Page 12 of An Amiable Foe
She was perfectly right. He hadn’t considered that. The thought of all there was to do in preparation sent panic running through his veins. “I will do my best,” he answered valiantly.
“I would be much obliged. As a matter of fact, I was bringing you to see the cottage. You can see the side of it there, just ahead.”
Perry looked to where she had pointed and saw that the cottage, partly hidden by trees, was situated on the corner of the property, along the wall, as she had indicated. It was a friendly-looking stone house with even windows and matching gabled roofs. This one appeared to be in better shape than the castle.
“When was the last time you came here?” he asked, staring at the small lawn in front of it which was overgrown with weeds.
“I visited it only once when I learned that this would be my fate, and that my uncle had not bequeathed the castle to me, as he had all but promised he would.” Miss Edgewood’s expression had closed up again.
“Perhaps he feared you did not have the means to restore it,” Perry suggested, treading cautiously.
Miss Edgewood pulled the gig up in front of the cottage, dropped the reins, and climbed down before he could do the same.
“My uncle left me alone to raise myself for all intents and purposes. I would have figured out a way to make the estate profitable again. And if I did not, I would have managed just fine, living as I have been for the past ten years. It was the cruelest thing he could have done, and that without sending a word of explanation.”
She marched forward, and Perry was saved from having to respond. He would not have known what to say if he were forced to it. Miss Edgewood had had the foresight to bring the keys with her and now pulled a large iron skeleton key from her reticule and went to the front door, where she turned the key in the lock. Perry followed close behind and entered the hall, finding it dark and damp from having all the windows permanently shuttered.
“My new home,” she said, her words echoing, melancholy in the empty space.
“It’s nice,” he offered, but his words sounded feeble even to his own ears. It was barren and damp, the dingy walls giving more the appearance of a prison than a fortress. This would take more than just restoration. It would take hope.
* * *
The next day, Miss Edgewood announced at breakfast that she would be moving her things into the cottage that same day. Perry lifted his eyebrows but did not argue her sudden determination when it accorded so well with his own view. It would be much better for her to be gone by the time his friends arrived. It was hardly appropriate for him to be residing in the castle with her, but he could claim he had no inappropriate designs on her. As much as he admired his friends, he could not say the same for all of them.
He had just short of one week until his friends arrived, and with Miss Edgewood moved out, he would make his own room where her parents had stayed. Adam Raifer must have the largest room where Perry had been staying until now, once the bell pull was repaired and the chimney had been cleaned. The bed would not need to be moved, although it was imperative the mattresses be changed in all the rooms. He could give Laurence Wilmot the bedroom where Miss Edgewood had been staying, and Harold Banks—nicknamed “Neck”—whom he judged to be least particular would have to have one of the corridor bedrooms downstairs.
When the servants carried out Miss Edgewood’s trunk and he had a glimpse of her room, all he could think about was how Lorry would turn his nose up at the dismal green silk wallpaper there. He didn’t expect much of a fuss from Neck, but even he would have a reason to complain when he saw that his bedroom had no privacy. And Raife would just protest mildly in that ironic way of his that Perry must not think of him. After all,hisbutler would have ensured the rooms were inhabitable, but one could not expect such a level of comfort everywhere. Perry feared Raife’s reaction most of all.
The day proved to be a busy one with Miss Edgewood supervising the packing up of items throughout the house that held sentimental or practical value, including some of the furniture. Perry was glad to see the gloomy paintings from the drawing room taken from their spots and understood her desire for them when she explained they were portraits of her parents. He was less delighted to see the light patches left behind on the wall that would have to be filled with some other artwork, and the more charming aspects of the yellow apartment disappear that she had said were her mother’s. This was the one room in which he’d thought he might tolerably entertain his guests.
However, Miss Edgewood proved to be more generous than she had any right to be by promising to secure him some green baize that could repair the billiard table, and sure enough, a servant came from the Vernon residence with the same that very day.
Perry was faithful to his offer to help with the move and took one end of a rolled-up rug that he had thought he despised from the drawing room, but regretted the sentiment when he saw how cold and barren the floor was without it. He helped the gardener carry it to the cart. His efforts left an unfortunate patch of dust on his pale pantaloons, and as he leaned down to attempt to brush off the stain, the familiar sound of his carriage rolling into the property brought his head up.
“John,” he exclaimed in relief when he saw both his groom and valet pull up in his curricle. Marcus had not been able to care for Beau in the way John could, although the man had done his best. And it appeared that Perry could not care for himself. “Matley, how glad I am to see you.”
“I arrived as soon as I could, sir.” His short valet looked down his nose at the streak of dirt on the pantaloons. “And not a moment too soon, I see.”
Miss Edgewood walked by at that moment with a large sewing basket under her arm and directed Sarah to where she wished to have the tea set placed on the cart. She nestled her sewing basket beside it.
“Miss Edgewood,” he called out. “My valet has arrived. Sarah, this is Matley. Would you see to the accommodations we spoke of yesterday? John, Marcus will show you where you’ll be staying above the stables.”
The maid nodded and indicated for Matley to follow. Charlie and Neville moved from the castle to the cart with brisk efficiency, and Perry asked Marcus to assist John in removing the trunk from his curricle so that they might bring the carriage to the coach house and have his horses stabled and brushed down. By the time the carriage was empty, and John had Marcus up on the curricle beside him to go to the stables, Sarah returned with Miss Edgewood, who climbed up onto the cart before he could assist her.
He rested his hand on the side of the cart lest she nudge the horse forward. “I believe the servants have things well in hand at the castle. I will join you at the cottage and assist in whatever way I can if you’ll accept my help.”
“I would be much obliged. Sarah, would you climb in the back and allow Mr. Osborne to take your place, please?”
There was a flat surface for sitting on one of the trunks, and the maid climbed nimbly over the carriage seat and allowed Mr. Osborne to take her place. Miss Edgewood snapped the reins and the nag started off at a slow pace, covering the short distance in her own rhythm.
As soon as they reached the cottage, Perry swung off the cart and went to the back, where he picked up the heaviest of the trunks, regretting that he had not thought to command one of the male servants to come and assist. The estate was in desperate need of more help, and Matley and John had been hired for specific purposes, not as multi-function servants. They would not take too kindly to being asked to perform the services of a footman. What he needed urgently—and before his friends arrived—was at least one more footman and a maid. However, the task of hiring more servants was daunting, especially in a village he did not know well. He didn’t know where to begin.
Miss Edgewood picked up a loose portmanteau and held it along with her sewing basket as she accompanied him into the house.
“I shall have to go back and fetch Miss Fife, who cannot move at anything faster than a snail’s pace. I know the servants have been hired by the castle’s steward; however, I should be much obliged if you would leave Sarah here with me, for otherwise I shall have no one.”
Perry’s anxiety only increased at the request. He turned sideways to carry the trunk into the stone house, grunting as he bumped against the door jamb which sent a bolt of pain to his thigh. He grumbled his reply.
