| General Fiction posted May 19, 2018 | Chapters: |
...13 14 -15- 16... 
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Chapter in the book
A chapter in the book Briarly Hall
New Horizons
by zanya
| Background Lady Betsey, though sad there is no official heir at Briarly is growing fond of Giovanni, infant left in her charge, said to be her son, Lord Airdale's child. |
Mrs Goodwood quickened her step as she made her way towards Briarly Hall. Scent from the hawthorn hedgerows wafted on the early morning breeze. An azure blue sky above, gave promise of an early Summer's day. Glancing towards the fields that lay on the northern end of the estate, she noticed less tillage at Briarly.
'Morning Mrs Goodwood,' Butler Eames called from the Orangerie where head gardener, Robert Sikes, was examining the lemon trees for signs of mildew.
Butler Eames hurried to meet Mrs Goodwood.
' A fine english summer morning , Mrs Goodwood ,' he began.
'Yes , indeed , Butler Eames, are we not blessed to live in England on days like this?,' Mrs Goodwood replied.
'Yes, yes, ' Eames continued.
' Mrs Goodwood, since I have an afternoon free today, would you care to walk with me to the village. We can have afternoon tea at the 'Olde England tea shoppe? Their scones and spring marmalade are excellent, I am told'.
Having lived alone for many years, since her beloved husband 's death, Mrs Goodwood often longed for company.
'A-h-h, why yes Butler Eames, I shall be finished with little Giovann, bless him , by four o'clock today.'
'That's settled then, Mrs Goodwood, I look forward to your company for a couple of hours. We shall meet at the back gate by the stables'.
Mrs Goodwood hurried to the nursery where Giovanni slept peacefully. Gazing fixedly into his crib at his olive skin and tiny thumb, which he sucked intermittently, she began to hope that he would always be at Briarly.
Lady Betsey , she feared, would be inconsolable if Giovann had one day to return to Italy or some far off land.
She passed Lady Betsey in the study, as she made her way to the kitchen, to prepare lunch for Giovanni.
'Good day, Mrs Goodwood,' Lady Betsey called out.
''I shall be perambulating with Giovanni in the afternoon, to visit Dowager Spencer . She is not at all well and has requested my presence. I shall not linger long, since Giovanni will require his evening nap.'
'Eh..eh...what do you plan on saying about Giovann to the Dowager...?.'Mrs Goodwood asked nervously.
'Oh,' Lady Betsey replied,' the Dowager will not be concerned...in fact she has wished for an heir for her residence in Granby Hall for many a long year. Tragically, both her Brigadier husband , Lionel and twenty-one year old son, Jacob, were both killed in the war. She will be happy to see that Briarly has not suffered that terrible fate'.
Mrs Goodwood was happy to see Lady Betsey becoming more at ease with Giovanni.
'You may leave early today, Mrs Goodwood, if you wish,' Lady Betsey continued.
Mrs Goodwood felt a frisson of excitement.
'Yes, yes , thank you, Lady Betsey, thank you,' Mrs Goodwood replied.
'That means I will have time to put on my favourite red lipstick before I go out,' Mrs Goodwood blurted out.
'Your favourite red lipstick,' Lady Betsey laughed ,'why Mrs Goodwood, do you have a secret rendez-vous? Pray do tell..'
But Mrs Goodwood felt a little uncomfortable, not having intended to share news of her tea date. After all Butler Eames and herself were just old friends. No need for a girl's heart to start fluttering at the prospect.
Giovanni's wails from the nursery startled Mrs Goodwood out of her reverie.
'There, there, Giovann,' she began, ' nurse is here'.
'It's Giovanni,' Mrs Goodwood,' Lady Betsey called from the study door.
Mrs Goodwood's face reddened a little with embarrassment .
'Yes Ma'am,' she called, as she held Giovanni, crooning softly to him.
He smiled and giggled with delight.
Clouds began to gather and the sky darkened a little. Lady Betsey set off through the gates of Briarly with the ancient perambulator, its steel edgings glinting, in what was left of the afternoon sun.
Giovanni pointed excitedly at two large white swans that rested on the bank of the little river, Thate, that meandered peacefully through Briarly's century's old grounds.
Mrs Goodwood whipped off her white bonnet and apron, hung them hastily in the servants' quarters and walked purposefully through the gates.
Butler Eames, making his way down the marble stair case, spotted Mrs Goodwood hastily leaving the premises and wondered about their afternoon rendez-vous.
Eames lingered midway on the staircase. What if...oh no..perhaps she doesn't trust me..she may not know my beloved wife passed away ten years ago, he mused to himself.
He felt nervous and unsure.
Bewildered, he continued on.
'Be careful with those damn cut glasses ', Eames shouted angrily at young Henry, who had recently arrived to apprentice in Briarly.
''Yes Sir, I will Sir, I promise Sir', Henry replied as the tray slipped from his nervous fingers and crashed in smitheerens onto the marble floor.
'Drat, young man,'Eames continued,' fetch a brush and dust scoop from the kitchen and clean up the mess. That will be a shilling from your wages'.
Henry was overcome with shame. Only a few weeks at Briarly and already he had to pay for his careless mistakes.
As the clock struck four in the servants' quarters, Eames glanced at himself in the mirror.
M-m-m, he thought to himself, my jaw's still well set despite the passage of time.
Young Henry walked past purposefully.
'Henry', Eames called out abruptly, 'still got a good set to my jaw, don't you think..for a man of my vintage..still got a chance with the ladies ...eh ?'
Henry fiddled nervously with the empty tray he was carrying.
Had Eames taken leave of his senses, Henry wondered.
Henry helped Eames with his mackintosh. Eames donned his tweed cap. Catching sight of Mrs Goodwood by the back gate, he hastened to escort her to the tea shoppe.
Henry, gave a sigh of relief on hearing the iron gate slam shut.
'Morning Mrs Goodwood,' Butler Eames called from the Orangerie where head gardener, Robert Sikes, was examining the lemon trees for signs of mildew.
Butler Eames hurried to meet Mrs Goodwood.
' A fine english summer morning , Mrs Goodwood ,' he began.
'Yes , indeed , Butler Eames, are we not blessed to live in England on days like this?,' Mrs Goodwood replied.
'Yes, yes, ' Eames continued.
' Mrs Goodwood, since I have an afternoon free today, would you care to walk with me to the village. We can have afternoon tea at the 'Olde England tea shoppe? Their scones and spring marmalade are excellent, I am told'.
Having lived alone for many years, since her beloved husband 's death, Mrs Goodwood often longed for company.
'A-h-h, why yes Butler Eames, I shall be finished with little Giovann, bless him , by four o'clock today.'
'That's settled then, Mrs Goodwood, I look forward to your company for a couple of hours. We shall meet at the back gate by the stables'.
Mrs Goodwood hurried to the nursery where Giovanni slept peacefully. Gazing fixedly into his crib at his olive skin and tiny thumb, which he sucked intermittently, she began to hope that he would always be at Briarly.
Lady Betsey , she feared, would be inconsolable if Giovann had one day to return to Italy or some far off land.
She passed Lady Betsey in the study, as she made her way to the kitchen, to prepare lunch for Giovanni.
'Good day, Mrs Goodwood,' Lady Betsey called out.
''I shall be perambulating with Giovanni in the afternoon, to visit Dowager Spencer . She is not at all well and has requested my presence. I shall not linger long, since Giovanni will require his evening nap.'
'Eh..eh...what do you plan on saying about Giovann to the Dowager...?.'Mrs Goodwood asked nervously.
'Oh,' Lady Betsey replied,' the Dowager will not be concerned...in fact she has wished for an heir for her residence in Granby Hall for many a long year. Tragically, both her Brigadier husband , Lionel and twenty-one year old son, Jacob, were both killed in the war. She will be happy to see that Briarly has not suffered that terrible fate'.
Mrs Goodwood was happy to see Lady Betsey becoming more at ease with Giovanni.
'You may leave early today, Mrs Goodwood, if you wish,' Lady Betsey continued.
Mrs Goodwood felt a frisson of excitement.
'Yes, yes , thank you, Lady Betsey, thank you,' Mrs Goodwood replied.
'That means I will have time to put on my favourite red lipstick before I go out,' Mrs Goodwood blurted out.
'Your favourite red lipstick,' Lady Betsey laughed ,'why Mrs Goodwood, do you have a secret rendez-vous? Pray do tell..'
But Mrs Goodwood felt a little uncomfortable, not having intended to share news of her tea date. After all Butler Eames and herself were just old friends. No need for a girl's heart to start fluttering at the prospect.
Giovanni's wails from the nursery startled Mrs Goodwood out of her reverie.
'There, there, Giovann,' she began, ' nurse is here'.
'It's Giovanni,' Mrs Goodwood,' Lady Betsey called from the study door.
Mrs Goodwood's face reddened a little with embarrassment .
'Yes Ma'am,' she called, as she held Giovanni, crooning softly to him.
He smiled and giggled with delight.
Clouds began to gather and the sky darkened a little. Lady Betsey set off through the gates of Briarly with the ancient perambulator, its steel edgings glinting, in what was left of the afternoon sun.
Giovanni pointed excitedly at two large white swans that rested on the bank of the little river, Thate, that meandered peacefully through Briarly's century's old grounds.
Mrs Goodwood whipped off her white bonnet and apron, hung them hastily in the servants' quarters and walked purposefully through the gates.
Butler Eames, making his way down the marble stair case, spotted Mrs Goodwood hastily leaving the premises and wondered about their afternoon rendez-vous.
Eames lingered midway on the staircase. What if...oh no..perhaps she doesn't trust me..she may not know my beloved wife passed away ten years ago, he mused to himself.
He felt nervous and unsure.
Bewildered, he continued on.
'Be careful with those damn cut glasses ', Eames shouted angrily at young Henry, who had recently arrived to apprentice in Briarly.
''Yes Sir, I will Sir, I promise Sir', Henry replied as the tray slipped from his nervous fingers and crashed in smitheerens onto the marble floor.
'Drat, young man,'Eames continued,' fetch a brush and dust scoop from the kitchen and clean up the mess. That will be a shilling from your wages'.
Henry was overcome with shame. Only a few weeks at Briarly and already he had to pay for his careless mistakes.
As the clock struck four in the servants' quarters, Eames glanced at himself in the mirror.
M-m-m, he thought to himself, my jaw's still well set despite the passage of time.
Young Henry walked past purposefully.
'Henry', Eames called out abruptly, 'still got a good set to my jaw, don't you think..for a man of my vintage..still got a chance with the ladies ...eh ?'
Henry fiddled nervously with the empty tray he was carrying.
Had Eames taken leave of his senses, Henry wondered.
Henry helped Eames with his mackintosh. Eames donned his tweed cap. Catching sight of Mrs Goodwood by the back gate, he hastened to escort her to the tea shoppe.
Henry, gave a sigh of relief on hearing the iron gate slam shut.
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