Read Online Silence of Scandal by Jackie Williams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jackie Williams
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doubling as stable lad and farmer when I can. The estate is huge, Alexander. Your father and brother were doing as much as they could to keep it all going but now that they are gone too, well, you probably saw that there are dead sheep in the fields. A stray dog has turned rabid and I haven’t had a chance to burn the rotting carcasses or find the beast yet. I was hoping the animal would come back to his kill and I could shoot the damned thing then.” Geoffrey looked out of the window at the darkening sky.
“At one time there were a dozen men working the place along with the household staff. Now it’s me, a lame Jennings and your father’s old valet Grady and he knows about as much of running an estate as the pigs do. We’ve only managed to keep the swine and the chickens because they eat whatever scraps come from the kitchens and forage for themselves the rest on the time. Grady has attempted to keep Ormond itself in order but you can see what he’s like. Your mother only kept him on as he nowhere else to go. Ormond has been his home for his whole life.” He hung his head in what appeared to be shame.
Alexander stood up and walked around the desk. He breathed in deeply as he put his hand on Geoffrey’s shoulder. It was clear that the young man had only just been holding the place and himself together.
“One man can’t oversee an estate of this size, Geoff. Your position has been untenable,” he was about to go on but Geoffrey stopped him. He took in a shuddering breath and held up his hand to indicate he had more to tell.
“It gets worse, Alex, I haven’t reached the end of my tale. Have you not wondered why Phillip and Lady Anne were here at all?” He swallowed as he prepared to give Alexander an even bigger blow. “Phillip sold Evenleigh last year. That’s why he and Lady Anne were here for the Spring tide. They moved in last summer and took the East wing at Ormond.”
Alexander felt a weight pressing on his chest. He fell back in his chair in shock. The beautiful manor at Evenleigh had been his mother’s previous home. It was left to her by her father and given to Phillip on his majority. When Phillip became the Duke, Evenleigh was meant to come to Alexander. The estate, ten miles from Ormond was small but there was a living to be had. He steadied his quavering voice.
“Sold Evenleigh? I can’t believe it. Sold it to whom?” The desolation in his tone was clear. He had never for one moment thought that Evenleigh would be in danger. It was his final hope for any standard of home if all else failed. Now he wasn’t even sure that he would have a roof over his head.
Geoffrey saw the pain in his friend’s eyes but he couldn’t hide the truth.
“The manor has never been occupied since the sale as far as I am aware but curiosity got the better of me and I went over a few months ago to see who had bought it. The fields have gone to ruin and the gardens are a mess. Your mother would pass out from the shock if she ever saw it. I don’t know the name of the owner for sure. The local innkeeper said that a fellow called Oakley turned up once and engaged an overseer to keep up with repairs and the like but even he is not there often and he’s certainly not done anything to the land.”
Giles leaned forwards about to speak but Alexander silenced him with a look.
“God! What a blasted mess to come home to. Half my family destroyed and my home and reputation along with it. Why on earth did father not sell some of the jewels? A couple of those outdated tiara’s would have raised a fortune but Mother insists that he wouldn’t touch them and now they are hidden somewhere within these walls.” He sighed wearily. He knew why his father wouldn’t sell them. If there was blackmail afoot the thief would never give up until the last diamond shirt stud was gone. His father had made a stand and come hell or high water the jewels were going to remain with Ormond. He breathed into the silence. “Tell me about
“At one time there were a dozen men working the place along with the household staff. Now it’s me, a lame Jennings and your father’s old valet Grady and he knows about as much of running an estate as the pigs do. We’ve only managed to keep the swine and the chickens because they eat whatever scraps come from the kitchens and forage for themselves the rest on the time. Grady has attempted to keep Ormond itself in order but you can see what he’s like. Your mother only kept him on as he nowhere else to go. Ormond has been his home for his whole life.” He hung his head in what appeared to be shame.
Alexander stood up and walked around the desk. He breathed in deeply as he put his hand on Geoffrey’s shoulder. It was clear that the young man had only just been holding the place and himself together.
“One man can’t oversee an estate of this size, Geoff. Your position has been untenable,” he was about to go on but Geoffrey stopped him. He took in a shuddering breath and held up his hand to indicate he had more to tell.
“It gets worse, Alex, I haven’t reached the end of my tale. Have you not wondered why Phillip and Lady Anne were here at all?” He swallowed as he prepared to give Alexander an even bigger blow. “Phillip sold Evenleigh last year. That’s why he and Lady Anne were here for the Spring tide. They moved in last summer and took the East wing at Ormond.”
Alexander felt a weight pressing on his chest. He fell back in his chair in shock. The beautiful manor at Evenleigh had been his mother’s previous home. It was left to her by her father and given to Phillip on his majority. When Phillip became the Duke, Evenleigh was meant to come to Alexander. The estate, ten miles from Ormond was small but there was a living to be had. He steadied his quavering voice.
“Sold Evenleigh? I can’t believe it. Sold it to whom?” The desolation in his tone was clear. He had never for one moment thought that Evenleigh would be in danger. It was his final hope for any standard of home if all else failed. Now he wasn’t even sure that he would have a roof over his head.
Geoffrey saw the pain in his friend’s eyes but he couldn’t hide the truth.
“The manor has never been occupied since the sale as far as I am aware but curiosity got the better of me and I went over a few months ago to see who had bought it. The fields have gone to ruin and the gardens are a mess. Your mother would pass out from the shock if she ever saw it. I don’t know the name of the owner for sure. The local innkeeper said that a fellow called Oakley turned up once and engaged an overseer to keep up with repairs and the like but even he is not there often and he’s certainly not done anything to the land.”
Giles leaned forwards about to speak but Alexander silenced him with a look.
“God! What a blasted mess to come home to. Half my family destroyed and my home and reputation along with it. Why on earth did father not sell some of the jewels? A couple of those outdated tiara’s would have raised a fortune but Mother insists that he wouldn’t touch them and now they are hidden somewhere within these walls.” He sighed wearily. He knew why his father wouldn’t sell them. If there was blackmail afoot the thief would never give up until the last diamond shirt stud was gone. His father had made a stand and come hell or high water the jewels were going to remain with Ormond. He breathed into the silence. “Tell me about
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