Shade of the black Lady Celina knight of the church

Short from the beginning of my book available on Amazon, Lady Celina Knight of the Church

Saturday 29^th October 1859.

 

We arrived just after two of the clock in the morning. I must admit I was very relieved to arrive as I found it quite tiring flying that distance. The night was very cold and the servants had waited up with hot refreshments. I found this very touching.

This is my first visit to London, and I find my rooms are most pleasant. Jane has worked her magic as usual, and I am most thankful.

 

Lord James having risen early returned to find Lady Mary’s maid collecting her mistress’s night attire, seeing the maid he waited for her to leave before telling his wife.

“Last night as you were inspecting the house, I had a word with Celina. I told her that I thought three servants would be sufficient.” Lady Mary, who had just taken a seat in the window, looked up startled.

 “Only three James, do you think that’s wise?” Lord James joined his wife as he said.

“Yes Mary, you know I was forced against my better judgment into agreeing with this idea of Celina’s, and like I do, I know you have reservations.”

“Yes James, but why just the three?”

“Mary, if I left a full staff of servants this escapade of Celina’s could last for months. Look at it this way, with just three inexperienced servants it will be a struggle, so that is why I have decided on Mrs Williams, Thomas and that young scullery maid.”

“Do you think that’s wise James, after all none of them are?”

“Exactly Mary, Mrs Williams is only an under cook with no experience of running a kitchen on her own, and then Thomas. At the best he is a very junior footman, and as for a housekeeper, Kate that young scullery maid. With those three I will give her until Christmas at the latest before she wants to return home.”

“But what about that money the Abbey has entrusted her with?”

“I have arranged with my London solicitor to have control over it. Mr Jones is quite reliable, and I have instructed him to handle all her affairs.” Lady Mary sat thinking this over before saying.

“I’m still not sure James; Celina has a wilful streak in her. If she suspects your intentions are for her to fail and give up this wild venture. Or feels we are against her she may just turn stubborn.”

“Mary, as far as Celina will know I shall be doing my best to assist her. She will have Mr Jones to advise her and handle all her finances, but I have instructed him only to make funds available if he considers them appropriate. He has the full authority to withhold funds at his discretion. Mark my words Mary; Celina will be home for Christmas. Now are you ready for breakfast?”

 

*****

Celina woke early that morning and was taking a bath as Jane laid out her town dress and other essentials.

“Jane, I’m so excited.” Celina called out from the bathroom. “Just think we’re in London, the greatest city in the world, and on Monday I start looking for a suitable shop. Father has decided to leave Mrs Williams as Cook, Thomas and Kate as servants. He says we only need a few rooms for now. Oh Jane, isn’t it marvellous?” This was followed by a pause before Celina’s voice came again from the bathroom. “You’re laughing at me.”

“Yes my mistress.” Jane admitted with a smile.

“Don’t start;” Celina called back. “We’ve been together too long for that, though I suppose I do sound like a schoolgirl on her first outing.”

“Yes my Lady,” Jane said still smiling. Celina appeared from the bathroom in her dressing gown to say.

“Stop it; I need you to see to my hair. You know I can’t do it myself, and if I dry it, it goes all horrible.” Jane turned to her laughing, having seen the results of Celina using talent to dry and arrange her hair. Taking the proffered towel, she began to dry Celina’s hair as she said.

“It’s so nice to have you here; I missed you.”

“I missed you too Jane, nobody can do my hair quite like you.”

“Thank you mistress.” Was the sarcastic reply, at which they both dissolved in laughter.

Breakfast over; Celina went looking for her mother, finding her sitting in the window seat of the day-room reading. With a smile Lady Mary made room on the seat for Celina.

“Is it interesting?” Celina asked pointing toward the pamphlet her mother had been reading.

“Not really, it’s a medical publication and it’s not that up to date.” Putting the pamphlet down on the seat, Lady Mary looked at her youngest daughter, and was lost for a moment in thought. ‘How like I was at her age, but so….’ Lady Mary couldn’t put words to her feelings.

“You wanted a word with me?” Celina asked. Her mother nodded with a slight frown creasing her forehead as she said.

“You know I’m not happy about you being alone in London?” Celina put her arm around her mother snuggling up to her.

“I know Mother, but it’s something I have to do to prove myself…. even if it’s only to me.” Her mother gave her a squeeze as she asked.

“But Celina, why, there’s no need? It’s not as if you need the money or anything like that.”

“Mother I’m your youngest daughter, and as your only child that is a Knight I feel I have to make something of myself. Besides I like the High Abbot.”

“We all like the Abbot.”

“It’s not just that Mother; it’s the people on the Abbey lands too; he worries about them. Some of the small tradesmen wouldn’t have been able to pay their rent last year, and by rights the Abbey would have had to evict them.”

“I know about that. Your father told me how he loaned money to those unable to pay their rent until they started the new market, but what has that got to do with you?”

“Well I talked to the Abbot about them, and he said he didn’t want to evict them, so I suggested getting them all together to sell their products under a more recognisable brand, and as you know they started a market in Ripon, and it has worked. Now the Abbot wants them to expand. You know that they’ve started selling on the market at Selby?”

“I know about that, but why in London, and why you?”

“Mother I just have to. I started it all and I want to make it work. The Abbot thinks I can, and I think I can too, and as for London that is where we feel we can really sell Fountain’s products.

As you know the Abbot has entrusted me with Church funds, so I can't let him down. I have to make a success of this venture, not just for him and the North, but for myself as well. I have to prove myself to myself. I can’t be just a Lady ‘swanning’ around looking glamorous and being a complete waste of time. Mother I need to do something with my life.”

Lady Mary looked at her daughter closely. Ambition, sincerity and loyalty; any one of these could have been the word she was looking for, and yet she still couldn’t find the right words to describe her daughter.

“Very well Celina, I can’t stand in your way, but a shop selling, what, bric-a-brac?” Celina laughed saying.

“I hope to sell very expensive bric-a-brac once I find a shop. Not only that, but the Abbot is arranging for me to sell Fountain's products to Talents. After all there must be at least as many if not more here in the south.”

“I’m still going to worry about you in London. It’s not like the cities in the North, and here you’ll be entirely on your own.”

“Mother I have Jane with me, and if between the two of us we can’t look after each other, then we are a sorry pair.”

“Neither you nor Jane has any experience of London. Yes I know you have talent you can use if you meet trouble, but what about Jane?”

“Mother, Jane is more resourceful than you think, and I do know she has some latent talent.” Celina’s mother straightened up with sudden interest.

“That can’t be, I would have felt it.”

“Well mother, that’s part of her talent. Jane is really good at blocking.”

“Jane can block?” her mother asked in surprise.

“Have you ever tried to lean on her?”

“I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing.”

“Well you can’t, it all started when I was chosen. It turned out that Jane could feel my wand. Not just feel it, she couldn’t be in the same room with it even when it was sheathed. As it turned out all wands affected her to a certain extent, so Dickie taught her how to block and shield from wands. Not only can she block; I know she uses her talent to suppress her monthly bleed just as I do.”

“Why didn’t Dickie tell me?”

“Jane asked us not to tell anyone, but now that we are here in London, I think you ought to know that there is much more to Jane than meets the eye. You know Mother, I think when you and my father bonded us; you did more than you realised.”

“How do you mean?”

“I don’t know exactly; it's just a feeling, intuition if you like.”

Celina’s mother gave her a questioning look, and then shook her head as she said.

“We will just have to wait and see.” Turning to look at the clock she said. “We need to be going, as your father wants to introduce you to his London solicitor this morning.”