Chapter 19 #2
‘Sensible,’ said Martha. ‘If he went to all that effort to limit your endeavours by keeping us distanced, I doubt he is delighted we are back in touch. And that we now have Algie involved also.’
Thea nodded. ‘He is always so dismissive of me and yet there is clearly something deeper. It seems suspicious that George is suddenly interested in gifting him plants.’
‘There must be something that Knatchbull has on him,’ said Martha.
‘And George will protect himself at all costs,’ said Thea.
‘A couple of comments recently have led me to believe that some of Frankie’s methods are already being employed at Upper Plumbthorne.
I can only presume he has found someone else to share our secrets and to benefit from the knowledge of you, me and Frankie, rather than disrupting it. ’
‘I see,’ said Martha thoughtfully. ‘But this information is limited to plants, currently?’
‘Currently,’ said Thea. ‘But based on what happened to James we shouldn’t take any chances. Whoever is passing him secrets is putting themselves at risk, more than anything.’
‘True,’ said Martha.
‘You don’t think it could be Crumpacker?’ asked Thea.
‘I wouldn’t have thought so,’ said Martha. ‘He would find it too hard not to tell me and he can’t have known anything about your growing here before you arrived. I certainly haven’t told him anything.’
‘Hmm,’ said Thea. ‘It must be someone who has access to the glasshouses and knows a little of what they’re talking about, at least.’
‘Then we can only wait and be careful,’ said Martha.
Thea wasn’t sure that she trusted Crumpacker, but Martha did, and so she would try to do the same.
Martha gave her a lopsided smile. ‘At least he can’t steal your Protea growing secrets. That seems to be beyond the capabilities of anyone.’
‘Indeed, it does.’ Thea sat back. ‘I am sure Frankie is trying everything possible. But I am relieved to hear that Knatchbull – or at least his gardener – is just as flummoxed.’
Martha reached across and placed a hand on Thea’s knee. ‘Maybe the best things are worth waiting for?’ said Martha in those honeyed tones that Thea had so missed.
‘Hhmph,’ she said again as Martha leaned in to kiss her. Their lips were so close to touching and Thea could smell that delicious sent which was so perfectly Martha when–
Knock knock.
Thea sprung back. ‘For goodness…’ she muttered. ‘Come,’ she said more loudly, and saw Martha raise her eyebrows as Joan’s head appeared around the door.
‘Apologies, Your Grace, I didn’t mean to interrupt.’ And she didn’t, thought Thea. Last week they hadn’t awoken early enough, and Joan had entered the bedroom in the morning to find the two of them still asleep together. They had done the British thing of not mentioning it at the time, or since.
‘Not at all,’ she said as calmly as she could. ‘Dress for tonight?’
Joan nodded. ‘I only came to see if you wanted me to press the purple silk or the terracotta?’
Thea pretended to think like she cared. ‘I will let you choose, I think Joan, thank you.’
Joan bobbed her thanks. ‘The purple then. And the stomacher with the birds?’
‘An excellent choice,’ said Thea. She rarely had to think about what she wanted to wear with Joan around and was grateful for it.
‘She is serving you well,’ said Martha as Joan disappeared around the door. ‘Hang on to her.’
Thea nodded. ‘I plan to. She seems happy, I think, just a little melancholy at times. But I pay her well and she will never have time off.’
‘Does she have anywhere to go?’
Thea shook her head. ‘I think that’s it. Her family are in India. She came over here with the British East India Company seeking a better life,’ she said.
‘And do you think she found it?’ asked Martha.
‘I do hope so,’ said Thea. ‘But sometimes I am not so sure.’
‘She has family there?’ asked Martha. ‘There were reports of unrest when we came through India last. The peace there is fragile. The British are taking over more land for new crops.’
‘What crops?’ asked Thea. ‘Joan said some of her brothers are farmers.’
‘Indigo, opium, silk, cotton,’ said Martha. ‘There are rumblings that they want to try tea as the trade with China is so unpredictable. But they pay poorly for land or take it by force and the natives are, naturally, losing patience.’
‘She rarely hears from her family,’ said Thea, ‘but I do hope they are well. No doubt men like Knatchbull have a hand in subduing any uprising.’
‘Undoubtedly,’ said Martha. But then her tone softened.
‘Enough about him,’ she said. ‘We so rarely get time to ourselves.’ She leaned in again, and Thea felt Martha’s welcome breath on her own.
Just as she anticipated the feel of her lips, the door flung open once more. The two of them burst apart.
‘Martha!’ exclaimed Samantha, looking so intent that Thea wondered what on earth had happened. Martha jumped to her feet, concerned.
‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘Is everyone ok?’
‘I found a newt.’ Samantha held up a glass jar proudly. Martha relaxed, smiled, and moved forward to look more closely.
Thea wondered if they would ever find a peaceful moment in such a busy house where neither of them really belonged.
‘You will come, of course, Lady Foxmore.’ George said, slurring a little.
Thea was tense. Dinner with George was always an affair to be endured rather than enjoyed these days.
While he had always been a drinker he started earlier in the day now, and mixed with the laudanum for his shoulder pain it made him unpredictable and irritable.
Thea had tried to talk to the family doctor for another remedy, but he had said there wasn’t one.
It was easy if George was away shooting or in London, but he was dining with them tonight as there was little alternative and polite option.
‘It would be my pleasure, if I am invited,’ said Martha. She was tense too, Thea noticed. Only Crumpacker seemed unperturbed by George as he focussed on eating his food neatly and item by item.
‘Your invites came with ours,’ said George, pulling the invites to Upper Plumbthorne from a jacket pocket and slapping them down on the table too firmly.
‘Knatchbull clearly knows you are here Mr Crumpacker. You will regale the party with tales of your travels I am sure, and Lady Foxmore will be a fair distraction for my wife, as always.’ Thea’s eyes narrowed a little.
She was almost certain that he had no idea about her relationship with Martha – but it was a constant threat peeking around the corners of her mind.
‘And, I am sure you will have some seeds to take to Mr Knatchbull,’ said George, looking at Martha directly. ‘I believe you have contacts?’
Perhaps this was Knatchbull’s new strategy, thought Thea.
Rather than limit her growing efforts by separating her from Martha and stealing her plants, which was inevitably risky, he could use their combined skills to build his own knowledge by observing their methods through a third party.
With his superior growing conditions, he could likely produce success with those methods quicker than Thea could.
It would explain why Martha was on the invite list for the shooting party, and the more she was included in country society, the harder it was for George to send her away.
At least that was one thing she could be grateful to Knatchbull for, even if it gained her only a week more of Martha’s time at Hawkdean.
Martha’s thoughts were clearly down the same line. ‘I have some particular rarities stowed away just for him,’ she said, understanding her part in the game. George nodded, pleased, and Thea chose to take advantage of this lift in mood to advance her cause.
‘Lady Foxmore and I thought we might take a trip to Wales before the party at Knatchbull’s,’ she said. ‘Get us out of your hair before the shooting and fishing starts in earnest.’ She concentrated on her lamb.
‘Why on earth Wales?’ asked George, but his tone sounded amicable enough, Thea was pleased to hear. He could have refused point blank.
‘There is good botany there,’ said Martha.
‘And a little quiet will be welcome after the bustle of the ship.’ George considered this and seemed to accept it as he chewed.
The truth was, that by the time Thea and Martha had been interrupted by both Mrs Jenkins and the footman in the drawing room and the stables respectively, they had decided that their only option for a little peace and time together was to get out of one of the busiest households in England.
‘No,’ said George.
Thea looked at him. ‘No?’
‘I do not think it appropriate.’
‘I am sure I cannot think of a reason it wouldn’t be,’ she said, but immediately knew she had overstepped the mark. George shot to his feet.
‘I said no and it is my final word. Do you understand?’
Thea shrunk back in her chair. ‘Of course,’ she said quietly, ashamed of this performance in front of their guests. Even Crumpacker had looked up from his plate.
‘Good,’ said George, sitting back down. ‘You really must learn your place.’
Thea quietly seethed and was surprised Martha’s wine glass didn’t shatter in her hand.