Bath appeared just as we had left it. Correspondence awaited us both at the inn. As it was the middle of the day when we returned, the common room was devoid of any other travelers or guests. It was there where we both chose to take our letters.
My first letter was penned by my mother. She thanked me for my letter and hoped I was enjoying my time in Bath. My older sister, Celia, and her family had arrived at Bywood Hall for the month.
While part of me wished I was there to see my sister, I could not imagine how full and noisy it would be there. However much I loved my family, I'm certain I would have been driven out of mind.
I turned my attention to the second letter. It was an unfamiliar hand. It didn't look like Daniel Dunbar's writing or that of his lawyer. Curious about who else could have wanted to write to me, I broke the seal and unfolded the paper. The letter read:
Dear Mr. Lucas Bywood,
I have not had the great honor of meeting you in person. My name is Alfred Pennyworth. These past ten years I have been valet to Mr. Kenneth Drake, who has since passed on from this life.
I am writing to you because I have heard you a young man seeking to better himself. I am aware you have taken ownership of a small estate and are working to turn it to profit. I am also aware you are in need of a valet capable of keeping things in order.
Maintaining order and organization are my great joys in life.
As my previous employer is (obviously) no longer in need of my services, I would find it a great privilege to be employed by you.
I have been informed you dislike the idea of a personal servant, but I assure you I would be a great aid to you. There is no task too small or too large that I would not take on in your behalf. I believe you would find this of benefit as you improve your holdings.
As to references, I have enclosed a letter written by the now-departed Mr. Drake on his deathbed. Also a character reference from a friend of yours, Mr. J. Ward. I trust this will be sufficient.
I shall arrive in Bath a week from this date for a personal interview. We can discuss my duties and wages at that time.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Alfred Pennyworth
P.S. I hope you are not offended by cats. My late employer's goddaughter gifted him with a regal, black feline, and he bestowed the creature to my care at his death. Of course, the cat will remain with me and shall not interfere with any of my duties.
Yours,
AP
Astonished, I let out a laugh. It had been over a year since I'd had a valet. The previous man hadn't taken to continental travel, and I had learned to do for myself. Did I want the added expense now, when I had a ruin of an estate to manage?
This Alfred Pennyworth had the boldness to apply for a position that hadn't been offered in such a manner, though.
As his letter stated, there was an enclosed sheet of paper that was written by Mr. Kenneth Drake. The shaky writing was a bit difficult to read, but once I managed to decipher it, I read the elderly man's words of praise for Pennyworth. It seemed the valet was without equal and a paragon among his peers.
"What has you so amused?" Ward asked, his tone distracted.
When I glanced over, he was staring at his own letter. "A Mr. Alfred Pennyworth has written to request the position of valet," I said, getting straight to the point. "I wonder how he heard my name and how I have recently come into possession of an estate."
"Servants gossip, no doubt."
"What servant could possibly have thought that I was in need of a valet when I have never stated such a wish? "
Ward finally glanced over, a wry smile on his lips. "Haven't you ever had a servant who thought they knew what was needed better than you?"
My thoughts went to my family's long-time servants. They had always given their opinions, respectfully of course. "I suppose," I said reluctantly. "Still, what would I do with a valet?"
"The usual things, of course," Ward said, his tone becoming impatient. "Think of all the little matters you find tiresome that you could have a valet do for you."
It was true I had wished for someone to handle matters when I'd had too much to drink. But was that enough to hire a man unseen?
"It would do you no harm to take him on," Ward continued. "After all, you are a man of some independence. If you find you are dissatisfied with him, you can always send him on his way."
I had been thinking of hiring a man. "Well, as you say, it wouldn't hurt to offer the man a trial," I said slowly. "Too bad he hadn't arrived in time to make an accounting of Pearsend for me."
"Indeed," Ward said, his tone distracted. "Though I doubt he would have been able to advise you any better than I."
"Bad news?" I asked, nodding at his own letter.
"Not necessarily," Ward said, folding the paper. "Ingram has invited me to another card game."
"You can't be thinking of accepting. You told me yourself he's nothing but trouble."
Ward nodded. "He is, it's true. However, he is also a person you cannot openly defy, else he finds some way of retaliating. And that is not a position you want to put yourself in unless you are prepared to endure the consequences."
My own feelings about Ingram had warned me wasn't to be trusted, but this was something else entirely! "You make him sound as though he looks out for people he can take advantage of!"
"I earn my way with my skills at cards. Is it such a stretch of the information to think Ingram could earn his way by manipulating people?"
And we had come back to where this man apparently reigned supreme. Despite Ward's warnings, I wasn't sure my friend was taking Ingram seriously. Or perhaps, he thought he could handle the man because he knew the danger.
"If it eases your mind, I don't think I will accept," Ward said as he stood up. "I gave him one chance to best me, and he lost. I'm hardly required to give him another opportunity, especially as I'm sure he means to exclude you."
"You cannot think I would permit you to steer the game in my favor again! Not now when I know how much you rely on your winnings!"
With a laugh, Ward clapped my shoulder. "You're a good sort, Bywood. I don't deserve a friend like you. Now. Shall you join me for a stroll to the Pump room? We can let our return be made known from there."
"You wish to see Miss Forester."
"I won't deny it. Is there no one you would not be opposed to seeing after several days absence?"
No one came to mind, but I couldn't deny conversation with someone other than Ward was appealing. He was a good fellow, but a change of opinion would not be amiss. "Give me ten minutes to respond to this Pennyworth, and then I shall join you."
◆◆◆
Once we reached the Pump Room, I remained outside while Ward continued into the building. I was not quite ready to face Miss Dunbar again and there was no other young lady I wished to pass the time with. Melbourne raised his hand in greeting.
"Well met," I said, approaching to shake his hand. "Were you dismissed from Miss Dunbar's side?"
"I have been attempting a new strategy to win her heart," Melbourne said with a grin. "If I absent myself and give my attention to another fair lady, perhaps she will regret dismissing me out of hand. And if she does not...then I will be directing my focus in a better direction."
Surprised, I shook my head. "Interesting plan. My sympathy is with the lady you choose to flatter to make Miss Dunbar jealous. How will she feel if Miss Dunbar decides she wishes you to court her after all?"
Melbourne paused and his cheerful expression dimmed. "True. I hadn't thought of that." After a moment, though, his eyes brightened. "But, to tell you the truth, the lady doesn't think well of me at all at the moment. If Miss Dunbar is quick to change her mind, no one will be hurt at all"
Astounded, I could only stare at him. He had gone from the beautiful but spoiled Miss Dunbar to a young lady who didn't even like him? Was the man completely daft?
"May I ask who this lady is?"
"I believe you have met her already. Miss Grace Anderson."
I blinked, not knowing what to say. He was in earnest. He had picked the one lady in Bath who was still mourning her dead betrothed. Did he know? Should I ask? Was it my place to even mention it?
"Have you known her long?" I asked cautiously.
"I have known of her for close on five years now," Melbourne said, turning his gaze to the square. "The man she was engaged to marry was a friend of mine."
"Then you know she still mourns him."
He gave a nod. "Her family would see her married, though, and I do enjoy her company. She is a fine lady, pretty in her own way, and from a respectable family. It is a wonder no one else has sought to win her heart these past five years. I will be a lucky man if I succeed in securing her affection."
Not the most passionate words to describe a lady. However, the fact that he could speak so well of her gave me strong indications of his feelings toward Miss Dunbar. With any luck, he would forget Miss Dunbar's beauty entirely. Would Miss Anderson and her serious nature keep him distracted from the spoiled girl? One could only hope.
"I wish you well in your courtship."
"Melbourne," an unfamiliar man said as he walked up. He was an inch or so taller than I. "I thought I would find you here today. Still pining after Miss Dunbar?"
"As I was just telling Bywood here, I think I shall have to give up all hope of Miss Dunbar returning my affection," Melbourne said with a laugh. "Oh, do let me introduce you. Bywood, this is my good friend, Mr. Oswyn Harper. Harper, Mr. Lucas Bywood."
We exchanged nods. "Bywood here was unfortunate enough to win against Dunbar and Ingram last week," Melbourne said. "He is now the owner of Pearsend."
Harper shook his head, a smile on his face."That is bad luck, but not unexpected given who you were playing against."
Was there anyone who didn't know about Ingram's predilection for causing trouble? "So I have heard," I said slowly. "I find it surprising that Ingram is still so widely accepted in light of all I have been told about him."
"There is a difference between knowing something about a person and being able to prove it without facing repercussions," Harper said, shrugging his shoulders. "Wouldn't you wish to keep quiet if you had been caught in his snare?"
"I suppose I would at that."
Ward appeared in the doorway of the Pump Room, a furious expression on his face. As soon as his gaze landed on me and the two men I was speaking to, his face smoothed into the bored lines he generally had in company. He sauntered over as though he had not a care in the world.
What had happened inside? Had someone offended my friend?
"Harper. Melbourne," Ward said, nodding to the other two men. "Has Bywood begged your advice on Pearsend?"
"No, I have not," I said swiftly. Desperate though I was for advice, I knew there was a time and place to request it. "They have offered their sympathies, but I haven't expounded on the extent of my misfortune."
"I don't think we can be surprised about anything you tell us about Pearsend," Harper said with a wry smile. "We've heard the stories."
That sounded like a challenge. "Ah, so then you know there have not been tenants on the land in the last decade?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That the elderly staff made off with the accounts books? That there is currently no one on Pearsend unless some vagabond decided it was slightly better than sleeping on the ground?"
"Surely you exaggerate!"
"The garden appeared to be a jungle from Africa, it has been so long since it has been touched. Ward wouldn't continue the tour of the house because of how much it creaked with every step we took."
Harper shook his head. "So what you mean is that it was an unfair wager to make."
Caught off guard by the comment, I glanced at Ward. Thanks to how much I had drunk that evening, I couldn't remember that final wager. If it had been unequal to what the rest of us had wagered...but no, Ward would have mentioned such a thing.
"It was an interesting night, to say the least," Ward said, his tone thoughtful. "Though I cannot say for certain that Dunbar knew about Pearsends inadequacies, he must have wanted to be rid of the place. Ingram didn't object to the wager at the time, and you know how meticulous he is about these things. I'd say it would be shabby for any of us to cry foul now."
The other men exchanged glances. "True," Harper said. "But we cannot forget that Ingram never does anything without some purpose in mind. He may not have objected to the wager, but that simply tells me he wished to saddle it on either of you."
Ward had said Ingram wished to cause mischief by making it seem as though Ward had taken advantage of Dunbar, who was not as clever with cards. Had the true intention been to cause ruin by pawning off a derelict estate?
Unsettled, I determined to laugh off the matter. More than ever, it seemed imperative to ensure Ingram did not have the chance to meddle with myself or my friend again.