‘Do you play for us tonight, Mr Blackwood. Or sing, perhaps?’
‘No, not tonight.’ Thank heavens she had not asked him what he thought of her performance, he could not recall a note, only that he had been spellbound.
‘I understand you have been out riding all day with Lord Harworth.’
He relaxed slightly. This was safer ground.
‘Yes. We were looking at sites for his new mill. There are several that would be suitable.’
‘It would require many men and women to work in such a place, would it not? Where would they come from?’
‘From the surrounding farms and villages. Harworth is already improving the farming methods used on his estates so there is less work on the land. The people will make a better living in the mills.’
She nodded. Her eyes were fixed upon Ann, playing the harp, but he could tell that she was thinking of other things, and he watched her, entranced by the tiny crease in her brow, the slight quirk of her lips as some new thought came to her.
‘Mr Blackwood, may I ask you a question?’ She turned her disconcertingly clear gaze upon him and his heart skidded erratically within his chest. His brows snapped together: better that he should frown at her than she should know the effect she had upon him! She ran her tongue over her bottom lip in that nervous little habit of hers, rousing the demon desire in him. He had to steel himself not to reach out for her. She started to turn away. ‘I beg your pardon. I can see you think it an impertinence…’
‘No!’ He put his hand on her arm. ‘No,’ he said again. ‘Please. Ask me.’
His fingers seemed welded to her flesh. It took an immense effort to remove them when he saw the startled look in her eyes.
‘Please,’ he said again, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘What is it you wish to ask me?’
‘I wonder, sir, why you are working for Lord Harworth? From what I know of you…’ She blushed a little. ‘And I confess it is not very much! From what you have told me, you do not need this employment. And will not another mill be competition for you?’
‘It will be competition, yes, but the industry is young, there is room for more manufactories. But if Harworth is determined to set up a mill, I am concerned that he should set about it in the right way. Soon he will need to bring in extra workers—whole families. I want to make sure they have proper housing, a school for the children, a doctor to look after them.’
He read approval in her face, but even as it made his heart soar he knew he must defend himself. He said curtly, ‘Do not think of me as a saint, Miss Wythenshawe. This is not charity, it is good business sense. If men are sick, or ill fed, or worrying about their family, they do not work so well.’
There were more questions in her head, he knew it, and part of him wanted to draw her aside and continue their discussion, but that was madness: the longer he spent in her company the harder it was to tear himself away. A movement caught his eye and he looked up to see Miss Harworth approaching with her brother and Martin Hamilton at her side.
‘Well, now, Blackwood, what did you think of that?’ demanded Lord Harworth. ‘Hamilton here says she plays like an angel, what?’ He threw back his head and gave a loud laugh. ‘Harps, angels—what a good joke.’
Ann tapped his arm with her fan and tried to frown.
‘Martin meant it as a compliment, Bertram, and I shall take it as such.’
Kitty looked around, startled. Daniel wondered if she had even noticed that her friend’s performance had ended.
‘Having heard you perform on the pianoforte, Miss Wythenshawe, I know you are musical, too,’ remarked Hamilton, in what Daniel considered to be far too familiar a fashion. ‘What did you think of Miss Harworth’s performance?’
Kitty stepped away a little before replying.
‘It was delightful,’ she said. ‘I did not notice one wrong note.’
‘And you are truly delightful to say so, Miss Wythenshawe,’ chuckled Lord Harworth. ‘Ann has only been learning the harp for a few months and I tell her she needs to practise more if she is to become really proficient.’
‘But there are so many other things to do, Bertram, especially when we have company.’
‘You cannot expect your sister to neglect her guests, my lord,’ said Hamilton with a little laugh.
‘Of course not, and I, too will now devote myself to our guests.’ Lord Harworth bowed towards Kitty. There was no mistaking the warm, intimate smile he gave her. ‘A task that will give me no small enjoyment, I assure you!’
Daniel thought it a clumsy compliment but it made Kitty blush rosily. She murmured, ‘We must not take up all your time, my lord.’
‘Nonsense! What are we here for if not to enjoy ourselves! In fact, I am thinking I should put off the meeting on Tuesday and ride with you to Titchwell.’
‘Oh, no, my lord,’ said Kitty faintly. ‘If you are otherwise engaged…’
‘I thought that meeting was arranged for some weeks,’ put in Daniel, irritation sharpening his voice. ‘Surely you will not rearrange it to accommodate an outing of pleasure?’
Lord Harworth blinked at him.
‘I do not see… Well, perhaps not, I shall have to consider carefully, of course.’ He bent another beaming smile at Kitty. ‘I admit the temptation is very great!’
‘We should of course be delighted to have you join us,’ said Ann, not quite truthfully. She gazed up more hopefully at Daniel. ‘Perhaps you, too, would like to ride over and join us, Mr Blackwood? It promises to be a very jolly party.’
Ann’s smile awoke no response in Daniel. He scarcely heard her, his mind working out an excuse to get away before he said something he would regret.
‘Alas, no,’ he said shortly. ‘I have engagements that day that cannot be put off. In fact, I have work tomorrow that requires an early start so I must take my leave of you now. If you will excuse me.’
Kitty’s feelings were mixed as he gave a stiff bow and walked off. His presence unsettled her, but with his departure the room seemed a little less bright. Ann gave an uncertain laugh.
‘Well, do you think I frightened him off, that he dashed away so suddenly? He looks so serious.’
‘No, no, sister, Blackwood always looks serious!’
‘He is a manufacturer,’ said Mr Hamilton, raising his quizzing glass to watch Daniel’s retreating figure. ‘Such men would have us believe there is no time for anything but work.’
‘I believe supervising the proper running of a mill does take a great deal of effort,’ observed Kitty.
Ann pouted.
‘Then I do not think you should build one, Bertram, if it leaves you no time for pleasure.’
‘Pho, that is why we have managers and overseers,’ declared her brother. ‘Have no fear, Ann my love. Once the mill is up and running I do not expect it to take up much of my time at all. In fact, I mean to ask Blackwood to find me a good man to run the mill for me.’
‘So you are serious about this mill business,’ remarked Mr Hamilton.
‘Yes, most certainly. The improvements I have made on my estates here mean that we no longer need so many people. Best to employ ’em to my benefit than to have them a burden to the parish. Blackwood’s invited me to see his own mill over at Hestonroyd tomorrow. Perhaps you should come with me, Hamilton, to see for yourself how these new manufactories are run.’
‘Not I, my lord!,’ laughed Hamilton, throwing up his hands. ‘I never had any head for business.’
Ann shook her head and laid a hand on her brother’s arm.
‘Oh, Bertram, surely you saw enough of mills and machinery at Cromford! How can you think anyone would be interested in such things?’
‘I am,’ said Kitty, greatly daring. Her spirit quailed as every eye turned in her direction. She swallowed. ‘I would very much like to see a spinning mill, my lord.’
‘Would you now, Miss Wythenshawe?’ After his initial shock, Lord Harworth beamed at her.
‘Yes, I would,’ she declared b
ravely. ‘Very much.’
‘But, Kitty, we are going to take our sketchpads and easels into the park tomorrow and paint views of the house,’ Ann reminded her.
‘You can easily do that another day,’ put in Lady Leaconham, coming up. ‘I am sure Bertram would be delighted to have company tomorrow.’
‘I would indeed,’ declared her nephew. ‘Perhaps we should make up a party…’
Kitty noted with wry amusement that this suggestion found little favour with the other guests, who all found reasons why they should remain in the luxurious surroundings of Kirkleigh Hall the following day.
‘Well, if Kitty is determined to go then I shall go too,’ declared Ann. ‘You will not object to that, will you, Brother? And that way Kitty and I can chaperon each other. There will be no need for Mama or my aunt to come with us.’
Thus by the time the tea tray was carried in, the visit was arranged to everyone’s satisfaction and the carriage was ordered for early the following morning.
‘Well, what a clever little puss you are,’ murmured Lady Leaconham, tucking her arm through Kitty’s and taking her off to sit with her on a sofa by the window. ‘I should never have thought of suggesting you go to the mill with Bertram, but it was very well done of you. He could not fail to be flattered by your interest.’
‘I had no idea of flattering Lord Harworth,’ Kitty protested. ‘I truly want to see the mill.’
‘Of course you do,’ replied her godmother with a maddening smile. ‘And nothing could make it plainer to my nephew that you are just the wife for him!’ She patted Kitty’s hands. ‘Do not look so dismayed, my love. It was a little bold of you, to be sure, but it may be just the nudge Bertram needs to offer for you!’
Chapter Nine
After an early breakfast the next morning Kitty set off for Hestonroyd with Ann and Lord Harworth in an open carriage. As the miles sped by it occurred to her that they would not have to travel much further to reach Fallridge and her home, but she kept these thoughts to herself, remembering her promise to her godmother not to talk of her family. She longed to see Mama and Aunt Jane, imagining their pleasure at all she would be able to tell them, but it was not only Lady Leaconham’s wish that she should not visit Fallridge while she was a guest at Kirkleigh. Mama too had expressly forbidden her to call.
Lord Harworth was addressing her and she looked up to respond. She was a little embarrassed in his company, conscious that by expressing her interest in visiting Hestonroyd everyone assumed she was determined to become Lady Harworth. Kitty thought of her mother’s letters, the constant reminders that she should strive to find a suitable husband, but even the thought that Mama would approve of her actions brought her little comfort. Kitty sighed. Papa had always insisted that high rank and titles counted for very little, but it seemed that everyone else she knew, including Mama, thought they counted for a great deal. Her family would be very disappointed in her if she threw away her chance to marry a lord.
‘Ah. We are nearly there now.’
Lord Harworth’s words recalled her wandering thoughts. The carriage had slowed and now turned off the main highway to follow a well-made, winding road that led down into a thickly wooded valley. There was no opportunity to see very far ahead as the road twisted back and forth in its descent, but eventually they rounded the final bend and there before her was Hestonroyd Mill. She gasped, staring wide-eyed at the huge building that filled the narrow valley bottom. The stone walls were punctuated with dozens of windows on each of its four floors and the slate roof was surmounted by an elegant bell tower, not to call the faithful to worship, she knew, but to summon the workers to their posts.
The road descended to run alongside the mill, separated from it by a fast-flowing stream. They crossed the bridge and drove under the arch that led into a large courtyard, bustling with people and wagons. The clatter of hooves echoed against the stone walls, for the mill continued on three sides, while on the fourth was a series of smaller buildings. The carriage drew up outside the biggest of these, a square house that looked very much like a gentleman’s residence but which Lord Harworth declared would be the offices. A sound like distant thunder reverberated through the yard and Ann looked around nervously.
‘What is that noise?’
‘The machinery,’ said her brother. ‘Water frames that turn dozens, even hundreds of spindles at a time, producing more yarn in a week than a woman could spin in a lifetime.’
As Kitty followed Ann down from the carriage, Daniel appeared. Lord Harworth hailed him, saying easily, ‘Hope you don’t object, Blackwood, but the ladies wanted to come with me. Miss Wythenshawe especially is eager to see inside your mill!’
Kitty’s cheeks grew warm as Daniel’s dark, unfathomable glance rested upon her.
‘No,’ he said at last. ‘I have no objection at all, but I would warn you that the noise and bustle of a mill can be overwhelming.’
‘You employ women here, do you not, Mr Blackwood?’ asked Kitty, brows raised. ‘I am sure if they can live with it day after day then we can put up with the…noise and bustle, as you put it, for an hour or so.’
Daniel looked surprised, but she read approval in his hard eyes and felt a faint glow of satisfaction.
He nodded.
‘Very well then. If you would like to come this way?’
They crossed the yard, keeping close to Daniel. Looking about her, Kitty saw that everyone was working busily, loading wagons or pushing handcarts across the cobbles, while all around them the mill rumbled and growled like some huge, sleeping monster. The noise of the machines grew louder as they stepped into the mill.
‘We have spinning shops on all four floors,’ said Daniel, leading them towards a heavy wooden door. ‘No need to see them all, but I’ll take you through a couple of them. Please be sure to stand clear of the mules—’
‘Mules?’ Ann repeated.
‘The spinning mules—machines,’ explained Daniel. ‘They travel out over the floor and have moving parts that can snatch at your gown if you stand too close.’
He opened the door. As Kitty stepped into the spinning shop the deafening noise was like a physical assault. She glanced at Ann, who was clinging to her brother’s arm, looking about her wide-eyed. The floor shook beneath their feet and the whole room seemed to be one seething, boiling mass of movement. It was very bright from the many windows on all sides. Banks of machines—the mules—ran the width of the building, each one carrying large spools of creamy-grey yarn.
Daniel was explaining the process to Lord Harworth and Kitty had to draw closer to hear anything at all. She heard him mention creels and bobbins, tops and roving and headstock, but it was difficult to concentrate with the incessant clatter of the machinery. She watched, fascinated, as the lower part of the mule moved out slowly. The thick yarns were paid out and twisted, then as the mule stopped and returned, the twisted thread was gathered up on the spindles.
She jumped when strong hands gripped her arms.
‘You are too close.’ Daniel’s mouth was close to her ear. He was pulling her back away from the machines. ‘Please, stand over here with the others, out of the way.’
Mortified, Kitty stood in one corner with Ann and Lord Harworth, watching the slow process of the spinning being repeated over and over again. She had not intended to draw attention to herself, but now she feared Daniel would think her troublesome. Another black mark against her. She allowed her eyes to shift to Daniel. He was walking between the machines, surveying the room, his keen eyes taking in everything. He stopped occasionally, exchanging a word here, issuing an instruction there. He stood tall, his black-coated figure conspicuous against the lighter, dust-covered clothes of the spinners. He was master here and it showed in the proud line of his bearing. She glanced at Lord Harworth, who was trying to hide a yawn behind his hand. She doubted he could ever be as at home in this noisy, busy place.
They moved on, taking the stairs to another spinning shop then on to the packing rooms. Daniel pointed out
the joiners’ and mechanics’ workshops, and then took them off to see the huge water wheel that provided the power for the machines. His pride in the mill was evident. He was familiar with every process, every machine within his mill. He knew every man’s name and it was apparent to Kitty that they esteemed him. There was no servile bowing and scraping when he was near, they were all too busy for that, but they responded with alacrity when he spoke to them, regarding him with respect.
‘Well, I think we must have seen everything now,’ declared Lord Harworth, taking out his watch. ‘Do not forget we were going to discuss the returns I can expect on my investment, Blackwood. The wages you pay, working hours and the like.’
‘We will go back to the office for that,’ said Daniel. ‘James Stoodley is my mill manager and I think it would be useful for him to be present.’
‘Very well, then. Lead on, sir!’
‘I have instructed that refreshments should be brought to the office,’ said Daniel as he took them back across the yard, stopping to allow a string of pack-ponies to pass. He pointed to the large bundles wrapped in oil-cloth strapped to each pony. ‘That’s the tops, the rough wool that we spin into yarn. It has been sorted and combed by families in the outlying villages, then my agents collect it up and bring it here for spinning.’
‘It is my head that is spinning,’ replied Ann, throwing a humorous glance up at Daniel. ‘I vow I shall be glad to sit down for a little while.’
Kitty, too, was thankful when they reached the manager’s office. It was a large panelled room overlooking the yard and it was mercifully cool and quiet. The large desk had been cleared and it now held a tray laden with decanters and glasses and a small plate of macaroons.
‘I am afraid I only have wine, ratafia or water to offer you,’ said Daniel. ‘If I had known you were bringing ladies with you, my lord, I would have arranged for some lemonade to be prepared. I am sorry, too, that my father is not here to meet you. He has taken my mother and sister to Harrogate and will not be back until next week.’
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