48. Returning to the Ton

Just after Valentine's Day, we made our way back to the Ton. I have seen military wagon trains that were smaller, and which took less time to organise.

Mother and my sisters, Barclay and the staff would travel up today. With an early start they would arrive in London late tonight, though I had sent an advance party two days earlier to assist the staff at the Mayfair house to prepare for their arrival and get rooms aired, and fires lit and so on.

Henry and I were not travelling straight to London, we were going via his estate near Stevenage. Henry had been before, in January, but now there was something he wanted to discuss with me, so we would both ride over there, stay overnight and then onto London the day after.

I sent Naiad up to town with two grooms, who would lead her while they rode.

Our first stop, once we had seen the carriages and wagons roll off on the road to London, was Rogeringham village itself, and a rather unprepossessing unoccupied house just on the main street by the gates to the Yew Walk.

"I was thinking about assistants, Your Grace, and where we could accommodate them. My suggestion is that we convert this house into an office where I and the clerks can work, it will be more easily accessible to callers and we can better store the records there, rather than having them clutter up your study at the hall ..."

I actually did not need to consider it, it was such a sensible idea, I agreed immediately. "Put it in train Henry."

Once that was done, we rode on to his new estate.

It is a decent house, with good grounds, a farm attached and, according to Henry, several tied farms - controlled by the estate, and a number of properties from which he draws rents.

The staff welcomed us, and the horses were stabled, and Henry took me on a tour of the house which had several workmen employed at various places, doing repairs and making changes to the fabric of the building.

After dinner Henry poured us a very nice port and we sat for a few minutes while he talked about the changes he planned.

Finally, he stopped. "I believe that the time is now right for me to ask you if I may marry Lady Caroline, Your Grace."

"Have you discussed this with Caroline?"

He nodded. "We are agreed on most aspects of the union, but I wanted you to see my estate and hear my plans before I asked you."

"But you haven't formally asked her yet?" I smiled.

"No." He admitted ruefully.

"Very well then, I am happy with the union. Ask my sister, and then come and see me with her to ask formally. How does that sound?"

Henry nodded. "I believe she wants to marry in September at Rogeringham church."

"Not during the Season or in London?"

"I believe not."

"If that is agreeable to you then we shall have to make it happen."

And with the formal business concluded, and a long ride ahead of us in the morning, I bid Henry good-night and retired.

It was very strange to spend the night without Helena, but it had been a long day and I slept well.

The next day we rode on into London.

It was a good day for a hard ride, and old Cumberland seemed to enjoy it immensely. We stopped at a coaching inn in St Albans, and at one in Harrow. Henry is a good horseman, a natural I would say, and we made good time. So it was, that we rode into the stable-yard in Mayfair an hour after dark.