Page 64 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

The brake had been brought round into the back yard, so that the luggage could be carried out that way.

There was a great bustle, laden servants trotting to and fro and dodging each other in doorways, as the handsome leather cases and trunks were piled up ready to load.

Miss Hatto was supervising her ladyship’s with a sharp eye, one hand tightly gripping the jewel case.

Afton should have been doing the same for his lordship’s, but he had got sidetracked, handing over the butler’s responsibilities to William, who could be slow in his responses.

Sam came up to him. ‘Excuse me, Mr Afton, but I don’t see his lordship’s gun case anywhere.’

‘Gun case?’ Afton said blankly.

‘And his rods.’

Afton snapped his fingers in annoyance. He had been thinking only about deer-stalking, which meant rifles, which his lordship didn’t own.

But of course there would be game birds as well.

And fishing? The Tay was all about fishing.

How could he have forgotten? ‘I haven’t packed them yet,’ he admitted.

‘I can do it,’ Sam said. ‘I know how.’

‘Thank you, Sam. William, go and help him. You know which rods?’

‘Yes, Mr Afton.’

He turned and bumped into Rose. ‘Mr Afton, are the dogs going with them, or staying here?’ she asked. ‘If they’re going, you know they have to have separate tickets?’

Afton shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I didn’t ask.’ He hurried indoors and found Mrs Webster standing like a monument in Piccadilly, where she could keep an eye on everyone at once.

‘You look harried, Mr Afton,’ she said.

‘I forgot to ask his lordship if they’re taking the dogs.’

‘They’re not,’ she said. ‘Since Mr Richard is staying, it was thought better to spare them that long train journey.’

‘Oh. Thank you. How did you know?’

‘Mabel overheard them discussing it when she was tending the fire.’ She eyed him closely. ‘If you’ll forgive me, you’re looking rather worn, Mr Afton. Are you quite well?’

‘Just tired,’ Afton said. ‘It’s been a busy few weeks, with all the house parties.’

‘Well, you’ll get a bit of a rest in Scotland. Just valeting duties. Though there’ll be enough of those, with all the mud to get off every day.’

‘There are always enough valeting duties,’ Afton said. He hesitated. ‘I’ve been thinking lately . . .’

Mrs Webster gave him an intelligent look. ‘That combining valet and butler is too much, in a house like this?’

‘When I agreed to it, I didn’t know they’d be doing so much entertaining,’ he said.

‘You should tell his lordship,’ Mrs Webster said.

They exchanged a long look. It was never a good idea to tell your master you couldn’t do the job. It might all too easily lead to his kindly relieving you of it. ‘I don’t want to let him down,’ Afton said at last.

‘Hiring a new butler always brings disruption below stairs,’ Mrs Webster said. ‘I don’t relish having to get used to a new man, I can tell you. But on the other hand, things have to be done right, and if combining is too much, better you tell him before something goes wrong.’

Afton sighed. ‘You think I’m pretty feeble, don’t you?’

She looked surprised. ‘Not at all. I couldn’t combine housekeeping with maiding her ladyship. I’m surprised you’ve stuck it this long.’

‘Thank you,’ Afton said. ‘I’ll think about it while we’re away.’ He would have to work out a tactful way of saying it that would not get him dismissed.

Cyril appeared with the small overnight valise. ‘Mr Afton, are you putting his lordship’s studs and links in here, or carrying a separate box?’

Afton made an annoyed tut. ‘I haven’t finished packing that one. Take it back upstairs. No, wait, go and help with the loading. I’ll take it myself.’ And, with a nod to Mrs Webster, he hurried off.

‘I wish you would come,’ Giles said. ‘You can still change your mind, you know.’

‘Oh, I’ve plenty to do here,’ Richard said. ‘I’ll have Alice for company, and someone’s got to look after the dogs. I’m not in the right frame of mind for Scotland, anyway.’

‘You’ve been looking glum lately,’ Giles said. ‘Not your usual cheery self. Is anything wrong?’

Richard hesitated. He had always maintained an air of devil-may-careity in all circumstances, preferring always to be envied rather than pitied, but since Molly had gone he had found it hard to keep it up.

If Giles, not the most noticing of brothers, had finally registered his gloom, there was perhaps some need of explanation.

‘Someone I cared about – er – very much . . .’ He began awkwardly. ‘In short, she turned me down.’

‘I didn’t know,’ Giles said. ‘You’ve kept it awfully quiet. But surely you won’t give up. Have another go at her – women always succumb to your charm sooner or later, don’t they?’

Richard could hardly blame Giles for taking it lightly, when he had always spoken lightly of himself. ‘It’s different this time,’ he said. ‘I thought I had met the one woman for me. But there were – obstacles. And she’s gone away now. Abroad. So it’s definitely over.’

‘My dear chap, I’m so sorry,’ Giles said.

‘I had no idea.’ He couldn’t think what else to say.

He saw, now, by the lines in Richard’s face that it had been serious, that his brother was really suffering.

‘Is there anything I can do? I know it’s foolish to ask that when you’re obviously broken-hearted, but I do care about you. ’

‘Thanks. There’s nothing you can do about my personal tragedy. But there is something in general.’

‘Fire away, then,’ Giles said.

‘I’ve never wanted to marry before. But when I discovered that I did want to at last, I realised I didn’t have an establishment to offer her.

If she had accepted me, I’d have had to have it out with you.

And even as it is, the situation needs to be resolved.

Not that I expect there’ll ever be a next time, but for my pride alone, if nothing else. ’

Giles frowned. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not following you. What sort of establishment?’

‘A salary, for the work I do for the estate. A position, so that if anyone asks me what I do, I can tell them. And a house of my own.’

‘But you have your expenses paid by the estate. And you live here.’

‘Damn your parsimony, Giles! The estate is no longer bankrupt. It’s doing rather well, in fact, and when my milk scheme is running full speed, it will do even better.

I have big plans, you know. Ashmore may be my childhood home, but the estate belongs to you, and eventually to your son, so I am working for your benefit and getting nothing out of it myself.

The labourer is worthy of his hire, so put aside this penny-pinching habit you’ve got into, and recognise what you have in me. ’

Giles raised his hand. ‘Pax, old man! Don’t bite my head off. I know you do a lot for the estate—’

‘I don’t think you do know – not consciously. You’re so used to having a little brother to order about—’

‘Now you’re being absurd. I’ve never ordered you about. We’ve hardly lived in the same house for most of our lives.’

‘There you go again, laughing at me!’ Richard cried, running a hand backwards through his hair. ‘Why can’t you take me seriously?’

‘I do. I am. Please, don’t fly off the handle,’ Giles said. He had never seen Richard upset about anything. ‘Tell me what it is you want.’

‘Make me your estate agent. Yes, I know Markham is called your agent, but he can still go on doing what he does. He’s your secretary, factotum, deals with the day-to-day.

You can give him a different title – managing agent, perhaps.

I will go on doing what I’m doing – being in charge of the overall strategy, the larger scheme of things.

Where we overlap, you’ll find we can work together – we’re both reasonable people. ’

‘Estate agent,’ Giles mused.

‘It’s a respectable job for a younger son.’

‘And a salary?’

Richard named a sum, and Giles raised his eyebrows, then hastily lowered them as Richard scowled. ‘Very well. I suppose we can afford it.’

‘You’d damn well better, or I’ll take my considerable abilities elsewhere. Good estate agents are hotly sought.’

‘And what else was it? A house?’

‘I’ll still live here when I’m in the country – it would be foolish not to – but I want a place of my own in Town.

I don’t want always to have to lodge with Aunt Caroline or go to the club.

Just a small house somewhere convenient – Dover Street, Bolton Street, somewhere like that,’ he concluded defiantly.

‘Anything else?’ Giles asked, with a touch of irony.

‘That’ll do for now.’ He gave Giles a look under his eyebrows. ‘You could stay there too, when you came up to Town en garcon instead of at Aunt Caroline’s. If you wanted to. So it wouldn’t be all for me.’

Giles smiled. ‘Stay with you. And I suppose we’d go out on the town like two gay bachelors?’

Richard shrugged. ‘We could strap on the nosebag together, yes. Perhaps take in a show. If you felt like it.’

‘That would be nice,’ Giles said, feeling oddly shy. ‘We haven’t spent much time together, one way or another.’

‘So you agree? I can have what I asked for?’

‘If Vogel says it’s all right—’

‘No, Giles. You tell Vogel what’s all right.’

‘Of course I do. Consider it done, then.’ He held out his hand and the brothers shook. ‘So will you come to Scotland now?’

Richard smiled. It was not quite his old grin, but it lightened the gloom of his face a little. ‘Not a chance. I have to go house-hunting.’