugly nor scarred. Would he then realise who she actually was?

  “…so I wrote him a glowing reference and the East India Company snapped him up, he is happy and his uncle is happy and we are very pleased to see the back of him,” Hector declared looking very satisfied at having dealt with the problem to Blighton Holding’s benefit.

  Celestina shivered imagining his fury at discovering her deception. Xavier, believing she was cold, had a footman fetch a shawl to make her comfortable. The meal was over fairly quickly, but Hector made his excuses and said he was going for a ride that evening.

  “You could ask for horses to be harnessed to my curricle, Hector. If would be safer driving with carriage lamps than riding at this time of night,” Xavier offered.

  “I’ve no training as a whip, my lord. I’d fear to wreck your curricle or harm your cattle,” Hector answered.

  “Would you like to learn, Hector? I could show you how to use the ribbons over the festive season.”

  “I would love you to teach me if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, my lord,” Hector declared shaking his hand.

  So Xavier and Celestina were left alone. It was too early to retire so Xavier took her on a tour of the renovations and redecoration of the public rooms. Eliza Fretwell had already gone off duty. It was unusual to have a housekeeper who lived away from the Place, but the arrangement seemed to work quite well, because in the evening Millett ruled without any interference. Their butler preceded them; lighting branches of candles so she could see the full effect, now the rooms were finished. The original Tudor structure had been altered somewhat by earlier Falconers, but little had ever been replaced or repaired. Now the wood of the furniture glistened, the stone and tile floors gleamed in the candlelight and the upholstery complimented its surrounds. The new pictures added to the tasteful décor, she saw her other presents had been carefully displayed. There was plenty of space for further purchases, but the house looked like money had been lavished on it, in a restrained and fashionable style.