The news of Sir Henry's departure from the neighbourhood, so soon after his arrival, caused a great deal of consternation among his neighbours; chiefly the ladies who had made him the focus of their social plans. However, they soon forgave his sudden flight when they discovered his intention to return from town with a party of friends.
"I understand he is bringing his sister, which can only be a good thing," said Mrs Latimer as they sat in the parlour. "Blackwood Hall has been a bachelor household for as long as I can remember. Mrs North says that the great table in the south dining room will seat twenty at least, but I don't remember the last time Sir George held any dinners, not even for the gentlemen. If Miss Mountford is to keep house for her brother we may finally see it for ourselves. Indeed, with a bit of effort on your part you might even preside over it as mistress one day."
Anabelle raised her eyes from her book. Apart from herself and Mrs Latimer, the only other person present was Marianne, the eldest of her half-sisters, who was too young to be a target of her mother's marriage plans.
"Sir Henry is, by all accounts, a worthy successor to his uncle, and his fortune only adds to his attractions," Mrs Latimer reminded her.
"That may be so, but I wonder how much of that fortune will be left once he has put Blackwood Hall to rights?"
Mrs Latimer chose to ignore what she couldn't answer, instead saying, "I will speak to your father about ordering you some new dresses. When we are invited to dinner I know Mr. Latimer will want you to look your best."
Any reply Anabelle might have made was interrupted by the arrival of Selina and Diana, recently returned from visiting their aunt in Haltford.
"Belle, you sly thing. You never told us Blackwood's new steward was handsome," Diana said as she dropped her reticule on the sofa. "Or so young."
Although Anabelle had mentioned the circumstances behind her visit to the Blackwood steward, she had neglected to enlighten her family about the gentleman she had found sitting behind the desk. She certainly hadn't expected Mr. Fielding to become a topic of discussion around the neighbourhood. "How does his age concern us? If Sir Henry thinks him capable of discharging his duties then our opinions are nothing."
Mrs Latimer discarded a shirt she had been half-heartedly sewing for one of the boys. "When did you meet him?"
"Oh, we didn't," Diana said, her sulky pout reflecting her disappointment. "Mrs North stopped to take tea with Aunt Orton. We asked her what she thought about Mr. Fielding, and she admitted he almost equalled her new master in looks." She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "And it seems he is quite the mystery."
"How so?" asked Mrs Latimer.
"Well, when they arrived Sir Henry instructed Mrs North to put Mr. Fielding in the best guest bedroom, and she says they talk like the oldest of friends. Yet he spends all his time in Mr. Burgin's office, up to his eyes in dust, and although Sir Henry has returned to town Mr. Fielding will remain at the Hall, overseeing the repairs."
Mrs Latimer shrugged, sending her shawl sliding down to her elbows. "I would expect nothing less of Sir Henry's steward. Why is it so surprising that he should stay and do the work he is paid for?"
Selina sat beside Anabelle. "Before he left Sir Henry told Mrs North that Mr. Fielding would dine alone in the south dining room!"
Anabelle and Marianne gasped, while Mrs Latimer shook her head. "I'll swear to it Mr. Burgin never ate in any dining room. Not unless it was the Widow Oldroyd's dining parlour, and that's nothing to shout about."
Diana nodded with enthusiasm. "I told Mrs North what Belle had said about Mr. Fielding being the new steward, and she seemed miffed that Sir Henry hadn't seen fit to inform her of it. She said he treated Mr. Fielding more like a friend than an employee, and even lent him the use of his valet."
"May he not be both friend and steward to Sir Henry?" Anabelle wondered aloud. "Perhaps they met at university. It is not unknown for young men to form an acquaintance with those who can assist their future careers, or for gentlemen to sponsor friends who are in less fortunate circumstances than themselves. Could not one friend be helping another?"
Her step-mother nodded. "Aye, that is likely the way it was. Sir Henry is helping an acquaintance to make his way in the world by giving him a position on his new estate."
Marianne, who until now had remained quiet at her mother's side, raised her head. "The Reverend says it is beholden on all men of stature to assist their associates in time of need. It bodes well for Sir Henry's character that he should behave so charitably."
"But what of Mr. Fielding's character?" Selina looked to her sister. "Belle, what did you think of him? Is he very different from Mr. Burgin?"
Anabelle could not forget how different the steward's countenance and figure had been from the previous incumbent; indeed, the memory of his dark gaze sent a shiver down her back. However, his noble countenance and admirable efficiency could not entirely temper his arrogance in questioning her right to assist with the running of her father's estate. "He is certainly an improvement on Mr. Burgin, but I was too busy thinking of Mr. Sutton's poor cattle to pay much attention to Mr. Fielding. He seems to be an efficient steward, although I suspect his manner can be haughty and overbearing. I saw no real deficiency in his dress. In fact, he appeared quite à la mode."
Diana sniffed. "You cannot judge a man by the quality of his clothes alone. All young men these days aspire to copy the fashionable set and think nothing of running up dreadful debts to their tailor."
Mrs Latimer searched for the needle she had dropped in the folds of her dress. "He no doubt feels the pressure of taking on a position from an older, wiser and more experienced practitioner, especially if he has to contend with a house full of new servants besides. 'Tis a shame we know nothing of himself or his background. I wonder where he comes from."
Selina guessed his father might be an attorney. Diana countered with the thought that Mr. Fielding could be the younger son of an Admiral who preferred a career on land to one at sea. Anabelle entered into the spirit of things, putting forward her own idea. "He could be the youngest son of a poor country gentleman whose expectations are not large enough to provide him with a satisfactory income and needs to supplement it with a profession."
"He should have bought a commission in the army," Diana sighed. "There's nothing like a young man in regimentals."
"Well, my dears," Mrs Latimer said, "With only a steward's salary his family background makes no matter. Unless he is waiting upon a large inheritance from an elderly spinster aunt, then he can be nothing to Sir Henry. Mr. Burgin received eighty pounds a year from old Sir George; although if some of the stories are true he took a little more for himself, which is no doubt why he left so suddenly."
Anabelle shook her head. "Everyone knows Sir George begrudged even coal for the fire. He never paid more than he had to. Surely his nephew must be more generous with his wages."
"It hardly matters. Even if Mr. Fielding is paid twice that sum it still falls far short of what Mr. Latimer would wish for any of his daughters. Why should we concern ourselves over a steward's lot? You ought to be thinking more of the master. If he is truly as handsome as everyone claims then we must make his acquaintance as soon as possible. It is too long since we had an eligible bachelor living in the neighbourhood.
"I am determined that, as soon as Sir Henry meets you, he will take a fancy to one of you. Once that is accomplished, it will be an easy task to find other suitable husbands among the rich gentlemen of Sir Henry's acquaintance in town and I shall have nothing further to worry about."
Selina shook her head. "Poor Mr. Fielding. Does his lack of consequence leave him with no chance of his own domestic felicity?"
"Oh, not at all. I'm sure he will make a fine match for some young female; preferably one who is used to helping around the house. They wouldn't be able to afford more than one maid of all work unless he supplements his income by other means. Mrs Harrison might accept him for Charlotte, for the poor girl is getting no younger, and Mrs Fisher would be over the moon to secure him for one of her nieces, who are sadly plain-faced."
Since hearing from Mr. Sutton, by way of his young son, that the stream was flowing once more, Anabelle now considered the matter closed. There would be no reason for her to meet or even think about Mr. Fielding again.
But her traitorous memory had other ideas, for she often found her mind wandering to the moment when she entered the steward's room at Blackwood Hall. Her experience of men had been limited to those she had known all her life; her neighbours and their sons, most of whom were still at school, or studying at university. The only bachelors had been Sir George, and Mr. Thompson, the vicar; sixty years if he was a day.
As the eldest daughter Anabelle knew she ought to make every effort to attract Sir Henry's attention. Yet how could she spare a thought for a man she had never met when his steward remained so prominent in her thoughts?
Despite Mr. Fielding's imperiousness, curt speech and presumptuous behaviour during their meeting, all those faults were overridden by the memory of those fine features and dark, watchful eyes that filled her memories and haunted her dreams.
When Anabelle woke early the next morning, she left her rumpled bedclothes and dressed herself, donning her old straw bonnet with the wide yellow ribbon, a plain velvet spencer and throwing a shawl around her shoulders.
As she slipped out of the kitchen door, Anabelle hoped the brisk autumn air might blow the ludicrous fantasies she had been entertaining out through her ears so she could sleep free from distraction. After rambling for a quarter of an hour she caught sight of a lone figure on horseback, standing upon a distant hillside and looking across the fields. Even clad in his tall hat and long riding coat she recognised him immediately.
It was impossible from the distance between them to tell whether he had seen her, but she took no chances. Waiting until she reached a particularly impenetrable stretch of hedgerow she huddled down and observed the bane of her nocturnal hours through the dense branches. He sat a few more minutes before turning his horse, making his way back to Blackwood Hall.
If asked, she would not have been able to say what had prompted her to hide from him. He was only a steward after all. They had met once and she had been in his presence for less than ten minutes all told, but she could remember every second of her visit. Somehow, despite his condescending manners and lack of consequence, her heart had developed a fascination with him she was determined to quash.
~<>~@~<>~
Fielding followed Blackwood's boundary until he reached the area that bordered Mr. Latimer's holdings. For a few minutes he allowed his horse to crop the grass as he looked down into the fertile valley. He wondered how far off Mr. Latimer's property lay, and whether he should call to enquire whether the clearing of the fallen trees had successfully reinstated the stream.
His eyes were drawn to a flash of colour. He stared hard and after a few moments was rewarded with a further sight of it. Someone was walking along a footpath beyond the next field; a young woman with a wide yellow ribbon securing her bonnet. He wondered if it might be Miss Latimer. From this distance it was impossible to tell. Fielding watched the figure until it disappeared behind a hedgerow. Although he sat for a few minutes longer, his eyes trained intently along the path, he saw nothing more.
Miss Latimer had not attempted to visit him again since their first meeting, and he began to wonder if he had misjudged her motives. If she was trying to attract his attention, then why had she not followed up her advantage with a second meeting?
Deep down he knew the answer, although his pride still struggled to accept it. He had measured her against all the other women he had known and assumed her to be like them, but it appeared she was not.
This absence of flattery and flirtation had only one explanation in Fielding's mind. It was clear that Miss Latimer's heart must be so firmly attached elsewhere that even a man of his fortune and consequence could be of no interest. He turned his horse back towards Blackwood Hall, feeling a sense of relief that there was at least one female in the district with whom he did not have to be on guard.