Page 49 of Rivals at Ashmore Castle

The maid came in to clear the tea at that moment, and she stopped speaking. When Polly had gone out, Aunt Schofield remarked, ‘You seem to have a great many servants – more than I would have thought necessary.’

‘We don’t need them here, it’s true, but we couldn’t turn them off, because we will need them when we move back to the big house.’

‘And when will that be?’

‘We were supposed to be there before the baby is born, but Mr Cowling told me yesterday that won’t happen now. He’s having town gas laid in, and it’s taking longer than expected.’ She smiled. ‘He was so disappointed to have to tell me. He was having it laid in as a surprise – I wasn’t supposed to know until I actually arrived home for the first time and saw the lamps lit. But of course I already knew, though I pretended not to. You can’t undertake a scheme like that in a small town without everyone knowing, especially when the road has to be dug up for it. Eventually Mrs Deering came to ask me if it was true. Was cooking on a gas stove different, and how would she learn, and was gas safe or would we all be blown up in our beds?’

‘Servants dislike change,’ said Aunt Schofield, ‘and what they dislike they fear.’

‘Mr Cowling thought since the main pipe is being laid up the road, it should be taken all the way to Welland Hall so the Wharfedales can have gas as well. Bobby was keen on the idea, but her husband said they couldn’t afford it. They’d have to pay for the new pipework, you see, as well as all alterations inside the house. Mr Cowling was so disappointed for her. I think he was on the verge of offering to pay for the pipework for them. He is absurdly generous.’

‘I am glad he is a kind man.’

‘Oh, he is – and very good to me.’

‘And you are satisfied with the bargain you struck?’

‘You mean, in marrying him?’

‘I had my doubts at the time, but your life was yours to lead.’

Nina thought about Giles’s mother and her determination to marry Rachel to someone of her choosing. ‘I don’t think many parents or guardians would be as liberal as you. But it has worked out well. And, yes, I am satisfied.’

‘Good.’ Aunt Schofield rose. ‘Is there time for a short walk now? I have been sitting for much of the day. You could show me a little of the town, if you are able for the exercise.’

‘Of course. We should go and look at the Old Grammar School. Early seventeenth century. A philanthropist set it up for the education of poor children.’

‘For the education of poor boys, I presume?’ said Aunt Schofield.

‘Oh, of course,’ Nina said.

Dismounting at the gate of Hundon’s, Richard was surprised to see Michael Woodrow standing by the door of his house chatting to Rose, the head housemaid. Rose scowled at the sight of him. Woodrow came to open the gate and take Nesta’s rein. ‘Morning, sir,’ he said cheerfully.

Over to the left of the yard stood the new milking parlour, freshly whitewashed, a monument to one man’s vision. When he had seen how much labour Woodrow was willing to put into it, Richard had told him to employ some labourers, which he would pay for, and the scheme that would otherwise have taken a year or more had been in use now for two weeks. It was clean and airy and bright inside, such a contrast to some of the other milking-sheds in the area that Richard felt Woodrow should patent his design and the Ash Valley Milk Company should roll it out to all the farms.

Woodrow’s open countenance said that he was not embarrassed by being caught with a Castle housemaid, while Rose evidently did not like the interruption, which suggested she had not simply called in with a message from someone at the house. Interesting! he thought. Rose, bony and abrasive, was part of the furniture to him, and he had never considered her in the light of a paramour. But now he did, he saw that she was not too old, and not bad-looking, especially with a flush of annoyance in her cheeks and a sparkle of indignation in her eyes. However, the extra-mural activities of the maids were not his concern, and he merely filed away the thought, and gave her a nod of greeting.

‘I’m glad I caught you here,’ he said to Woodrow. ‘I wanted to have a chat with you about the milk scheme.’

‘I’ll be on my way,’ Rose muttered, with a dark look.

But Woodrow said, ‘Oh, no, don’t go! Unless it’s of a private nature,’ he added, looking at Richard.

‘It’s not a state secret,’ Richard said. ‘It concerns your future career.’

‘There’s nothing Rose can’t hear about that,’ Woodrow said.

Oh, like that, is it? Richard thought. He looked from him to her and grinned, which only made Rose scowl more. But she stayed put, folding her arms across her front as though preparing for an argument.

‘What I came to say was the milk scheme is bedding in nicely,’ Richard said, ‘and two more farms along the valley might want to join – Gates End and Long Chill.’

‘That’s good, sir,’ Woodrow said. ‘Any news from Ashridge Park?’

That was Lord Shacklock’s estate. ‘Nothing yet,’ Richard said, and thought about his encounter with Lady Shacklock. Had that advanced or damaged the prospects? ‘But even without Ashridge, we’re moving forward, and I’d like you now to take on a new role, as my head dairyman.’

‘And what would that mean, sir?’ Woodrow asked carefully. He was not one to jump in before he knew the depth of the water.

‘The day-to-day supervision of all the farms in the scheme. Inspect them, make sure they’re keeping to the standards we require. Advise them, encourage them. Come to me with any problems you can’t sort out yourself – which I don’t suppose will often happen. But also come to me with any ideas that occur to you for improving the scheme. I want us to get bigger, much bigger, and I can’t go on doing the day-to-day management myself. I want you to be my right-hand man.’