Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Hey! Diddle, Diddle, The Warder in the Middle
Lizzy and her entourage left for Derbyshire the next morning.
The May weather made traveling pleasant, and she knew it would be three days before they reached Matlock where they would stay while she completed her task of warding Ashbourne Manor.
She had never visited this manor before because she was a newborn at the time of her grandmother’s last visit.
Her grandmother, however, had shared information about the estate, the earl and his heir, and some of the brownies who resided at the estate.
Lizzy kept abreast of estate owners who died, so she knew the earl her grandmother spoke of was still alive.
Lizzy wondered if this earl would be around when she visited again in seventeen years.
Although the wards would last at least twenty years, grandmother strongly suggested visiting every sixteenth or seventeenth year to renew an estate’s ward.
Lizzy recalled her grandmother’s account about making this same trip.
Her grandmother Bennet waited an extra year to strengthen the wards on this route because she felt concerned about her daughter-in-law.
Four months after her premonition, as Grandma Bennet referred to it, she knew her daughter-in-law was increasing; although Francine Bennet had not become aware of fact.
During the trip to Derbyshire, Lizzy discovered Tiddle traveled well. He spent a great deal of time looking out the window at the changing landscape. He was thrilled to see the mountains in the Peak area, and Butterbell lamented the inability to stop and visit the locale.
“I am sorry we do not have the time on this trip, but maybe next year we could take a vacation to the Peaks. Maybe my brother and Tiddle could accompany us,” Lizzy offered. She, too, desired to visit the area, for what were mere humans to mountains and trees.
Tiddle turned to Lizzy as she spoke, and then asked, “Tiddle come too? See trees and rocks?”
“Yes, Tiddle, Butterbell and you will come.”
Tiddle smiled and then turned back to watch out the window.
“Think Tiddle like Robbie. Robbie wants brownie. You be the best sister,” Butterbell declared.
Lizzy laughed but nodded her agreement. She knew her brother would be pleased, but it would be up to Tiddle if he accepted Robbie. It was always the brownies’ choice; it had always been the brownies’ choice to bond with a human.
Upon reaching the Crown and Staff in Matlock, Lizzy breathed a sigh of relief.
For the last day, Tiddle spoke nonstop about the trip, the landscape he saw out the window, how amazing it was not to see water surrounding the land in front of him, and about the possibility of having another young boy of his own.
Lizzy even saw Mrs. Hanson frowning frequently during many of Tiddle’s ramblings.
Had it not been for Butterbell’s calming influence on her and Tiddle, Lizzy might have thrown the Tiddle out of the coach and left him stranded at the roadside. Every time the thought came, however, Lizzy recalled she would never do something so inhumane.
Sighting the inn, therefore, did wonders for her composure. Even Butterbell felt the change in her attitude but made no mention of it.
Once the coach stopped, Lizzy informed Fred, the groom, that she would need the coach ready around nine in the morning.
“Ask the ostlers how long the drive to Ashbourne Manor will take. I do not wish to arrive too early or too late,” Lizzy informed the young man. She could have given the directive to Jack Burrows, the coachman, but felt it really was the duty of young Fred.
Lizzy then turned to Joseph, who had helped her alight from the coach, and said, “I believe I will have you accompany me to Ashbourne Manor and have Ben look after Tiddle. I will have Tiddle remain in the stables while I am gone. I know he enjoys being around the horses.”
“Ben enjoys the horses, as well,” Joseph countered.
“I know,” Lizzy chuckled, and then turned to follow Mrs. Hanson into the inn.
The following morning, Lizzy left the inn with Joseph and Mrs. Hanson while Butterbell decided to remain behind.
She found his request interesting since Butterbell usually traveled to the estates and homes she warded so he could visit with the other brownies.
Instead of asking his purpose for remaining at the inn, Lizzy just allowed him to do as he pleased but asked him to also keep watch on Tiddle.
She did not want Tiddle wandering off on his own and becoming lost.
The trip did take the expected three hours, and Lizzy knew she would need to make the trip two more times, at least. Ashbourne Manor had a number of sites needing reinforcement of the wards her grandmother tended the last time she visited the estate.
Lizzy always expected to be greeted by the estate owner; however, a few times in the past, she had been greeted by the steward or housekeeper with a message that the owner had been called away on an emergency. At one estate, she had been turned away, and she followed her grandmother’s sage advice.
“Never let them have the upper hand. They cannot ward their own estates, so they need you. Let them know your services are rare and hard to obtain, or they will try to take advantage of you,” her grandmother had warned her.
“Allowing their staff to turn down your request to perform your duty and then thinking they can ask you back at their convenience is only the beginning. Some will then try to refuse to pay for your services. Never accept such treatment.” Grandmother went on to advise, “If this happens, go back and unweave the ward. Let them see how harmful it can be to allow their brownies to be unprotected.”
Lizzy’s situation had occurred when an estate owner in Norfolk had decided to travel to London but never informed any of his staff about her arrival.
Lizzy did just as her grandmother advised; she left without rending any services.
When she finally returned, two months later, the estate owner wanted to complain about her services.
Lizzy retorted, “I arrived when arranged, I was turned away by your staff. My time is valuable and not to be wasted. Had you instructed your staff of my arrival, I would have reinforced your wards. Now, I am being berated as if I were at fault. I can easily return home and leave your estate and brownies unprotected.”
Lizzy listened as the gentleman hastily offered a contrite apology, and he even offered to pay extra since she had to make a second trip.
The gentleman did not know it, but Lizzy already added an extra fee to his bill of service before she even arrived at his estate.
Grandmother always said, ‘Make them pay extra if they force you to make a second trip due to their neglect.’ Lizzy always followed her grandmother’s advice.
Upon arriving at the Derbyshire estate, Lizzy noticed a handsome young gentleman awaiting her. She knew he was not the estate owner but wondered if he were the earl’s son.
As the coach stopped, the gentleman stepped up to the coach, let down the step, and opened the door.
Lizzy noticed he was taller than most men of her acquaintance and fairly handsome.
His hair was dark brown and slightly wavy, his eyes were an emerald green, his chin was slightly squared, and his other facial features were pleasant to look at.
To her, he looked rather athletic with broad shoulders and a torso that tapered down to a smaller waistline.
Visually, she could tell he used no padding to enhance his figure, which she found pleasing.
Lizzy’s first thought was, ‘He would make an acceptable partner for any dance.’
“Miss, we are expecting you,” he said as he stood waiting to hand her down. Even his voice pleased her.
Lizzy reached out and took his offered hand.
As he helped her down, the gentleman said, “My uncle was called away on an emergency and requested my aid. I welcome you to Ashbourne Manor and will see that any need you have is met.”
“Thank you,” Lizzy offered with a smile.
She noticed, although pleasant, the gentleman did not smile.
He appeared all business. “If someone will show my driver and Joseph where to move the coach and horses to, and if Mrs. Mildred,” she nodded toward her companion, “might be shown a place to rest and offered some light refreshment, I will be able to commence my task immediately.”
Lizzy never referred to her warding as a job because it would then appear as if she was conducting a business; a gentlewoman never involved herself in trade of any sort.
Although, in Lizzy’s opinion, using the supernatural power was not a business but a talent; a very highly valuable talent at that.
Also, depending on one’s level of talent, wisdom, and knowledge, the wielder of the power could increase the level of their skill through studied and careful experimentation.
This was how Lizzy finally learned to weave individual wards for brownies who accompanied their humans wherever they went.
“The staff will see to their needs immediately,” the gentleman said as he released her hand.
“Thank you.” Lizzy replied and then added, “I will start with the outbuilding. I know there are a number of them I must look at. It will probably take two days before I am ready to address any needs in and around the manor.”
“If everything goes well for my uncle, he believes he will return by late tomorrow. I know he wishes to speak to you about an issue one of his brownies shared with him,” the gentleman said.
Since he never introduced himself, Lizzy had no idea of the gentleman’s name. To avoid awkwardness, she avoided addressing him in any manner.
“Thank you. I look forward to meeting Lord Ashbourne and will happily address whatever the issue is.” Lizzy wondered if word of the individual warding had reached Derbyshire before her.
The brownie method of long-distance communication was a mystery to everyone but the brownies.
Even Butterbell would not share the secret with her.
She had asked once, when she was younger.
Both Grandmother and Butterbell laughed at her reaction to his response.
‘You need not know,’ had been his blunt response, but after laughing, he added, ‘Humans cannot know. Never understand.’ Grandmother just said, ‘Best not to ask again. I tried four times and was refused each time. Then I gave up. It works fast and efficiently, so I decided it did not matter if I knew how it worked.’ Lizzy finally developed the same opinion.
“If you excuse me, I will begin with the stables,” Lizzy said with a smile before she turned and walked away.
The tall, handsome gentleman just nodded his head before turning to address Mrs. Hanson.
Lizzy did not hear what he said but turned and stood in the middle of the drive surveying the area.
She then moved toward the stables where she began warding the buildings, the outdoor paddock, and the surrounding pastureland.
After those areas, she knew the hunting lodge on the grounds, the steward’s house, several tenants’ homes, and a small hut where the gamekeeper lived, were still on her list of places to ward.
She also intended to ward the trails leading to each of those buildings.
This was something new she began adding to her services.
It meant she would have to charge a little more, but most landowners happily paid for the extra protection because it meant the brownies could travel more freely around the estate.
Lizzy learned from her grandmother and from Butterbell that brownies enjoyed visiting each other.
Unfortunately, it sometimes meant they would leave the protection of a warded area to move through unwarded territory before they reached the next warded area.
This was not as dangerous as it might seem unless the eliminator appeared in the area.
This is what happened in Scotland, and Lizzy was not willing to leave any brownie unprotected no matter where they wished to travel.
At intervals during her work, a servant approached Lizzy with a cup of tea, and once with an offering of biscuits and finger sandwiches.
Around the noon hour, she was offered a glass of lemonade, which she welcomed because the day had become a little warmer than expected.
Lizzy was not surprised the servants knew exactly where to find her because wherever she walked, there were always several brownies following her.
It was late in the afternoon, when Lizzy returned to the manor and ordered her coach brought around. She found the young gentleman standing in the front if the manor, as if waiting for her.
“I saw you approaching and notified your companions,” he informed Lizzy as she drew near enough to hear him. “I must apologize for being remiss earlier. I failed to introduce myself. I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.” He gave her a bow after the introduction, and she curtsied in return.
Recognizing Pemberley from her list of homes, Lizzy then said, “My condolences on the loss of your father last year. It must be hard becoming the master of an estate at such a young age.” Lizzy speculated he was no older than five and twenty, maybe a little younger.
Mr. Darcy frowned, and Lizzy smiled easily guessing his thought.
“The brownies have a wonderful system of communication. I am always abreast of all changes that affect the brownies.” Still seeing a questioning look, Lizzy continued. “It is necessary for the service I offer,” she explained.
Lizzy could tell Mr. Darcy puzzled over this information for a few minutes before finally replying. “Yes. I can understand the need to keep informed.”
Just then, Mrs. Hanson exited the house, and the coach pull up in front of where she and Mr. Darcy stood.
“I need to return to the inn. I will return in the morning. I believe I will finish the outside grounds in the morning and begin on the manor in the afternoon,” Lizzy informed the gentleman.
“I will make sure the staff is informed of your agenda,” Mr. Darcy replied.
“Mrs. Mildred, I am ready to depart,” Lizzy said as Mrs. Hanson joined them.
“Thank you for the accommodations, Mr. Darcy. I enjoyed the visit with Mrs. Jenson. The earl has an extremely efficient and knowledgeable housekeeper,” Mrs. Hanson said before being assisted into the coach by Joseph.
Lizzy then said, “Until tomorrow, Mr. Darcy.” Then she too was helped into the coach by Joseph.