Taming the Rakes

18

Lea was soon dressed as well; Rosemary had chosen a beautiful riding gown for her as they had planned on riding when he came home. The skirt was dark brown in color, so as to make any mud that may get on it less obvious, paired with dark brown boots and cream stockings. The top of the dress was also cream in color, with brown buttons up the front of the shirt and short sleeves, there would be a brown cloak to go with it when they were ready to leave. Lea went to her office across from her room and had Mrs. Jenkins, along with their gardener Mr. Goldsberry come into her office while she sipped her tea.

            “I wonder, Mr. Goldsberry, if we could begin preparing the greenhouses in town for the winter?” She questioned, looking over their cost reports for the gardens. “You will have to let the other gardeners of the Great Houses know and have them start as well; I do not want to find ourselves lacking as we were last year when we started too late. Mrs. Jenkins, I would also like to get a plan going for next year, so that we can rid the garden of some of the less useful plants and start doing spring and summer vegetables and fruits as well; Lord Ashborne and I would like the house to be able to be a bit more self-sustaining so that more of the trade produce that comes in can go to the townspeople. Last year, some of the poorer families could scarcely afford their fruits and vegetables because we had bought up so many of them. I will speak to Father after the funeral he must attend about bringing in more produce from Aramoor, also.”

            Mrs. Jenkins made notes on her small pad of paper as Mr. Goldsberry thought over his lady’s new plan. “I think we can do that, m’lady,” Mr. Goldsberry said in his think, southern accent. “We’ve already got the peach trees, and the apricots, we could easily get some citrus trees going in the greenhouse here to replant next spring, and then we’ve got all the usual vegetables going for the greenhouse already, but I can always add more if you think we’ll be needing them.” Lea nodded, satisfied with her gardner.

            “Do be sure to pass on the word to the other Great Houses that I will be expecting them to bring more local produce to the markets over the winter and even into next year; we have Ramshorne we can trade well with now, and even the Iscor farms in the south were their estate is, but I want Ashborne to thrive with and without trade." Mr. Goldsberry nodded in agreement, bowing as he left the office to deliver the word to the other gardeners.

            Lea smiled, sighing in satisfaction. “Mrs. Jenkins, I wonder if we cannot make more of a difference in this town; some of the best seamstresses I know of in all of Dechya work and live here, why do we not allow them to send some of their works away, or at least some of my friends who have married should take word of who made their dresses for them with them to their new homes,” Lea contemplated, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. “I want you to draft a letter to the other housekeepers who employ seamstresses in their homes, and let them know that I want the ladies who have been married to take word of our amazing women with them when they move; it will help Ashborne if these ladies can bring in more customers for their work, and help the poorer women who assist in the making of the garments to make a bit more money for their families. Do you agree?”

            Mrs. Jenkins, who was a lady of few emotions, lit up at the idea; she had been a seamstress herself before Lady Aramoor had promoted her to housekeeper. “I think that’s an excellent idea, m’lady. I know several women who would appreciate a bit more work coming to them.” Lea nodded, dismissing her housekeeper as she went through the daily mail; she penciled in all of the upcoming Marriage Balls that would be held for her friends, and responded accordingly that they would attend all eleven of them; some of them were even ladies not from the Great Houses of Ashborne, girls with lesser money and titles, but Lea would be sure they would be sent away by the future Duke and Duchess, so that their lives could prosper and they might just see their names in Dechya’s infamous society papers. 

After a few hours of working on the household bills, the mail, and various different duties of the Lady of Ashborne, Lea stretched and decided to venture down to the kitchens; she wanted to ask her cook, Mrs. Goldsberry, her gardeners wife, to make her and Theo a picnic for their hunt this afternoon. After dealing with that, she decided to go out into the garden and finish one of her many paintings that she was always working on; Lea sat under her parasol and worked diligently on her painting, listening to the beautiful sounds of the nature around Ashborne. The painting she was working on was a beautiful forest scene, with a fox lying under a tree and an owl sitting above it; it was set at dusk and beautiful in it’s simplicity. Lea was so absorbed in her work, that she did not notice her husband walk up behind her, and gasped in shock when he placed his hand on her shoulder gently. Theo chuckled, kissing his wife’s cheek lovingly before sitting near her in the garden, watching his wife do one of the things she was most passionate about; art.