by Sahara Kelly
“Did you?” Jeremy blurted out the question.
“Yes, we did.” Daniel glanced at Giles. “And he was every bit as unpleasant as we might have guessed.”
“So not amenable to dropping the charges?” growled Jeremy.
“On the contrary,” Daniel’s mouth curved in anger. “He was perfectly ready to drop the charges. If…” He paused dramatically. “If—in addition to her statement—Lady Adalyn would sign over the rights to the Wolfbridge river, and the land bordering it for a distance of fifty feet.”
“What?” Adalyn was stunned.
“He wants the river and the riverbank.” Giles spoke through clenched teeth.
She shook her head. “I do not understand any of this. To free Trick, I have to give away land. I’d be buying his freedom with a piece of Wolfbridge as currency. Has this entire situation been engineered by this fellow to obtain the river? And if so, why? It’s a very complicated plan, and let’s not forget that a man died because of it. What on earth use would it be to him?”
Daniel held up his hand before the others could add their questions to Adalyn’s. “There are a couple of answers. First, we are not sure that Baxter had anything to do with Sir Amery’s death. He may just be using the unfortunate occurrence for his own gain. As far as the river goes, I believe the reason for his interest lies in a growing trend. Canals.”
Jeremy raised his head. “Ah, yes. Now I begin to understand.”
“I don’t.” Evan frowned. “You’d better go on, Daniel…”
“I learned from the servants that Fairhurst has contacted two lawyers who specialise in inheritances. Rumour has it that Judith Fairhurst may be the only heir to Fivetrees, and if so, Baxter will contest the will.”
“So he wants Fivetrees…” Adalyn murmured. “And if he has the river as well…”
“He can use it as a formal canal and charge a toll for everyone who ferries anything downstream, or upstream for that matter.”
“Then there’s the possibility of building locks, which will drastically alter the flow of water around our fields,” added Giles.
Jeremy nodded in agreement. “If I recall something I read recently, the business of locks and canals is growing by leaps and bounds. There are many investors looking for new opportunities to sink funds into it, because the returns are constantly increasing.”
“Ahhh,” Adalyn leaned back in her chair. “That makes a lot of sense. Money, of course, at the root of it all.”
Giles’s face bore an expression of concern. “Lady Adalyn, the response to this lies with you. Would you surrender the land to spare Trick’s incarceration? He will be jailed for as much as a year, awaiting trial. And not in the Roundhouse, or even Little Maddington.. This would be in Deepmere.”
She winced. Deepmere was at least fifteen or more miles away from Wolfbridge. And a fully-fledged city, which probably meant a jail with cells and other unpleasant things she’d rather not think about.
Silence had fallen and she felt the men’s eyes resting on her. Her position as mistress of Wolfbridge weighed heavily on her at that moment, for she knew she had to make the best decision possible under the circumstances.
“May I have an hour or so to fully consider this, Giles? I need to think, and just now I seem to be possessed of a windstorm in my brain instead of coherent thoughts.”
“Of course,” he nodded.
“You’ll do the right thing, Adalyn.” Daniel pressed her shoulder.
“You are the Lady of Wolfbridge,” Jeremy also touched her. “We believe in you, Adalyn.”
“It’s difficult, to be in control of a manor such as this,” said Evan coming to her side. “But you are worthy of the title, Adalyn, and worthy of the position. Whatever you decide will be right…for you, for us and for Wolfbridge.” He took her hand, dropped a light kiss on it, and followed the others from the room, leaving her alone with Giles.
~~~~~
She stood and stretched, then walked to the window, amazed to find that nothing had changed outside. It was strange how things happened and one’s world shifted a little, while the rest of the world continued to turn.
“Giles,” she said quietly. “I would like to talk to you.”
“Of course, my Lady.” He walked to her side. “’Tis a difficult decision you face.”
“Indeed.” She nodded. “And this situation is not the only one.” She turned slightly toward him. “I need to speak with you about them.”
“Them?”
“Our men,” she replied.
“Very well…”
“I don’t quite know how to begin…” She hated the slight tremble in her voice, the hesitation to ask what she needed to know.
“May I guess that this is a somewhat delicate question?”
Another nod. “Very much so.”
“Then look out of the window, forget that I am here, and just talk…”
“Easier said than done,” she gave a slight chuckle. “But all right. Here goes. I am finding myself very much drawn to them. Relying on them for everything, which is probably normal for the mistress of any estate, but recently it has become more—personal. More—intimate.” She knew her cheeks were flushed; she could see the colour rising in her reflection.
“I see,” commented Giles. “And you question these feelings? These intimacies?”
“I don’t know how to feel, to be quite honest. No,” she stopped. “That’s not true. I do know how to feel. I feel cared for, I feel a warmth and depth of affection I have never experienced before. I have discovered needs and desires that surprise and shock me. I’m afraid of what I am becoming when I welcome such attentions eagerly. It all goes against what was dinned into my head as I grew up.”
“You are indeed conflicted, my dear,” responded Giles calmly. “If it is of any comfort, you are repeating what previous Ladies of Wolfbridge have said. And, in fact, you are actually fulfilling the purpose of this manor. The entire property and its legal status have been created to bring happiness to someone who needs it. Someone who will benefit from it and, with luck, go forward with a new philosophy.”
Adalyn frowned. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“There are too many closed minds in our world, Adalyn. There are also too few people helping those less fortunate. Wolfbridge is one small portion of England where good is venerated, kindness is encouraged, and love of others prized above all else. Our mistresses come from the opposite situation, and here they learn what true courage and genuine worthiness can be. They then move ahead with their lives, bringing those characteristics to whatever they do. And whoever they touch.”
“That is a laudable goal, Giles, but for just one person?”
He smiled then, his teeth gleaming in the glass window reflecting him as he stood slightly behind Adalyn.
“Oh no. Wolfbridge goes much further than that. Are you familiar with the name Lady Mary Dandridge?”
Shocked, Adalyn turned to look at him. “Oh goodness, yes. She was responsible for setting up a chain of orphanages that changed the lives of thousands of children…some years ago now, if I remember correctly.”
“Mary Wallace was a Lady of Wolfbridge, Adalyn. She became Lady Dandridge after she left us.”
“And Lady Panthea?”
“She is currently starting small centres in rural areas where doctors can see patients for very little cost.”
The enormity of what Giles was telling her began to sink in, and she shuddered. “These are very big shoes to fill, Giles.”
“You will. But not alone. And you have yet to realise your full potential here at Wolfbridge. I tell you these things only to reassure you that what you are experiencing in relation to our men is perfectly normal.”
She stared blindly at the glass, trying to put her fears, her worries into words.
“I am becoming very attached to all of them, Giles. And that attachment may well lead to intimacies that would shock people to their boots. I don’t want to be the cause of a scandal, nor do I wa
nt to ruin the lives of anyone here at Wolfbridge.”
Embarrassing though her confession was, she felt better after voicing it, for it was nothing but the truth. She knew, in her heart, that she would be making love with one or more of her men before too long. She wanted it and they wanted it. Were there barriers to prevent it? Giles would know.
“You’ve been here for a few months now, Adalyn. And yet it seems as if we’ve known you for much longer than that.” He gently put an arm around her, resting his warm hand on her shoulder. “It is customary for me to say this after a full six months, but in your case I can see the time is now.”
“Say what, Giles?”
“There is a letter. More of a directive, really, that is given to the Lady of Wolfbridge after a six month tenure. I’m going to give it to you today, and I believe it will help you settle your thoughts in relation to the men, and also in relation to Wolfbridge.”
“Oh, I would like that,” she turned to him. “Who wrote it?”
“The original Lady Wolfbridge. The one who arranged this whole situation so long ago.”
“My goodness,” Adalyn’s eyes widened. “A woman of great foresight?”
“Indeed.” He looked down at her. “I wish I had known her, for her words still apply today, and I hope they will continue to do so for generations of Wolfbridge mistresses yet to come.”
“What a lovely thought,” Adalyn smiled briefly. “And perhaps it will give me guidance when it comes to dealing with Trick’s situation,” her voice faltered. “Giles, I already know my answer to that, and it’s tearing me apart.”
His arm tightened. “Tell me?”
She leaned against him. “Trick has a piece of my heart, as much as do Evan, Jeremy and Daniel.” She swallowed the lump that had arisen in her throat. “But I have felt that Wolfbridge is eternal. Especially now that you’ve told me what it stands for. I cannot be a good Lady of Wolfbridge if I bargain away some of the estate for one of my men. I just cannot…”
She fought back a choking sob, knowing she was torn between Trick and Wolfbridge, and unable to reconcile her decision with her need to have her men back with her.
“Hush,” soothed Giles. “That is the right and only decision you could make, Adalyn. It is the brave choice of the woman who has just truly earned the title Lady of Wolfbridge.”
His words registered, but she still wept. “I am condemning him, Giles…”
“You are being courageous, my dear. If you were any less, you would be letting everyone down, and failing Wolfbridge. So stand tall, raise your chin and be the woman we all love and respect.”
Adalyn promised herself she’d try, but she knew it would not be easy. “Will you tell the others?”
“If you wish. They will understand, I know.”
Moving from Giles’s arms, she rubbed her hand over her face and turned to him. “I think I’d like the letter now, if you please.”
He walked away to a corner of the Rose room and reached up to the top of the bookshelf where he retrieved a slim leather-bound volume. Bringing it to her, he opened it to reveal a hollowed out core containing a folded piece of aged parchment. “This is it, Lady Adalyn.” He put it on her desk with care. “When you’re done, if you would re-fold it and put it back in its place? It must be preserved for future use, as you can understand.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He left and she took a seat, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for the note.
Chapter Nineteen
Adalyn stared at the note as if it was a dangerous creature that might bite if she touched it.
Stepping back, she lit some candles against the darkening sky outside, and collected herself enough to return and sit at the desk.
“I have to read this,” she told herself aloud, hoping to gain courage by talking to herself. “I must read this and I will.”
As she reached for the paper and unfolded it, she spared a moment to wonder if the original author had been sitting in this very room to write it. Perhaps she had a smaller fireplace, or perhaps a different chair to accommodate her large Georgian gown. Adalyn would never know, but just thinking about it brought the woman herself closer and took away some of the nerves.
It was not a long letter, and for something that age, was well preserved.
An elegant flourish flowed from the signature, showing a definite skill with the gentle art of calligraphy.
Aphrodite. A charming name for a woman who defied tradition, society and all the traditional mores applied to her gender. And perhaps a tribute to a Goddess of Love, wondered Adalyn, who had read about some of the escapades of the ancient Greeks.
She settled herself and began to read, taking her time in deciphering the old-fashioned words and phrases.
“To thee, dear lady, who now hath attained the title of Lady of Wolfbridge, I send greetings.
Thou doubtless now find thyself much at ease within these walls, tended by the gentlemen selected for their roles with great acuity and deliberation. Thou willst have learned to love Wolfbridge as did I, and also to love these gentlemen who care for naught but thy happiness. Such is their desire to serve, thou shouldst allow liberties and chances for them to show many affections for thy person. For thus are they rewarded for their constancy.
Choose not one too soon, dear friend, but explore each as a new treasure, and with the eagerness of a pirate seeking gold. Let thy heart be thy guide. Love knoweth no bounds, or restrictions to a single mate if more than one catches thine eye. I shall speak no more of this since thy heart must perchance already be of warm disposition toward thy gentlemen. I ask only thou accept such attentions and derive thy pleasure vastly. Wolfbridge shall demand no less than complete and utter devotion to the happiness of all who reside within. None shall be female, for they are a detraction from the true fulfilment of life. Keep to this vow and thou shalt know great joy. Fail and thou shalt know pain, such as I have experienced. Learn from my errors, Lady. Do not stray from this dictate.
In time, thou wilt doubtless find one gentleman above all others to thy liking. When this doth occur, thou art free to wed, and may do so with the good wishes of Wolfbridge and those who remain within. Marriage, no matter to whom, will mean thy resignation of the title and thy departure from Wolfbridge Manor. It will always welcome thy presence as a guest, but must be now endowed to the next mistress when she is discovered.
Inasmuch as the property boundaries are declared—the Manor must remain intact. Sell not, nor barter, nor trade acreage, for this property is deeded in its entirety to the future and those Ladies of Wolfbridge yet to come. Any attempt or avowal to part with any land shall render thy presence untenable. No matter the occurrence, the land is all and must never be diminished by even one rod. Do what is needed to ensure it ever remains thus. Add to its yardage, maintain its heart. But never betray it by letting part of it pass to other hands.
Do good works, Lady of Wolfbridge. Fill thy heart with warmth and joy, and thy mind with the will to help others as thou hast been helped. Continue the tradition of rendering aid without thought of recompense, and seek out those who will benefit from such attentions. Trust thy gentlemen, love them, give them thy heart and allow them to do likewise.
I envy thee, and wish thee all the joy that has been my share and more. May thee find thy life enriched and enlightened by thy time as Lady of Wolfbridge.
With affection,
Aphrodite Wolfbridge”
Adalyn carefully placed the document down on the desk in front of her and released a breath she didn’t even realise she’d been holding.
It had been the right decision.
Her choice to hold Wolfbridge, to put the property above Trick’s welfare—it had been the right thing to do. In fact, had she done otherwise, she’d have had to leave. She closed her eyes, trying to avoid the shudder that rattled its way down her spine at the mere thought of such a thing.
And yet most of the letter seemed to be advising her to love her gentlemen. Fully and witho
ut reservations. That much was quite clear from Aphrodite’s words.
She was not to choose one too soon, but take her time and allow familiarity with all of them to grow; if she wished to wed she could, and it was not specified whether the men were off-limits or not. She would take this to imply that wedding a Wolfbridge gentleman was permitted. Although at this point, Adalyn herself wasn’t sure of anything other than marriage was the farthest thing from her mind.
How long she sat in deep contemplation, allowing her thoughts to turn this way and that, coming to terms with what being Lady of Wolfbridge really meant—she had no idea.
But it was full dark when Giles tapped on the door and peered around it. “Dinner, my Lady? A sherry first, perhaps?”
She rose and stretched, realising she’d become stiff during her long sojourn at her desk. “Dinner, Giles. In ten minutes if you please? I need to refresh myself.” She walked toward him. “Then perhaps a brandy after dinner. I think I might need it.”
Giles nodded. “That is probably true, my Lady.”
“Giles…” She spoke quietly as he stood by the door. “Would you be so kind as to ask Daniel to attend me tonight?”
“Of course,” he bowed. “You are making wise decisions, my Lady. I am cheered by this, and my decision to give you the Wolfbridge letter was obviously well-timed.”
She glanced at him wondering if it was worth asking him why he never mentioned the stipulation about selling any of the Wolfbridge property, especially given Baxter Fairhurst’s offer. Was it a test?
If so, she’d passed, but at what cost? “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Perhaps some things were better left unasked and unanswered.
They were all assembled when she returned to the dining room. Jeremy and Daniel standing behind their seats, Evan carving the main course and Giles waiting to hold her chair for her.
She nodded and allowed him to seat her. “Thank you,” she said.
“My Lady,” he nodded, moving to his place.