Unforgivable(80)

“Very good, milady,” the hand said, smiling. “The twins is ten now, would you believe. And my Mary almost seventeen!”

“Time goes so fast, doesn’t it?” Rose replied. “And Mary is doing well up at the house, Mrs. Hart tells me.”

“Aye, she’s a good lass, that one.” He beamed.

“And what were you two gentlemen talking about, if I may ask?” Rose turned her gaze to Will.

“Josiah was just telling me your neighbour Mr. Benson has found some footrot in his sheep.”

Rose frowned. “Have they been anywhere near ours?”

Will shook his head. “No, thankfully. I’ll go and see Mr. Benson shortly and examine the animals myself. We can’t have it spreading.”

She nodded. “When you’ve finished, could you come up to the house? I have some matters I would like to discuss with you.”

“Of course, milady. Would one o’clock be all right?”

“That would be ideal. Thank you.” She smiled then, at both of them. “Well, I will take my leave of you, gentlemen. Good day.”

Josiah beamed again and tugged his forelock as she left, and Will gave his usual formal bow, though he still had that curious look in his eye.

She knew that Will would be hungry by one o’clock, so as well as tea and cake, she asked Mrs. Hart to send meat pie and a flagon of ale up to the library. Being a very proper sort, Will took some persuading to partake of the food, but eventually, when Rose helped herself to a small slice of the pie he relented, polishing the rest of it off and eating three slices of seed cake besides.

“You were hungry,” she observed when he finished.

“I was up early—breakfast was a long time ago,” he admitted, finishing his tea and placing the empty cup back in the saucer.

She refilled his cup without asking if he wanted more. She knew he did, and he’d only say no. “You’ve been working hard,” she said, nodding at the ledgers, which she’d looked over this morning and found completely up-to-date.

Will shrugged, not denying it, and Rose felt a stab of guilt. He must’ve been working all the hours God sent to get everything done. She’d been thinking about hiring an assistant earlier in the year but had left for London with Gil without doing anything about it. And without her own contribution, Will must’ve been hard-pressed.

“It’s time we hired someone to help you, Will. Can you think of anyone suitable offhand?”

For a moment, Will looked taken aback, but he recovered quickly. “The vicar’s youngest son Christopher is a quick lad, and he’s interested in farming. He’s done well at school, and the vicar can’t afford to send another to university. I think he’d be keen.”

“If you think he’s suitable, I’m happy for you to hire him,” Rose said. She trusted Will’s judgment. He was a shrewd judge of character and popular with the hands.

Will smiled, but his expression was slightly troubled.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No, it’s just that—are you suggesting I hire an assistant because you do not intend to be involved in running the estate any longer? You don’t have to answer me, of course…” He trailed off, his face flushed.

“That’s not the reason, no. I was thinking of hiring someone before I left for London, as it happens. And it was quite unfair of me not to do so before I went. I’m sure you’ve been running yourself ragged. The fact is…” She lifted her tea cup and took a sip of tea, thinking about how to put it. “The fact is, I’ve returned to Weartham for good. Stanhope has given it to me outright, you see. And I want to make some bigger changes this next year. So we’re going to be very busy. We’ll need the extra help.”

“I thought you and his lordship—” He broke off. “I beg your pardon. It is not my business.”

There was a brief, strained silence; then Rose said, changing the subject, “Perhaps you could tell me what you’ve been doing since I left?”

Within a few minutes, the awkwardness had passed. Will told her about his decision to plant the north field with clover for grazing. They’d be moving the cattle up there in the spring. He was still unsure what to plant in the old grazing pastures, though, and they had a lengthy debate over the respective virtues of barley and wheat. Before long, it was as though Rose had never been away. They talked about the things that had to be done before the end of winter, and of other things that might be possible if the weather was kind and a few other imponderables came good. They talked about the more drastic changes Rose had in mind for the future. And all the while, Rose made notes while Will scribbled sums on the blotter.