Page 34 of The Earl's Heiress
I think of you in private moments when none can intrude on my thoughts, and I tell you my hopes, wants and needs in my dreams.
Yours sincerely,
Arabella
Arabella read and re-read the letter. Had she said enough or too much? She nibbled her bottom lips as she read it for the final time before she sealed it. She went in search of the butler,who was given explicit instructions that the letter should be dispatched to Lord Stanford as soon as possible.
CHAPTER 17
One month later
Stanford Hall, Nottinghamshire
Temple sat in the library, staring at the sketches and scribbled notes on his desk. He was pleased to return to Stanford Hall with his wife. He didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in town. There were much more pressing issues that he had to deal with. The restoration of the estate and renovation of the house were his priorities. He was having weekly meetings with his steward and solicitors. He had arranged a meeting with the architect and the builder to start the process.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.”
“Mr. Kent and Mr. Stuart have arrived, my lord.” The butler announced.
“Please send them in.”
Temple stood up, greeted both men, and they sat around the table.
“Gentlemen, I asked you here to discuss the renovation of Stanford Hall.”
“Thank you, my lord. It is a Georgian beauty, I must say.” Mr. Kent, the architect, replied.
“Indeed. It was originally built in 1723, four floors high, including the basement and attics and thirteen bays in length. Later, the portico was added, and the north and east wings expanded before they were eventually rebuilt.”
“What did you have in mind for the remodeling, my lord?” Mr. Stuart asked.
“I am considering rebuilding the other wings, erecting two twin quadrant colonnades of Ionic columns that flank the facade.” Temple passed his sketches and notes to the gentlemen.
“It appears that the northern ends of the colonnades are linked to screen-walls containing gateways. The east gateway leads to the stable court and the west to the kitchen court. At right angles to these walls stand the arches,” Mr. Kent said.
Temple nodded. “That is what I had in mind.”
“The formal entrances lead nicely into the garden,” Mr. Stuart observed.
Temple was pleased to see the gentlemen understood his vision for the improvements. They discussed the main front stretches, state dining room, and a much larger library.
“My wife will have a more modern reading room, a reception room where she can entertain, a morning room, and a boudoir.”
“That is in order, my lord,” Mr. Kent said.
“What of your rooms?” Mr. Stuart asked.
“We have already agreed on the library. I believe the billiards and gentlemen’s room would be the other considerations.”
“As you wish.”
“I suppose you would both like to tour the house, take measurements and get back to me with a more detailed architectural plan.”
“We would indeed.”
“Very well. My butler will show you around, and we will meet again next week.”
Temple watched both men leave the library and immediately cleared his desks so he could turn his attention to a mounting stack of correspondence. He hardly made any progress before there was another interruption. The door opened, and Arabella walked in.
