CHAPTER THREE #2
‘I do not say more, Louisa, but I do not want you to do something you will regret.’
39‘Papa, if the worst happened, and I found I disliked it, would you bar the door to me if I returned like some prodigal?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then I risk a little expense, and my pride. However, I agree it is not a thing to be decided upon the spur of the moment. I will think on it, I promise.’
She did think about it, and it gave her several disturbed nights, but she knew that her thoughts all swayed her one way, which concerned her. Aware of her own bias, and that of her parents, she sought more impartial advice.
The next day she went to see General Cowley, knowing he would give her honest answers, and sensible ones too.
By default, he invited her to set up the chess board between them, and rang for a glass of ratafia for his guest. It was not a drink that Louisa liked very much, but he considered it the drink to serve a lady, and she never liked to refuse.
Louisa set out her pieces in near silence, and the general watched her, and, as she set the final pawn in place, put out his hand and laid down his king, as he would if he conceded.
‘Sir?’
‘You will not play a game worthy of you if burdened. You will find me a good listener, as long as you speak clearly. My hearing is not as good as it once was.’
‘Am I that obvious, General?’
‘To me, my dear, yes.’
‘I … My godmama has died, and has, very much to my surprise, left her house, and its very tidy estate, to me. My 40parents assume I will sell the estate, and continue to live with them at Deerswell, but I am very tempted to live there myself. You see, although I love my parents dearly, I have been mistress of a house, I have made my own decisions and … it is not easy giving up “command”, sir, as I told you when I first returned here. You understand.’
‘Yes, I do, of course I do.’ He paused, leant back in his chair and folded his slightly gnarled hands before him.
‘It is an important decision, and you must make it as you would a chess move, thinking ahead. You wish to be your own woman, not still “daughter of the house”, but what is your aim, in the long term? Think strategy, not tactics.’
‘I want to live my own life, with my daughter, beholden to none, reliant upon no man.’ She looked at him squarely.
‘I have been married, been a man’s “possession”, and I do not want to be so again.
Mama is convinced that women have to have a man to guide them in all things.
My opinion of men is not so great that I think their guidance worth the having. ’
‘Yet you have come to me.’ The general gave a wry smile.
‘Yes, I have, but … I trust but two men, sir, and the other is my papa, but in this he is too close, too involved to look at it clearly. I trust you, and I ask your advice.’
‘Will it cause a break between you and your parents?’
‘No. I think they will be initially disappointed, and worried also, but if I show that I can do this, they will not be cold towards me.’
‘Then have you any knowledge of the property that you have inherited? If it is in such poor repair that it would 41take much of the income just to restore it, then you should think twice.’
‘I went there once, and stayed with my godmama and visited Bath, for it is but a little more than an hour’s ride from there.
The house is a good size, from the time of Queen Anne I believe, with well-proportioned rooms, as I recall.
My godmama had lived in it for over thirty years, since she was widowed, and was an elderly lady. ’
‘Which means I doubt much has been done in its upkeep. I speak as one who does not notice such things either. When my son Edward was home after the débacle at Corunna he took me to task, respectfully of course, for the state of the roof and gutterings. I suggest, before you make your decision, that you send a man upon a reconnaissance, a man who knows buildings, and get his opinion. You do not want to go to a house falling about your ears.’
‘That is very true. But I have no knowledge …’
‘Your father’s man of business is the person to set about finding the man to do it, and it will also show that you are not letting heart rule head. If he comes back with a negative report, then sell, and if the money is sufficient, you might buy a property where you choose.’
‘You do not think me mad, dear sir?’
‘Not at all. I do think it likely that I am going to miss my games of chess, so shall we now play, while you are still here?’
Mr Herne, Lord Felmersham’s man of business, was, thought Louisa, just as one would imagine a man with that occupation.
He was rather spare of frame, with a sharp 42nose upon which were perched a pair of spectacles that looked in imminent danger of falling off, and he had a slight stoop.
His juniors found him daunting, but Louisa had known him for many years, and he had even, since her mama was not really up to the task, given her a few ‘lessons’ on the finer points of overseeing the quarterly accounts when she was about to become the chatelaine of a large house.
Having been given the task of finding someone to survey the Somerset property, he had set about it with his normal thoroughness, and returned within ten days.
His report was given in an even and noncommittal tone.
‘Mr Newton, of Bath, made a thorough appraisal of the property, my lady, and I consider him very trustworthy.
He was engaged when the Dowager Lady Felmersham wanted to take a house in Bath many years ago, and his reports were very sensible.
He says that the roof looks essentially sound except in one place towards the rear of the house, probably the effect of a winter gale not noticed and then allowing later gales to lift more tiles, and one chimney stack needs repointing.
That means replacing the mortar between the bricks, my lady.
There is damp in the roof space beneath the hole, but not such that it would not dry out if the repairs were made in the very near future.
He also recommends that the gutters be cleared at the same time.
The house has no major cracks, those that are present being merely the settling of a house that is over a century old.
Interior decoration is, in his words, “tired”.
The late Lady Frampton suffered from impaired vision in her last years, and in any case was not inclined, I am sure, to have the 43upheaval of redecoration.
The stables and dairy are in good repair.
Overall, he thinks that with a modest expenditure, the house could be very comfortable.
‘In addition, I requested that the list of servants currently employed be sent to me, and have also ascertained how many there were when the household was, shall we say, fully functioning. The butler is very elderly, and under the terms of her ladyship’s will, has a cottage upon the estate and a pension for his remaining years.
There is still a housekeeper, a cook, a scullery maid and two housemaids, a coachman, groom and stableboy, three gardeners and a lad.
I think besides engaging a butler, my lady, a footman would be wise.
It is not a large residence, but there are times when a man’s stature and abilities are of use in a house, as well as being useful if you should be wishing to shop in Bath, for example. ’
‘Mr Herne, do you think I am being reckless?’
‘It is not my place to say, my lady.’
‘But?’
‘But in purely practical terms, what you intend is not at all reckless. If the estate were sold, you could buy somewhere else, but I think it would not sell at as high a price as it would if given some renovation. If you had an inclination to reside in the vicinity of Bath, then it is a good situation. I have studied the accounts of the estate, the Home Farm and those lands leased out, and it could do with a little more oversight, but is not likely to make you a loss.’
‘Thank you, Mr Herne. I shall discuss this with his lordship and send you my final decision in the next few days.’
44‘As you wish, my lady. Do not feel the need to take such a step in haste.’
‘My own mind is very nearly certain. I simply wish to feel that I am … supported.’
‘Of course, my lady. I shall await your further instructions.’
It was not really true that Louisa had not made up her mind by that point, but that she disliked upsetting her parents, and disliked also the fact that her mama would work upon the principle that if she kept on saying it was a very bad idea for long enough, then her daughter would change her mind.
In this she was perfectly correct, despite all Louisa’s protestations that her decision was made upon sound judgement.
There was also the concern in her mind about the lack of a butler.
After several years with a household, Louisa was well aware of the importance of a good butler, but she was not entirely sure what one had to look for when selecting one, and she knew many houses worked upon the butler training up his successor.
Before she spoke to Mr Herne she decided to ask the views of Linslade, whom she had known all her life, but as if by magic, it was he who raised the situation with her.
‘It has come to my ears, my lady, that the residence to which you may choose to move is one where the butler is retiring, and there is no “successor” if one might be permitted to use a regal analogy.’
‘That is correct, Linslade, and it concerns me. I know what I need, but how to select the right one, one who will ensure the house runs smoothly and is in control but not despotic, is my problem.’
45‘If you will forgive my presumption, my lady, might I suggest Leece.’
‘Leece, the under-butler? But surely he is being groomed to take over here in the fullness of time?’
‘It was my intention, my lady, but I would hope to have sufficient years of service remaining to me to train another. Leece, as you may know, my lady, is my nephew, and his advancement might thus be described, in the literal sense, as nepotism. However, I assure your ladyship that I would not have kept him here in training these past five years if he had not shown great promise. I would perhaps prefer him to have had a little more time, but the establishment that you have inherited, my lady, is not as large as this one, and he would be perfectly competent.’
‘How do you know so much about my “establishment”, Linslade?’
‘Er, Mr Herne took it upon himself to also ask my advice, my lady.’ Linslade’s cheeks showed the very faintest of reddening.
‘I see.’ So Mr Herne knew what was in her mind already. ‘Would Leece not regret losing the chance to be the butler in a larger household?’
‘He is young, my lady, having only just reached thirty. He is at the eager age, though I would not wish to call it impatience. I think, in truth, he would see it as a great opportunity.’
‘Thank you, Linslade. I would request that you do not mention this to Leece until I have made my intention clear to the family, but thereafter, if he is willing, I will speak with him.’
‘Thank you, my lady.’
46‘In this case, Linslade, the thanks are mine to you.’ Louisa smiled.
It did seem to remove the last obstacle, or rather the last obstacle but one.
She decided that she could not put off her announcement any longer.
She waited until her father joined them after dinner, and his peaceful contemplation of a glass of good port.
She spoke calmly, but her mother reacted just as she had expected.
‘Yes, but you are a young woman of five and twenty with no knowledge of how things go on,’ wailed Lady Felmersham.
‘I did not come to this decision arbitrarily, Mama. I took advice, and advice from men so you cannot say that it is silly.’ Louisa privately thought men could be just as silly as women, but knew her mama felt differently.
Lady Felmersham glared accusingly at her husband, who held up a hand.
‘I said my piece, but it is Louisa’s decision.’
‘But you should have forbidden it.’
Lord Felmersham said nothing, knowing his wife too well to think that logical argument would cut any ice with her. Louisa gave him an apologetic look.
‘I have made a decision,’ she said, quietly. ‘I ask that you support me, even if it is not the choice you wished, and that there is no resentment. I would desire that you come to stay with me in my home, as I would wish to come here for visits.’
Her father nodded, but Lady Felmersham burst into tears.