A Marriage of Convenience

by Miller, Fenella J

  The ham and poached eggs congealed on her plate. Her appetite had all but vanished over the weeks and her dresses would soon need to be taken in. She drifted over to the window attracted by the pattern the sun made filtering through the tiny panes. The dusting of snow was gone and it looked almost spring-like. She wished she had been able to bring Rufus to Wenham; a gallop across the park would have settled her nerves.

  The handsome clock in the corner chimed nine. A sharp tap on the door startled her out of her day-dreaming. Smith came in her face ashen. ‘My lady, terrible news.’

  Eleanor’s stomach plummeted. Had Mary taken a turn for the worse? Had someone been injured? ‘What is it, Smith; tell me at once.’

  ‘Tommy’s brought a message from Mr Jones. When they reached the coach they found it had been burnt to a cinder and all your belongings either gone or destroyed. Who would do such a thing, my lady?’

  She guessed at once who the culprits were. The villages who had refused to come to their aid yesterday would have known exactly where to find the coach. They had done this – she was sure of it. But it wouldn’t help matters to scare her elderly servant.

  ‘There are a lot of displaced people in the area, Smith; no doubt some of those were the perpetrators.’

  ‘I don’t like the sound of that, my lady. Whatever sort of folk have we come to live amongst?’

  ‘Hungry and desperate ones, Smith. Where is Tommy? I want to speak to him myself.’

  ‘In the kitchen, warming up. Shall I fetch him?’

  ‘No, I’ll come myself.’ Eleanor ran to the kitchen, she needed answers to several difficult questions.

  The cook and kitchen maid turned worried faces. Tommy, clutching a mug of steaming soup, scrambled to his feet. ‘Sit down, Tommy; you can answer me from there.’ The boy subsided, his eyes wide, his straw coloured hair on end. ‘How far behind you are Mr Jones and the others?’

  ‘About a half hour, my lady. Not far. They ’ad to turn the cart and it were ’ard in such a narrow lane.’

  ‘Good; did you see any signs of the vandals who burnt the coach?’

  ‘No, my lady, place were deserted; them beggars as done it were long gone. The coach were not even smoking, it were cold to the touch.’

  This could only mean the villains had followed Tommy when he went for help and attacked the coach as soon as they had gone. The thought that their desperate struggles last night had been seen by hidden robbers wasn’t a happy one.

  The situation was rapidly becoming one she didn’t feel confident to handle. With no coach she was trapped in Wenham at the mercy of rioters and disaffected labourers. Her people were at risk. She had no option. She had to send a message to her husband. Whatever her personal feeling, she wasn’t putting her staff in danger. Leo would know what to do; a few unarmed and untrained mobsters would be nothing to him after his battles on the Peninsula.

  ‘Thank you, Tommy. Send Mr Jones to the study as soon as he returns, Smith.’

  She took paper and quill and prepared to compose the most difficult letter of her life. After several aborted attempts she still didn’t have a version she was satisfied with. She had tried formality, addressing her husband by his title, but feared he might toss it aside unread. Her letter must attract his instant attention.

  Finally she decided to write as she would speak, if he were there with her.

  Leo,

  I need you. We are in desperate straits here, the villages have turned against us and yesterday they burnt out our coach. Foster, the estate manager has been stealing from Wenham Manor for years and foolishly I have threatened him. I fear he will retaliate.

  Whatever our differences, Leo, I beg you, put them to one side and come to me as soon as you can,

  Eleanor

  She spilt sand across the page, shook it clean and folded it, sealing it with a blob of wax. She wouldn’t trust this important letter to the mail, she would send Jess. If he rode post, changing mounts every twenty miles, he could be at Monk’s Hall by midnight.

  She tugged the bell rope and John arrived almost at once.

  ‘My lady, I think we might have a serious situation developing.’

  ‘I know, John. I’ve written to Lord Upminster asking for his assistance. I want Jess to ride post; see he has sufficient funds for the journey.’

  Some of the tension left John’s face. ‘Excellent idea, my lady. I’ll see to it immediately.’

  ‘Come straight back, John; I have several ideas I wish to discuss with you.’

  Jess was sent on his way, no doubt proud to be given the chance to prove his horsemanship and stamina. When John returned to the study she was pacing up and down.

  ‘How many of the workmen can we rely on if there’s trouble, John?’

  ‘Not all, that’s for sure. I think the ex-soldiers will stick with us. There’s two turned up this morning; they heard Lord Upminster’s wife was taking on workers. It appears they served with his lordship and will serve you now, as willingly.’

  ‘That’s good news. Could you not find some other men who knew Lord Upminster when he was a colonel?’

  ‘I have that in hand, my lady. The new men are out now rounding up any ex-soldiers who will be loyal to us in a fight.’

  ‘Fight? Oh, John, I hope it doesn’t come to that’

  ‘I hope so too, my lady. Lord Upminster, if he rides post as well, could be here by midnight tomorrow. I hope that will be in time.’

  Chapter Twenty-two

  The atmosphere at Wenham Manor was tense; everybody understood the danger they were facing. It made no difference the present incumbents were not to blame for the deprivation and hardship; rioters didn’t use logic and reason to govern their actions. They were motivated by desperation.

  John pulled on his riding coat and tied his muffler snugly. ‘I’ll not be gone long, my lady. I must go to the village and help to escort the men back, those that Jenkins has persuaded to join us.’

  ‘What if everyone has turned against the gentry? You could be in danger. Would it not be better to allow this new man, Jenkins, to return with them himself?’

  ‘If you don’t mind, my lady, I’d prefer to take Davey and Matthew and go and find Jenkins. I wish to make sure everyone is within our walls, whilst there’s still time.’

  Eleanor wasn’t convinced. Things were moving with a momentum of their own and she didn’t like the idea of being left without her right-hand man. The dust of John’s departure had barely settled when a group of well mounted men cantered down the drive. They were strangers to her.

  From her vantage point in the study window she watched their approach. The leader, a thickset man in his thirties, was well-dressed, his companions far less so. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She knew who it was, and thought this was no coincidence that Foster had timed his arrival to match John’s departure.

  She gathered her skirts and raced to the hall, shouting for help she did so. ‘Smith, Ned, Billy, come quickly. We must barricade the door. Foster mustn’t be allowed in.’ The two footmen joined her by the front door and she stepped back to allow them to drop the massive bars across. The horses halted and she trembled as the sound of booted feet trampled across the gravel and up to the door.

  ‘Are all the other doors secured, Ned?’

  ‘No, my lady, we’ll do it now.’ The young men vanished leaving Eleanor and Smith to face Foster alone. The door shook under the onslaught of hammering. She stepped back involuntarily. She waited for him to speak.

  ‘I know you’re in there, Lady Upminster, and I know you’re on your own. If you understand what’s good for you, open up. I’m not a man who likes to be kept waiting.’

  She took a deep, steadying breath. What could this bully do, apart from shout? The door between them was stout and the leaded windows too small to climb through. ‘I have no intention of opening the door. What you have to say can be said from where you stand.’ She heard him step back and speak quietly to his men. Then she heard his accomplices walking away from
the front door, towards the rear of the house. She prayed Ned and Billy had been in time.

  The villain returned to his position by the door. ‘Lady Upminster, I’ll not harm you, or your staff, all I require is that you leave me to get on with my job without interference.’

  ‘Your job, sir, is to run Wenham Manor for the benefit of its tenants and villagers and to return all revenues to Lord Upminster and myself on quarter days.’ She paused allowing her words to be digested. ‘These past five years you have taken the monies due to the estate. I will not allow the situation to continue’

  ‘Will you not? And how, pray, do you hope to stop it? I’m not answerable to you, only to Lord Upminster and I don’t see him nowhere, do I?’

  She was tempted to tell him her husband was on his way but refrained; such knowledge would grant him time to prepare and might make Leo’s task more dangerous. ‘I have loyal men working for me and more are joining every day. Soon I will have enough to force you to comply.’

  ‘Be dammed to you then. If that’s how you wish to have it, you only have yourself to blame if people get hurt. This is my estate, and I think you’ll find, my lady, that its people fear me more than they wish to help you.’

  She was weak with relief. He had gone and made no attempt to break in. They were safe for the moment and John would soon be back with the recruits. She ran to the window and watched the riders gallop insolently across the middle of the lawn, sending divots flying in all directions. They left behind black holes in the grass as a dark reminder of their visit.

  Smith hurried into the Hall. ‘My lady, it is terrible; the new staff are leaving. Those men threatened to kill them and their families if they remained.’

  ‘Have the extra men gone as well?’

  ‘I don’t know who is left outside, my lady.’

  Eleanor shrugged. ‘No doubt John will be able to tell us when he returns. You mustn’t worry, Smith, Lord Upminster will be here the day after tomorrow. Why should there be any trouble before then? The civil unrest isn’t widespread, and so far the only incident in our vicinity has been the coach burning. No person was attacked, only property.’

  ‘But, my lady, Foster has threatened to kill people if they stay in your employ. Why would he want to drive them away if he wasn’t planning something bad?’

  ‘To make my life uncomfortable? To prove he has the power? I think you’re refining too much on this. It’s exactly what that man wishes. He wants me to panic, to pack up and leave, not stay and confront him.’ Hesitant footfalls on the stairs made Eleanor look up. ‘Mary, you shouldn’t be up. I told you to rest in bed today.’

  ‘I heard all the shouting, my lady. I couldn’t lie abed anymore. I have the headache, but apart from that, I’m as right as a trivet.’

  She left her maid with Smith and returned to the study. She checked the hall clock as she passed; John had been gone over an hour which meant he should be returning any minute and bringing the reinforcements with him. Knowing men who had fought alongside her husband were out there somewhere, made her feel safer.

  Waiting patiently was not a virtue she had been blessed with. After striding up and down the study for twenty minutes she decided to visit the stables. The presence of horses always calmed her.

  Tommy, the stable lad, was standing on an upturned bucket brushing one of the greys that pulled the carriage. He hopped down and tugged his forelock. ‘Good mornin’, my lady. Matthew’s away with Mr Jones.’

  ‘I know, thank you, Tommy. I’ve come to see how the greys do after their experience yesterday.’

  ‘They’s fine, my lady. None of the beasts have gone lame.’

  ‘Good, carry on then, Tommy. I don’t wish to hold up your duties with idle chatter.’ The boy scrambled nimbly back onto his perch and resumed his rhythmic strokes.

  Eleanor, restless, wandered along the boxes, stopping and patting each occupant. She had reached the last stall when she heard the men returning. Outside in the cobbled yard John dismounted; he looked well satisfied with his morning’s work.

  ‘John, I’m so relieved you’re back. Foster came here with his bullyboys and threatened the new staff and they’ve all walked out, apart from Cook and two kitchen maids.’

  He came to stand beside her, his kindly face wrinkled with concern. ‘I should never have left you here alone, my lady. It won’t happen again.’

  ‘It’s not your fault, John. He timed his arrival precisely. I’m not going to fret about it. Lord Upminster will receive my letter today and with God speed he will be here by tomorrow night.’ She tensed at the sound of further men approaching

  ‘It’s not them varmints returning, my lady. It’s the new men; we’ve found a further ten who are more than willing to fight to protect their colonel’s lady.’

  ‘How many does that make altogether, John?’

  ‘Seventeen in all, eighteen if you count the stable boy.’

  ‘Will that be enough?’

  ‘I’m sure it will. The twelve new men are soldiers, trained to fight. I’ll open the gun room and arm them.’ He frowned. ‘Not that there’s much of any use in there, but it will have to do.’

  They walked together towards the Manor. ‘It’s a good thing we repaired the gate and filled in the holes in the wall. Is it closed now?’

  ‘It is, my lady. I’ve put Jenkins, Lord Upminster’s man, in charge. I know little of battles and such; my life has been spent with horses.’

  ‘That’s a sensible idea. His men must be schooled in such matters.’ They reached the door and John opened it. ‘I forgot to tell you, Mary has got up; she insists she’s well, but I sent her to sit down with Smith. Perhaps you would like to visit with her?’

  He beamed. ‘I would that, my lady. It wasn’t till I thought I might lose her I understood how my feelings for her had changed. Mary and I have always been firm friends, but now we’ve moved on.’ A pink flush stained his neck; he was not wont to speak of such delicate matters.

  She patted his arm. ‘Your love for each other is good news, John. I can assure you it has my full and delighted approval. I always believed you two would be ideally suited.’ She returned to the study - there must be something she could be doing, some preparation she could make, but she could think of nothing.

  All she could do was calculate, repeatedly, the earliest possible moment she could expect to see her husband at Wenham Manor.

  Jess galloped into the yard at the Queen’s Head and an ostler leapt forward to take the post horse’s bridle. He had ridden through the night, the full moon making his journey less hazardous. He needed to relieve himself, then break his fast, before resuming his journey to Monk’s Hall.

  He walked stiffly around the back of the stalls seeking the necessary privacy. As he refastened his breeches he overheard two ostlers talking on the far side of the wall. ‘That chestnut brute’s a handful, Ned. I’m right glad his lordship took the feed in himself.’

  ‘The grey’s nearly as bad. He’s been in the wars, a real battle horse that one; I ain’t seen nothing like the scars on his neck.’ Their voices faded as they moved away. Jess was already racing round to confirm his suspicion. He ran down the stalls glancing inside each as he passed.

  ‘Rufus, you old devil!’ The chestnut head swung round at the familiar voice and he whickered a greeting, then resumed the more urgent task of filling his vast stomach. Jess had no idea how Lord Upminster came to be at the Queen’s Head, this was nothing short of a miracle and it would save him several further gruelling hours in the saddle. He got out the letter written by Lady Upminster and tried to smooth out the worst of the creases. What should he do? Wait by the stalls until Lord Upminster appeared or seek him out now?

  Leo swallowed the last mouthful of roast beef with a sigh of pleasure. ‘That was an excellent meal, Sam. Will you be ready to ride in a half hour?’

  ‘Yes, my lord.’

  He looked across at an altercation taking place by the door. A travel stained groom was attempting to gain entry to their p
rivate parlour and not succeeding. Two burly potmen blocked the entrance.

  ‘Lord Upminster, Lord Upminster, I have a letter for you.’ The shouted message from the struggling young man caused Leo to leap to his feet. Who could possibly know his whereabouts and wish to deliver a letter to him?

  He strode across and gestured to the potmen to stand aside. ‘Let him in, if you please.’ The men stood aside and he was astonished to see one of the grooms who had accompanied his wife to Wenham, step forward brandishing a grubby missive. ‘Your lordship, I have a letter from Lady Upminster.’

  He snatched the paper and tore it open. His mouth tightened. ‘It’s worse than we thought, Sam. The situation must be desperate if Lady Upminster is asking for my help.’ His smile was harsh as he pushed the paper inside his coat. ‘We leave at once. Jess, is it not?’ The boy nodded. ‘Are you riding post?’ The boy nodded again. ‘Good; engage your mount and ride with us.’

  The nag the ostler had waiting for Jess didn’t meet with Leo’s approval. ‘Have you nothing better? This lad has to keep up with us; on that animal he will be left behind.’

  The man thought. ‘There’s my Betty, my lord. She don’t look much but she can keep going all day without flagging. I’ll fetch her for you.’

  ‘Good man.’ Leo slipped a coin into the waiting hand. The ugly bay cob that was led out did not, at first, fill him with confidence. Then he noticed the solid legs and deep-set chest and realised the horse had stamina. He made a decision. ‘Will you sell the horse to me?’