Chapter 5
five
It took Effie hours to finish tidying Papa’s study, sorting through the correspondence and arranging the books on the shelves.
The secretary had volunteered to do the job, but she loved putting things in order and keeping herself useful, and Papa was always happy to have her help.
He was messy, but her slow work wasn’t due to his lack of organisation. The encounter with Lord Montcrest had given her a lot to think about.
First, he’d barged into the room unannounced and uninvited, scaring poor Pepper and Kettle, and then his beautiful horse had risked dying.
He loved his horse, but he also had a temper; a hot temper that was a contrast with the coldness in his blue eyes.
They were the only thing about him that hadn’t changed.
She’d hardly recognised him as the scrawny young man who had stared at her speechless when she’d offered him a few crates of food.
What bothered her wasn’t his temper or his stiff manners, but something else. Something she couldn’t quite explain. He’d been restless and nervous, closing and opening his hands repeatedly and scrubbing the back of his neck. His facial muscles had smoothed only when Zeus’s health had improved.
That had been the moment when he’d completely changed in her eyes. He’d looked genuinely horrified at having neglected his horse. She didn’t trust people who mistreated animals and those who couldn’t defend themselves.
At least he wasn’t completely heartless, although his annoyance at Papa for a business deal had seemed exaggerated. On the other hand, he claimed he didn’t hunt. She liked that about him.
Once the study was tidy, she went to the library.
The scent of walnut wood and leather was a cure-all, and the light of the sunset tinted the room in warm red.
She ran a hand over her worn copy of the latest edition of A Compendium of the Veterinary Art.
She knew the book backwards. Every sketch, description, and procedure.
It was funny how her dream lay in those six hundred pages.
More than a dream, it was an impossible goal.
Women could study medicine, could even be registered as physicians.
But they weren’t allowed anywhere near veterinary medicine.
Yet she was as knowledgeable as any graduated man from the Royal Veterinary College.
She even had experience in dealing with cattle and sheep in the remote, muddy farms in the countryside.
Her pleas to be admitted to the college had fallen on deaf ears.
The college hadn’t even bothered to reply to her.
But anyway, she held the book against her chest. She wasn’t searching for glory, nor did she care about revolutionising society. She only wanted to be recognised as a veterinary doctor. Although she could help sick animals with or without formal recognition.
A loud purr distracted her from her musing. Kettle bumped his head against her leg and coiled his tail around her skirt.
“You didn’t like Lord Montcrest at all, did you?”
He raised his yellow eyes with an air of innocence.
“You shouldn’t have scratched him.”
His reply was another deep purr.
Thank goodness Lord Montcrest wasn’t one of those people who became violent towards cats. She’d seen her share of people raising a fist at a hissing feline.
Now that she thought about it, Lord Montcrest had a few redeeming qualities, but she would reserve her final judgement on his nervous character once she saw how he took care of Zeus in the next few days.
Kettle made a soft trill, a sign he wanted to retire and sleep, and demanded she follow suit.
“You’re right.” She opened her arms, and he jumped in her arms. “You had a stressful day.”
Dinner was a quiet affair with Pepper and Kettle for company. Papa had felt lonely in London after her elder siblings had flown the nest and started travelling, and she’d moved there to spend some time with him, but he was often out until late.
After going upstairs, she sipped a tisane in her bedroom, reading in front of the blazing fire. Pepper was asleep on her bed, and Kettle was keeping a watchful eye on London from the window, having changed his mind about a nap.
When Papa’s carriage stopped at the front door, she hoped he would come upstairs before going to bed.
“Effie?” He knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
“Darling.” He showed a bright smile, carrying with him the cold air from outside.
She rose from the chair and hugged him.
He held her back. “Still up?”
“I was waiting for you.”
“Thank you for tidying my study.” Papa stroked Pepper’s head and stretched out an arm towards Kettle tentatively. After Kettle tilted his head and made a soft sound, Papa caressed his head gently.
“I like being useful.”
“Is something the matter?” he said in a low voice because Kettle didn’t like harsh sounds.
“Lord Montcrest came here this morning.”
He stopped touching Kettle. “What?”
“Didn’t Doyle tell you?” she asked. “Montcrest was distressed and demanded to see you.”
“Did he upset you?”
“Not at all.” A little, but not in the way Papa imagined. “He was worried about a deal he had with you.”
“He shouldn’t have bothered you. Like his late father, he doesn’t care about rules of behaviour.” He started towards the door. “I’ll write him a message immediately.”
“Wait.” She went after him. “He’ll probably come back tomorrow.”
“Will he now? I don’t have any intention of seeing him. He can talk to my solicitor if he needs to communicate with me, but certainly, he shouldn’t come here uninvited.”
“Why did you refuse to sell him the land in Easthollow? You’ve always said that land was as useful as a rock.”
He patted her cheek. “Don’t worry about that. It’s nothing.”
“But his proposition sounded reasonable.”
“I really have to go.” Papa walked out of the room without waiting for her to finish.
She scowled at the closed door. Papa had never involved her in the management of the estate. Why would he? She didn’t have any training or knowledge about farming or stock market. But his abrupt departure was out of character as if she’d struck a nerve.
Lord Montcrest wasn’t a destitute man anymore. He didn’t need her help. But she would be lying if she said she didn’t want to help him both because he was intriguing and because Papa’s reaction had been exaggerated. And, like Kettle, she was curious.