Page 35 of Beauty and the Rake (Endless Love #1)

R oxanne slept most of the journey to Kent.

Not that it was a long-distance drive, but the motion of the carriage lulled her to sleep.

They had gone to the theater the night before, followed by dinner.

Sleep had been hard to come by once they arrived home.

Five minutes in the carriage was all she needed to fall deep asleep.

Word had been sent that the countess was without a lady’s maid and would require one to be assigned for at least the summer season.

This was her first visit as the lady of the house since they had married.

Roxanne knew that meant the staff would be there to greet their new mistress.

It was tradition. Hopefully, the housekeeper had everything in order and a girl picked out to be her lady’s maid.

An unobscured view of the manor was impossible until the carriage turned in front. The house seemed to know no end. Hawksbury Manor was huge when compared to some of its neighbors. The house was of Georgian design with bricks with a simple wide staircase finishing the entrance.

“Are you ready for this?” Graham asked as the door to the carriage opened and a step was let down. He had a grin on his face, trying to irritate her, knowing she was nervous.

“Of course. Nothing to it.”

Graham jumped down from the carriage and offered her his hand. She placed her gloved hand in his and gracefully stepped down.

“Milord, welcome home,” a familiar voice rang out. The butler had been here forever. Roxanne had always thought the man was a hundred years old when she spent summers in Kent.

“Thank you, and may I introduce my bride, Lady Hawksbury.”

Curtsies were made by the female section of the staff. Mrs. Langford, the housekeeper, in turn introduced a black-haired young woman. “This is Miss Boyd. She will be serving you unless you’d rather choose.”

“No, there is no need. I’m sure she’ll do fine.” She turned to the young woman. “I would like to change as soon as the trunks arrive. You will find a periwinkle day dress. That’s what I wish to wear.”

“Yes, milady.” Boyd curtsied and left the group.

“I think she’ll do quite nicely,” the housekeeper said.

“Yes, I believe you’re right. If it is convenient for you, I’d like to meet to go over household accounts tomorrow.”

“Yes, milady. That will work. We’ll choose a time later.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to the earl’s needs and change.”

“Very well. Please let me know if you’d like tea,” Mrs. Langsford told her.

She looked around but didn’t see Graham anywhere. Probably off checking things out at the stables. She entered the house and looked around the grand hall. The gray and white marble floor made the already large room even more inviting. She looked up to see if the fresco was as beautiful as ever.

As she neared the staircase that led to the family rooms, Graham caught her off guard. “I didn’t mean to leave you alone, but I saw the wagons and carriage with Mary come to the back. I wanted to make sure the journey had been satisfactory.”

“That was thoughtful of you, and don’t worry, you don’t have to be with me all the time. It’s not like I haven’t been in the house before.”

“I know.”

“I was just going to change. If you’d like to show me the way, I’d appreciate it,” she said.

“After you change, we could go for a walk. Perhaps the gardener will be working nearby. I can introduce you and we can talk with him about a space for you as well as the greenhouse. In any case, I’ll show you the greenhouse.”

She followed Graham, and they soon stopped in front of oak doors.

She had been making mental notes so she’d remember her way.

Graham pushed open the door. The room was large, and the windows overlooked not only the gardens but a large meadow leading to a wooded area.

It was a stunning view. She turned back around to her husband who was standing with his arms crossed, watching her with an amused look on his face.

“This is beautiful. The view is outstanding.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Graham offered a hand and walked her over to the door that adjoined the two suites.

The earl’s quarters mirrored the countess’s rooms. Apart from the furniture, the two rooms were laid out the same. Of course, there was the matter of the color choices in the countess’s rooms. It seemed the previous occupant, Graham’s mother, had a fondness for shades of pink.

“This is very much you,” she said, walking around the earl’s room. The colors, which were shades of green and gold, were quite masculine, but Roxanne could see spending a lot of time here. The room itself was welcoming, which was more than she felt in the countess’s rooms.

“I thought so as well. As a child I was rarely ever allowed in here or my mother’s chamber.”

“Same with me. Arthur and I had a standing weekly appointment to spend about an hour with our parents, and it was held in the music room. My mother, though, would have us brought to her room. She would have treats for us and allow us to pretty much be children.”

He took her hand and kissed the back. “Come, I’ll lead you back so you can change. How about I meet you in the drawing room in an hour?”

“That will work.” She looked around the bright and bold room and cracked a smile.

“I know the colors are a little too pink and bright. If you want to make any changes at all, please feel free. That includes the wall coverings and paint. This is your space, and I want you to enjoy it.”

“Thank you.”

“See you in an hour,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips and disappearing into his own set of rooms.

When she met up with him an hour later, Graham looked refreshed. He’d also changed clothes. The trip had been dusty despite having had rain recently. This was a time of year when the weather was never predictable. Some years there was no rain and others it did nothing but rain the entire month.

“I understand Mr. Foster is working on cleaning up the fruit tree orchard. We can walk there and on the way, I’ll take you by the greenhouses.”

“He has a crew to help him?”

Graham nodded. “Yes. The estate is self-sustaining. Part of what tenants receive in addition to a small pay are things made or grown on the estate like cheese, fruit, vegetables, honey. Each year I give each tenant a wheel of cheddar. It’s efficient and they can concentrate on their tasks when they know where their next meal is coming from. ”

“That is remarkable.”

“If tenants are happy, it shows in how much they can work.”

She nodded and put her hand on his arm. “There is a lot more than that that could be done.”

“I agree. My mother used to see children on the estate and village had shoes and coats for the winter. At Christmas, every family receives a goose or whatever is plentiful.”

“Amazing. Does this continue?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure to what extent. You’d have to ask Cook or the housekeeper.”

“I would like to be part of this. As countess I should be involved in these.”

He stopped near one of the greenhouses. “This is the one I thought you’d like for your use for your plantings or seedlings. It’s a bit older than the other but this has a working pineapple stove.”

“Really? Now I’m intrigued.”

“Come, why don’t I show you?”

Leading her over to the glass door, he let her pass in front of him. The interior was humid and hotter than outside. For some species, it was far better for them to grow.

“Once this is cleaned up, it will be perfect,” she said.

They departed the greenhouse and began to walk outside toward a grove of trees of various shapes and sizes. “Once we get you settled in, you and I will spend a day introducing you to the tenants.”

“I would enjoy that. Can it be done in just a day? The estate is huge.”

“Yes. I can use the time seeing if they have anything needing done, like a new roof on their cottage. Things that must be done now before winter arrives.”

She pointed out an apple tree that was beginning to be weighed down by the fruit. “What do they use the apples for? Besides eating?”

“Depending on variety, some are used for cider, others are made into pies. There’s much more like canning for use in the winter. The possibilities are endless.”

Roxanne tucked her hand into her husband’s arm. “Is that your gardener, Mr. Young?”

Graham studied the man who was studying the sky with two others. “Why yes, it is.”

“I fear we’re going to get rained upon,” Graham said as they neared the gardener.

She made the mistake of looking up and saw the sky was blackening. “Oh my, we best head back to the house or we’ll be soaked.”

He stopped by a large apple tree. “Stay here for a moment. I need to have a quick word with Mr. Young. Then we’ll race to see who can get to the manor before the rains begin.”

“You can be such a child. Hurry because I refuse to run all the way to the house.”

She stood against the tree trunk, watching him quickly walk to where the small group was.

She couldn’t hear what they were discussing but knew part of their conversation had to do with the impending rain.

All heads suddenly tipped upwards at the sound of a crack of thunder.

The group dispersed and Graham headed towards her in almost a sprint.

She met up with him and the pair hurried towards the house.

Thunder boomed and lightning lit up the darkening sky. Rain had yet to start falling and she said a silent prayer that it would wait until they were to the house.

As they finished crossing the meadow and garden, drops began to come down from above. Graham grabbed her hand and led her up the steps to the terrace and into the drawing room. One large burst of thunder with lightning lighting up the sky and the storm opened up with all its wrath.

Laughing, Roxanne sat down and removed her boots. “The weather has been very unusual this year. I hope the rain subsides and we can have some nice summer days to enjoy outside.”

“As do I. Too much rain can be bad for the crops.”