Mistress Agnes

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  'Didn't I tell you?' Dennis asked, 'it must have slipped my mind, sorry. Maria has given her notice at her father's business and is planning to start her own.

  She's very busy developing a new line of childrens' clothing, and making samples. There will be packages of fabric arriving from all over the country any day now. She's very ambitious, Dick says. He's very proud because his earnings are making it possible for her to give up a steady job and take the risk of doing what she really wants.'

  'Didn't her father allow her to do the thing she loves?'

  'Strange, isn't it? She really likes her dad, but he only let her do the hemming and other boring, lowly jobs. He insisted on doing the patterning and the fitting himself, though she is very good at both. I think he didn't take it well, she's not too happy going back there in the mornings, but she has told Dick she'll survive a month of reproachful silence. He told me when we were washing up, it's such fun to work with Dick, though I still have to talk fast to have him allow me to help.'

  At least Dennis was back to normal. The situation with Dick had made him aware of his own attitude, and he was still involving himself in everything that was going on at the manor, but going about it much more subtly.

  'So they fell out over that? I'm sorry for Maria, she seems very competent and deserves to be appreciated for the work she does.'

  'I suppose her mother will step in, but Maria kind of caught her off guard as well. She had never told her mother how unhappy she was with the way her father treated her professionally. Just her father.'

  'Well, my love, to me the girl is a hero, to defy her father and just do what she feels she needs to do. I wrote my first book when I was still married, but I wouldn't have dared to even think of publishing it. I needed Guy and Patrick to convince me to do that.'

  Dennis laughed and kissed her.

  'I wouldn't compare your books to perfectly decent frocks and coats, Agnes, but I do agree you both did a brave thing.'

  'If she needs more space to work in she can use any empty room she likes.'

  'Why not offer that yourself, Agnes? I think you'd truly like Maria if you'd

  spend some time with her. Though I guess that's pretty hard when she's at work all day and evenings too. Do you think Dick minds?'

  Agnes took a good hard look at Dick, who was chatting with Patrick, Charles and Guy, and he did seem a bit forlorn, stroking the sleeping puppy in his lap.

  'I suppose he does, yes. You said it was just for a month? And then she'll work on her projects all day? I wonder if poor Dick can look ahead a whole month, maybe you'd better talk to him.'

  But that turned out to be unnecessary, for Maria's mother did intervene on her daughter's behalf, forcing her husband to let her work on her own projects half the day.

  'Mama said I had done my share to make his business a success, I deserved to work on my future for a change. Though she was put out with me, too, 'You should have told me about your unhappiness before, I would have helped before things got out of hand.'

  I guess she was right, for now I don't want to stay with my father whatever he offers. What mama did will just make that last month less painful.'

  Dick knew the feeling, he didn't want anything to do with his folks anymore, either.

  'I suppose he'd only try to hold you back. Will you come home to work on your own projects, or will you stay there?'

  'My mother asked me to stay, she wants to have me around as long as she still can. I guess I will stay, then, unless my father does bother me. He hasn't said a thing so far. I suppose he'll hire a replacement, and then I'll have to come here to free up the working-space. But at least I'll be with you most evenings.'

  And when Maria sat with their little group in the evenings once more, the mistress immediately joined her, and asked how her projects were going.

  Dick was surprised to see his love rather hesitant towards the mistress, but once she had gotten over her first shyness she told the mistress about her first samples. They had been welcomed by her sister and the latter's six-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son.

  'The children looked so pretty and sweet, and my sister is going to test the garments for sturdiness, and of course show them around in their village.'

  'Have you thought of making drawings of your nephews and nieces in their new outfits, to promote your clothes in a larger town? Maybe put an advertisement in a newspaper, or visit other seamstresses?'

  'Thank you, ma'am, yes, I wanted to, but I'm afraid I'm much better at designing clothes than at drawing. I couldn't do it.'

  That had been a terrible disappointment to Maria, though she still tried to improve her skills by practising.

  Now the mistress smiled broadly and observed, 'You have been living here for almost a month, Maria, and you've seen Charles daily, but I suppose you never visited his workshop?'

  Oh my, Charles. How could Dick have forgotten they had an artist living under the same roof? Poor Maria, she could have gotten some help from him to improve her drawing skills!

  Maria looked at the mistress without understanding.

  'Charles does the garden, doesn't he? And he does some painting in his spare time?'

  Had he never even told her Charles was an artist first of all?

  'Dear Maria, Charles does the garden for a living. But he is a very talented painter, I'm very certain he could paint an exact image of your little nieces and nephews wearing your outfits, so potential customers can get an impression of what they can buy from you. Why not talk to him, you have some money to invest, haven't you? I'm sure he'll make them for you at a decent price.'

  Chapter 21

  When Agnes and Dennis were enjoying their daily ride somewhere that same week, Agnes couldn't help noticing the change in him showing up. He was fearless, taking obstacles, encouraging his filly to go faster than he had ever dared to go. Agnes had always held back for him, she had bought a gentle horse for him, because she knew he could be fearful but didn't like to be confronted with his limits.

  Now, he had as few of them as she had herself, and that gave her an idea.

  'Do you want to ride my horse a little more often, Dennis? There will come a time when it will be more sensible for me to ride your filly, she's so much more tranquil, it will be much safer.'

  And indeed he tried the next two days and loved riding Frederick's large, spirited hunter. He had done so before they bought the filly, but always within certain boundaries of speed and terrain. Now, Dennis regularly led their expeditions, trying new trails, enjoying the rush of going full speed wherever the moors were dry and flat enough to do so. Frederick's horse was not showing any sign of ageing as yet, though Agnes guessed he had to be nearing twenty. She had no idea how old a horse could get, she should ask John. The hounds were showing their age, when John had told her they should think of replacing them before they forgot their training, Agnes realized he meant buying several young dogs, let the current pack train them, then shoot the old dogs.

  Agnes had no qualms killing game, but doing away with Frederick's hounds was a different matter. They loved her, they had protected her on her solitary rides before Dennis came, they had found Dennis for her.

  She would not get rid of them.

  'A penny for your thoughts, Agnes,' Dennis said, riding over to touch her hand and kiss her cheek, as they were walking the horses after a fast gallop.

  'John said the hounds were getting too old. He wants me to get new ones and shoot these. Though I suppose he'll do it for me if I cannot. But I don't want to lose them, they were Frederick's, and they have been very good friends to

  me. Besides, they still do their work really well, though they cannot keep up with your breakneck speed anymore.'

  'Can't you replace them when they die naturally?'

  'We can, but a young dog learns best from an older dog. If we buy three puppies once these have died, it'll be a year before they are any good hunting.'

  'Why not have two young ones now, not puppies but half a year old, or ma
ybe a year, and keep all of them? We can let the old ones retire to the house once the young ones have learned all they can. I agree with you, they have been good friends to you, and they're good guards as well, better if they're in the house. Maria told me about several burglaries in the neighbourhood, that she in turn heard of from her mother, apparently several farms have been robbed.'

  That was a shock!

  'My tenants, robbed? Why didn't I hear of that?'

  'No, they weren't yours. These were remote places, in private ownership. But the robbers were brutes, and I have been thinking, are burglars here very different from those in town? I used to be one, I can think like a burglar, maybe I can help find them. One of your tenants may be next, and I guess it's our responsibility to protect them?'

  That would be very dangerous, but indeed Agnes would be expected to hire a constable to find the perpetrators, and frankly, she didn't have much faith in the current batch's competence. Dennis would do a much better job, especially if Guy helped him. But the danger....

  'You wouldn't go after them, just find out who they were and find their hideout? I cannot bear the thought of seeing you injured again, Dennis.'

  'I promise you, I will be perfectly safe. I thought I'd visit those farms and ask some questions. Do you suppose it would be safe for me, you know, with the desertion and all?'

  'Let's ask the boys, I don't trust myself to answer that.'

  She couldn't help changing the subject, the memory of Dennis dropping to the cobbles after being hit with a club upset her, she didn't want him to seek out danger.

  'So do you like riding Frederick's horse?'

  Dennis seemed to understand, though he would not forget, they'd talk about this again tonight.

  'Very much so, and I think it's wise of you to use the filly as long as you're

  vulnerable.'

  'Maybe we should sell her once I get too large to ride. I suppose I won't be riding for some time, and John will be busy with two extra hounds.'

  'But of what use are hounds when you have no horse, Agnes? You cannot hunt without one or the other, can you?'

  Too true. Except...

  'Do you think it would be right to keep hunting once I'm married? Can I risk my life with a child depending on me?'

  Dennis sat up so straight that the big hunter almost stopped in his tracks.

  'Whatever would you say something like that for, Agnes? You like hunting, don't you? Let me rephrase that: you like eating game, don't you?'

  She nodded.

  'Then you'll have to hunt. The game does not hunt itself.'

  'But I thought since you had changed so much, you might like to do that yourself. I thought you might want to, soon.'

  But now, Dennis shook his head resolutely.

  'I have changed a lot, Agnes, and I may change even more. But one thing will stay the same: I will not voluntarily take a life ever again. If you want fresh meat, you'll have to kill it, I can't.'

  Somehow, that was a great relief to Agnes. Whatever was happening to Dennis, he was not turning into Frederick, he was not going to expect his wife to behave like any other lady.

  They did not talk of burglars and going after them again during that ride, but after dinner, talk led to the incidents quite naturally.

  'Have you heard about those brigands, mistress?' Patrick said, 'you know Thompson, who delivers the carrots and potatoes, he said they were targeting small-holders specifically, because they have little means to defend themselves. But he expects them to start on the wealthier farms soon, or even turn to highway robbery, said they would gain confidence having such easy pickings. The constables don't do anything for those humble folks, at least that's what Thompson said. That doesn't seem fair, somehow.'

  'Will you summon the constables here, Mrs Beauchamp? I suppose they'll talk to you, but they'd expect compensation.' Guy obviously had as much faith in them as Agnes had.

  Before Agnes could reply, Dennis said, 'We're thinking of doing a little investigating ourselves, Guy. You know I was one of the breed, once, I may be able to find their hideout. I was planning to start at the farms that were hit,

  would you care to come with me, Guy? Your brains and my brawn, I suppose they'd be hard put to fool us.'

  Agnes managed to look at Patrick before she felt the shock of Dennis taking over again without even noticing. Much to her surprise he did not show any worry for his partner, or jealousy at not being asked himself. He seemed to just contemplate the plan rationally, as if his master had proposed it. And to Patrick, Dennis was his master, he just refrained from calling him that because Dennis objected to it.

  But Guy had more trouble finding the right attitude. He looked straight at Agnes to see her reaction and observed, 'You're just talking about investigating, right? Not going after them ourselves? What do you think, Mrs Beauchamp?'

  She managed to keep her voice dry as she replied, 'I agree with the sense of such a plan, I've not the slightest faith in our constables. But I'm so terribly afraid Dennis will get hurt again.'

  Dennis' reply just melted her heart.

  'I won't do it if you think it's too dangerous, my love. But I was planning to take you as well, you write books, you see scenes happen before your mind's eye, I think that's an incredible asset while trying to solve a crime. And of course you can guard our backs with a concealed weapon.

  I'm not planning to go after anyone, I want to avoid any fighting. I'm not sure I should even show myself too publicly, they may have printed a description of me in the papers when I ran away from the camp. Someone may remember. I merely thought we'd accompany Mrs Beauchamp visiting some stricken neighbours, show compassion, ask what happened and what we might do to protect our tenants, then try to form an idea of how they operate, what they go after, what area they target. My gang switched neigbourhoods every few days, and we'd go for middle-class areas, waiting for a house to be left empty for half an hour then striking the bedroom for jewellery and the living area for other valuables. In and out without conflict. These robbers seem to relish violence.'

  'I'd say you need a lot fewer men and a lot less force to cow a family living on a remote farm than all of you seem to think. There may be as few as two or three men in this band of robbers.'

  What Patrick said made sense, which would make going after them much less dangerous. Somehow it sounded right, it totally explained why the robbers went for those poor farmsteads when there were richer farms nearby, and

  wreaked such havoc: they were inexperienced at burglary and they were fearful.

  'I guess you are right, Patrick. Count me in,' Agnes said.

  Both Guy and Dennis looked at her in astonishment. They had not expected her to agree at all, but she had to protect her tenants, for no-one else would.

  'You make a plan, Dennis, and we can start visiting as quickly as possible, before more people get hurt.'

  And they were able to make a start while doing something that needed to be done anyway: John got hold of an address where two promising young hounds for the pack might be found, and it was pretty close to the farms that had been hit. Dennis, Guy and Agnes would accompany him on a two-hour ride by carriage to check out the youngsters and hopefully bring them back.

  Agnes planned to bring a sizeable amount of cash with her, hounds that age would be partially trained already and did not come cheaply.

  There was one other person who should come with them, since he had shown a remarkable knack for handling dogs, and Dennis had no trouble convincing Agnes to take him along.

  'I can't believe I didn't think of Dick myself, I've observed him training that little pup of his time and time again, amazed at his endless patience with her.

  I suppose it's because hounds are so much bigger and have such a different training. But I really want him to come, I'm convinced he has some sixth sense for dogs, I'm sure he'll notice straight away if something is wrong with one of those youngsters we're hoping to buy.'

  Since they would be driving through an area where
burglars were at large, they took two rifles as well as Agnes' pistol, though all weapons were hidden not to make the wrong impression.

  'Do you mind if I sit on the box with John?' Dennis asked Agnes, 'I'd like to keep an eye on the surroundings, John has to watch the road and the horses, he can't be expected to watch out for robbers as well.'

  'You really think they'll go for a carriage?'

  'Frankly, no, but I'm a bit like a horse, I feel safer when I can see all about me. Do you mind sharing the carriage with Dick?'

  'Since John is driving I am planning to let Dick handle one of the young dogs, which means he has to be inside on the return journey. I'm not so snobbish as to force him to sit on the box on the way out and inside on the way back. I'd rather have you with me, but I suppose I do feel safer with you on the lookout. Does John know which farms were hit?'

  'He does, he's taking us to several. I asked him to make a map of all the places that were hit so far, there are five, and they are pretty close to one another. Those robbers cannot be very smart, Agnes, I operated in a much more populated area and still we never hit the same neighbourhood twice. It was a certain way to get caught, or to have to fight for the wares. We had no doctor, we couldn't afford getting wounded, I guess the same goes for these robbers. Suppose Patrick is right and there are only three of them? I could deal with those all by myself.'

  She looked at him and he said quickly, 'Which I won't, I will not risk life and limb, my love, don't worry.'

  So they set out together, John and Dennis on the box with a loaded rifle hidden under the seat, and Guy, Agnes and Dick inside the carriage, another rifle under one of the seats and Agnes carrying her handgun, hidden in a pocket of her dress. Dennis expected to enjoy riding on the box with John, though John never talked much, and when he had something to say he generally just blurted it out without a hint of subtlety, like when he told Agnes she should pay Dick wages.