Learning to Love Read online

  She obviously knew very little about life except for her experience at the Convent school. He had expected to have to fight against an over-powering bossy woman who would continually be reminding him it was her money that he was spending!

  Instead he found himself in the position of teacher and protector to a child who might almost have just emerged from her nursery.

  In all his experience with women, the Earl had never had anything to do with young girls. Firstly because he thought they would bore him and secondly because he might find himself married to one.

  Now incredibly that it had happened. He was married to a childlike creature to whom he would have to teach the basic facts of life apart from anything else.

  How could she know anything about the struggle he had endured to run his estate, to provide for and help his people? To deal with their problems as well as his own, and if it was possible, make them happy and prosperous.

  He suddenly felt very tired, but his head was still whirling with questions to which there were no answers and the feeling he was facing intractable problems to which he must find solutions.

  He undressed and as he got into bed he told himself he would just have to play it by ear and hope for the best.

  He had once been given command of a platoon of soldiers who were completely untrained and who had never been abroad. They were stationed in what seemed like the middle of a desert with nothing to think about except themselves.

  Somehow he had knocked them into shape and he had begun to understand their feelings as well as his own. He found himself finding the development of each individual soldier of interest to him personally.

  He now thought he would have to start from scratch teaching Kristina about the world in a country that she had apparently not visited for seven years and where she had no friends or relations and no one to turn to except himself.

  He could understand her terror.

  She had been married unwillingly to a strange man she had never seen before, who looked as she had said, big and strong and menacing!

  Of course her whole situation made her want to run away.

  If he had not lingered in his study, the Earl mused, she might have left after he had retired and he would not have discovered that she was missing until tomorrow.

  He could see all too clearly what a panic there would have been!

  If Kristina had been unlucky she might have met a highwayman, who would have robbed her of everything she possessed. Or perhaps a drunk could have assaulted her!

  How could she know of the dangers that could be found in dark lanes and poverty-stricken villages?

  ‘She is safe for the moment,’ the Earl thought to himself. ‘Equally I must take no risk of her trying to escape again.’

  He looked back on his own life.

  He could remember a number of times when he had found it wise to escape from a beautiful woman who was pursuing him. Naturally it was one in whom he had no further interest.

  He could not think of one who had wanted to run away from him and certainly not one who was so defenceless that he was entirely responsible for her.

  He found it hard to envisage himself as a sort of governess or teacher.

  Then because the whole situation seemed so completely and absolutely ridiculous, he laughed.

  *

  The next morning at eight o’clock the Earl was called by Brook, who drew back the curtains to allow the sun to pour in.

  The Earl was pleased that it was a fine day and exactly what he required for riding over the estate.

  He then remembered that Kristina had said she wanted to come with him, but perhaps she would still be too tired.

  He told himself he was being considerate in thinking that if she was wise she could stay quietly in the house to recover from the trauma of yesterday.

  He would try to come back to the Hall to join her for luncheon.

  Yet if he was honest with himself he knew he really wished to go alone.

  “Breakfast will be ready in half-an-hour, my Lord,” Brook said, “and I took the liberty of sending Jim to the village early this morning as there wasn’t anything to eat.”

  “I am sorry, I should have given you some money last night. It was very remiss of me. I thought about it and then forgot.”

  “It is alright, my Lord. Mr. Randon tipped me very generously when I left and also gave me a sum of money to spend travelling to the Hall which was more than we needed.”

  The Earl thought it was very honest of Brook to say so. When he had climbed out of bed he took a number of pound notes out of the drawer.

  “I want you,” he said to Brook, “to go to the village and pay all my bills and of course to buy everything you and your wife require in the way of food and provisions.”

  He paused for a moment before adding,

  “I am visiting the farms this morning, but I am afraid they will have very little with which they can provide us until they are restocked.”

  “I understand, my Lord, and I’ll make the best arrangement I can until we gets the wheels turning as they should.”

  The Earl smiled.

  “I am leaving the house entirely in your hands,” he said. “But of course ask her Ladyship if there is anything she requires.”

  “Certainly, but I think your Lordship understands that her Ladyship’s never been with her father since her mother died.”

  “I find that hard to comprehend. Surely Mr. Randon must have wanted to see his daughter.”

  “He was so stricken, my Lord,” Brook answered, “when his wife died that all he wanted to do was to work and forget everything in his life but business. When he sent Miss Kristina to Florence, he thought he was preparing her for the life she would live in England when she grew up.”

  The Earl looked puzzled,

  “You mean Mr. Randon was living in a somewhat rough manner?” he enquired.

  “Not exactly, my Lord, he sold the house in which he’d been so happy with his wife and continually moved from hotel to hotel. Sometimes he bought a farm which he thought would interest him and at one time he owned a mansion on Fifth Avenue. But he had to keep moving and it would be impossible for any young lady to be properly educated under those circumstances.?

  “I am beginning to understand,” the Earl said. “It seems very hard that her Ladyship had no home to call her own and that is why we must try to make the Hall a home for her.”

  “It is what she has missed,” Brook said.

  When he left to organise breakfast, the Earl reflected that he was an extremely intelligent man and he felt himself very lucky to have someone so competent to take over the running of the house.

  He knew only too well how much was required in the kitchen where the stove should have been replaced years ago and even the paved floor itself needed repairing.

  Brook however would see to everything and leave him free to cope with the chaos on the estate.

  When the Earl walked downstairs he found that breakfast was served in the room his father and mother had always used. Of course the Hunts must have told Brook where it was.

  To his delight there were several silver dishes on the sideboard and the coffee was in his best silver pot which had been spotlessly cleaned.

  The Earl was just about to help himself to eggs and bacon and what looked like some very edible sausages when Kristina came running in.

  “I know I am late,” she said, “but my new maid, Martha, had no idea where to find what I wanted to wear – and of course it was at the very bottom of the third trunk we opened!”

  The Earl then realised that Kristina’s luggage had travelled down with Brook and the lady’s-maid.

  He noted that her search had been successful, because she was wearing a very smart riding habit and thought with a smile it would be more appropriate in Florence than on his rough unploughed fields.

  “It is so – exciting,” Kristina said, as she picked up a plate, “to be going riding. I only hope the horses are rested after their long journey
yesterday – and are not too tired.”

  “I expect if we have survived then they have too. “Of course I have three horses of my own. But two of them are old and the third also came down from London yesterday and will, I am sure, be too tired to move very quickly.”

  “Then we must ride on two of the team. Have you any idea when the – others will arrive?”

  “What others?” the Earl enquired.

  “Did Papa not tell you?”

  “I do not think he mentioned horses.”

  “He told me,” Kristina said, “that the man who used to look after his racehorses when he lived in England had bought six horses for him at Tattersall’s, which he thought were outstanding – as well as the team we were driving. So I expect they will arrive sometime today.”

  The Earl was astonished.

  “I have not heard anything about this, but of course I am delighted for many horses as possible to fill the stables. The only thing is we shall have to do is engage some stable boys quickly to look after them, unless you are prepared to do it?”

  Kristina gave him a quick glance to see if he was being serious or joking.

  When she saw he was smiling she responded,

  “I do not think I would make a very good stable boy – and I am sure Brook could find us some from the village. Martha was telling me as she dressed me, that they are all agog with anticipation at coming up to work at the Big House.”

  “The whole village?” the Earl asked in mocked dismay.

  “I would not be surprised – the Hall is large enough for a whole army to clean it.”

  “If you are criticising my home,” the Earl commented with mock severity, “I shall feel extremely insulted. If you only knew how I have struggled to keep this poor old house alive, you would be very sorry for me.”

  “Martha said that the Hunts think the world of you. They said you would share your last crust with them and that there has never been a gentleman like you!”

  The Earl laughed.

  “That is praise indeed. And that reminds me, I must go and see the Hunts. They were so busy helping Brook and his wife that I did not see them last night.”

  He finished his breakfast and strode towards the kitchen.

  The Hunts were both with Mrs. Brook, who was a good-looking woman with rosy cheeks and a rather large figure as if she enjoyed her own food.

  The Earl shook hands with them all and then he took the Hunts to the servant’s hall to speak to them alone.

  He told them how much he appreciated all they had done for him while he was struggling to keep the place going.

  He gave them the wages they were owed multiplied by five times and also an extra gift of one hundred pounds to buy anything they particularly required.

  Mrs. Hunt burst into tears and Hunt said,

  “You’ve been a real gentleman to us, my Lord. My wife and I will never forget your kindness. We’d like to stay on here if you will keep us.”

  “You can stay as long as you live,” the Earl replied. “I look on you as part of the family and could not do without you.”

  At his words Mrs. Hunt cried even more and Hunt shook his hand saying,

  “We’ll serve you, my Lord, until we die and I hopes that’ll not be for a long time.”

  “I hope so too,” the Earl agreed. “And I look to you, Hunt, to show Brook the ropes and to advise him as to who to engage from the village. We know those who would be more trouble than they are worth.”

  “You can leave it to me, my Lord,” Hunt replied.

  The Earl knew that he was delighted to be consulted and that he had been afraid of being pushed to one side because he was so old.

  The Earl walked back to the front of the house to find that the horses had been brought from the stables.

  Kristina was waiting for him and she was wearing something on her head that looked like a boy’s cap only made of velvet.

  Because it was so hot she had taken off her riding-jacket and had arranged it carefully at the back of her saddle.

  She looked lovely in a pretty muslin blouse inset with lace and at the same time extremely young.

  They mounted their horses and the Earl led the way through the park and on to the land beyond.

  “This is where we can gallop,” he told Kristina, “but be careful of rabbit holes. You will be fairly safe in the middle of the field.”

  They moved their horses forward as he spoke. He immediately became aware that Kristina intended to race him.

  He realised she rode extremely well and he need not have worried about her on that account.

  When they reached the end of the field he was only a nose ahead of her, because both their horses were so fit.

  “That was delightful!” Kristina exclaimed. “I was never allowed to race so fast in Florence. And only when I have stayed with a friend have I been able to ride a horse nearly as good as this one.”

  ”I am looking forward seeing those which you told me are yet to arrive.”

  Kristina thought for a moment before replying,

  “If you are disappointed, then you must not be too polite to say so. I was thinking last night that if we are to be friends we must be honest with each other and I will tell you what I think is wrong.”

  “Yes, of course,” the Earl agreed. “What would you like to complain about that I should be doing better?”

  “I was not thinking of anything in particular, except that I think we should buy new curtains for the drawing room. I peeped in this morning and it is such a pretty room, much prettier than your study.”

  “I am intending to spend the money your father gave me on everything that is required on the estate first and the house will have to wait.”

  There was silence.

  Then the Earl saw the expression on Kristina’s face and he realised that he had spoken sharply.

  He was just about to word it a little more tactfully when Kristina touched her horse with the whip she carried and it sprang forward. She shot through the gate and was galloping as fast as she could away from him.

  Realising that she was upset, the Earl started to follow her as quickly as he could.

  It took him some time.

  Then as the field ended in an unjumpable and overgrown fence, Kristina was obliged to come to a standstill.

  As the Earl drew up beside her he saw from the expression in her eyes what she was feeling.

  “Forgive me,” he said, “I did not mean to speak like that.”

  “You are – hating me again,” Kristina murmured.

  “Again?”

  “I knew you were hating me – when we were being married. I could feel it vibrating from you – and that was why I knew I had to run away. But last night you were different.”

  “And I am still different now. Please forgive me. It was very selfish and thoughtless of me and I cannot do more than say I am desperately sorry.”

  He realised Kristina was looking at him as if to make quite certain that he was sincere.

  Then as she gave a little sigh, he said.

  “I have thought of a solution to this problem, which I had not expected.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I am going to leave the entire house for you to deal with. You can leave it as it is or you can re-decorate it as you wish. I will ask no questions and will try to make no comments.”

  “Do you really – mean it?”

  “It is something I should have thought of earlier as I am sure you will make the house look as beautiful as I remember it when I was a small boy.”

  “Are you quite sure,” Kristina asked slowly, “that is what you want me to do?”

  “Of course it is – it is just that I was so stupid I did not think of it until I had upset you.”

  They were moving their horses slowly along the hedge towards a gate.

  “I hate my money,” Kristina said unexpectedly. “Suppose we give it all away.”

  “Of course we could, but I think you would find it rather uncomfort
able without Brook or Martha and of course without the horses.”

  Kristina laughed.

  “I thought you would have a good argument for keeping them if nothing else.”

  “Quite frankly,” the Earl said, “I am too old to walk round the estate, and I would like to draw your attention to the fact that although we have ridden quite a long way we have not yet reached the first farm we have to visit.”

  “Then we will keep the horses – and of course the horses will need someone to look after them and food to eat just as we will. So perhaps we will not give away all my money after all!”

  “It would be wise to keep some of it to buy your clothes,” the Earl said. “You can hardly be like Lady Godiva and ride around naked!?

  Kristina gave a little laugh and at the same time she blushed.

  She looked so beautiful as she did so.

  The Earl realised he had been rather shocking.

  ‘I must remember how young she is,’ he told himself again.

  He must handle her very carefully and make certain he neither said nor did anything untoward to upset her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After they had visited the first farm, the Earl was becoming increasingly impressed by the way Kristina was conducting herself.

  The whole situation had been very dramatic with the farmer and his wife almost in tears and then the atmosphere had changed miraculously from misery to joy as soon as the Earl had said a few words.

  It was not surprising when they saw the dilapidated state of the farm itself and that the farmer’s children were obviously underfed and poorly clothed.

  Even the newly born calves were too thin and moved as if they were tired and listless and when the farmer finally grasped that things had changed, he reeled off a whole list of his requirements especially for livestock.

  “You have run this farm for over fifteen years,” the Earl had said, “and I trust you implicitly. I therefore leave it to you to spend what you need.”

  When they left, the farmer’s wife was calling down a blessing from God on them.

  Because they were affected by all the excitement, the farmer’s children ran for some way beside their horses cheering them as they rode away from the farm.