17 August 1871, Thursday

I received a short note from James in the morning post accepting my invitation to tea. When I conferred with Lady Cowperthwaite regarding plans for the afternoon she noted that she had an appointment to go gun shopping with Sir Spencer. She was firm that I should not cancel my plans with James to accompany her. I mentioned that Mrs Frazer had shown an interest in the long range rifles they were going to see. As I hoped, Lady Cowperthwaite, in her kind and impulsive way, invited Mrs Frazer along on the outing. I was quite relieved. Sir Spencer has his good qualities, but his reputation in some circles is not the best and I would not give anyone more cause to think ill of Lady Cowperthwaite, and by extension, her husband, than already exists.

George and Mr Salmalin argued sotto voce over who was to drive our Mistress– normally George would cede such duties to his senior, however, he knows how far my husband pushed himself in the battle with That Woman only two days ago and would allow him a bit more rest. Graves stepped in and pointed out that driving was actually the less strenuous chore, given the current uproar created by The Packing, and George gracefully gave way on the issue, leaving my husband to wonder if the two of them had not just pulled one over on him.

I spent most of the day packing. All of my belongings, save the dress I will wear on the train tomorrow, are packed. I am giving the last of my mourning clothes away before I am forced to wear them again. Lady Ottoline takes donations of good quality clothing for her girls. It took considerably less time to pack my husband’s belongings. I left his small shrine and a few of his more personal items for him to pack once he returns for Lady Cowperthwaite’s errands.

George and David have come for my trunks. They have the unenviable task of loading the wagons this evening, as we will be leaving tomorrow morning on the early train.

~Later~

James and I had tea in the upper parlour. It was one of the only rooms that was spared in the bustle of packing.

My brother has no less than five fellowship offers and he is keeping all of them on tenterhooks until the last possible moment. That also means he is keeping his family on tenterhooks as well. Two of the positions are near enough to London for him to visit me regularly, but one is up North at Glasgow University. We did not talk about our shared work in any depth, contenting ourselves with reminders, each to the other, to keep safe.

I shared with him a letter I had received from our sister Betty. Apparently, our cousins Major Haywood, Mrs Russell, and her daughter Miss Eliza paid a visit to Whitnell House. I was very glad to hear that Miss Eliza has had a chance to spend time with my niece Anne, who is very nearly her age.. Unfortunately very little of Betty’s letter was taken up with the doings of the younger set– most of it was spent extolling the virtues of Major Haywood.

My time spent with our cousin has shown me that he is a decent man and kind. Though his own dealings in the occult might take some explaining to a future bride...

I have very mixed feelings about the attraction that Betty appears to feel for Major Haywood. She is very young. I said a much to James and he reminded me that she turns 18 this December– a fact I found quite unnerving. My sister-in-law is likely to being pushing Mother and John to allow Betty to be out next season– a campaign Betty will join whole-heartedly. We have not the excuse of family mourning that served us this year to postpone her desires.

I did not share all of my concerns with James. He is a light-hearted fellow, in spite of our shared employment, and I would not disturb him with worries that might not be made manifest.

James surprised me by bringing me a gift. In all the excitement of the past few days, I had forgotten that my birthday was this past Monday. It must say something about my improved lot that it had completely slipped my mind.

Lady Cowperthwaite arrived home as James was taking his leave, so he made a special effort to greet Mr Salmalin. I offered to give my brother a ride to his lodgings in my dog-cart. Then nothing would be said but to have Mr Salmalin drive and James and I ride along. The dog-cart is small for three but Mr Salmalin, James, and Graves did not want me driving home alone. Given at least one of our adversaries’ tendency to come back from the dead, I really can’t blame either Graves or my husband.

The ride home with the sun low in the sky was quite relaxing. The heat of the day was stirred by a breeze off the water and much improved by it. Ravvi and I rarely have any time alone and the confines of the dog-cart made it almost a requirement that we sit quite near one another...

Upon returning home, my husband was pulled into the packing maelstrom. I remembered an idea I wanted to propose to Sir Cosmo and so went in search of him. I found him and Lady Cowperthwaite swinging on a rope in the carriage house. I asked if it would be proper to alert Count Siegfried Wymms about Mme de Vere’s activities (including the fact that she looks so like her sister). He said he would think about it and I left them to their business.

18 August 1871, Friday

Today we loaded onto the train, travelled to Lancastershire, arrived, and unloaded. Lady Cowperthwaite and I did spend part of the train ride making plans for the rest of the summer. If all remains quiet, I have secured her permission to go into the City on weekdays to pursue tutoring in Chinese and Sanskrit and to research various items of interest to the League. Lady Cowperthwaite did ask that I spend the rest of August with her as Sir Spencer will be teaching her how to handle and fire the new long rifles that she purchased. She bought several so we both could practise.

I could hardly turn her down after such thoughtfulness (not to mention that she is my employer).
So I will remain at Edenfield, learning how to shoot and keeping Lady Cowperthwaite company. Then I shall spend a few days at my cottage, seeing to its maintenance and upkeep, and finding out what Major Haywood has to say for himself in the matter of my sister. I will ask Mr Salmalin his preference in accompanying me or staying with the Cowperthwaites.

Then, in September, I will go into London during the week and see to my studies. Edward has already asked me if I know how to make a magic sword (I don’t) and it occurs to me that his idea of planning ahead for our next encounter with the dragon-fae hybrid is a good one. Not to mention trying to find out a bit of what That Woman is up to (other than no good).

Lady Cowperthwaite made the very sensible suggestion that I ask her brother, Mr Fong Chigwidgeon, if he would be willing to supplement my Chinese as his experience with the language might give me a larger vocabulary than the man Mr Willoughby will find for me.

19 August 1871, Saturday

Today was spent unpacking the household and settling in. Graves accompanied the household to Edenfield for this first week. The three Misses Shorock travelled with us to the village. Miss Helen seemed to be very happy to leave London behind. Her Aunts were pleased in a disgruntled way– I could tell they wished the Season had been more productive for Miss Helen but were happy to be returning home.

Mrs Sinclair joined us as well, expressing a desire to help look after the babies. I know that Mrs Frazer was hoping our change in location would be sufficent inducement for her mother to return home, but it was not to be.

Graves and Mrs Sharps had corresponded a great deal in preparation for this move and had every thing prepared. Mrs Frazer has accepted the offer of the cottage we were in last year and Mr Salmalin and I are nicely settled in to the smaller gamekeepers cottage. It has only one bedroom but I left much of my equipment back in London this time and so have little need of the extra room.

We are a bit father from the main house. I hope this will not make Mr Salmalin’s job more difficult than necessary as I am very pleased at the prospect of some privacy.

20 August 1871, Sunday

I attended services this morning. Attendance was light, as is so often the case in the summer. Though the old stone church holds the night’s chill well and makes for a comfortable place to sit out of the August sun. Lady Cowperthwaite stayed home, pleading fatigue from the trip from London.

I saw several of the women who had hosted teas for, the then, Miss Chigwidgeon, in advance of her marriage to Sir Cosmo. Mrs Cropley in particular inquired after her health. She was worried that Lady Cowperthwaite might be too delicate for our English summers. I mentioned that it was merely the trip up from London and the chaos of the house at the moment that was preventing her attendance. If word gets out that Lady Cowperthwaite is expecting, the whole parish (at least the distaff side) will be a bit over-excited.

Sir Cosmo’s mother is recalled fondly when talking about the ‘new’ Lady Cowperthwaite. Apparently Lady Constance was very well liked and got on well with the other women of the parish. There seems to be some hope that Namaste will step into her predecessor’s shoes and take a more active role in the neighbourhood. I deflected as much of that expectation as I could without arousing concern. I must relay this to the mistress and see if a few strategic fêtes or fairs throughout the summer and early fall, might not help in this matter. I suspect that we could secure the assistance of Miss Pinker if needed.

21 August 1871, Monday

The guns arrived today. I spent most of the afternoon in one of the large outbuildings with Lady Cowperthwaite learning, under Sir Spencer’s tutelage, how to safely handle them. We are to go target shooting tomorrow.

22 August 1871, Tuesday

Mrs Sinclair has announced her intention to return home tomorrow. I am certain this in no way coincides with the large number of percussive rounds Miss Namaste Lady Cowperthwaite and I fired under Sir Spencer’s watchful eye today.

The guns are very loud, but very accurate. Sir Spencer demonstrated their range and his accuracy on the targets Stuart and David had set up for us. Both of the young men seemed keen to have a try as well, so I shared my weapon with them. The long rifles are heavy and have a powerful recoil– I will need to gain more strength in my arms before I can work with them for any length of time. Lady Cowperthwaite took to firing them with a rather alarming glee and was discussing ways to modify our carriages to conceal the weapons on the walk back to the house.

23 August 1871, Wednesday

Our days have quickly settled into a routine. In the morning, after the staff breakfast, Mr Salmalin and I meet with the others for defence practise. I have followed up with Emily regarding spending more time on my fencing. She made the offer months ago but I had fallen out of the habit of spending additional time with her during the hectic Season in London.

Lady Cowperthwaite and I then attend to her correspondence. It is much diminished out in the country, though there are still calls to pay, especially as we have been away for so long.

Late morning is spent in the company of those working on polishing various and sundry languages. Mrs Cuthbert is still helping me with my Greek and Edward and I are working on our Arabic.

I need to remember to take the Comte’s book into town with me and try to find out what language it is written in, as it is not one I recognize.

After luncheon, I usually go riding, if my duties permit. It is such a joy to ride! I have convinced Mr Salmalin that he needs a bit more practise as well, and he rides with me, when he can be spared.

24 August 1871, Thursday

I received letters today from Mr Willoughby and Mrs Godwin confirming arrangements for tutoring in Chinese and Sanskrit.

My Chinese tutor is to be a Miss Jinghua Gong. Her father wants her to learn English and French and is willing allow us to work together to teach each other what we know. Miss Gong acts as his secretary in some of his business matters and he would have her have a better command of languages.

My tutor in Sanskrit is to be Mr Halim Davakadasham. Mrs Godwin describes him as a man slightly older than me. He came to England to take a degree on Oxford and was recruited by the Order. He particularly works on translating documents and tutoring members of the Order.

I am very excited by the prospect of learning from both of them. The only drawback is that Mr Salmalin will be remaining in the country with Lady Cowperthwaite during the week and I will only see him at weekends.

25 August 1871, Friday

I was sent to find Miss Wilhelmina, as Mrs Frazer wanted to spend some time on Latin this afternoon. I found Edward out in the workshop experimenting with the explosive properties of salt.

After picking myself up from the ground after the explosion and assuring myself that Edward was intact and had taken appropriate safety precautions, I suggested that he write his experiment up for Mrs Frazer. He countered by showing me the notes he had been keeping in Arabic. We had a very interesting conversation regarding his progress in Arabic and I was just showing him some tips for keeping the nib of his pen in good shape (different scripts take different tolls on one’s writing implements) when I was recalled to my duties by the arrival of several members of the League wondering what the noise was all about.

Mrs Frazer took advantage of the situation to round up her charge and I returned to the cottage for some tea and further work on the Mistress’s correspondence.

26 August 1871, Saturday

News broke today of the “Wooster Scandal”. Apparently our Lieutenant paid inappropriate attentions a daughter of the reigning Duke of Modena. The scandal broke just as the Queen was in treaty negotiations to with Modena. He has been confined to quarters and an investigation has begun into the incidents. Miss Wilhelmina has been going around the house ‘tidying’ the newspapers. It appears she is trying to prevent Miss Bertilde from hearing of the scandal. Given the gossip belowstairs, I suspect it is a pointless endeavour.

I received a letter from my cousin, Mrs Russell, confirming that she would meet me at the train station in Stoke-on-Trent on 28 August.

27 August 1871, Sunday

Miss Bertilde heard today of Lt Wooster’s involvement in the scandal in France. She has gone very quiet.

Mr Salmalin will be coming with me to West Darlson. I am very pleased to have his company for the next few days and hope he will not be too uncomfortable so long away from his charges.

28 August 1871, Monday

Today was a long day of travel but Ravvi and I are settled in the cottage at West Darlson. We were met by Major Haywood’s carriage at the station and driven to West Darlson. Mrs Russell and Miss Eliza rode with us and gave us some of the local news. We were also invited to dinner tomorrow night.

House is in good condition as is the cottage itself. The pantry is a bit bare but Mrs Russell was kind enough to bring a generous hamper that will easily see us through tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch.

I have set out some treats for the Brown Men and banked the fire in preparation for retiring for the night.

29 August 1871, Tuesday

Today we walked into town and picked up a few dry goods for the pantry. I have asked to be added to the milk delivery route for the rest of the week. The walk back made me glad of my sturdy and well-used boots. We arrived home with time to spare, so after stocking the pantry, I changed out of my dusty walking dress and took a nap. Ravvi woke me in time to change for dinner and we were ready when Major Haywood’s man came for us in the carriage.

Dinner was very pleasant. Mr Salmalin was his usual quiet self, but Mrs Russell worked very hard to draw him out into the conversation. I was very pleased to see the effort she expended on his behalf (quite unlike another relative I could mention).

After dinner we took a stroll around the grounds. It is getting dark earlier and earlier but there was still enough light to see by. I was able to speak to both Mrs Russell and Major Haywood individually about their visit to Whitnell House.

Major Haywood indicated that he had some awareness of Betty’s feelings for him, but had not yet decided what course to take in the matter. We talked quite frankly of my concerns for my sister. I also expressed my own admiration for Major Haywood and was, hopefully, clear that I was not fundamentally opposed to such a match, merely pointing out some of the possible pitfalls in such a relationship. With Mrs Russell I simply confirmed that I find Major Haywood to be a good man but am protective of my sister, given my own experience in marrying a much older man, and having the marriage fail. She was sympathetic to my concerns and seemed to be more aware than her brother of some of the tensions at Whitnell house between my Mother and Sister-in-Law. I left it at that and the four of us went inside for dessert and coffee.

30 August 1871, Wednesday

Today I had tea with Mrs Dobson. She is still in good health, though does not get out as much as she would like. I had borrowed Billy and his carriage for the ride into town and so offered to take her out to the cottage for the evening. She agreed to my offer and we spent a lovely evening together. Mrs Dobson and I talked Billy into coming into the house for dinner. He’s still a bit skittish about the house itself, having grown up hearing the stories that it was haunted. I did mention that it would not necessarily be a good idea for him to come round to the house when I was not in residence. I don’t want to scare him, but boys his age do get into trouble, and frequently, an uninhabited cottage can be the source of much mischief in a village.

Mrs Dobson had many stories to tell about my Great-Aunt. Stories I don’t believe I would ever hear from her. Billy drove Mrs Dobson back into town as the light was draining from the sky and Mr Salmalin and I had the house to ourselves once more. We did the dishes and set things to right before settling down with our books for the evening.

Mr Salmalin is reading a book Major Haywood lent him describing the peoples we might encounter during our trip to Africa. I am reading one of the local guidebooks left behind by my Great-Aunt. There is still a great deal for me to learn about the land around West Darlson.

31 August 1871, Thursday

Today was very quiet, just Ravvi and I. I am so very glad he decided to accompany me on this trip. I miss him a great deal when we are apart.

I worry that he is distracted, being so far from Lady Cowperthwaite, should she get into trouble, but he has shown no sign of such distraction. It is still very difficult for me to tell what his feelings are in any given situation. I must trust that he will tell me if he feels a need to return to Edenfield, goodness knows I can manage on my own here if needed.

This afternoon I performed the ritual that helps sustain House. It is relatively simple, as these things go, and was the first magik I have performed in a while. It feels very good to work though a ritual in my own time, sure of what is to be done, and without the distraction of my friends and colleagues being in danger.

1 September 1871, Friday

Today was spent cleaning the cottage and preparing it for the winter. I hope to return for a winter visit but our schedule is unpredictable. Mr Salmalin helped me wash the linens early this morning and they are out to dry on the back line. The weather is cooperating and we should be able to bring in the dry sheets by late afternoon. If I have to, I will use a bit of magik to hurry things along but would prefer to let the sun do the work.

I have prepared a feast for the Brown Men and hope that one of them will consent to come in for a chat. They seem to tolerate Mr Salmalin quite well– and he them. I feel a very strong connexion to my Great-Aunt when I talk with them. They have stories of witches in this cottage going back many generations and Great-Aunt Hethelyn is still ‘old-new’ witch. I suspect I will be the ‘new’ witch until the next Whitnell or Haywood takes my place here. I find that a comforting thought.

Major Haywood’s man will come for us just after breakfast tomorrow. Mr Salmalin has decided to travel to London with me and then take the train to Edenfield on Sunday. I suggested the possibility of him travelling directly back to Edenfield from Stoke-on-Trent but he would not hear of it. I am glad of his company and will not quibble about the train fare. We will be apart enough this fall as it is. A day spent in his company, even on a train, is always welcome.

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