Page 47 of Lord of Mischief
Freddie stayed in his father’s study for several hours, too ashamed to go out and face the servants who were busy packing up the house.It was only when the sounds of the house fell silent that he finally ventured out.
As he stepped from his father’s study, he immediately noticed the eerie silence.
“Hello?”he called.
A deafening silence responded.His father had been true to his word.All the servants were gone.
“Bollocks,” he muttered.
A scattering of claws on the tiled floor signaled the arrival of Saintspreserveus.The dog scampered up to Freddie and eagerly accepted his master’s vigorous scratch behind his ear.
“At least someone is still in a good mood,” he said.
The dog tilted his head to one side and looked up at Freddie.Their gazes met and the dog whimpered.Freddie snorted.He could swear at times the dog had more intelligence than he was given credit for.“I’m sorry, boy.It’s not your fault we are in this mess.”
And a right mess it was.With the servants gone, there was the immediate and pressing problem of what food had been left behind.
With Saintspreserveus following behind, Freddie ventured down into the household kitchen.He was pleasantly surprised to find a fresh loaf of bread, a small wheel of Stilton cheese, and some carrots on the pantry shelves.Up high on the meat shelf he found a juicy bone, which he pulled down and handed to the dog.
Saintspreserveus snapped up the bone and wandered over to his bed in the corner where he proceeded to give the bone his full attention.At least the dog was happy for the moment.
In the pantry, Freddie located a few bottles of wine.Alcohol was not going to be a problem in the house as Thomas had shown him how to pick the lock on the door of their father’s wine cellar at a young age.His father could cut Freddie off for several years and the extensive wine supply would last.The cheese and bread would suffice for the rest of the day, but after that he had no idea what he’d do.
“The money!”He raced back upstairs and into his father’s study.He snatched up the small bag of coins and held it in his hand.
“Please,pleaselet there be enough for me to dine out each day,” he muttered.
Opening the bag, he tipped its contents onto the desk.Then he slumped down into the chair and stared at the meagre amount of money.
He picked up the bag again and stuffed his hand inside, hoping to find at least a one- pound note.The bag, however, was empty.
He slowly sorted the coins into piles as the sickening feeling in his stomach continued to whirl round and round.Some of the coins were of such little value he couldn’t remember having ever possessed one before.What the devil would a chap do with a handful of farthings?The piles of farthings, groats, and sixpence amounted to less than what Freddie would normally have spent in a week on pies and other snacks at university.He was going to have to budget very carefully over the next few weeks, all the while praying his parents would have a change of heart.
“Well that is going to make paying for my seat on the board a little difficult,” he muttered bitterly.
The contents of the sack could be ten times what it held, and he would still be a long way short on the money to pay Osmont.
“Ah!”
His father might refuse to give him any money, but he had friends.Godwin might claim his father cared little for him, but he never went without.Godwin wouldn’t need to know exactly what Freddie wanted the money for, instead a small white lie would have to do.He just needed to get Godwin to ask the Duke of Mewburton for an advance on his yearly allowance, and then lend it to him.
Freddie vowed to pay Godwin back ten- fold on the loan when he made his first successful investment.
He scooped up most of the coins and put them back in the bag, tucking a few of the sixpence into his pocket.With a hopeful smile, he rose from the chair.
It was early enough in the day that he knew Godwin would still be at home.His love of the green weed from India and the dens where he could smoke it ensured Godwin would not have made it home until the early hours of the morning.
Putting on his coat, Freddie gave his dog a cheerful farewell.
“Wait there for me, boy.I shall be home soon enough and we shall have servants and food again before you can say snap.”
The Duke of Mewburton’s magnificent mansion was a short distance from Grosvenor Square.Freddie made it in quick time, the spring in his step returned.
Reaching the house on Mount Street, he bounded up the front steps and confidently knocked on the front door.
“Good morning.Lord Godwin, if you please,” he said to the butler who opened the door.
The butler hesitated for a moment, then screwed up his face.“I am afraid Lord Godwin is indisposed to all visitors this morning.”
