The Steward of Blackwood Hall

Chapter twenty-two - In vino veritas

When the ladies left the dining room, Mountford moved to occupy the chair Anabelle had vacated. "You have given my neighbours a very strange impression of yourself, Fielding. It appears Mrs North was not the only one who thought you were my steward."

Henry’s light-hearted tone did nothing to calm Fielding’s anger. “You have reaped the benefit of my experience, and this is what I receive in return. Thanks to Miss Latimer the entire parish now believe me to be in your employ.”

"I never thought so," Mr. Latimer said. When Fielding arched a sceptical brow, the older man added, "Well, not once I made your acquaintance at least." He pushed his chair back from the table to dispose his leg in a more comfortable position. "Can I interest either of you gentlemen in some very fine port?"

After nudging his glass forward, Fielding watched in silence as his host filled it. He then drained the contents in one go, determined to erase the worst memories of the evening in as short a time as possible.

Mr. Latimer refilled Fielding’s empty glass. "Come now, sir. Oporto's finest needs to dwell a moment on your palate for you to fully appreciate its charms."

"After this evening's revelations, I would rather embrace the oblivion it can provide," he said, with a great deal more truth than diplomacy.

Mountford reacted with half-laughing alarm. "Surely things are not so bad? Young ladies do get the strangest ideas into their little heads. It was an understandable mistake to make."

“One person misinterpreting my presence at Blackwood for employment would have been bad enough. It is something entirely different for that same person to spread the tale around all your neighbours as though it was the truth.”

And worse still when the source was the woman he loved. It was this circumstance that caused him the most pain, like a knife plunged into his back. As he dwelt on the memory of Anabelle’s pale, hopeless features staring back at him across the dinner table, the knife twisted further.

He shook his head to dispel the bleak vision and reached for his glass. The sweet, dark port swirled across his tongue, bringing with it lingering memories of ripe blackberries and spicy red cherries, but he derived no pleasure from the warming flavours.

"I still wonder how such confusion could have arisen in the first place," Mountford said to Mr. Latimer. "Before this evening I would have sworn there was no one who could mistake the Master of Meltham for a working man. Indeed, whenever he is bored and in want of diversion, or when he believes the company to be beneath his notice, he can make even me feel like the lowliest gutter-snipe. Had your daughter met my friend at those times she would have realised at once that he has not the humility to be a steward."

"I have been in the presence of the Mr. Fielding you describe. He visited me only this morning. However, I do not think he has ever made himself known to my daughter. As for how the information could be spread, I assure you it would have taken little effort. Anabelle only needed to mention her unfortunate first impressions to my wife. That alone would be sufficient to ensure its dissemination across the entire county."

Mountford shook an admonishing finger at Fielding. "If you are determined to fault Miss Latimer, then you must also blame me. I ought to have told Mrs North you were not a steward before I left for London, but it never occurred to me that anyone would imagine such a thing."

“In that case you must have a pitiable imagination.” Fielding jumped to his feet and began pacing around the dining room, the better to calm his disordered thoughts.

“Perhaps I have, but I see no need for you to fly into the boughs over such a trivial error.”

“I cannot agree with you, Mountford. Do you not comprehend the inevitable result of such a mistake? How can the necessary distinctions of rank be preserved under such circumstances? By branding me a steward to all your neighbours, Miss Latimer has irreparably damaged my reputation and standing within this community.”