Not that this man or his life was any of Felix’s business, but he preferred to know who he was dealing with at all times.
“I have lived and worked for the duke since I was just a boy. ’Tis a grand estate the Fords have, and he lets me run the stables as I like.”
Grand or not, Felix could not help but feel very concerned by what he had discovered here. An estate was very much like a ship. It required constant attention and maintenance. If left much longer, Newberry Park might fall into disrepair that could take years of hard work and expense to recover from.
The estate needed more able-bodied men and someone to keep them in line. Someone to keep order as tight as a ship’s captain required of his men. He could turn this place around in a week with the right help.
He spun away from that thought and glanced
over the tired pony. “Dudley, I require a carriage.”
The man appeared surprised by his request. “Going far, Captain?”
“The village.”
“Happy to drive you, Captain.” He glanced toward the manor and shrugged. “It will not take a moment to hitch a better carriage than the gig you used to get around the estate.”
He touched his cap and hurried deeper into the stables, shouting for the stable lad to come out and help him. Felix stood aside as the old man and a boy of around nine led out two chestnut horses out and backed them up to a tidy black carriage. They worked well together, but Felix could see the boy struggle with the straps almost beyond his reach.
He glanced away and noticed Louisa and Audrey Ford in the distance, carrying a basket of fresh-picked fruit in from the orchard. The basket looked too heavy for them, and they stopped many times on the way, laughing and talking, but despite their happy mood he could see the strain of their efforts and slow progress.
By the time the conveyance was ready, Felix had seen more than he cared to about how the place was run. Shoddily for all the money the duke had amassed. He was glad to be going away for a while. He might not know much about the land, but there was too much that needed doing, enough that even he, an ignorant seaman, could tell required attention.
Rutherford’s growing wealth, thanks to his efforts in the war, was not going to keep this estate from disarray. Admiral Templeton was too wrapped up in the politics of war to care what happened here. Lord George had already admitted he was doing all he could, and it was not anywhere near enough.
When the war was over, there would be so much to do.
What Newberry needed right now was someone with the experience to convince men to do their best in difficult circumstances. Someone to take the burden from the ladies should it be needed. Whomever they hired would have to be someone Sally and her family trusted, since so many of the ladies were unmarried. If the war progressed or Sally’s brothers failed to come home soon, they would need help desperately.
He paused beside the horses and glanced at the manor house once more. Sally, Lord Ellicott, and their mothers were visible through the open set of drawing room doors. The sign of such familiarity and domesticity caused his heart to pinch in discomfort.
He needed to go.
“Right you are, Captain.” Dudley put down the steps of the carriage while the boy held the horses in check.
“Thank you.” He climbed inside and let the dark interior soothe him. “What good does it do worrying about them when I am not allowed to care,” he whispered to the empty space.
It did him no good at all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I have brought you a present,” Ellicott said, digging into his pocket and removing a stunning diamond-and-ruby ring.
Sally gasped at the beauty of it as he slipped it onto her finger.
“Now we are truly engaged.” Regardless of her mother’s presence across the room, he brought her into his arms and planted a brief kiss on her lips.
“Indeed we are,” Sally agreed, but that thought brought with it an unexpected animosity toward Ellicott. She had agreed to marry him of her own free will. No one had pressured her or suggested she must. She had all but thrown herself into Ellicott’s path with her usual determination and practicality, and she had not missed him one little bit.
Unfortunately, she was not feeling committed to her goals anymore.
He leaned close to her ear. “Come, let me tempt you away somewhere more private.”
From the open doorway, she saw a carriage and team of chestnut horses being led out by Dudley and his son. Her heart stopped as Felix climbed inside the dark carriage. As it pulled away from the stables, her heart began to pump blood to her limbs at a fast rate, and she stumbled away from her betrothed and stepped out through the door.
He was leaving now? But why?
Her mouth grew dry as she caught a glimpse of Felix’s profile. He did not lift a hand to say good-bye but stared straight ahead, ignoring his surroundings.