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He almost believed Miss Perkins would win any battle she undertook.
Still, the children’s innovation when it came to dispatching governesses was inspired. Perhaps one of them would grow up to be a famous inventor.
Big Ben struck a thudding blow and Brindle wobbled, his eyes crossing, and finally crashed to the floor with a deafening crack. The crowd surged forward, yelling the count.
“On your feet, Brinny,” Edgar shouted, just for show. “I’ve got twenty on you.”
“Bad luck, old friend. He’s flopped,” said West, with a lopsided grin.
Edgar steered him away from the boxing match and toward a quieter table in the shadowy reaches of the public house. He motioned to a barmaid.
Several other gentlemen eyed them, curious about Edgar’s rare appearance in a public house.
When the ale arrived, Edgar sipped, while West pounded back one flagon and received another.
“I think you know why I agreed to meet you here tonight,” Edgar began.
“The railway.”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t want any damn railway carving up my land,” said West.
“Never took you for the stodgy, traditional type.”
“’Course not. But I’m not as progress-minded and sober as you.”
“The route needs to go through Westbury Abbey.”
“Why?” asked West, already working on his third ale.
“Avoiding the estate entirely would be disastrously expensive. We’d have to carve out the hillsides along Chiltern and make our own embankments across the Colne.”
“So you’ll carve my lands instead.”
“It will also cross my estate as well.”
“My hedge maze is more intricate than yours.”
“Your hedges won’t be compromised.”
“But my view might. You can’t promise me that I won’t catch a glimpse of your infernal steam-belching dragon from my parapet.”
“Not even from your parapet. I promise you.”
“But I’ll know it’s there. The clanking cacophony ofprogress.”
Why was he being so stubborn? Westbury owned several estates and castles, all of them more impressive than the small and decrepit Abbey.
“It’s progress that will double the profits of your Birmingham holdings,” Edgar said.
“You think about commerce too much for a gentleman.”
“You sound like my mother.”
“I can see the wheels churning in your mind.” West made unsteady swirling motions in the direction of Edgar’s head. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, as the good book says.”
“It’s not all about profit.”
