by Sunny Brooks
Dilemma of the Earl’s Heart
House of Catesby - Book 6
Sunny Brooks
HOUSE OF CATESBY “Dilemma of the Earl’s Heart”
Copyright © 2019 by Sunny Brooks
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. It makes a world of difference.
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Publisher
Love Light Faith, LLC
400 NW 7th Avenue, Suite 825
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302
Contents
Foreword
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Read & Review
About the Author
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Foreword
Strength can come in many forms: whether pursuing the life you’ve always dreamt of, or fighting against the life you’ve been told you are meant to lead, be true to your own heart, persevere, and the right path will find a way to come to you.
- Sunny Brooks
Prologue
Nothing could have prepared the Catesby clan for the unexpected passing of the family patriarch, Earl Joseph Edward Catesby. On the day of his death, the lives of one woman and her six grown children changed irrevocably. The matriarch Countess Margaret Lilias Catesby was now a dowager countess; her strength and maternal duty the driving force pushing her through the grief. Each of the Catesby children is left to carry on their father’s legacy, shown physically through their father’s green eyes, and spiritually through his impassioned attitude for living. With eldest son Francis assuming ownership of the estate and his five siblings left to sort out the pieces, each must now find a way to navigate the world without their beloved father’s guidance.
Will siblings Francis, Emily, Helena, Sophia and the twins, Charles and Henry, be able to proudly carry on the Catesby name? There is only one way to find out…
Chapter 1
“My dear Francis, what can you possibly be thinking of?”
Francis, the new Earl Catesby, sighed heavily as his mother strode into the room. She had removed herself to the Dowager House which was, to his ongoing frustrations, a short distance away from the manor house. It meant that whilst she had her own abode and her own staff, she was still well able to attend the manor house whenever she wished and, somehow, was able to hear all that was going on.
“Good morning, mama,” Francis murmured, getting to his feet with an effort. “Should you like a tea tray this morning? Or will you be staying for only a short visit?”
The look on his mother’s face told Francis that he had overstepped just a little. Lady Margaret Catesby, the Dowager Countess, was an imposing figure. She had every appearance of elegance, with her carefully set hair only just showing hints of grey. Her refusal to wear a cap often reminded him just how strong a character she was. Her determination to live just as she pleased without the slightest care for what society thought often dug at him. With her sharp grey eyes that could be both stern yet gentle in equal measure, Francis felt himself quail under her steady gaze.
“Francis,” his mother said, gently, seating herself opposite him. “I am here because I am concerned for you, that is all.”
“You need not be concerned, mama,” Francis replied, patiently. “All is well. The estate is doing well. I have begun to study crop rotation for the fields, the tenants are content and hardworking, and I find myself constantly busied by the responsibilities of the title.”
“May I remind you, Francis, that your brother continually asked for you to remove yourself from his house, begged you to stop concerning yourself with his affairs, and yet you persisted,” came the steady reply.
Francis sighed, shaking his head. “Mama, Henry’s happiness was an entirely different matter. He was barely seen, was lost in his work, and seemed to have very little purpose. The sole purpose for my intervention was to ensure that he was not lost in despondency or the like.”
One eyebrow slowly lifted, and Francis found himself growing hot with embarrassment. “I am not despondent, mama.”
His mother nodded slowly, never once taking her eyes from his. “I can see that, Francis. But when I hear that you intend to find a new housekeeper for apparently no good reason, I find myself concerned! Whatever has come over you?”
Francis sighed inwardly, knowing that he could never explain the true reason to his mother. “Mama, these affairs are my own.”
“I am aware of that,” his mother said, sharply, “but you are considering yourself only, I think. Has the lady done something to upset you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what can be your reasons for considering replacing her?”
“Miss Harrington is more than suitable,” Francis heard himself admit, despite the fact that he had not intended to say such a thing. “It is simply that I feel that the house could benefit from someone with a little more experience.”
This apparently, was the wrong thing to say entirely, for his mother rose to her feet in a flurry of skirts, leaning over his desk ominously.
“Are you suggesting, Francis, that Mrs. Harrington does not run your house well?”
This was not a question that could easily be answered. Francis did not want to lie and to state that yes, his house was in some sort of disarray due to the lady’s lack of experience, but nor did he want to tell his mother the real reason for his desire to dismiss her from her duties within his house.
“I know that this estate has been run wonderfully, both inside and out,” his mother continued, when he said nothing. “I can tell that Mrs. Harrington has been doing an excellent job, Francis. After all, I would not have recommended her to you if I did not think that she would be able to do so with all skill! Why then are you attempting to turn your back on her?”
“I will give her an excellent reference,” Francis mumbled trying to find some sort of excuse. “She will not be without work for long.”
The dowager glared at him, her lips in a tight line. “You are being much too difficult, Francis. I know that you are not telling me the truth as to why you wish to find a new housekeeper. Therefore, I must question whether or not you are truly being fair to the lady.”
Francis spread out his hands. “Mama, Mrs. Harrington is much too young to be a housekeeper.” When it had come time to hire a new complement of staff for his estate, so that his mama could take the staff she knew and loved back with her to her new home, he had struggled to know how and what to do. For his mother to suggest a lady named Mrs. Harrington as housekeeper had been, at the time, a wonderful relief. He had heard what his mother had to say about the lady, had read her references, and had sent her an offer of employment before he had even clapped eyes on her. The moment she had appea
red at his house, Francis knew he had made a dreadful mistake.
“Does her age or supposed lack of experience have any bearing on the work she is doing now?” his mother asked, clearly unwilling to drop the matter. “Do you find her lazy? Incompetent? Foolish?”
“No!” Francis exclaimed, slamming one hand on the desk as a burst of anger caught him. “No, mama, she is none of these things and yet –”
“And yet you wish to remove from her the safety and security of a position in your home,” the dowager replied, with a sad smile. “Do you even consider what such a thing will do to her, Francis? The people who work here, they rely on you in ways you cannot even imagine. They have no home of their own, no money save for the income they earn here. To be let go from a position simply because it is a whim of yours and not because of anything they have failed to do will stain their reputation for a long time.”
Biting back another sigh, Francis waited until the anger he felt began to wane. His mother was speaking the truth, and he could not answer to it. There was no particular reason as to why he intended to let the lady go, save for the one thing he was finding more and more difficult with each passing day.
He could not get his housekeeper from his mind.
The unfairness of what he was doing struck him, hard. He was considering himself only and never once thinking of what such a decision would do to Mrs. Harrington. He was thinking only of his comfort, his happiness, and his contentment. He did not want to keep thinking of Mrs. Harrington, did not want to even consider her for another moment and yet his heart and mind would not let her go. Therefore, he had come up with the idea of ending her employment here at Catesby House, simply so that he would not have to struggle any longer.
That was entirely wrong of him. Mrs. Harrington had not done anything wrong. She had not failed in her duties, nor been lazy or uncooperative. In fact, his house was running quite well. He had no real complaints. Everything he had told his mother was simply an excuse.
“Francis?”
His mother’s voice was gentler now, as though she knew very well what was going on in his mind.
“Yes, mama?” he replied, heavily.
She smiled at him gently, putting her hand on his for a moment. “I do not mean to interfere or upset you, Francis, but I do so want to ensure that you are being a fair and respectful master. You may be the new Earl, but that does not mean that you can simply do as you please without considering the consequences.” Her expression grew a little concerned. “I know very well that you are that kind of gentleman, which is why I am so surprised to hear such things.”
Aware that his mother was only seeking his best, Francis managed a small smile in her direction. “You are quite correct, mama. I was being foolish.”
She stepped back and smoothed her skirts, her intentions having clearly been fulfilled. “Indeed you were, Francis. But not any longer, I think.”
“No,” he grated, hating himself for his thoughts towards Mrs. Harrington and his inability to stop such inappropriate considerations other than to think of removing her completely from his house.
“You will not continue on this path, then?” the dowager asked, pulling on her gloves. “You intend to keep your housekeeper?”
Francis tried to smile. “If it will prevent you from appearing at my door in such a whirlwind, then, yes, mama, I will retain her.”
This did not appear to upset the dowager in any way. In fact, she appeared more than satisfied. Nodding to him, she walked to the door, bid him goodbye, and walked out, closing the door softly behind her.
Francis put his forehead on the desk and groaned loudly. Had his mother not heard of his intentions, then he might now be speaking to Mrs. Harrington and informing her that he could no longer give her a position here. Instead, he had agreed to retain her and had, even more than that, allowed his heart to feel the pain and sorrow she would experience should he do precisely that.
His mind was full of her once again, even though it ought not to be. An Earl did not have affection for his housekeeper! A titled gentleman did not think of none other than one of his staff! It was simply not the done thing. Such was his embarrassment that he kept all such feelings to himself, refusing to mention a single word to his mother despite the fact that, had he told her the truth, she might have then encouraged him to remove Mrs. Harrington from his house.
“Or she may have encouraged me in it,” Francis muttered darkly to himself, knowing that his mother was a little less bound by the propriety of late. Lifting his head, he rose from his chair and, despite the early hour, poured himself a decent measure of brandy. Today had started off rather badly, and he was not convinced that the remainder of it would go any better.
Chapter 2
“Mrs. Harrington?”
Rebecca turned as the dowager walked into the kitchen, immediately curtsying as the rest of the staff followed suit.
“Yes, my lady?” she asked, in a quiet voice.
“Might I have a word with you, Mrs. Harrington?” the dowager said at once, with a kind smile to all of the other staff who were now staring at her as though they could not believe that a Dowager Countess would be below stairs. “I think your parlor will suffice.”
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Rebecca nodded and walked quickly towards her own rooms. “But of course, my lady. This way, if you please.”
She was aware of the rest of the staff watching intently, the butler included, as the dowager stepped inside. Glancing back at them, she saw the butler give her a small, encouraging smile and, feeling a small flicker of relief, stepped inside and closed the door.
“Oh, my lady!” she breathed, as the dowager smiled softly at her from across the room. “You need not have come downstairs. I would have gladly come to you, as I have done before.”
The dowager waved a hand, seating herself carefully on one of the thin wooden chairs that were, at least, cushioned. “You are tired enough already, and I would not ask you to do such a thing again. I think once a week is more than enough – although you need not call upon me this week if you do not wish it since I am here now.”
Rebecca sank into her chair, lacing her fingers in her lap. “Well?”
“Well,” the dowager replied, with a warm smile. “I have spoken to Francis – I mean, Lord Catesby – and he will not be ending your employment here. I have had his word on that.”
Tears immediately came into Rebecca’s eyes. “Truly, Lady Catesby? That is wonderful news,” she breathed, blinking rapidly. “I can never thank you enough.”
The dowager shook her head, her expression a little grim. “I have not yet ascertained as to the reason for my son’s reluctance in keeping you on but have no doubt, I will find it.”
Nerves swam through Rebecca’s stomach. “You do not think that he suspects that – ”
The dowager laughed. “Francis? No, indeed. He has nothing but estate matters to consider. You need not worry, my dear.”
Letting out a long breath, Rebecca tried to return her breathing to normal, having been somewhat anxious to hear whether or not Lord Catesby intended to retain her or would let her go, as she had been gently informed by the butler only last week.
“You have no real idea as to why he would wish me to depart from this place?” she asked, the question having dogged her mind ever since she had first heard it from the butler. “I have questioned myself over and over. I have looked at my work and strived to discover where I might be failing, but I cannot see where it is I am going wrong. Lord Catesby, certainly, has never said a word and so I am quite at a loss as to what it might be.”
The dowager shook her head, her expression now somewhat thoughtful. “No, my dear, I cannot tell you for I do not know. What I will say is that it has nothing to do with your work or your expertise, for Francis, from his own lips, confessed that he was more than content with you. I cannot tell what it might be.” She shook her head again. “But it is not all that long until you can return to your position in society now, is it? How long
until you can gain your fortune?”
Swallowing hard, Rebecca tried to smile, but the thought of her late father brought tears to her eyes. “My father’s will states that I must be the grand old age of five and twenty before I can possess the fortune in its entirety. If I wed before then, my fortune goes to my husband, as my dowry.”
The dowager nodded slowly, her eyes glittering with faint anger. “Your cousin is a wicked man indeed, my dear. I am just glad I was able to provide you with such assistance when you wrote to me and asked for it. Although I still do not understand why you did not wish to reside with me instead of taking on the role of housekeeper – although I confess that you do it very well. I must admit that I find it rather difficult to refer to you as ‘Mrs. Harrington’ when I know you as Miss Patterson.”
Rebecca smiled softly. “I confess, it took me some time also to acknowledge and respond to my change of name! I am glad, however, that you feel I am doing well in my role here.”
“Your cousin does not know of your presence here, it would seem,” the dowager murmured. “My son has not received any correspondence from him, from what I know. I cannot imagine that he would pursue you all the way here, my dear girl.”
A slight shudder shook Rebecca’s frame. “With all due respect, my lady, you do not know my cousin. He would try anything in order to get what he wishes. When he did not receive my father’s title as he had hoped, given the reappearance of my brother from overseas, he made it more than plain that he would do all he had to in order to gain some kind of wealth. I knew that he would use me against my brother, or my brother against me, in order to achieve his aims. That was why I had to become anonymous.”