“Oh, Edwin, and how would wedothat?”
“Listen carefully. I think I can make it work, but only with you as mypartner.”
“I amlistening.”
“First, we need capital. And I intend to raise that by selling the London house. It would bring us a tidy sum, and I could further lower our costs by eliminating upkeep for thishouse.”
“But Edwin, it would mean letting all of your staff go. They have been an industrious and loyal part of this house all ofyourlife.”
“They have, and I would provide places for them at Honeyfield. Any that did not wish to work there I would find places for inLondon.”
“That relieves me,” Lydia said. “But would you not miss having aLondonhome?”
“I wish to focus all of my care on our new project. London for me has always been about ease and frivolity. I know that is not something that interests you, and I have come to see great virtue in your industrious life. That is the life I want us to sharetogether.”
“And have you asked Ellenaboutthis?”
“I have not. But she will soon have her own life with Bartley. He is quite well to do and has his own house. I am certain she will understand and agree once I explain the reasonstoher.”
“But this is part of her inheritance. You must take that into consideration when you sell it for capital. Part of that isrightfullyhers.”
“Ihavetaken that into consideration.Fearnot.”
Edwin leaned forward in his chair. “Now would you like to hear what I suggest we do with thatcapital?”
“Verymuchso.”
Edwin got up from his chair and went over to a shelf and took down a large volume and put it on the library table. Lydia followed him and stood next to him as he thumbed through thepages.
He found what he was looking for but before explaining the page, he turned and sat on the edge of the tablefacingher.
“Now, then… What I have in mind is this. Since we no longer have much of an income from outside the estate, we need to make the estate be our main source of income.” Lydia nodded. “And what do we have to offer? Prime agricultural land.Followme?”
“I do. But can we make a living with livestock, grains, potatoes or other conventionalproduce?”
“I believe not. And this is where my idea comes in. What if, instead of growing conventional crops, we grow unconventionalcrops?”
“Suchas?”
“Specialty fruits and vegetables that no one else is growing, but for which there is a great demand in English cities’ markets. These products are now imported at great expense. But they also sell at a greatprice.”
“But the reason they are not grown here is because we do not have the climate to grow many of these delicacies year round, is thatnotso?”
Edwin got off the table and began to pace with his excitement. “True, but what if we could create a climate where wecouldgrow yearround?”
“The greenhouse…” Lydia said, getting the idea, and becomingexcited.
“Exactly. But remember, we already have a splendid and vastly expanded orchard underway with many fine and unusual local fruits. But if we could also grow oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and other tropical fruits—just think what we couldaccomplish.”
“Edwin you are agenius.”
“No, you are. I am only picking up on the ideas you introducedmeto.”
Lydia picked up on the idea and began improvising. “And specialty vegetables as well. I saw many in my catalogues that people might not know about and which we could introduce. These we could grow in an even larger expanded vegetable garden. We could become the suppliers of the rare and unusual—and we could corner the market—and even undersell the imported produce,perhaps.”
Edwin then paused and stroked his chin. “And eventually, if all of this works,thenI could begin myarboretum.”
He came back to the book he had opened and gestured for her to lookwithhim.
