“It already feels like daylight, with all the candles burning around this house,” Elizabeth reproached him gently.
“What would you have me do, wife? Strain my eyes unnecessarily?” He asked, looking amused by her observation.
Lizzie pursed her lips against a retort that would be inappropriate in front of the staff.
“I can’t wait to see everything,” she said, leaving the discussion of his excessive use of candles for another time. “What does your day usually look like when you’re here?”
“I rise earlier than in the city, because there are no balls or similar events to keep me up at night,” he looked at her as if to ascertain whether she was disappointed by that (she wasn’t), “and I usually tend to the affairs of my estate after breakfast, alone or with Brandon. Sometimes we work in my study, sometimes repairs or disputes call for our attendance elsewhere. The afternoons are spent at my leisure, depending on the season, which can entail hunting, shooting, and fishing. The nearest neighbouring estate is 50 miles away, so unless I have guests staying with me, I eat dinner alone or with the Brandons, and I then read in my library.”
Elizabeth was surprised at Talbot’s wholesome and relaxed country life but tried not to let it show.
“Has Mister Brandon been your bailiff for long?”
“He is my steward, not my bailiff,” Talbot corrected absentmindedly, while Lizzie chastised herself for her error. “A bailiff merely collects rents, whereas a steward manages all aspects of an estate; he oversees the harvest, keeps records and accounts, logs and oversees repairs, hires workers, settles disputes, and the like. Brandon has been my steward ever since I inherited the title ten years ago, and he is exceptional at his job. He is efficient, organised, and very sharp. Not to mention, an excellent shot.”
“How did he come to be in your employ?”
“We met at Eton when we were both young boys. He is the second son of a landed gentleman, and he was studying for a career in law. I noticed that he had a head for numbers, and during our cricket matches, he demonstrated his scrupulous record-keeping skills many times over the years. He is also honest to a fault, which, again, has been proven time and time again.”
Elizabeth tried imagining the two men she observed earlier today as young boys, and in her mind, they were soon joined by a third boy, her brother, whom she did not wish to think about.
“I imagine he must be good at dealing with different people in order to do his job well,” Elizabeth mused.
“He is,” Talbot agreed, “he somehow has the right thing to say to everyone he meets.”
“It's interesting to me that you recognised all of these qualities and the potential in him when you were so young yourself.”
Talbot just stared at his wife for a few moments.
“I’ve always keenly observed others and noticed their strengths, as well as how those strengths could be of use to me,” headmitted. “I’ve hand-picked every member of my staff, and I’m not replacing any of them until they are no longer in this world.”
“What a dark thought,” Lizzie shook her head. “Let’s not discuss death tonight.”
“Very well, wife,” Talbot smiled at her uncharacteristic unease and only chose lighter topics for the rest of the evening.
After dinner, he excused himself to go sit in the library and wished her a good night.
Elizabeth went up to her room and got ready for bed with Mary’s help. She excitedly waited for her husband to join her, but he never did, even though she heard him enter his room next door. Alone and worried, she fell asleep sometime after midnight.
*
On her first morning at Norwich manor, the new Duchess was awakened bylight.The huge mullioned windows in her room made it impossible to sleep past sunrise, and she found herself not minding that at all. After all, those very windows treated her to a breathtaking view of the sprawling, immaculately manicured gardens that surrounded her new home. She looked at the blooming flower beds and the neatly trimmed hedges and once again marvelled at how different it all was from London.
Thank you, Lord, for creating all this beauty and letting me witness it and enjoy it.
She exhaled, and her heart was overflowing with gratitude, but an undercurrent of anxiety ran through her joy. Why hadn’t her husband visited her chambers the night before? Was he not feeling the same pull she was? Was she the only one who wished for a repeat of their coupling? Had it not been as life-changing for him as it had been for her?
A new maid came to tend to the fire this morning. She said her name was Hannah, and she seemed less timid than Catherine.
“The tub will be brought right up, Your Grace,” she said.
“I didn’t order a bath,” Elizabeth replied, confused.
“His Grace bathes daily, and we have our orders regarding his bath, so we just assumed the same would be done for Your Grace,” Hannah said anxiously.
“Very well, you did well, thank you,” Elizabeth said, eager to comfort the young girl.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
