The Secrets of Armstrong House

by A. O'Connor

  “Would you please drop that attitude!” Miss Kingston became angry. “And how are you to answer questions to me? I’ve told you a thousand times? Berlin what?”

  “Berlin is the capital of Germany!”

  “No!”

  “But it is!”

  “I mean, you are to respond to my questions with the words ‘Miss Kingston’!”

  “Oh I see!” Prudence said sarcastically.

  “Now, let’s try it again – what is the capital of Germany?”

  “Miss Kingston!”

  “Ahhh! You must answer: ‘The capital of Germany is Berlin, Miss Kingston!’”

  “But if you knew that in the first place then why did you ask me?” said Prudence.

  Miss Kingston shrieked in frustration as Pierce erupted in laughter.

  Miss Kingston rushed over to her desk to take out a ruler to slap the girl. She opened the desk and saw a dead rat lying there. Screaming, she ran from the room leaving Prudence and Pierce in convulsions of laughter.

  Miss Kingston sat stony-faced in front of Arabella in the small parlour across from the drawing room.

  “I simply will not teach that child again. I hand in my notice as of today,” announced Miss Kingston.

  “Which one of my children are you referring to?”

  “Prudence, of course! Although if you forgive me for saying, there isn’t much ‘prudent’ about her. She’s rude, insolent, conniving –”

  “Yes, I think you’ve made your point, Miss Kingston.”

  “I have never in all my time encountered a child who seems so sure of herself and so insolent and disobedient.”

  “Thank you and goodbye, Miss Kingston.” Arabella tried to dismiss her.

  “I sometimes wonder whether the girl is bad or slightly mad!”

  “Thank you and good day, Miss Kingston! You were never my choice anyway! My mother-in-law thrust you upon us as she said you were ‘solid and no-nonsense’. Although if a ten-year-old girl can have you running for the hills, that description of you is obviously false.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying, Mrs Armstrong, I think both your children are unsettled and I wonder, observing your marriage while here at Armstrong House, whether it is being caused by being brought up in a disturbed family.”

  “How dare you!”

  “It manifests itself in Prudence knowing no boundaries and poor Pierce going into his shell.”

  “I want you to leave Armstrong House at once, without reference, Miss Kingston. I’ll get Fennell to organise a carriage to take you to the train station.”

  “It will be my pleasure to leave,” said Miss Kingston, departing.

  Arabella realised she was shaking when Miss Kingston closed the door. She went over to the drinks cabinet and poured herself a strong drink.

  The next week Arabella contacted a Dublin agency who sent down a new governess. Prudence had the new governess dispatched in three weeks flat. Arabella didn’t see in her children anything to confirm the worrying reports of the governesses or indeed the overheard conversations of the servants or Margaret’s criticisms. All she experienced was two children who loved and worshipped her and Charles unconditionally. Who longed for and adored being in their parents’ company and were such a comfort to her when the going was tough with Charles.

  Arabella was in the drawing room with Margaret in the morning as Margaret planned the day ahead. Fennell the butler stood there attentively.

  “The Foxes are coming to dinner, Fennell, so I think we’ll have lamb tonight – it was always Mrs Foxe’s favourite.”

  “Very good, my lady, I’ll inform Cook,” said Fennell.

  “And what dinner service to use?” Margaret looked at Arabella. “What do you think, Arabella.”

  “I’m not familiar with the dinner services,” said Arabella.

  “Well, I’ve asked you several times to come with me and let me talk you through them, so it’s your own fault you don’t know,” said Margaret unpleasantly before turning to Fennell. “You can leave us for now, Fennell. Send Cook up to me please before lunch and I’ll go through the rest of the menu with her.”

  “Very good, my lady.” Fennell retreated from the room.

  “Honestly, Arabella, you need to know about all the dinner services and cutlery we have at Armstrong House. How else are you going to fill your role as Lady Armstrong when the time comes?”

  “Forgive me, Margaret, but I really don’t have an interest in plates and spoons!”

  “Well, that’s obvious. I often wonder what you are interested in? I thought you and Charles were supposed to have held the most exquisite dinner parties in London before you went bankrupt? How did you at all manage that with this disinterest you have?”

  “It was mostly arranged by Charles and the staff.”

  “While you just turned up looking pretty?” Margaret spoke sarcastically.

  “Anyway, our time in London taught me how false all that is . . . and besides, I was busy with my children.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying, busy not doing a very good job! I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while about them. I’ve had reports back from Fennell that Prudence is practically turning the parlour maids’ lives into torture with her pranks while Pierce spends his time daydreaming, staring out the window.”

  Arabella became annoyed. “My goodness! What is wrong with all these servants who can’t cope with a couple of children? They aren’t made of very strong stuff, is all I can say.”

  “Of course, it’s not the child’s fault,” said Margaret. “She just isn’t getting the proper upbringing. I think I shall take her in hand myself.”

  “You might be able to dictate everything else in this house, but you will not dictate to Prudence and Pierce. I don’t want you having any direct involvement in their upbringing, not after how your own children turned out.”

  “I beg your pardon! I know how to bring up young ladies.”

  “You can blame me and Charles as much as you want about Emily, but the truth is you emotionally battered and beat Emily into being what you wanted and limited her options so much that she practically ran away to marry Fitzroy to escape the life you made for her. I want my daughter and son to be free of all that. I don’t care if Prudence doesn’t know how to walk elegantly and speak German fluently. I don’t care if she never gets married. I want her to have the freedom to be herself, and that’s how I intend to keep it!”

  Arabella stood up and stormed off.

  chapter 47

  Charles rode his horse through the small gateway into the Doherty farmholding on the Armstrong estate. He found himself in a yard in front of a small thatched cottage typical of the homes on the estate. Hens were walking around the yard clucking as a stray calf pulled at a haystack in the corner of the yard.

  “Good afternoon!” he called.

  A moment later a woman in her thirties came out, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Hello, your lordship, you’re very welcome,” said the woman.

  “Is this the Doherty farm?”

  “It is, of course, your lordship, sure what else would it be? I’m Nuala Doherty.”

  “My father asked me to come and meet him here. Where is he?” asked Charles, just then spotting his father’s carriage at the gable of the house.

  “Isn’t he up with my husband Denis – they’re inspecting the high meadow, although to be truthful with you, sir, it isn’t much of a high meadow with the bad weather we had and the bad harvest we’re getting.”

  “Indeed, quite. Did he say he would be long?” asked Charles impatiently.

  “Ah sure, isn’t this him coming back now!” she said, pointing to another gateway.

  In through that gateway walked Lawrence accompanied by James and a farmer in his thirties.

  “You finally managed to find the place all right then?” said Lawrence disapprovingly to Charles who was an hour late.

  “I got lost down by the river,” said Charles.

  “Charle
s, this is Denis Doherty – the farmer who rents this holding and who we were talking about yesterday.”

  “Sure you’re as welcome as sunlight on a rainy day, your lordship,” smiled Denis warmly.

  Charles managed to smile and nod at the man.

  “Anyway,” said Lawrence, shaking his head, worried. “That harvest in the meadow is as bad as you said it is, Denis.”

  “That it is, your lordship,” Denis nodded his head sadly.

  “And we put that much shite on the ground, if you pardon the expression, we were expecting a bumper harvest,” said Nuala.

  Lawrence smiled. “I know how hard you worked – very disappointing for you.”

  “So what do we do, that’s the question,” said James.

  “Won’t ye come in for some tea to discuss it all?” said Nuala. “I’ve the kettle boiling.”

  “Very kind of you, Nuala,” said Lawrence happily as he followed the Dohertys to their front door.

  Charles raised his eyes to heaven as he turned his horse around. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll head back to Armstrong House.”

  Lawrence turned quickly around and gave Charles a warning look. “You’ll do no such thing, Charles. Come in with us, we’ve business to discuss.”

  Charles reluctantly jumped off his horse and followed them in. Inside he saw a kitchen with a door on either end, presumably leading to bedrooms. As Charles counted five children glaring at him in awe, he wondered where they all slept. The kitchen was clean with flagstones on the floor, a bed beside the open fire that was blazing and a dresser full of delph. There were holy pictures on the wall and a crucifix over the bed.

  “Sit yourselves down here,” said Nuala and the men all sat down around a wooden table beside the small window.

  Nuala made the tea and filled their tea cups. Then she cut large slices of soda bread and put it on plates, gave one to each of them and placed butter and jam on the table.

  “Nuala, this soda bread is excellent!” complimented Lawrence after he had taken a bite.

  “Ah thanks, your lordship, I made it myself and the jam and the butter.” Nuala was delighted.

  “Well, I tell you, you could teach the cooks at Armstrong House a thing or two,” said Lawrence.

  “I’ve another just baked this morning – I’ll wrap it up for you and you can take it back to Lady Armstrong,” smiled Nuala.

  “Most kind – we can have it tonight after our dinner as a special treat.” Lawrence made a grinning face at her, as Charles raised his eyes to heaven.

  “Anyway on to the business at hand,” suggested James. “That bad harvest has left you in a predicament, Denis.”

  “That it has,” Denis nodded sadly.

  “What chance have you to pay the rent this year?”

  “Not much chance, sorry to say, not much chance at all,” said Denis.

  “You’re already in arrears from last year, Denis,” Lawrence pointed out.

  “I know, sir . . . the child was sick last year and most of our money went on medical bills.” Denis pointed to what in Charles’ mind was a fine strapping girl sitting on the bed.

  Lawrence coughed and sat forward. “Would you be able to pay half of what you owe this year?”

  “I could manage that, sir.”

  Lawrence nodded thoughtfully. “What I propose is we write off what you owe last year and in exchange for that you’ll do some harvesting work for us. Then with your rent this year we’ll restructure your payments over the next two years so it won’t leave you short and yet all your arrears will be paid up over a twenty-four-month period. How does that sound?”

  Denis Doherty looked delighted. “Your lordship is very good – that sounds grand. I won’t let you down. I’ll work every hour to catch up on me arrears.”

  “Good man!” Lawrence patted his arm approvingly.

  To Charles’ horror one of the children jumped up on his lap and gave him a hug.

  “Get down off his lordship’s lap before you dirty his fine new suit!” warned Nuala, horrified.

  “Too late, I’m afraid,” said Charles as he observed the big dirty imprint left on his jacket by the child.

  Nuala quickly retrieved her child.

  “He’s just so happy we’ve come to an arrangement over the payment. This little one was worried sick and couldn’t sleep – he hears all the stories about evictions and so on,” said Denis.

  “No need to worry on that account.” Lawrence winked reassuringly at him before standing. “And now we must get on. Nuala, thank you for a delightful tea.”

  “Sure the pleasure was all ours. Sure the neighbours will be that jealous we got a visit from your honour.” Nuala gave a little curtsy.

  Outside Lawrence and James got into their carriage and waved goodbye before taking off. Charles jumped on his horse, dug his heels into the horse’s sides and sped off without looking back.

  Back at the library in Armstrong House Charles sat at the desk looking through the rent books of the estate. Lawrence and James walked in.

  “Well, I’m glad to see you’re at last taking an interest in the bookwork of the estate,” commented Lawrence.

  “Oh, I’m taking an interest all right. So far I reckon I’ve counted a fifth of the tenants who are in some sort of arrears,” said Charles, closing over the book.

  “We have arrangements with them all so they’ll catch up with their repayments,” said James.

  “What, like the arrangement you came to with Doherty today, when you just wrote off last year’s debt?” asked Charles incredulously.

  “We haven’t written it off,” said James. “You heard he’ll do work in exchange for it.”

  “As I said – written it off!”

  “Well, what would you suggest we do?” demanded Lawrence. “That family is struggling and on its knees.”

  “Struggling!” Charles was dismissive. “They don’t look like they’re struggling to me, with their chickens walking around everywhere and their fine fat children. In fact, Nuala Doherty looks to me as if she could lose a few pounds.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” said Lawrence.

  “No, you’re the one being ridiculous. They made a total fool of you. Can’t pay the rent indeed, and he’ll be off down in Cassidy’s pub in Castlewest tonight spending our rent!”

  “And what would you suggest we do with them?” asked Lawrence.

  “Give them two weeks to pay everything or kick them out and get in somebody on their land who is willing to pay,” said Charles.

  “Evict them!” Lawrence was horrified. “The Dohertys have been on this land as long as the Armstrongs. Longer in fact as they were farmers here before our ancestors got this estate.”

  “No wonder they’re here that long when they don’t have to pay any rent!” Charles said.

  “Up until last year they were never late with their payments,” said James.

  “Well, I can assure you they will never be on time again, now they see how soft you are,” predicted Charles.

  “We have to co-operate with the tenants otherwise we’ll be at war with them, and they’re not people you cross,” said Lawrence.

  “You’re afraid of them and they know it. You think you’re in a partnership with these people and they respect you. They don’t! They despise you! They hate giving you rent for land they think is theirs and that our ancestors stole from them.”

  “Which is all the more reason to not rock the boat with them,” said Lawrence. “I will not have our estate go down the same road as others in this country with hatred and mistrust.”

  “The only way to run it is like a business! You two are living in the past when you thought all the gentry had to do was wave benevolently to the tenants and the estate would be profitable. Times have changed. You might mock people like Fitzroy, but they know how to make money in today’s world and come out on top. It’s all about making money and that’s how this estate should be run,” Charles stood up and walked out, leaving Lawrence looking after him worried.


  chapter 48

  Arabella and Charles were having drinks with Lawrence in the drawing room when Margaret came rushing in holding a letter.

  “It’s a letter from Harrison!” she announced and Charles and Arabella gave each other an uncomfortable look.

  “Well, that’s an unusual thing! How is he?” asked Lawrence, surprised.

  “He’s – getting married!”

  “What? To whom?” asked Lawrence, standing up and rushing to his wife to see the letter.

  “To a Victoria Van Hoevan,” said Margaret.

  “Van Hoevan?” Charles asked, immediately recognising the surname and very curious to know more.

  “Yes, Van Hoevan! As in the Van Hoevans!” confirmed Margaret excitedly. “He’s sent our wedding invitation and everything!” Margaret handed the invitation to Lawrence.

  Lawrence took the invitation and started to read it “And the reception is in Newport, Rhode Island. Newport – it’s that Van Hoevan family all right.”

  “Yes, yes! Oh, Lawrence!” Margaret turned and hugged her husband. “I’ve been so worried about him all these years, and frightened for him alone in America and how he was, with scarcely a card from him, and here he is marrying a Van Hoevan!”

  She suddenly started to cry and Lawrence comforted her. “Wipe away those tears, darling. You’re being silly – this is good news.”

  “Goods news! It’s the best news ever. He’s invited us all over to the wedding.” She looked at Charles and Arabella. “Well, nearly all of us – he says he’s inviting Gwyneth, Daphne, Emily, their husbands and James of course. I’m afraid he doesn’t mention you, Charles and Arabella, and I presume no invitation came to you in the post.”

  “Don’t say he’s still sore after all these years?” Charles said with an exaggerated sigh.

  Arabella gave him a withering look.

  Margaret and Lawrence hurried out to find James to tell him the news.

  Arabella sat back and digested the news.

  “Harrison marrying into one of America’s richest families – who’d ever have thought?” said Charles.