The Duchess and the Dreamer

by Jenny Frame

  Then a thought occurred to her. “So who inherits after you?”

  Clementine took her arm from Evan and clasped her hands. She seemed nervous, Evan thought.

  “If I don’t marry a man and have a child—my cousin and then his children.”

  Clementine left that phrase hanging there between them. If she didn’t marry a man.

  Evan had assumed from the start that Clementine was gay, her intuition told her so, and surely whoever was in charge of these things didn’t banjo her across the head for a straight woman. No, no, no. It couldn’t be. Evan’s stomach dropped.

  “Have you anyone in—” Evan tried to ask casually.

  “No, I’ve never wanted to marry a man.”

  Evan nearly jumped and clicked her heels together. Yes, my future wife is gay. Praise be! She managed to remain cool and said, “Oh. Your cousin inherits, then?”

  Clementine sighed. “Yes, not the nicest man, but he’s in his sixties, so hopefully I’ll outlive him and it’ll pass directly to his daughter, Lucille. I’m her godmother. Still, it’s a useless title without the house and land.”

  Perfect. Mrs. Fox was still a possibility, if Evan could convince her that it was the best idea ever.

  * * *

  Evan held open the gate to Fergus’s large cottage. It was the biggest in Rosebrook. Fergus had told her that it used to be the estate manager’s house.

  “Nice house,” Evan said.

  “Yes. Fergus is the only one with money enough to keep his house well-maintained. Apart from you, obviously.” Clementine smiled.

  Evan sighed with contentment at that beautiful smile. If only Clem did it more often.

  “What’s the sigh for?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Evan quickly chapped the door.

  Fergus opened the door with a huge smile of his own. “Good evening, Your Grace, and to you, youngster.”

  Clementine couldn’t get the older gentleman to drop the title when he first greeted her, just like the nurses at her mother’s nursing home. He was from a different age when things like these seemed so important.

  “Good evening, Fergus.”

  “You’re looking very snazzy, young Fox,” Fergus said with a grin.

  “Thanks, got to look the part,” Evan replied.

  Fergus waved them through vigorously. “Go through to the dining room—you know the way, Clementine. Everyone’s here.”

  Clementine opened the dining room door, and everyone around the table stood—Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch, Mr. Mason, James and Ashling O’Rourke, and Kay.

  “Please sit down, everyone,” Clementine said, a bit embarrassed at the attention.

  Evan followed her in, and Clementine saw the looks of astonishment at Evan’s outfit and watched Mr. Mason and Mr. Murdoch mumble between them. All except Ashling and Kay, who smiled. A strange thing happened to Clementine then. She felt annoyed and protective of Evan, something that surprised her greatly.

  Evan was right—she did have the hearts and minds of these people, and she had to at least encourage them to hear Evan out. She took Evan’s arm and ushered her in.

  “Good evening, everyone. I’m glad you could all come to hear what Evan has to say. I’m eager to hear it myself.”

  Everyone around the table looked at one another, probably astonished that she was even prepared to listen to any of these new dreams and ideas.

  “Drinks for everyone.” Fergus went to his drinks table and began taking orders and pouring out the drinks.

  “Thank you,” Evan whispered as they sat down.

  “What for?”

  Evan gave her a serious look. “You know what for. Thank you.”

  Everyone chattered incessantly while the drinks were organized. Evan was taken up with talking to Kay, while Ashling O’Rourke walked around the table to sit beside Clementine. She always had time for Ash. She was exceptionally bright and kind-hearted, but at twenty-five had seen little of the world and had put her life on hold to be a support for her father.

  It reminded Clementine of her own situation. Ash had lost her mother to breast cancer aged seventeen, and her father James O’Rourke had fallen into a deep depression, and so Ash hadn’t gone to university like she had always dreamed of. She’d stayed here in Rosebrook, unable to leave her dad on his own.

  “How are things, Ash?” Clementine asked.

  “Oh, you know, same as usual. I’m really excited about the changes Ms. Fox is going to make to the village. Of course, Dad thinks it’s a loopy idea. I told him, the more people who are attracted to come here, the busier the fishing business will be.”

  This was exactly what she had been frightened of—the villagers getting their hopes up for a brighter future and it not working out, or Evan getting bored of her new plaything.

  “What does he think about that?”

  Ash pursed her lips and shook her head. “He says it’s all pie in the sky, but he lost his ability to dream a long time ago.”

  Clementine was in the same boat as James O’Rourke. Dreaming was dangerous, but Evan was starting to shake that belief. She gazed at Evan as she got prepared to speak and heard Ash whisper, “So gorgeous, isn’t she?”

  Yes, Clementine’s mind replied quickly.

  * * *

  Evan had tried unsuccessfully to bring the meeting to order, but luckily Fergus hit a gong that sat next to the drinks cabinet.

  “Let’s listen to what Ms. Fox has to say.”

  The murmuring and talking subsided. “Thank you, Fergus, and thank you everyone for coming to meet with me today.”

  Evan turned to Clementine and saw her nod in encouragement. This was her chance to get everyone onside. She had seen how much respect they all had for Clementine. Whether she liked it or not, Clementine was their leader, and her support was crucial.

  “I realize that the last time we spoke, I may have been a bit like a bull in a china shop with my ideas.”

  “You can say that again,” Mr. Mason said. “You’re a townie, and you come down here with all your New Age vegan propaganda nonsense and expect us just to roll over—well, that’s not happening.”

  Vegan propaganda?

  Then William Murdoch stepped into the conversation. “If you think you’re going to stop us or our dairy farm, you’ve got another think coming.”

  His wife Barbara put a hand on his to try to calm him.

  “Now, now. Let’s listen,” Fergus said.

  Evan held her hands up. “I don’t want to stop you from farming. The only thing I ever want to do is make things work in a more efficient way. I have some ideas I hope you might listen to, but of course it’s your decision.”

  That appeared to quiet them down for the moment, and she did have a plan to encourage them to cooperate, so she forged ahead.

  “As I say, I was a bit of a bull in a china shop, and I get like that when I’m excited about a project. But I’ve been made aware of some concerns, and I’d like to address them. Number one, before I forge ahead with my own plans, there are lots of things you as the residents need fixing before we even think about putting my environmental plan in place.”

  “What are you proposing, then?” James O’Rourke asked.

  “I propose giving you, the residents, an official say in our work here. I propose a trust.”

  Clementine, who had been quiet up until now, piped up. “A trust?”

  Evan smiled. “Yes, a trust. A charity organization with a board of trustees and budget. That would give you all a chance to list your priorities, things that need doing first and foremost, and then we can get to my plans for the future.”

  “Who would be on the trust board?” Kay asked.

  “All of you and me. We tackle all of Rosebrook’s problems together. How does that sound?”

  Fergus raised his glass of whisky and said, “That sounds like a capital idea. Don’t you think so?”

  Everyone turned to look at Clementine to gauge her reaction. After a few seconds she said, “That sounds like a great idea.”
>
  Evan had to act quickly to get her plan into action. She winked at Fergus and said, “I propose the duchess as chairwoman.”

  Fergus quickly responded with, “Seconded. All those in favour, say aye.”

  “Aye!” came a chorus from around the table.

  * * *

  “No, no, no. I told you.” Clementine marched ahead of Evan.

  “Clem—” Evan tried to say.

  “You ambushed me, Evan. That wasn’t fair. It was all a big set-up, from start to finish. I wondered why you were holding the meeting at Mr. Fergus’s cottage. Now I know.”

  Evan ran a few steps to catch up with her. “It wasn’t, well, not really. This role is perfect for you. You know the land inside out, and you’re an architect. I’d like you to work with our architects on the project.”

  Clementine stopped and turned on Evan. “I don’t have the time. Remember, I work, and I have to take care of my mother.”

  “But this is why it’s perfect for you. I’ll put you on salary, so you don’t have to be self-employed, and you’ll have more time to visit your mum, and not worry about those idiots yesterday not giving you a commission.”

  “Work for you? I don’t need charity.” Clementine was angry. One, because she had been manoeuvred into a situation, and two, because the thought of helping to make the village something special again felt like a terrible tease.

  “You wouldn’t be taking my money. It’s the trust’s money that pays the staff,” Evan said.

  “And who provides the budget for the trust?”

  Evan sighed. “Technically Fox Toys, but that’s just a small detail. My family has many trusts that work this way. The chairperson is always salaried. It’s not a charity from me to you.”

  Clementine covered her face with her hands. She felt so torn between offence and excitement, but then she remembered her grandmother and where excitement had gotten her. She shook herself and said very calmly, “No. I told you from the start I wouldn’t get involved in any of your outlandish dreams. I’m not my grandmother, no matter how much you idolize her.”

  Evan nodded and said, “So that’s not a no then?”

  Clementine snorted. “How did you get that from my answer?”

  “Positivity.” Evan grinned.

  Clementine started to walk off on her own. Behind her she heard Evan say, “I’m going to be in London for the next couple of days at the office. It’ll let you think about my proposal.”

  She reached her front door and unlocked it, then she turned to face Evan and said, “I gave you my answer.”

  Evan’s smile faded slightly. “Listen, the truth is, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m rattling around up in that house with no idea how to run or staff it, apart for a cleaning company that comes twice a week. Then there’s the garden and a million other things to think about. I could really do with your advice on it. You were born here and trained for it. If I had a chairwoman like you by my side, I know I could make a difference here. That’s all I want to do—make a difference.”

  Evan’s faltering positivity softened Clementine’s resolve. Plus, she thought about the excited smiles on Ash’s and Kay’s faces. Could they make a difference?

  “I’ll think about it over the next few days. That’s the best I can do.”

  Evan’s infectious grin reappeared. She took Clementine’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you, Your Graceship, ma’am.”

  Clementine felt goosebumps spread up her arm, which made her feel a little giddy. “Stop that. I’m not promising anything.”

  Evan nodded. “Hope is all I ask for. See you in a few days.”

  Oh God, Clementine thought as she watched Evan walk away. She was turning her life upside down in such a short time.

  But what frightened her even more were the feelings Evan was invoking in her. Evan was sweet, funny, infectious in her positivity, and so her type, that she didn’t know how she would cope with ongoing collywobbles. Even worse was not knowing what the feelings would turn into.

  Chapter Ten

  Evan loved this part of the toy making process. With the consent of their parents, some of the children from Fox Toys’ nursery were brought to what they called The Playroom, to test new toys.

  Jess was standing beside Evan, looking through the glass window at the children playing. Two of the nursery staff were in there with the children, making sure everyone was okay.

  Evan loved to see children’s imaginations overflowing with the help of toys. There were five new toys today. Evan was hopeful that some of these would make it past the testing stage and launch for the Christmas market.

  “So,” Jess said, “how fun was it playing at lord of the manor?”

  Evan smiled. “Great fun. Rosebrook is just so beautiful. I go running every morning through idyllic English countryside and finish with running on the beach. There are not many places you could do that.”

  “And the people?”

  “Lovely people. The salt of the earth,” Evan replied. And they were, but it was hard work to get people used to a sleepy village in its death throes to match her energy and pace of ideas.

  “But?” Jess said.

  Evan turned to her friend. “How did you know there was a but?”

  Jess laughed softly. “I know you. Tell me.”

  “Well—I’m a bit much for them, ideas wise, and the farmers aren’t too keen on having a vegan owning the land.”

  “I can imagine. Your brain works too fast even for me. Has Archie moved down there yet?”

  “No, she’s not coming. She wants to commute. Says she’s allergic to the countryside. A bit strange for an environmentalist.”

  “It doesn’t surprise me in the least. She would panic if she wasn’t within five minutes of a juice bar. So everything else is okay down there?”

  “Apart from the gorgeous duchess who I think might be Mrs. Fox, and whose house I’m staying in?”

  “Duchess?” Jess said excitedly. “Tell me more.”

  “Clementine Fitzroy. She lives in the gatehouse to Rosebrook. Her family had to sell up when she was younger, and she isn’t too happy about all the changes I’m making.”

  “So she’s gorgeous and you think she’s Mrs. Fox, even though she isn’t happy with you?” Jess said.

  “Yeah, I went to meet her for the first time and…” Evan’s voice trailed away as she remembered Clem opening the door for the first time.

  She felt a nudge from Jess. “And what?”

  Evan shook herself slightly. “I was banjoed right in the head.”

  Jess crossed her arms and wrinkled her eyebrows. “What on earth is banjoed?”

  “Something my dad has always told me about meeting my mum. When he saw her for the first time, he described the feeling as being hit across the head with a banjo, and that’s what I think I should feel when I meet the one.”

  “Wait a minute, so all this time you’ve been talking about meeting Mrs. Fox and going on first dates with a lot of women, you were waiting for this to happen?”

  “Yup. It’s the sign,” Evan said.

  “But what if you had passed on one of these lovely women who you didn’t go on a second date with, and they were the one? Sometimes love is a slow burn, and just because your dad felt that way—”

  “But it did happen. Clem opened the door and wham! My heart started to go crazy. She’s so classy, too classy for me, probably, but I’d like to try to meet her expectations.”

  “So what happened after this wham with a banjo?” Jess asked.

  “After a brief conversation, she asked me to leave, then gave me a bollocking about my refurb team blocking in her car.”

  “And you still think you have a chance with this woman?” Jess said.

  Evan gave her a big smile. “Never give up! She just needs a bit of positivity brought back to her life, and besides”—Evan leaned in and said in a stage whisper—“she let me buy her an ice cream.”

  Jess burst out laughing. “You sound like you’re still
at high school.”

  Evan nodded her head and grinned. “You can mock, but telling me to get out, to having ice cream with me, is progress of a kind.”

  “I suppose. One thing’s for sure, you never give up, so this duchess may have to like you if she wants to or not.”

  Evan prayed that Clementine had changed her mind about becoming the chair of the trust. As an architect herself, it would be too perfect to have her involved in the planning of the village. Clem would add her love and authenticity to the new Rosebrook, two things that were extremely important when building a new community. But there were some plans she had up her sleeve already, and one in particular that would show that she did care about the people of the village. She excused herself and took out her phone.

  “Violet? I need you to arrange something for me.”

  * * *

  Clementine hadn’t seen Evan for two days, and yet she’d never been out of her thoughts. Even today as she sat at Kay’s kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee, her mind was churning over the proposal Evan had made.

  At the kitchen counter, Kay and Casper filled bags with food they had made for the Tucker twins, lovingly bickering as they went. Every week Clementine and Kay meal-prepped dinners and delivered them to the ladies, each taking a turn at cooking.

  What will I do? Clementine thought.

  Evan would probably be back for the weekend tomorrow, and relentlessly looking for an answer. Her initial answer of no to the chairwomanship had softened over the last few days. She tried not to think about the possibilities of becoming involved in Evan’s dream, but it was extremely difficult.

  In her heart, the job of chairing the trust and leading Evan’s team of architects was exciting, an emotion she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Clementine could use her professional skills as well as her hereditary duties and life skills as duchess to mould the rebuilding of Rosebrook to what it was in its heyday.

  Her mother and father would be proud of the rebuilding job, but only sorry that their daughter wasn’t in Rosebrook House, but she was still torn.