“Have you been to see Manus yet?” Miss East asked.
Charlotte hung her head and said “No” in a small voice. She hadn’t seen him since the day before the hunt weeks earlier.
“He keeps asking for you and wants to see you. He’s very sad at the moment.”
Charlotte made no response.
“Time is running out. You’ll be back to school soon.”
Her return had been delayed until she regained her voice after the accident.
“Now off you go. Your father wants to see you. He said eleven o’clock and he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
This was the first time Charlotte had been summoned for a serious talk with her father. She expected him to blame her for Edwina’s accident and pour scorn on her for being such an incompetent rider. He would probably punish her by beating her, or telling her she could never ride again, or send her to live with the gypsies or the orphans, or have her locked up in gaol.
Waldron informed Charlotte that the family was to vacate Tyringham Park and move immediately and permanently to their house in Dublin. It was Edwina’s wish and he could see the sense of it. She would never walk, let alone ride again, and needed to be near medical help, so Dublin – and later, perhaps, London – would be more suitable considering the condition she was in. Living in the depths of the countryside would not be practical.
The implications of what her father was saying didn’t register with Charlotte, whose relief at not being blamed for anything overrode other considerations for the moment.
“Your Uncle Charles would like to rent the Park until Harcourt comes of age, so we will all be able to return here to hunt whenever we wish. I shall travel back to India and stay there until my retirement. Your mother’s sister, your Aunt Verity Blackshaw, will live with you on a permanent basis, so you will be in good hands. No servant will transfer to Dublin except Holly, who will be needed to look after Harcourt.”
“What about Miss East?”
“Miss East? Didn’t you know? Lily East has given long-term notice.” Waldron was concentrating on one of his military drawings while he was speaking. “She doesn’t want her staff to know yet, so we’re keeping it confidential until June.” He slapped his head in an exaggerated gesture. “Now that I remember, she doesn’t want you to know until then, either, so you’d better not let on to her that I told you. Damn. That slipped my mind. Can’t be helped. After that date she won’t be working for the family any more. Hard to imagine the place running without her, after all these years. She is going to marry that Sid chap and look after his motherless daughter. She wouldn’t be needed anyway as your Aunt Verity will be in charge until your mother leaves hospital. Not that any of that should concern you. You’ll be back at school shortly.” He signed the drawing and swivelled his chair around to face her. “Is all that clear?”
“Yes, Father.”
“At least you’re speaking again. Will have to think about getting you another hunter. Run along, now.”
Waldron was pleased with his interview. Edwina had told him to inform Charlotte of their changed circumstances and not to leave it to Miss East, and he had done as he was asked. He always had a strong wish to please her in the weeks before he quit the country and her company.
One thing he was not pleased about was being forced to keep on Manus as stable manager. Beatrice had had a quiet word the day after the hunt, threatening to spread the detailed story, if Manus was removed, of how a crack shot in His Majesty’s service had missed a wounded, stationary horse from four paces and how an underling with no military training at all had to come forward to finish the task.