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She was quietly congratulating herself on the success of the venture and enjoying the spectacle of everyone amusing themselves when Lord Bolsover stood over her to claim a dance. She pleaded tiredness, but he would not take no for an answer and led her into the throng.
He was clumsy and stumbled more than once. ‘I can’t get the way of this,’ he said, giving up after only a few minutes. ‘If this is what you call dancing...’
‘It is meant to be fun,’ she said. ‘This isn’t a London ballroom. If that is what you want, I suggest you return to the capital.’
‘Not without my answer.’
‘I have told you when I will give you that.’
‘And I shall hold you to that, never fear. My mother is become impatient to have a grandson.’ Still smiling, he bowed and strolled away. Jane let out a long breath of relief.
* * *
The result of the fair was forty pounds to add to the funds, which was far more than Jane had dared to hope for. She and Mark spent Sunday morning at Broadacres, counting the pennies and sixpences and the occasional gold sovereign. ‘People have been so generous,’ Jane said. ‘I can buy enough beds and bedroom furniture to fill the dormitories at Witherington. I will ask the Rector to announce the result in church.’
* * *
The announcement after evensong had brought gasps of delight and it was suggested it should be an annual event, which had pleased her. There was so little to please her nowadays; she was becoming hopelessly resigned to marrying Lord Bolsover. He was staying at the Fox and Hounds, but was constantly at Greystone, seemingly unaware of how unwelcome he was. He would talk of the alterations he meant to make, the refurbishment, the parties he would host, smiling all the while with that oily smile of his, which sickened Jane, if no one else. The only way she could avoid him was to spend as much time as possible at Witherington House where she could immerse herself in what was going on there and for a little while, forget her coming fate.
Gradually the furniture arrived and was put in place until it began to look like a real home. She was helped by Mrs Butler, who had accepted her offer and moved in with ten-year-old Robert and two-year-old Lizzie, who had been conceived when her husband came home in 1814. He had only come home to die of his wounds within weeks, unaware that his wife was carrying another child. The family had lived on poor relief until Mrs Butler had found a job working in the fields. It was piece work and the poor woman was so exhausted she was unable to earn more than a pittance. Jane heard the tale little by little as they worked together.
Jane and Mark together interviewed several local people for positions and took on a married couple to be master and housekeeper. They came from a school and would have to give notice to their present employers and would not arrive until the end of September. Mrs Godfrey remained as cook and old Silas looked after the outside. Already what they were doing was becoming known and men and women were turning up asking for employment. They would need more staff when more children were taken in, so she took their names and said she would let them know when the time came.
One was a Portuguese man who said his name was Paolo Estaban. He told her he had been a servant of a British officer in the late war and had returned to England with him. The officer had not paid him for several weeks and he needed employment. He was used to looking after horses and he had seen her pony and trap outside. She was about to say they were not hers and did not belong to the home, but then realised she might well need such a conveyance to get about as she had been doing. She would ask Mark if the funds would stretch to buying it from her father. She told the man to come back the following week.
News of what she was doing had spread and she was also approached by several charities asking for places for children. Three of the most needy had already arrived. Harry, Tom and Emma had been begging in Norwich when they had been picked up by a local parson who had heard about her venture and come to see her. The result was the children had been put on a carrier’s wagon and arrived filthy, half-starved and dressed in an assortment of rags. They were also very wary of her and their new surroundings and not at all keen to be put into a bath, brought into the kitchen for the purpose. She asked Robert and Lizzie to make them feel at home and this worked better than anything the adults could do. Bathed, with their tangled hair washed and brushed, and dressed in new clothes, they were different children. She began looking for a teacher because they would need to be schooled.
The whole project was keeping Jane so busy she did not have time to dwell on the fact that the six months of mourning at Broadacres was coming to a close, that half the contents of Greystone Manor had been packed up ready for the move as soon as the wedding was over, not only Isabel’s wedding to Mark, but her own to Lord Bolsover. She refused to make any preparation for that, praying as she had never prayed before that something would happen to prevent it.
