“He was parson to the village and of course, this house, for over twenty years. Now when the bishop finds the right man another parson will prevail here and I will have to leave.”
There was a note of pain in her voice which the young man heard.
After a moment he said: “If I can afford it, I would do all those things. I would ask you to help me make this house as beautiful as it used to be, when it was first built.”
“Oh, how I would love that,” Rena answered. “But you speak as if it’s impossible!”
“It is. I’ve been abroad because I was serving in Her Majesty’s Navy. When my ship returned to England I learnt, to my astonishment, that they had discovered, after hunting high and low, that I was the only living relative of the last Earl who reigned here. I’m not sure how long ago that was.”
“He died ten years ago,” Rena said. “I know the search for his relatives has continued ever since, but people had given up hope.”
He sighed.
“At first it seemed part of a fairy story,” he explained. “Then I realised that what I had inherited was the title itself, and this house and estate. But as for money – not even a pittance.”
“You mean you have no money even though you are an Earl?” Rena asked. This was an entirely new idea to her.
“Not a penny. When I was told that this house came with the title, which had not been used for so long, I was, at first, thrilled at the thought of owning land and of course having a home of my own.”
He gave a rueful smile. “I didn’t think it was possible to be a poor Earl either. I know better now,” he added with a touch of bitterness.
“Surely you can sell some of the land, if nothing else,” Rena suggested.
“In this condition?”
“Can’t you put it to rights?”
“It would take thousands of pounds, and I have nothing, except what I saved out of my salary as a sailor which needless to say, was very little.
“Besides, it’s entailed. It has to go to the next Earl, who might be my son, but probably won’t be, since I can’t afford to marry. In fact, I can’t afford to do anything. I haven’t a penny to my name.”
“But you have,” breathed Rena in sudden excitement. “That’s what I came here to tell you!”
CHAPTER TWO
The Earl stared at Rena as though she had taken leave of her senses.
“What did you say?”
“You do have some money,” she said excitedly. “That’s why I’m here.” As he continued to regard her with bewilderment she asked. “Didn’t you wonder what I’m doing here?”
“Well – ”
“Do strange women pop up in your kitchen every day, cooking you breakfast with no questions asked?”
“I’ve never had a kitchen of my own before now,” he observed mildly, “so I’m a little vague about the normal procedure. But now you mention it, I suppose it is a little strange.”
“A little strange?” she squealed, indignant at his annoying composure.
“One of the advantages of being a sailor is that you become ready for the unexpected, what ever it may be. Hurricanes, mermaids, beautiful young women springing up through trapdoors – Her Majesty’s Navy is ready for anything.”
“I wish you would be serious,” she said severely.
“You’re right,” he said, nodding. “There are no trapdoors here, and you could hardly have come up through the flagstones could you?”
“You – ” her lips were twitching, and she hardly knew what to say.
“Yes?” He was suspiciously innocent.
“Nothing. When you can be serious I’ll tell you what I have to say?”
“I am immediately serious,” he declared, although the gleam in his eyes belied it. “Please tell me how you came to be in my house? Did you break in? Should I send for the law? No, no, I’m sorry – ” for she had risen in exasperation.
“Please sit down. I promise to behave like a sensible man.”
“You shouldn’t promise the impossible.”
“Oh dear! Dashed! I’m afraid you understand me all too well, Miss Colwell.”
She pressed her lips together.
“Please tell me what you wish to say,” he said meekly.
“I came because I’d heard somebody was here,” Rena said, “to tell you that I found something on your estate which it’s only right for me to give to you.”
She took out the three coins she had taken from under the thistle, and put them down on the table. The sunshine coming through the window seemed to make them sparkle.
The Earl looked at her in astonishment. Then he lifted the coins and turned them between his fingers.
“These are ancient,” he said. “Several hundred years probably. Where did you find them?”
“Underneath a thistle in your grounds. And I brought them to their owner, which is apparently you.”
He looked at her curiously. “Did you not think of keeping them for yourself?”
“I told you, my father was the parson here. One thing he never expected me to do was take possession of anything which did not belong to me!”
“My apologies. It’s very kind of you to bring me these coins. I’m sure they’re valuable. But you know, they won’t go very far. What we really need is a few thousand of them!”
“They may be there for all I know,” Rena told him. “That’s why I came at once to tell you. You should search as soon as possible, in case anyone does what I tried to do.”
“What you tried to do?”
“I was visiting the cross.”
“What cross?”
“It stands on your land. It was found years ago. They cleaned it up and Papa deciphered the words carved on it. They are an invitation to prayer, so people sometimes go there instead of the church. I found a thistle growing at the foot, spoiling the beauty of the kingcups, so I pulled it out. These were underneath.”
“Just these? No more?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t look further. But there might be, and that would solve all your problems.”
He was silently staring down at the three gold
