The group began to move on but Robert stayed still, waiting for his father to reach him.
“Fine place, this!” Mr Hodge exclaimed, a little breathless with hurrying. “Fine people.”
He was flushed with the excitement of the day, and Robert could not help but smile a little to see his father so enthusiastic about a place they had only arrived in an hour or two previously.
“You think it worthy of our investment, then, Father?” he asked, allowing the older man to lean on him as they began to walk in the direction their group had gone.
“Oh, it is hardly our investment! The fortune is yours!” Mr Hodge beamed. “I have every confidence you will dispense of it as you see fit.”
“It is as much yours as mine, Father,” Robert said, wearying of forever needing to remind his father that whatever profits Robert had made on their overseas trade, it had been Mr Hodge’s original investment that had enabled their business to begin. It was a joint effort, and they must jointly profit from it.
“Oh, yes, but you have proven yourself to possess a head for business I never had!” His smile grew wistful as he fixed his pale eyes on his son. “Your mother would have been proud.”
Robert’s smile fell. It was his greatest regret that he had been in Antigua when his mother had fallen ill. He had not even had news of her sickness until it was too late. No profit, no matter how great, could make up for the fact that when his mother died he had been on the other side of the world.
“Mr Hodge!”
Their tour guide had, at last, noticed their absence and hailed them from up ahead.
“There are just a few more places to show you and then we will end our tour with a stop at the inn -” His eyes rested on Robert’s father. “And the tea room for a little refreshment.”
“An excellent idea!”
The promise of tea rejuvenated the elder Mr Hodge and he increased his pace such that Robert was forced to hurry after him to keep up. He still made every effort to look around as he passed, although his decision to invest had already been made. His father was so enamoured with the place already, it was the very thing to give him interest and draw him back out of the seclusion he had fallen into since his wife’s death.
It is not Antigua, Robert mused, tugging his collar a little tighter to keep out the December chill which felt all the cooler to him since his return from overseas. He watched a merry group of young ladies hurrying down the street, admiring the buildings - many still in progress - and laughing together and thought how Castleford being unlike Antigua was not necessarily a bad thing. He closed his eyes, shocked as he always was by the recollections that plagued him whenever his thoughts strayed without care to the interests he had built and then hurriedly sold off when he had come to realise the depths of suffering involved in such profit. If his father had been surprised by his son’s sudden abandonment of colonial life and swift return home, with a rather more modest fortune than some could boast of, he had never quizzed him on it.
Whilst never a businessman, with age had come an increasing call to philanthropy in the elder Mr Hodge, and Robert knew his religious father would have been devastated to know that even a penny of his profits had been wrought on the backs of the oppressed. He kept the matter quiet, settling his conscience in the knowledge that he had done all he could to rectify their interests and withdraw any investment that would have caused his parents grief to be associated with. It had meant taking a loss more often than not, but he had still succeeded in returning to England with enough of a fortune to elevate their social standing and provide every comfort his ageing father might require.
Robert was watching a foreman ordering his workmen into position as they strove to construct a folly at the entrance of another elegant building. It would be pleasant to feel a sense of ownership in a place such as this and he had already devoted so many years of his youth to hard work and business, why not begin to reap some of the benefits now?
The laughter of the ladies drew his attention once more and he tipped his hat to them as they passed, entirely ignorant of his presence. He felt a slight pang of bitterness at being overlooked but it scarcely landed before he moved on after his father.
“...and here is the very thing that began it all!” their tour guide exulted, as they reached the spring which had been funnelled into a drinking fountain at the centre of a cobbled square. “There are secondary sources in the pump rooms, of course.” He gestured behind him, to the building which had lately caught Robert’s attention. “But in Castleford, we think it important that the medicinal benefits of the waters be available to everybody, including those who do not wish to pay to partake in comfort.”
Mr Hodge beamed, turning to clasp Robert warmly on the arm and Robert could tell from that gesture alone that, whatever his own personal view, there would be no dissuading his father from investing in the newest spa town in England. Robert smiled, inclining his head in the smallest of nods, and accepted the glass of cloudy water the tour guide handed him, grimacing at the bitter taste as he swallowed.
At least this is not the only attraction Castleford will offer, he thought, privately vowing to eschew the waters in future, whatever health benefits they claimed to impart.
It would be quite pleasant to have such a town as this on his doorstep and even more pleasant to think that his own investment helped to build it. He felt that old hum of excitement in his chest, which he had not felt since bidding farewell to Antigua and coming home. That could not help but feel like a retreat, however he chose to explain it to his father.
Yes, it would be good to build something again, something new, something to be proud of.
“ISN’T IT THRILLING?!” Louisa exclaimed, rushing up to Juliet and hanging off her arm. She was wide-eyed with enthusiasm and excitement as they wound their way through the bustling centre of Castleford. “There are so many people here already!” She giggled as the ladies narrowly avoided a collision with a group of important-looking gentlemen who were listening keenly to a tour guide who pointed out various sights and sounds of the developing high street.
“And there are more to come, if Edmund is to be believed,” Juliet replied, with a grim smile. Upon arriving in the centre of Castleford, Edmund had abandoned his quarry to explore while he hurried off to the postmaster on an important errand. He had looked directly at Juliet as he had made this announcement, his dark eyes twinkling with merriment and Juliet had known without his needing to say so that his errand had something to do with their wager. Shrugging off Louisa’s vice-like grip, she turned to Madeline, determined to take advantage of Edmund’s absence and lay a little groundwork for her own candidate for Maddy’s heart.
“We ought to have considered calling at the barracks on our way past and enquired after Colonel Black, Maddy. I am sure he would be fascinated to see this place!”
“I am sure the colonel has a great many more important things to deal with at present,” Madeline responded, tearing her eyes away from the progress of a builder climbing a tall, rickety ladder to look at her sister with surprise. “And since when have you been interested in the comings and goings of the regiment?”
“Yes!” Louisa exclaimed, pouting at being forsaken by Juliet in favour of her sister, and determined to make her displeasure felt. “Especially since you seem to devote half your time to lecturing me about propriety when I make such a suggestion!”
“Enquiring after one colonel - who has been known to call on Papa from time to time and with whom we might claim an acquaintance - is somewhat different from calling on twenty different recruits on a daily basis!” Juliet shot back, ignoring the withering gaze Louisa offered in return. Of all the sisters, Louisa and Juliet were most prone to argument, and this time it was gentle Bess who stepped in to smooth their ruffled feathers.
“I do not suppose Louisa can help attracting admirers wherever she goes, Juliet. And it would be rude not to acknowledge them, once they are known to us. But perhaps -” She smiled at Juliet, mirroring her own mischi
evous grin. “There is something to be said for keeping our distance once in a while...”
“Precisely!” Juliet declared, not entirely sure she ought to count this a victory, but eager to do so all the same and spying Edmund on his return. “Ah, here is the wayward Mr Gale, returned to us at last. Edmund!” she called, waving to him. “We felt certain we had lost you!”
Edmund had stopped a moment to speak to two gentlemen, one a little older than him and the other surely closer to Papa’s age. He turned away abruptly, hurrying to join the ladies.
“Ladies!”
“Who was that?” Louisa enquired, peering around Edmund for a better look at his friends.
“Who?” Edmund glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, nobody of consequence. New arrivals.” He shrugged one shoulder. “They asked for directions. Being but newly arrived in Castleford myself, I could offer them little in the way of assistance!”
Juliet frowned, watching Edmund closely. She knew him well enough to detect when he was being economical with the truth, but his face had worn the same nonchalant smile all day and she felt certain he wore it like a mask, hiding his true feelings and concealing his progress on their wager.
She turned to look at the pair, wondering if they had somehow been inveigled to help, and was surprised to see the younger of the two looking at them. He swiftly redirected his gaze as soon as he noticed her. Could this be the suitor Edmund had in mind for Madeline?
He must be a decade older than her! she thought, with a sniff. And he is not exactly what one might call handsome.
Juliet herself had a very definite idea of what constituted handsome in a gentleman, and this fellow, with his tall, slight figure, his windburned features and strange, sad eyes was not it. Sweeping her gaze back to Edmund, she smiled, feeling her confidence in her own choice returning.
Is this stranger the best you can manage, Edmund? she asked her friend, silently. If so, I need not fret. She patted her reticule, ensuring it and its contents remained safe. My choice of the brave colonel is far superior to this nameless gentleman. You may play mystery as much as you wish - it will not help you in the end!
“Well, ladies,” Edmund cleared his throat. “My letter has been sent, and as even my friends are unlikely to act on my instructions within an hour, what do you say to our seeking out some refreshments? I hear there is a tea room in this direction. Shall we try locating it?”
This was met with enthusiastic agreement, although Juliet hung back a little, watching as Louisa skipped neatly into place beside Edmund, demanding whether or not he thought it likely that such a place as this would be likely to host a ball in honour of the festive season.
“I think it entirely likely, Miss Louisa,” Edmund declared, spying the tea room up ahead and steering their group towards it. “In fact, I have it on good authority that they shall be holding one in but a few short days. Run along and secure us a table and I shall tell you all the intelligence I have gleaned.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she beamed, grabbing Bess by the hand and tugging her into the building, leaving Juliet and Maddy to follow after them.
Edmund held the door for them, smiling at Juliet as she passed him.
“Is that not splendid news, Juliet?” he asked, his voice a whisper designed not to carry any further than her ears. “A ball! Might it not be the very best opportunity to make our introductions?”
Juliet thought of the slight, pale fellow Edmund claimed not to know and grinned at him, entirely confident that Maddy was unlikely to choose him when offered the suave, charming Colonel Black.
“Indeed! It sounds like the perfect opportunity!”
Chapter Three
As Madeline took her seat at their table in the pretty tea room she couldn’t help but feel a thrill. Louisa was right: to have this bustling brand new town but a stone’s throw from where they lived in Clifton promised a great many delightful days to come. And a great many delightful people to meet!
The door opened and the tea room, already bustling with customers, admitted two more. The first was a tall gentleman who stooped to enter and never fully straightened again. He had the look of someone who had sprouted too tall at a young age and had spent his youth trying to shrink to avoid notice. His companion was a little shorter and a good deal stouter and a second glance confirmed the sort of familial resemblance that made Maddy think they must be father and son.
“You found it, then?” Edmund was escorting Juliet to join the rest of the sisters at their table by the window but had paused as he passed the strangers, their evident acquaintance surprising Maddy. The gentlemen exchanged a few words with Edmund but Juliet, who had continued her progress towards the table, began speaking almost immediately and Madeline was unable to hear over her.
“I think I shall demand a whole pot of tea to myself!” she exclaimed, sinking into her seat with a theatrical sigh. “We had better insist on their bringing more than one!” She harrumphed “Assuming Edmund ever bothers to join us!”
“Perhaps he ought to invite his friends,” Bess piped up, moving her chair a little closer to Louisa in an effort to create some space at their table.
“They are not friends,” Juliet said, authoritatively. “And I am quite sure they have no desire to sit with a group of young ladies.” She addressed this slight towards her younger sisters, almost entirely ignorant of the fact that a slight against their sex included herself.
“Perhaps, if they joined us, they might become friends.” Louisa spoke in a low drawl, her sly smile suggesting that her words were designed more to irritate her sister than out of any desire to better know the two strangers Edmund was bidding farewell to.
“We thought we had lost you!” Juliet declared, shooting Louisa a sharp look and angling her chair towards Edmund. “Perhaps you would rather the company of strangers - if they are gentlemen - rather than your friends. I know we mere ladies must be dull company by comparison.”
Madeline turned to look at Juliet with surprise. Her sister’s friendship with Edmund was more often underpinned by good-natured bickering than expressions of affection, but even he seemed to note the bite to her words.
“You would prefer me to forsake all others and lavish attention only on you, I suppose?” he responded, lazily.
“You invited us to come,” Juliet replied, although she did at least soften her tone a little. “We have hardly seen you since our arrival.”
“I did not think my presence would be at all a draw in comparison to the sights and sounds of Castleford!” Edmund beamed, unduly pleased by this display of partiality from his friend. “Miss Turner, I hope you are paying attention to these words from your sister, so you may be my witness next time she bids me leave off from distracting her with my unwanted presence!”
This was enough to provoke a laugh from Juliet and soon everybody was talking merrily again, whatever irritation had momentarily overtaken her sister forgotten in a veritable feast of tea and cake that was rejoiced over by all quarters.
Listening to her sisters discuss in detail what delights might await them at the ball that was scheduled to open the town and whether the high street would be ready in time, for there were still a great many building projects underway and the ball was but a few days from today. Maddy examined their fellow diners in turn, smiling vaguely at an acquaintance here and there, but attending with curiosity to the vast majority of people she did not recognise. In time her eyes rested on Edmund’s new friends and her ears tuned to the sound of the younger man’s low, smooth voice.
“...unlike in Antigua, Father, we must follow certain protocols...”
Antigua! Madeline’s heart beat a little faster. She knew where the place was, of course. At least, she had located it once in an atlas and quizzed her father for all he knew of it. That had not been a great deal, for whilst Mr Turner was considered well-travelled in the realm of Clifton, he had scarcely been further than the Continent, and even that trip had consisted in a choppy channel crossing and a few days in coastal Brittany, before
an equally swift return and a vow, held ever since, that he should keep his feet firmly on English soil until he was summoned heavenward. Quite who Madeline had inherited her fascination with mysterious, far-flung places from was unknown, yet she found her curiosity piqued and angled herself in her seat so that she might better hear, forgetting the impropriety of eavesdropping on a conversation between strangers in her eagerness to know more.
“I suppose you must miss it, Rob,” the older man was saying, meditatively stirring his tea.
“Hardly.” This was little more than a cough, although Maddy fancied she could detect a hint of a smile in the low voice. “I was far from home, all too often dealing with people I would not credit with the title gentleman. At least here business might be conducted more easily and with less human cost.”
“Aye.”
A momentary silence fell and when the low voice began again there was such a depth of regret to it that it took all of Maddy’s energy not to turn and see for herself the emotion she felt sure would be plain to see in the man’s face.
“But I do miss the views. The country. The stars. I am not sure I have seen a sky so bright since my return to England...”
“Perhaps,” the elder gentleman remarked, pausing only to take a sip of his drink. “That is because you have not been looking.”
THEIR DAY IN CASTLEFORD drew to a close all too soon and as Edmund steered the ladies back to collect their carriage, everyone was still chattering excitedly about the new spa town. Everyone, Edmund thought, except for Juliet.
“Are you avoiding me?” he asked, taking several long strides to close the distance between them. When she did not reply straight away, he bumped her with his elbow, hoping to jar her out of whatever mood made her eyebrows draw together in a scowl. “Come on, Juliet. Don’t be grumpy.”
“I’m not!” she muttered, before the sound reached her own ears and she groaned, dissolving into a self-deprecating laugh. “Very well, I am a little grumpy.” She shot him a look. “You needn’t look so amused, Edmund. It takes no great skill to discern when somebody is annoyed with you.”
A Winter Wager Page 2