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Chapter five

Later in the afternoon, Tobias returned and subsequently sent Cummins packing.

The caretaker had continued drinking through the night and was in no shape to form a coherent word.

A stream of offenses poured from his mouth—of such that I had to cover Cecily’s ears.

I’d been watching the ordeal from the drawing-room window, none too amused to see the man dishonor Tobias in such a way.

The housekeeper had joined me. “Good riddance to that awful man. He’s been naught but a pox on Burtins these five years,” she harrumphed.

“I’ve been after him to fix a leak in the kitchen for six months.

Is it done, I ask you? Nay. Tis not.” She folded her arms. “Carrying on at night with ne’er-do-wells and the like.

Aye, once a man gets a spread of cards in his hands, he be hooked on the devil’s game with no mind for anything else but strong drink and riches. ”

I wondered…“He doesn’t look the sort to have enough money to gamble with in the first place.”

Her eyes narrowed. “No, he don’t.” She shrugged. “Ah, well. Glad he’s going. The next man better be the decent sort.” She turned and smiled at Cecily. “I’ve some gingerbread coming out of the oven, sweetheart. Do you like it?”

Cecily nodded.

She did like gingerbread. With extra cream and berries atop. I wasn’t sure the luxury would be afforded here. I hoped Cecily would adjust.

Tobias called to us from the front door. “Come, let me show you about the estate.” The place between his brow wrinkled, but he smiled. A bit of strain was nothing compared to the shadows that had fallen upon him. The countryside was doing him only a little good thus far.

Cecily dashed through the door ahead of me, while Tobias tucked my hand on his arm. “Come now. You may admire my inheritance better from other views, I think.”

His inheritance was no small thing. Most men had nothing left to them but the know-how of hard work. Some training, a bit of survival. That judgment that all men receive to plow their ground and work for their food.

However, his inheritance was shabby. Well-used and worn down to the bone. Twas true, if he would apply himself to the land’s success, and its inhabitants, I believed it would render him a self-sufficient man that he desired to be. An investment of good returns.

“I’ll warn you, Tessa,” he said in a low voice, “the tenants are none too pleased with me and I don't blame them. I must somehow gain their trust if I’m to make headway here.”

I had no clue as to how much they mistrusted Tobias, but I hoped it was derived from his absence and nothing else.

“First, let me take you to the ruins.”

Ruins… my heart sped. How fascinating!

Burtins sat near a pair of steep hills around which we hiked. Twas beautiful. Green, rich. Homes dotted beyond and there—I could scarce believe it—were the ruins. Massive, tumbling remnants of a castle—and more.

“You see, Burtins is the new house.” Tobias’s lips quirked as he assessed my expression.

“New, eh?” I could not tear my eyes from the staggering sight.

Cecily began to run towards them.

Tobias reached for Cecily’s arm. “Stay with us, Cecily. Do not run ahead.”

Her eyes blinked with confusion. “Why?”

I glanced at the child, excitement emanating from her even while defiance set in her jaw.

I’d never known a child to be so confined, yet so utterly spoiled at once.

The tragedies had tempered her as they had Tobias.

She was still terrified of much, but that didn’t stop old habits.

She would often try tactics to maneuver her way into attaining what she wanted.

Samuel had used her. But we had to show her a different path—a better path that didn’t end in so much destruction as it had before.

Tobias was afraid for her future. I had every hope in the world.

“What do you think?” He murmured.

Cecily folded her arms. “I think it is a place of knights and ladies.”

“It was, long ago…”

We gazed at the sprawling ruins of stone upon stone, roofless structures, empty gate posts, the tall square of what once was the main living quarters.

A small chapel with cathedral shaped windows.

A flock of birds flew from the wide chimney that stood tall and unmoving.

As though the great hearth that kept it warm, fed, and operating only needed firing up again to do the same.

Before we knew it, Cecily had defied her brother and was almost at the first gate.

“Cecily!” Tobias ran and I joined him, hardly able to keep up. She turned briefly, with a wild grin on her face, and entered her world of knights and ladies.

I shouted after her. “Cecily Chinworth, do stop!”

She was too taken with the ruins, her brother too little influence upon her stubborn nature.

I caught up to him just as he burst ahead and caught her shoulder. “When I tell you to stop, young lady, I expect obedience.” He was none too pleased.

“Like Samuel? What will you give me in return?” The ruffle on her hem had turned upward as much as the pleasant start to her day.

I stopped before them, out of breath.

“What will I give you? Hmmm…” She tapped her dainty foot.

I couldn’t believe he would dare negotiate with her after everything that had happened?

He knelt and took her hand. “I give you my protection from danger. You must halt, fair maiden, so that the uncovered wells do not swallow you whole and the rotting stair does not give way beneath you.”

Her lips formed an o.

My resolve to set aside love failed. I would end up with a broken heart. There was no help for it.

He gave his sister his arm like a gentleman and led her forward—showing her this and that and the few dangerous places to stay away from.

I skirted one of the wells. Circled by a goodly pile of stone, the structure that would be above it had long disappeared.

Burtins Hall was old. How much older was this place?

Hundreds of years had flown. Hundreds of lives had passed through.

And now we stood in the present, admiring its seeming romantic history. Twas a sobering thought, all told.

Cecily’s mind was full of knights and ladies. Mine was full of humanity’s continued scrape for survival. I turned to follow them, but my shoe caught something that clanked upon the flagstone.

Sunlight glinted upon it—a spoon? I bent to retrieve it. A silver spoon. As I picked it up, I spied another nearby. How strange. I was pretty certain these were no leavings from days gone by. Such would be long buried, tarnished, and trapped by nature.

Cecily also picked up something and squealed. She and Tobias ran towards me. “Look what we found!”

Tobias’s eyes lit with pleasure. “Fancy finding a Roman coin in a place like this.”

I lifted my finds. “How about two silver spoons?”

His jaw slackened.

“I suspect these belong to Burtins?”

He took one from my hand and inspected it. “Indeed so. Where did you find them?”

“By the well.”

He looked in that direction. “I wonder if there are more.”

We poked about the well and the surrounding area. Cecily squealed again. She discovered a butter knife and I another teaspoon. Tobias found nothing.

It didn’t make sense to be so careless with valuable items. “Whoever it was that stole from Burtins must have been in a hurry.”

Tobias put his hands on his hips. “Whoever it was had no need of salt, sugar, or silver. I believe they tossed the lot into this well.”

“Do you think?”

He pointed from where he stood and I joined him. “There—the slanted top of the salt box. And a broken latch.”

Sure enough, wedged against the stone was a remnant far out of place among these ruins. I’d heard of old women hiding valuables within salt boxes—or any old box that might be locked with a key. This one had clearly been busted open. We must have been thinking along the same lines.

Tobias lifted the smashed piece to inspect it. “Fredrickson doesn’t keep salt in the salt box anymore. She called it an old, inconvenient tradition. Keeps it in a covered bowl.”

“Silver has greater worth than salt. These might have been sold for profit. Not tossed like refuse.” He took the spoons and tucked them into his coat pocket.

Cecily had tired of the ruins and made her way to the gates. We followed. “Do you think that Samuel was part of the theft?”

“Yes. But I cannot fathom why. He must have hidden something here without my knowledge and returned to retrieve it. But what was it? Why go through the trouble of making me think Uncle Mulls had died?”

“Perhaps we are to leave your brother’s sins in the past. Whatever he did, it is done. It cannot be changed and mayhap there is nothing to be done about it. Thank God your uncle didn’t die.” One might live a good life with or without silver, though it is a loss.

“My brother’s sins—whatever they may be—or my father’s…

” he took my hand and helped me up a steep section but did not let go, “have everything to do with the threat on my life. And more. I cannot explain it, but I feel that this is linked to everything else. And if I follow that link, I may find the babe. Just maybe.”

I had not thought of that. Finding Samuel’s lost babe had consumed him. But as much as he and our friends tried, the babe had not been discovered.

A threat and an attempt on Tobias’ life had been made along with his uncle. His missing nephew, the stolen goods. Old sins and new… I prayed for clarity, for Tobias’s sake. Discovering more about his brother might be too much to bear.

I grimaced. He’d already heard the worst of Samuel’s intentions when Samuel planned to help his sick wife to the grave a few months ago. Tobias had been horrified at his sibling—and what he’d already done. Could he stand to discover more?

“I believe I must have another interview with my staff. And old Uncle. I feel there is something they aren’t telling me.”