“See how the people in your congregation feel, Peter. They will let you know if they think your brother needs a bit more aging. Depending upon what they say, we will decide what to do. But you do not wish the post.”
“I am willing to hold it for him until he is old enough but, no, I do not want to be a vicar. I do not deal as well with people as one must to be a good one.” He looked around the graveyard. “This is what I like. The open. Working with the earth to bring out the beauty of it.”
Brant grinned. “Enough to become the head gardener at Fieldgate? I know it is not the best position to offer a vicar’s son.”
“As soon as we know whether I must stay here a while longer or not, I will be at your door. I mean, yes, thank you, m’lord. If naught else, I can use your gardens to train myself for, perhaps something a little grander. But, yes, I would love to be your gardener.”
“Head gardener.”
Peter nodded and then excused himself. Brant could tell by the way the young man was racing toward the vicarage that he had the need to tell someone the good news. It was not the best position for the son of a vicar but Brant was pleased that Peter would take it, at least for a while. He had the touch, he thought as he looked around. Perhaps he would also see that the young man made the acquaintance of some of the ones now famous for the design of gardens at many a country house.
He bent and kissed the top of the headstone. “Rest in peace, my love. You deserve it.”
By the time Brant got back to Fieldgate the next day, he found his home a little crowded with what appeared to be nearly a dozen women. Agatha quickly dragged the eldest of the group over to him. It took but one look for Brant to know he had a large crowd of Wherlockes in his house. He prayed they were the answer to his letter to Argus.
“This is Lady Honey Vaughn,” said Agatha, who rapidly introduced the others so quickly, Brant hoped he was never pressed to recall their names. “They say Argus sent them to clean the house. I am not sure what that means except to know it does not include any use of mops or brooms.”
Lady Vaughn looked up at him from her diminutive height and blinked her big brown eyes. “We have been given some very nice rooms, fed well, and will begin work soon. This is a very dirty place, m’lord,” she added with a scowl that would have done any scolding mother proud.
“I know, m’lady, which is why I am in such great need of your skills as well as those of your companions.”
“It is also why Argus said I should bring as many of my like as I could find. I scoffed at his insistence that I would need a small army, but I see now that he was right. And, you are right. Our Olympia could never have been happy in this place. The very fact that you asked for us to come here before she did almost excuses the way you have so sullied the energy in this place.”
Brant murmured his apology and then watched as Lady Honey Vaughn led her small army up the stairs, announcing loudly that they would start in the attic. When a petite blonde said she did not see what a man could get up to up there, Lady Honey informed her that this particular man seemed to have gotten up to something everywhere else so why not up there. Brant could feel himself blushing but fought his embarrassment, even when he glanced at Agatha to find her trying vainly to smother her giggles.
“Well, at least that shall be done soon,” he said and started toward his library.
Agatha followed. “It is probably best that you were not here when they first arrived. Lady Vaughn was quite, er, vocal. It took awhile for her to accept the, um, immensity of the work before her.”
When Agatha flopped down in a chair near the fireplace and began to peel with laughter, his embarrassment began to ease. That did not mean he would not stop wanting to hit Argus over the head with something hard and heavy for his remarks about how an army would be needed. He had sent what Brant had asked him to and for that he would be eternally grateful.
“She is such a powerful little lady,” said Agatha as she finally stopped laughing.
“She did seem to be. I do not suppose they told you how they would do it.”
“They did but I am not sure I really understood. There will be some smells although she assured me they will not be unpleasant ones. Something about needing a little smoke and incense and herbs.” Agatha shrugged. “She was talking so fast as she marched through the house with all the other ladies trailing after her, that I did not really think I could ask her questions.”
“She did seem to be a woman who would not like to be interrupted.”
Brant sat down at his desk and looked around. He was anxious for them to clean this room for he could still see Olympia’s face when she had leaned against the wall by the fireplace. He would like to think that was the only memory that needed clearing away. Then again, with the amount of drink he had consumed at times, he could not claim to be certain about much of anything he had done and where he had done it.
“No. She did think that they would need two, mayhap three days to do it properly.”