by Wendy Bayne
Aunt Emilie stood there watching with me then a small smile began to creep across her face. She caught the eye of fancy breeches and motioned for him to join us. He hesitated looked around at his fellow workers who were intent on the argument that might soon dissolve into blows. He came up to both us and managed a very courtly bow then looked back over his shoulder and frowned. Emilie introduced us and he in turned introduced himself as Thomas Sproul.
Emilie hesitated for a bit then began, “Mr Sproul, I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t exactly fit the in with your fellow workmen.”
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “One takes work where one can get it, ma’am.”
She closed her eyes halfway as if she was evaluating his worth. “I know that I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I was the butler for Mr and Mrs Jamieson. You were giving private French lessons to Mrs Jamieson.”
Emilie gasped. “That’s correct! But why, Mr Sproul, are you now working in this capacity?”
He cleared his throat and bit his lip. “Mrs Jamieson absconded to Italy with a footman and several thousand pounds of her husband’s money. Mr Jamieson took to drink and blew his brains out this past summer. None of the staff had any references so I did the best I could by them and saw that they all got places. Unfortunately, I was unable to find another position myself. People tend to remember the butler, and no one wants to be associated with scandal.”
Emilie’s mouth was hanging open in astonishment and then she began to laugh. Mr Sproul did not look at all amused. When she saw the look on his face she sobered up immediately. “Mr Sproul, I think you would be perfect.”
He looked perplexed and annoyed. “Perfect for what, ma’am?”
She beamed then. “For me!”
Now Mr Sproul looked utterly aghast. “I beg your pardon?”
Emilie quickly ran a hand across her brow and laid a hand on her rapidly expanding belly, “How silly of me. As my…I mean our butler. My husband and I require the services of a butler and, Mr Sproul, I think you would be perfect!”
He looked completely gobsmacked and I was smiling now that the missing piece to her staffing puzzle was standing before her.
He looked perplexed. “But, madam, I have nothing to verify my character, I have come from a disgraced household.”
Emilie put a fingertip to her lips then waved her hand around the garden. “Mr Sproul, this household and that of my sister-in-law are both unusual. Perhaps it is you who should be asking after our character.”
Mr Sproul’s eyebrows arched so high they were almost lost in his hair line. He looked to me and all I could do was nod. “My father and uncle work for a special service to the Crown and the staff need to be flexible and discreet. They can be coming and going at some very strange hours and be involved with some unusual characters.”
He smiled at me and opened his mouth as if to say something but then his foreman yelled at him to get back to work. He nodded at us and turned to go. Aunt Emilie moved swiftly to stand in front of him and then turned to address the foreman. “I’m so sorry but I’ve just employed this man and he is to start at once or lose the position. I hope you understand.” Then she took Mr Sproul’s arm and walked back toward the house. With me following while she was chatting away about her household. I heard the gardener start to chuckle and the foreman yelled, “Here, what’s that all about.”
The gardener laughingly said, “I fancy that he’s Mr Hughes’s new butler.”
The foreman started to laugh. “Shameful waste that is, he was a good worker, always on time and never lying about like these louts.”
The gardener sighed. “Yeah, well, they do say that the cream will rise to the top.” And that was the end of it, the men went back to work and the gardener started tying back the espalier just as Mr Sproul had suggested.
Emilie took Mr Sproul into the study immediately to meet my uncle even though he was begging to return to his lodgings and come back appropriately attired for an interview. My uncle made short work of the interview and much to Mr Sproul’s surprise my uncle sent for the carriage to take him to his lodging to pick up his things and return with him. He would be introduced to the staff upon his return and could assume his duties the next day. Compensation was agreed upon then Ben, one of their footmen, showed Mr Sproul out. Aunt Emilie fell back onto the settee as if exhausted. “What a relief!”
In the days to come Mr Sproul became the backbone of the Hughes’ London home and everyone including Mrs Lamont thought the sun rose and set on him. Finally, the household was settled and Emilie’s education in household management began, Mr Sproul did not believe in taking charge of everything, he felt that his role was as a consultant and advisor to my brother and Emilie. He never presumed to know their minds. Though within a short time I swore he could read their minds. After a month, Emilie had a good grasp of household management under his tutelage and visitors once again began to sing his praises.
In my own home, Mother was advancing with her pregnancy, James thought the idea of having someone usurp his cot in the nursery a great idea since Papa had promised him a big boy’s bed even though it would still be in the nursery. Emilie was anxious about wanting a son but was sure she was having a girl. Mother on the other hand just simply said that they were both having boys while Aunt Mary insisted they were both carrying girls.
Miles and Edward went to join their father on his country estate and he wrote to me every few days. It had been agreed that no matter the outcome of Lord Shellard’s petition to establish Miles as his heir, he needed to understand Lord Shellard’s business affairs and estates. Edward had no head for business and if the worst happened and Miles was not recognized, it had been stipulated in a contract between the brothers as well as in his Lordship’s will that Miles would in fact oversee the running of the estate from which Edward would draw a substantial living.
Miles also took a couple of weeks and journeyed to Scotland with his brother to visit with their Aunt Millicent and so the brothers could get to know each other better now that they were equals in each other’s eyes. The King was still mulling over the petition submitted by Lord Shellard and no answer was expected before spring. Humph…spring, the spring in which my mother had expected me to marry. But still Miles had not formally asked me nor given me a ring. It made dinner parties and balls rather uncomfortable with young men flirting with me constantly. Yet I could not claim an attachment hence I gained the reputation of being aloof and cold. I had no friends my own age for the simple fact I had nothing in common with my contemporaries. I was better educated that most of them, including the young men of my age. I had never been interested in gowns and parties to the exclusion of all else and I didn’t swoon at every piece of titillating gossip. Therefore, I spent considerable time with our household staff continuing with my unorthodox pursuits and in the library with my head buried in a book. Father had promised us a holiday in the country at Christmas but subject as always to the needs of the Crown.
It was the early November when we heard that Lord Burley was back in England. As hard as my father and Sir Thomas had tried it was impossible to connect Burley with the smuggling ring or with the murder of Mrs Rook. But his henchmen were still incarcerated in Newgate for the assault on my aunt’s home in Cornwall with the intent to extort ransom. None of the men arrested had said a word about Burley or Braithwaite, only that they had been hired by a young blond man. None of them claimed to have ever seen Burley. It was finally discovered that their leader who had the most contact with the gentlemen was the one that Dr Grimes had killed to protect Gabriel.
For the time being smuggling activities that had been attributed to Lord Burley seemed to have ceased. But Burley was by no means flaunting his return to England; he had rarely been seen in public since his return and was not accepting invitations using the death of his son Julian as his reason to retreat from society along with his daughter Arabella and her husband. Yet his oldest son Justin was often in town bei
ng very sociable along with his sister Marianne with her husband Charles Braithwaite. We had no idea if Lord Burley had retired from his life of crime or if he was just biding his time. Father was sure that he was still involved, it was only a matter of time before he became active again.
The time finally came for the de Bearnes to leave for Spain and be reunited with Gabriel’s family and for them to meet his wife and sons. Father had helped Gabriel invest much of proceeds from his adventures in the West Indies and since he had targeted Burley’s interests exclusively, Father did not wrestle with his conscience over aiding a pirate. His assets were considerable, and Gabriel had become without training an astute businessman when it came to turning goods into cash. Those proceeds were deposited with a reputable banking house in London and he hired our Mr Crenshaw to manage his affairs.
Charity and I never became friends, though she and Emilie had formed an attachment, so she was sad to see them go. Thankfully Charity had flourished under the tutelage of my mother and Emilie, she now knew how to dress to impress and for comfort. Her social skills had been polished, and Gabriel was as proud as any man of his beautiful wife in any social gathering. It had been a shock to society to hear the dreadful news about the de Bearnes. And while some aspects of their life had been glossed over such as the pirating and murder, the dowagers soon forgot that they had once paraded their precious sons in front of a married woman. That the family was now embraced by society was in large part due to Gabriel’s forceful presence and charm and there simply wasn’t a better story out there.
Lettie and Murphy were married in our home with Murphy’s sister and her husband from Ireland in attendance to everyone’s delight.
Shortly after that we had a surprise visitor, the widow of the partner who had defrauded Dalton and Lettie for so long. She had come to set right the wrong done to them. The company had continued to prosper in recent years and the dividends that were due to Dalton and Lettie were paid out in full. Dalton and Lettie in turn sold their shares back to the company and invested the proceeds with Mr Crenshaw’s assistance. It was not immense wealth, but it gave them both a very comfortable nest egg that neither would ever have to work if they chose to retire. But it was the work they both said made their lives interesting.
Murphy, we discovered also had property in Ireland that he owned in conjunction with his sister that earned him a tidy annual income, but it was again the work with my father that made his life worthwhile. His sister and her husband managed their affairs there and their properties were doing well. But Murphy had no desire to leave and take it over. Besides there were individuals there that would take a dim view of his returning after working for the Crown, so he’d just as soon keep his distance. They took a short honeymoon to the Seaside and returned to us happy and refreshed. James did not like the fact that he couldn’t go with them, but Father took him to see the menagerie in the Tower twice while they were gone to mollify him.
We were well into November now and plans were being made for a Christmas in Somerset. However, Emilie and Samuel had decided that they would stay in London and enjoy their new home. Miles had been invited to stay with us for Christmas but had declined saying that he was expected to visit with his father and family. But since our country home was not so far from his father’s estate he asked us to join them for New Years. I was extremely disappointed to say the least and was rather petulant when out shopping with my mother, Aunt Mary and Emilie for the holidays.
It was at our last dinner party before the holidays when I met Justin Browne, Lord Burley’s heir. He seemed to be everything that his two brothers Randall and Julian were not. He was polished and sophisticated. He did not appear to have much of an intellect, but he was a keen listener and therefore in my mind a keen learner. He was handsome in a rather effeminate manner but not so much as to attract ridicule.
I sat across from him at table, watching and listening to him while I tried to maintain a conversation with a dean of one of the Cambridge Colleges and keep Lawrence Tillbury’s hand off my leg. The Dean required little more than a conveniently placed nod or smile while Tillbury required good reflexes and few cracks of my ivory fan across his knuckles every now and then. I focused as much of my attention on the Viscount as I could when he mentioned that he was looking to purchase property in Cornwall. Apparently, he was interested in resurrecting several defunct copper mines that he hoped to make profitable once more with the new mining techniques now available. When pressed as to what methods he was referring to, he was at a total loss to explain so the discussion ceased. The Viscount eyed me over his glass as he took a sip as if noting that I had been paying attention. His eyes sparkled but not with merriment and he made me feel uncomfortable.
In an endeavour to forget his look, I turned my attention to Major Hopewood seated to Browne’s right. He was lean with features that were neither appealing nor repugnant and he was impeccably dressed in dark clothing as if he was in mourning. He did not converse much and when he did, his answers were short and clipped. This was the retired Major that Father thought was possibly the father of our stable boy Billy Phipps. Hopewood had icy blue eyes but there was a sadness about him that clung like a second skin. I couldn’t find anything of Billy in his features, but the boy was still young and might favour his mother. I only hoped that when my father spoke to him privately that both his and Billy’s pervading sadness would be alleviated. In the meantime, I tried not to make eye contact with the Viscount yet still pay attention to his conversation that had now moved on to the latest gossip in town which did not interest to me.
When dinner was over, there was a musical evening planned but a card room had been set up for those that had no appreciation for the musical arts. I saw my father engage the Major in a conversation as he started for the card room, but I was too far away to hear what was said, but Hopewood’s countenance had brightened considerably.
He and my father made a detour for the study. As I was about to follow, I felt someone grip my elbow tightly. Looking to my left I saw it was the Viscount, his fingers digging in and it hurt. His face was very close to mine and he was smiling but the smile did not reach his eyes. “Would you care to show me the conservatory, Miss Turner? I understand that your mother has a fine collection.”
I decided to use bravado while looking for a rescue. “Which collection would that be, my Lord?”
He looked cross and confused at my response. “What?”
I repeated myself while trying to wiggle my arm from his grasp, but it remained firm and painful. “Which collection… What are you interested in viewing?” I saw Murphy conversing with the Cambridge dean at the entrance to the music room which was only a few paces away from me, so I continued. “I would gladly give you over to my father’s secretary, Mr Murphy.” I emphasised Murphy’s name by raising my voice and tapping out help with my fan on the table next to me hoping he would hear me. “He has a wide range of botanical interest alas I can barely distinguish a rose from a daisy.” Murphy came quickly to my side as I was finishing my last sentence. He eyed the Viscount’s hand on my elbow, raising his chin and brow as he glared at his Lordship who dropped my arm. His fingerprints were noticeable in my flesh and sure to leave bruises, so I pulled my shawl around to cover the area. Mr Murphy was grinning widely at the Viscount and offered to give him a private tour of the conservatory. The Viscount declined, suddenly remembering a previous engagement and excused himself calling for his coat and left without even thanking my mother who had seen the exchange take place from across the foyer.
She came to my side and passed me some ice wrapped in a napkin. “Put this around your arm then wrap your shawl around it, it will help. Murphy, how did that odious man come to be invited? I don’t recall him on my list.”
Murphy raised a brow. “You mean you didn’t invite him, ma’am?”
Mother was fussing with my arm. “Good God, no,! I hate even being around any of that family let alone having them in my home.”
Father’s study door opene
d, he stuck his head out and motioned for Murphy, who after speaking to him left I assumed to bring Billy Phipps from the stable. Hopefully that would have the happy outcome that everyone wanted.
I returned to the music room with my mother who was still fuming about the Viscount. I was restless and walked about the room…my arm was aching. Father came to tell us that Major Hopewood would be staying with us for a few days to get to know Billy better. He would consider formally adopting Billy since there was no way to prove his actual parentage and he admitted that he had loved Billy’s mother, but she would not disgrace him by marrying him. Apparently, he had been devastated when he found out that she was dead, and that Billy had been thrown out onto the street.
But Mother and I were sceptical that he had made any concerted effort to find Billy. There had been several reputable witnesses that knew my father and saw him pick Billy up. It was from these individuals that Father had initially gleaned the bulk of Billy’s story. When I saw Major Hopewood again, he did not look like a man who was happy to be reunited with a child he had considered lost to him. In fact, he looked disgruntled. Father for some reason that escaped me urged him to waste no time in returning to reside with us, Hopewood though tried to get my father to agree to allow him to take Billy to his lodgings instead. Fortunately, both Billy and my father refused his offer. Billy’s things were moved from the stables into the house and he would have a room on the same floor as Mr Hopewood. I looked forward to seeing them interact at breakfast in the morning, Mr Allan had already informed the staff of the change and everyone was happy for the boy.