Some beautiful lace-trimmed shirts, white linen cravats and shorter waistcoats than he was used to, were obviously intended to go with them. These came in pale blue, cream and white brocade silk. There was also a more formal suit in a royal blue, which was obviously intended for evening wear. The dressing gown in padded velvet was in a gorgeous golden silk and Xavier suspected it had been an afterthought.
“I did ask whether, you required new nightshirts and nightcaps as well, but her ladyship said she thought there was no need,” the tailor suggested.
“She was correct. I have not worn such garments since I was ten, much to my nurse’s horror.”
“Her ladyship blushed on making that remark. You are a very lucky man to have such a beautiful, generous wife.”
“I know how lucky I am. Sometimes it chafes realising how much I owe to her. So you might understand why I feel I must work, to do something in return for her generosity.”
“I think that is very understandable, my lord.”
***
Having brought the grounds around the house back to some semblance of decorum after their years of neglect, Xavier decided to start his work force on the new houses he wanted to build on the edge of the estate. There were six thatched cottages that had been thrown up there and which were in a very rundown state. Five of the cottages held families in very cramped conditions and Xavier was certain that all the roofs leaked. The sixth cottage was occupied by an elderly man who had formerly worked on the estate. Xavier had spoken with Hector to ensure that he and a number of other retired workers, now received a small pension from the estate.
Xavier had examined the cottages in person externally and he was convinced they could not be repaired satisfactorily while they were occupied; the dilapidations had gone too far for minor repairs, especially after the recent storms. The thatch and Xavier suspected the timbers needed to be removed and replaced. He made a point of discussing the materials he would require with Hector, who had approved his expenditure. The rushes required for thatching the new and the original cottages had already been cut, dried and carefully stored. There was a tumbled down stone building not far from that edge of the estate and Xavier set some of his work force to dismantling it and carrying the stones to the site.
Xavier measured up the placement of the new cottages he intended to build across the lane from those already built. He used knotted twine to pace out the area that would have to be dug out for foundations. He was intending to build ten cottages in two terraces of five. Housing for farming workers was usually difficult to find in the area and beyond the means of most to rent. He intended to also have a proper water pump installed and build latrines that would drain into a large soak away, so the stream would not be further polluted. The stream was joined by other small tributaries as it meandered onwards passing the edge of the estate. It moved on to become a small river which supplied water to the village, so preventing the cottagers from fouling the water supply, had also been a matter which had concerned Xavier.
While his workers had been trying to hack the jungle that had been marring his estate, down to manageable proportions, Xavier had asked that any large stones be piled in groups by the hedges and now these would be collected and added to the new cottages foundations. Under John Fulton’s direction these were ferried and piled beside the excavations that had been begun. Xavier commissioned new windows and doors for the unbuilt cottages from Mr Hopwood and his workers. Mr Hopwood was happy to visit the site and assess how much timber would be needed to build the houses. He would order the wood and arrange delivery to the site when it became necessary. Mr Hopwood would construct the upper floors and staircases when the walls were high enough.
However Xavier instructed the men to not discuss the reasons for the movement of stone or the digging works across the lane from the cottages with the cottage dwellers. He was well aware they would resist any attempt to make them pay rent. Although legally he could pull down the cottages and evict their occupants, he had no desire to really do so. However he did not see why his wife should pay to repair the cottages, if their occupants did not contribute to the estate. The single gentleman could return to his cottage rent free, as he was a retired estate worker, but none of the others worked on the estate. He had examined the legal situation of the cottagers some years previously. The cottages had been thrown up when his grandfather had been earl. The cottagers believed, erroneously, that they had squatter’s rights, because the cottages had been thrown up and occupied originally over one night.
However as his lawyer had explained they had been built on estate land for which his grandfather, father and himself had had legal title. And the right to build a house overnight had largely been legally eradicated in Queen Elizabeth’s reign in 1588, whereby a cottage would only be legally owned by the builder, if it was on a piece of land at least four acres in area. Moreover only one of the families had continued in the cottage their ancestors had built, along with the single gentleman whose father had built his cottage. Xavier planned to have the new cottages up before the worst of winter and suggest the move over on a short term basis, while he fixed up the original cottages. He suspected that when they had got used to the extra space of the new cottages and the pleasure of not being wet whenever it rained that there would be few who would wish to return. Then rent for the new cottages could be negotiated.
In the meantime the less the cottagers were told the better, Xavier believed. It was his land and if he wanted to build ten new cottages then that was between him and his wife to decide.
Chapter Eleven – Chandlery Crisis
Celestina did not return straight away to London when she left Kittleton Place, she headed first for the port of Bristol, where she studied a number of businesses close to the port itself. After coming to her own conclusions she set off on a tour of a number of ports, which her ships frequently visited. She had an interest in taking over a company which had chandleries in several of the ports, the owner of which had run into financial difficulties and who was also in poor health. She felt that her ships were frequently being over-charged by their chandlery competitors and that buying Wellmouth Chandleries would be a logical extension to the shipping part of her businesses. She also intended to make brief visits to a number of her other small companies which were on route, none of whom had been warned to expect her.
Since her marriage, she had made few visits to her companies and factories and she intended to make up for that neglect. Hector would of course usually go with her and smooth her way, because women in authority were never really accepted. She did not intend to give many orders, just ascertain how well they were being run and if they seemed lacking, she would put in a fresh management team. It was unfortunate Hector still had to remain at the estate, because few men dared to offend Hector. Celestina had taken two strong footmen with her, both of whom had been provided with loaded pistols in case of highwaymen while she travelled. In addition she was accompanied by her maid and coachman who had a blunderbuss under the seat, so she believed she would have sufficient protection.
She was fairly impressed with what she saw of how the Wellmouth Chandleries were being run. Although she did not intend to go as far north as Liverpool to examine the running of their chandlery there, she forwarded an offer, based on what she had seen of the other branches together with the reports her agents had prepared. A letter refusing her offer was brought directly from London by one of her mounted messengers during her progress. Her offices had an approximate itinerary for her and had known where to expect her to stay overnight.
After a week and a half of travelling around the coast, Celestina returned to London. She had managed without Hector, but found she was missing both him and Xavier especially when she retired to bed alone. She re-calculated a second offer for Wellmouth Chandleries, increasing the sum proposed. A speedy refusal of her new offer was received at her London offices which had been penned by the owner, Gregory Wellmouth himself. She was surprised at his personal touch and considered in
detail the information the letter provided. It implied that there had been a better offer at least in pecuniary terms.
Dear Lady Kittleton
I regret to inform you that your offer for Wellmouth Chandleries is being declined. I would personally have been honoured to have done business with the Blighton company group and acknowledge that it is a very fair offer for the company and its shops. However an offer from another party may be accepted, even though I would prefer to be dealing with your company.
I am your honoured servant,
Gregory Wellmouth.
Celestina wondered about the reasons for her offer being declined, Gregory Wellmouth’s missive suggested that there was another bidder, a bidder that perhaps he might prefer not to do business with. She summoned a gentleman who made enquiries for her about businesses and how they were run. She requested that he make enquiries about Gregory Wellmouth’s finances and those of his company. Especially she wanted him to discover who was bidding against her and as much information about that individual or company as he could.
***
While Celestina had been visiting her businesses and the ports of Southern England, Xavier had kept himself busy. The clearing of the area behind the stables had now been accomplished and foundations for the new cottages had now nearly been fully dug. The cottage dwellers opposite had pestered the workers for information, but Xavier’s work force had been tight lipped and sent them about their business. Once the foundations were completed, they prepared another hole some distance away within a small wooded area, which required the felling of a few small saplings. This would eventually become the soak away and would prevent the soiling of the small river. Organising such works and keeping on top of the refurbishments of the house itself filled Xavier’s days.
After dinner Xavier would retire to the Great Hall and try to carve a substitute for the damaged pieces. He worked every night for the first week on one piece and having completed it held it in position to see how noticeable it would be. Xavier admitted to disappointment, but to him it looked shoddy and unattractive against the work of the master. It simply was not good enough even to his own eyes. So he located a fresh piece of linden wood and began again.
***
Hector was somewhat bemused by Xavier’s behaviour, but he was beginning to feel his own position of spy was unnecessary and rather demeaning. He had found his time at Kittleton Place restful in comparison to the bustle of life in the metropolis, however he was now longing for the hubbub of town. Hector realised Xavier had not gone out of his way to make a friend of him, because there was still a certain reserve between the earl and his servitors. Hector assumed that he had been placed as Celestina’s servant in Xavier’s mind. However he had come to like Xavier very much. It was also hard not to see, how much he was adored by his work force. He was loved and trusted by them and they felt confident to bring their troubles to him without any expectation of him moralising or criticising. He would simply do what he could to make their problems easier.
Hector realised Xavier had been keeping him informed of what he was doing, as if quietly acknowledging his role as spy. He did not do so in a snide or arrogant way, but simply stated what was happening around the estate and house. If whatever he was doing required more money, he prepared a detailed costing of what would be required in materials and labour before discussing it with him. Hector was of the opinion that Xavier was being very efficient and not wasting money unnecessarily. If Xavier had been any other of Celestina’s managers, Hector believed he would have been trusted with his company’s cash flow and left with minimum supervision some time back. He also felt Celestina’s views about her husband were in flux, but she clearly felt far more positive about him, than before she had married him.
Hector found the idea that she had not got herself the whipped, obedient husband she had declared she had wanted, slightly amusing. As someone who loved Celestina in a somewhat paternal fashion, he thought it was somewhat ironic. Celestina had thought that Xavier’s acquiescence to their marriage and the contract had indicated weakness on his part. Hector had doubted that, even while he was dunking him under the pump. He thought his lordship had not showed either stupidity or passivity in his actions. The only emotions he had detected himself in the earl were annoyance at being woken and soaked, followed by relief when Celestina had spelled out what she required of him.
Since that time Xavier had worked tirelessly to make her money go as far as possible in restoring Kittleton Place. He was faultlessly polite to both Celestina and himself. Hector was impressed by how he had accepted her strictures and had behaved. However Hector had remonstrated with Celestina over her failure to explain to Xavier, the truth about their first meeting. Hector had begun to believe her deceit was going to backfire on her, when Xavier finally discovered the truth. He feared Celestina might find Xavier was more of an angry wolfhound than a subservient puppy dog, following at her heels then. He told Celestina that before she had first left Kittleton Place and she had seemed a little worried by his assessment. He thought she should be.
Hector thought it was now time to leave Xavier and his steward Matthew Bayliss to their own devices and see whether when Xavier had money under his own control, he would go to pieces, and drink and gamble once more. Hector would have bet large that Xavier would not revert to either past-time. He could not explain why he was so strongly convinced Xavier was genuinely reformed. Gamblers were rarely ever really cured, but Hector was of an opinion that Xavier’s gambling had never been as dramatic as the reports had suggested, unless there were a lot of gambling debts which still remained unpaid. Xavier had been so open about his other debts Hector rather doubted it.
As for the drinking, Hector had come to the conclusion that Xavier had been trying to drink himself into oblivion, to become so drunk he could forget the parlous state of his finances and hoped if he continued drinking he would put paid to his own existence. Now that Kittleton Place was being restored and he had something to do with his time, he no longer even seemed inclined to drink. Hector suspected Xavier must have had a very strong head to have drunk so much and an even stronger liver. When it came to stubbornness and intelligent ingenuity, then Hector suspected that Celestina and Xavier were a very good match indeed.
***
Celestina was seated behind her huge desk in her London offices, going through the books of a company she had acquired the previous year, when she heard a knock upon the door. She glanced up, grateful for the interruption and bid the knocker to enter. One of her young clerks, Peter Langton entered and apologised for interrupting her.
“That is all right Mr Langton, was there something you wished to inform me?”
“Yes ma’am, it sounds like there is a battle going on at the Port of London, between the staff of Wellmouth’s chandlery and another company called Higgins & Morpeth, chandleries and ironmongeries.”
“Call my carriage at once. Then ask three of my largest clerks to come with me as well as my footmen. Get your coat and hat on, Mr Langton.”
“Where are we going, ma’am,” he asked bemused.
“To find out what has caused the fight, Mr Langton. There is box of belaying pins in the cupboard below the stairs, you’ll all need one.”
“Do you think that is wise ma’am, I am sure Mr Hector would argue against it,” he asked diffidently looking very sheepish.
“It may not be wise, but Mr Hector is not here and we are going.”
***
Xavier made a point of visiting the tumbledown cottages himself before the first trip to school, he pointed out to the parents of children of the right age that transport would travel past their doors and that packed meals were being provided for those who attended school. As a result when the wagons set out with his young staff and his employees’ children for school, most of the children from the cottages were assembled and excited about their first experience of school. The wagons were therefore crammed full and how the Reverend Lytchefelde felt about the invasion of his previously
quiet classroom has not been recorded. The three young employees had been ordered by Xavier to keep the younger children under control, so the vicar had really very little to complain of in their behaviour.
Xavier’s workers continued with preparing the foundations for the new cottages. At night he finally completed the pieces of carved ornamentation to replace the damaged originals. If you knew they were there, you could pick them out, but they blended in with the other carving and Mr Hopwood said that after they had been oiled and polished they would be even harder to identify. He was loud in his praise for them, which Xavier suspected was more because of his status, than his talent at wood carving. Even so he felt quite proud to have been able to fill in the gaps and if he discovered a better carver, they could be replaced in the future.
Xavier also ordered the cutting back of the overgrowth by the back lane which served the cottages and had a few more pot holes filled in. This would make transporting the children to school smoother and would also speed the carrying of materials to the site of the new cottages. He kept busy during the days, either joining in with the work or finding a small task to do, where he could keep an eye on his main groups of workers. That way if they had problems they could come straight to him and he believed they worked harder seeing that he too was working. Whether that belief was accurate or not, the work on the cottages went unusually well and the weather stayed fair if cold.
The Purchased Peer Page 10