“So”—facing forward, Rory paced slowly along—“what I got from all of that was that this lordling, Ecton, has land of his own—possibly not good land but land nevertheless. Regardless, he’s never around and clearly cares naught for his acres or, indeed, his old home.” Rory slanted a look at Gregory. “So why does a man like that want to buy Bellamy Hall?”
Gregory nodded. “Indeed. That’s the question to which I want an answer.”
In pursuit of that answer, Gregory took himself to church the following morning, accompanying Caitlin and the other Hall residents so inclined. Rory came as well.
After settling in the front pews with Caitlin, Rory, and the others, Gregory surveyed the congregation and wasn’t surprised to discover Ecton nowhere in sight.
At the end of the service, he scanned the heads again, but saw no sign of the man.
Excellent.
Ecton’s absence meant Gregory was free to discuss the man with those of the neighboring gentry who were present that morning.
On reaching the church door, he smiled and shook hands with Reverend Millicombe, who was plainly heartened to see Gregory for the second week in a row.
Retrieving his hand, Gregory glanced around. “I wondered if I would encounter Lord Ecton here this morning.”
The good reverend blinked. “Ecton? Is he back?”
His tone suggested that such a happening wasn’t a prospect he viewed with any pleasure.
“So I assume,” Gregory replied. “He called on me yesterday, but I have no idea how long he plans to remain in the area.”
Millicombe’s normally benign expression grew severe. “One can but hope,” he muttered, but refrained from specifying for what he hoped.
Noting that, Gregory inclined his head and stepped off the narrow porch, allowing Millicombe to smile and greet Caitlin, who introduced Rory, much to Millicombe’s delight.
Gregory waited for Caitlin and Rory to step from the porch, then strolled with them onto the lawn where, over the next minutes, most of the congregation gathered. Leaving Caitlin to introduce Rory—who, unsurprisingly, was attracting a good deal of attention—Gregory presumed on the acquaintance garnered the previous week and at the Loxtons’ dinner to assess the reactions of the local gentry to the news that Ecton was about.
Universally, that information was met with a resounding lack of enthusiasm.
Although the comments were politely restrained, he was left in no doubt that Ecton was not well liked. Much of the animosity derived from Ecton’s cavalier dismissal of all things country.
“He quite turns up his nose at us,” Mrs. Hyssop confided. “He actually had the gall to describe us—all of us who used to be his parents’ dearest friends—asprovincials!” Her jowls shook with remembered ire.
Miss Alcott soothingly patted her friend’s arm, then looked at Gregory. “Ecton is a sad excuse for a gentleman. If his parents were alive today to see him and how he behaves, they would be so very disappointed.”
Mrs. Hyssop nodded. “That they would be, without a doubt.”
From Sir Henry Ratcliffe, Gregory learned that the general expectation was that Ecton would soon sell up. “All he’s interested in,” Sir Henry said, “is cutting a dash in London. It’s our fondest hope that he finds a buyer soon. I can tell you he definitely won’t be missed.”
Finally, Gregory fetched up beside Lord Loxton and was unsurprised to learn that, as local squire and magistrate, his lordship held a very dim, not to say jaundiced, view of Ecton. “A bad egg, sad to say. His father was a particular friend, y’know, but the son?” Leaning heavily on his cane, Lord Loxton made a dismissive, rather rude sound. “Between you and me, Cynster, I would believe almost anything of that boy. His parents were nice, steady, sound people, but sadly, they spoiled the lad first to last. If you want to gauge the result, all you need do is take a look at Ecton Hall. The place is falling apart! Boy’s a ne’er-do-well the area can do without. The sooner he ups stakes and leaves, the better we’ll be pleased.”
As a damning indictment, that would be hard to beat.
After thanking his lordship for his candor, Gregory made his way back to Caitlin’s side. As his gaze passed over numerous familiar faces in the crowd, he was glad he’d warned all those from the Hall not to mention Ecton’s offer.
The fewer people who knew of that, the better. Given how negatively Ecton was viewed, despite Gregory having no intention of selling the Hall, that Ecton was wanting to buy the larger and more prosperous estate would set tongues furiously wagging and all sorts of hares racing in far too many minds.
But as to why Ecton wanted to buy the Hall, Gregory still had no idea. Indeed, all he’d heard only made Ecton’s offer more incomprehensible, not less.
He rejoined Caitlin, Rory, and the others, and they headed to their carriage.
As alongside Caitlin, Gregory ambled, ruminating on all he’d heard, it occurred to him that Ecton was one of those people who valued things—like his estate—purely in terms of what they could give him.
So what was it Ecton thought Bellamy Hall would give him that he didn’t already have?
Brows rising, Gregory realized he could phrase that question another way. What was it about the Bellamy Hall estate that Ecton knew, but Gregory didn’t?
