The Secrets of Armstrong House

by A. O'Connor

  “Oh, you’re back, are you?” he drawled, his head in a daze from the opium.

  She stared at him in disgust. She turned quickly and left the room.

  Arabella was deeply hurt by Charles’ betrayal with Marianne Radford, although she never confronted him on it or even mentioned her name again. Marianne and her unfortunate husband suddenly disappeared from their circle.

  But Charles had crossed a line. Now she knew he’d had an affair and it illustrated what he thought of their marriage and of her. From now on every woman became a threat to Arabella. Charles had always flirted and enjoyed women’s attention and Arabella had never paid much heed to it. But now she suspected Charles’ flirting was not as innocent as she had thought. As Armstrong House continued to host a swirl of social occasions, Arabella found herself becoming suspicious of every woman Charles engaged with. No matter how tired she was she made sure not to go to bed until the last woman had left the house.

  As Arabella scrutinised Charles’ behaviour from across crowded rooms, she saw that no woman got as much attention from him as Victoria. He swarmed around her like a bee around honey. Joking with her, laughing with her, having deep meaningful conversations with her. What’s more she seemed to get on marvellously with him. But then Victoria seemed to get on marvellously with everyone.

  Charles came into the bedroom after waving the last of his guests off and found Arabella at her dressing table combing her hair.

  He sat down on the bed and then lay out flat. “I have to say Harrison and Victoria were in great form tonight.”

  “Aren’t they always? Wouldn’t we all if we had millions of dollars and not a care in the world?” she said.

  He sat up and, leaning on one elbow, looked at her scornfully. “And what care in the world do you have?”

  Mainly you, she thought bitterly but answered, “I’m a mother, I’ve this house to run –”

  “Ha!” He burst out laughing. “Well, if you do, you make a very bad job of it.”

  She turned to him furiously. “I beg your pardon! I’m constantly meeting the heads of staff here.”

  “Meeting them, yes, and doing nothing with them.”

  “You’re talking absolute nonsense, Charles!”

  “Am I? Even poor little Prudence has started to take over your duties and directs the staff what to do, and she manages to do a better job of it than you!”

  “Don’t I attend all your do’s and entertain your guests?” she defended herself.

  “Oh yes, you attend all right, but you’re not exactly the life and soul of the party any more, are you? You don’t walk into a room and make heads turn like they used to when I met you first.”

  “If they don’t turn it’s because years of marriage to you has changed me!”

  “Everything seems to irritate you or annoy you. You take everything so seriously, except your duties as lady of this house. Why can’t you be more like Victoria?”

  His words were like a slap across her face.

  “I mean, Victoria takes everything in her stride. She runs her house like clockwork, and she’s not even from Ireland. She knows about business, runs her trust fund. She’s so educated and socially comfortable with herself –”

  “Yes, Harrison deserves the best because he is a much better man than you!” Arabella retorted angrily.

  Upstairs in the attic bedrooms Mrs Fennell was sitting at her desk, in her dressing gown, writing her diary.

  “Come to bed, it’s nearly one in the morning,” said Mr Fennell, waking up and seeing her by the oil lamp. “Good gracious, what is that noise?”

  “What do you think it is?” said Mrs Fennell. “Only them two rowing again and nearly lifting the roof off the house. They’ve got even worse since Lady Margaret left.”

  Victoria and Harrison were walking down the main street of Castlewest. It was ten o’clock at night and they were dressed up in their finery.

  “Remind me again why we are doing this?” asked Harrison, sighing.

  “We’re doing it for your brother James. He has confided in me that he has some kind of a sweetheart that he feels none of us would accept. We’re going to go into this bar that she owns and be perfectly nice to her and him – hopefully he’ll be there – and let them know we don’t see anything wrong in their relationship,” confirmed Victoria confidently.

  “But we do see something wrong in the relationship! We’ve already seen Emily make a disastrous match, and we don’t want James to go down the same road! It would kill poor Mother,” warned Harrison.

  “Don’t worry – both James and Dolly –”

  “Dolly!” Harrison exclaimed in horror.

  “– and Dolly are far too level-headed to contemplate marriage – that’s what I got from the situation.”

  As they reached Cassidy’s Bar, Harrison shook his head. “You know, I think Charles might be right for once – Father was too lenient on James. He did let him run too free. He doted on him a little too much.”

  As they stepped into the bar, it was full of people drinking and being merry. Music was being played loudly and a fire blazed in the hearth.

  “I can’t see him, perhaps he’s not here,” said Victoria, trying to see over the heads of the people.

  “Oh he’s here all right,” sighed Harrison, spotting his brother in the corner and pointing over at him.

  “Oh, so he is!” Victoria was delighted as she began to cut through the crowd, smiling. “Excuse me . . . thank you . . . excuse me, please . . .”

  People stared at the bejewelled American and her well-tailored husband until they finally got to a wooden booth in the corner where James was sitting with a pretty woman of around thirty with big blue eyes and blonde shoulder-length hair.

  “Harrison! Victoria! What are you doing here?” James was shocked at seeing them.

  “We thought we’d come and join you – do you mind if we sit?” Victoria asked, smiling at the girl.

  “Em, be my guests.” He was completely unnerved at seeing them.

  “James,” nodded Harrison, sitting down, and then he nodded to the young woman politely.

  The young woman had her arm around James’s neck and was looking at Harrison and Victoria in a bemused but unfriendly manner.

  “And you must be Dolly?” said Victoria, stretching her hand across the table. “I’ve been hearing all about you.”

  “Have you?” She looked sceptically at James and then cautiously shook Victoria’s hand before doing the same with Harrison.

  “I’m –” began Harrison.

  “I know who you are, I know who both of you are.” Dolly had a way of looking at people in a slightly mocking, slightly bemused way. “What do you want to drink?”

  “A red wine, please,” said Victoria.

  “Seán!” screeched Dolly over the music to the barman. “Bring over a red wine and a Guinness.”

  “Right up, Dolly,” Seán shouted back.

  “So what brings you in here?” asked James.

  “We wanted to see where you spend time and meet your friends.” Victoria smiled at Dolly warmly.

  “Well, you’ve seen it and you’ve met them,” said Dolly as Seán placed the stout and wine in front of them.

  “How much is that?” asked Harrison, reaching for his wallet.

  “It’s on the house,” said Dolly.

  “Thank you!” said Victoria. “I believe you own the bar here.”

  “Well, my parents do – I run it for them.”

  “We’ve a lot in common,” smiled Victoria. “I helped run my father’s business as well.”

  Dolly nodded to the diamonds and furs on Victoria. “Your father’s business obviously has better turnover than my father’s.”

  Victoria started laughing. “Maybe, but your business looks like much more fun.”

  “Your husband doesn’t look as if he shares your opinion,” Dolly said, smiling at Harrison’s uncomfortable facial expression.

  Victoria kicked him under the table. “He just lo
ves it! You know, I’ve heard so much about these quaint Irish pubs and been dying to come into one.”

  “So we’re a circus now for Yanks, are we?” asked Dolly. “To be stared at by you for your own amusement?”

  Victoria nodded to a group of men who were staring at her and laughing amongst themselves. “I think if anyone is the circus being stared at, it’s me!”

  Dolly leaned across James and shouted at them. “What are ye staring at?”

  The men quickly turned away.

  “Sorry about that?” apologised Dolly. She looked down and saw Victoria’s glass was nearly finished already.

  “Seán!” she shouted. “Another round of drinks!”

  As the night wore on the drink flowed and everyone loosened up. Even Harrison looked as if he was enjoying himself, although he never let his guard down.

  Victoria leaned across to Dolly. “I’m really glad I met you.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” said Dolly, surprised that she had warmed to the millionairess wife of the local landlord’s brother.

  “It’s been a pleasure meeting you,” said Victoria as they got up to go. “I would love if you and James joined us for dinner some evening, at our home.”

  Dolly looked at Victoria, surprised, before looking at James and saying, “We’ll look forward to that.”

  Harrison put his arm around Victoria as they walked down to the motor car.

  “What exactly are you hoping to achieve by this?” asked Harrison curiously. “James has always been different but I really don’t know what he could see in a woman like that.”

  “Harrison!” chided Victoria. “You’re as bad as your mother! I thought Dolly was delightful. Spirited.”

  “But, having her to the house for dinner? Really! As much as I love you, Victoria, sometimes I think you’ll never understand our ways.”

  “Oh, I understand them all right, Harrison. I just choose not to lead my life by them.”

  chapter 63

  Charles had summoned the family solicitor Mr Brompton to Armstrong House from Castlewest and they sat in the library talking with James.

  “The situation is quite clear, Mr Brompton. I gave a number of tenant farmers an adequate amount of time to pay their arrears and they have not done it.”

  “Can’t do it! There’s a difference!” snapped James.

  “So what are you suggesting is to be done?” asked Mr Brompton, who was a man in his sixties with round spectacles.

  “I’ve given this considerable thought . . . and I want them gone,” said Charles definitely.

  “Gone?” asked Mr Brompton.

  “Evicted, off the land, out of their houses – gone!” stated Charles.

  “I see!” Mr Brompton looked surprised. “The first thing then is to formally request they leave . . . if they then refuse to go –”

  “Which they will!” said James.

  “– the next step is to get a court order and evict them forcibly, which as James says, is the most probable result.”

  Charles nodded. “Whatever course of action has to be taken.”

  “Have you ever witnessed an eviction, Lord Armstrong?” asked Mr Brompton.

  “Can’t say as I have.”

  “I have. It’s a most pitiful sight. There’s usually some degree of force used by the constabulary. The tenant farmers usually fight back, resulting in violence.”

  “I’m aware of all this.”

  “I’m just trying to point out to you the severity of the course of action you appear to be taking. The law is of course on your side, and you’ll be working within the confines of that law. But the human cost of such an action is so great.”

  “I’ve considered all that,” reaffirmed Charles.

  “And you could be setting up a chain of events that who knows where it would lead to,” advised Mr Brompton.

  “Hopefully it will lead to tenants paying on time in the future!” said Charles.

  “Even if you get those farmers evicted, you won’t be able to re-let the land to someone else,” pointed out James. “No other farmer will go and take land that another farmer was evicted from. There’s huge solidarity there.”

  “I don’t need another farmer to take the land. I’m going to knock down the hedges between the farms and create huge new fields, like the American prairies, and we’re going to go much more into cattle-rearing ourselves.”

  “Most industrious!” said Mr Brompton, concerned by the whole proposal.

  “This is the list of five farmers most in arrears who I want gone,” said Charles, handing over a sheet of paper to the solicitor.

  “Very well. You appear to have made up your mind,” said Mr Brompton, tidying his paperwork into his case and standing up. “I will do the letters for the farmers informing them their tenancies are terminated and to vacate their houses and land immediately. Good day, Lord Armstrong and James.”

  Mr Brompton nodded to them and left.

  James shook his head in dismay. “I’m begging you not to go through with this, Charles. Father would never forgive you.”

  “You heard what Brompton said, the law is behind me,” said Charles confidently.

  “And who is going to hand these letters of tenancy termination to the farmers?” asked James.

  “You are, of course!” said Charles.

  James rode his horse into the Mulrooney farm. The door of the house was open.

  “Hello?” shouted James, jumping down from his horse.

  A few seconds later Jack and Maureen Mulrooney came out of the house.

  “Ah, Master James, how are you today?” asked Jack warmly.

  “Not the best, Jack,” said James.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, what’s wrong?” asked Maureen.

  James sighed loudly. “Have you managed to raise the arrears on the rent?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m sure if we’re given just another few months we’ll get them calves better and we’ll be able to get the money then.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late for that, Jack,” said James, handing over the termination notice.

  “What’s this?” said Maureen as Jack opened the envelope and read.

  “You’re kicking us out?” Jack looked up abruptly, shocked.

  “I’m afraid so. I’m sorry, Jack,” said James.

  “You’re sorry!” exclaimed Jack.

  “This must be a joke. There’s never been an eviction on Armstrong land,” said Maureen.

  “You’re not the only ones. There are another four families being asked to leave.”

  “But – but where will we go – what will we do?” said Maureen.

  Jack suddenly tore the notice in half and shouted, “I’ll tell you where we’ll be going – nowhere!”

  Jack threw the torn notice back at James.

  “Now, Jack –” appealed James.

  “No! If that jumped-up fool thinks he can remove us from our home and our land, he’s got another think coming,” shouted Jack. “The Mulrooneys have paid for the value of this land over and over again with our rents this past century, and if you can’t help us out a little in hard times – well, fuck you!”

  “So you won’t go peacefully?” asked James.

  “We won’t go at all!” shouted Jack.

  James nodded and, sighing, got back on his horse and rode away.

  Later James handed all the five notices back to Charles in the library, all torn in half by the respective tenants.

  Pierce was playing with a train set beside Charles’ desk.

  “They’re furious, Charles. They absolutely refuse to go.”

  “As expected,” said Charles. “Well, we have no option now but to go the legal route. I’ll inform Brompton.”

  “Charles!” shouted James, giving Pierce a start. “Don’t do this! Please!”

  “You know your problem, James? You don’t know where your priorities and your loyalties lie. Those people are nothing to us. They are merely peasants who are bad tenants.”


  James turned and stormed out.

  Pierce left his train set and came and sat on his father’s knee.

  “Why’s Uncle James so mad, Papa?”

  “Uncle James is a weak man, Pierce. One day you will be Lord Armstrong. Remember – never compromise. Never show weakness. Never show anyone weakness. In this life, you have to fight to the very end.”

  “Yes, Papa.”

  chapter 64

  Arabella sat in the drawing room one evening, discreetly observing Victoria and Charles interact. Harrison, Victoria and Margaret were also present. As ever Charles was focusing on Victoria and they chatted and joked amicably.

  “Charles, is this true what James tells me? That you’re evicting some tenants?” asked Harrison.

  “I wish James wouldn’t go around blabbing about estate business,” said Charles.

  “Well, he’s very concerned,” said Harrison. “Is it true?”

  “Yes, it is,” said Charles. “I have to – they won’t leave on their own accord.”

  “But those families –” started Harrison.

  “I know! I know! Have been here since Noah’s ark! That’s the problem with this country, it lives in the past!”

  “But you’re not going to forcibly remove them?” asked Harrison, shocked.

  “I am, yes. I have to, the estate needs to run on a profit,” Charles defended himself.

  “Charles, you can’t do it! You can’t put families out of their homes,” said Harrison.

  “Why not? If they aren’t paying for them any more?”

  “But –” began Harrison.

  “As I understand it, and as James explained it to me,” said Victoria, “these people owe you money, Charles, and they can’t keep up their payments?”

  “Exactly,” said Charles.

  “I’m sorry, Harrison, but I’m with Charles on this,” said Victoria.

  “What?” Harrison was shocked.

  “I mean, my father owns office blocks all around New York –”

  “Don’t we know!” said Arabella.