I originally wrote these stories of Helena's adventures for a lady friend on another site. Sadly she is no longer with us. But after my first couple of forays into writing on here, I thought I would bring the stories back to life.
It's amazing to see how many people have ready my meandering words. Even more that people are actually adding them to their favourites!
So here comes the next Chapter in Lady Helena's adventures. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.
A couple of hours later Lady Helena made her way downstairs and out to the entrance to the house courtyard. The household staff were all there busily putting the final touches to the setting up of tents and tables full of food and drink for the afternoon party. The village had been invited to watch Jones the Blacksmith and his team dismantle the old gates and hang the new ones. A few minutes after she reached the gates she could hear singing as the villagers came along the road, led by old Harry on his cart, with Jones sat beside him. No-one knew Jones first name, even his wife called him Jones apparently. Finally, the small parade of families, all in their Sunday best stood in front of the old gates.
Helena made her way up on to the platform to make her little speech. "First of all, thank you all for coming out here today, and thankfully the weather is smiling on us too!" she started. "Today is to mark a symbolic change in the relationship between the Mountfort house and Mountfort village. I know my late husband and his forebears were not the most understanding or accommodating of people, either as employer, landlord or customer. I intend for that to change and hopefully those of you with family working in the house will have told you that change has already started," As she looked around the crowd, she saw Lucy, James and Jones all smirking and she blushed furiously. "These new gates are a physical reminder of that change, I have asked Jones to remove the family crest and replace it with a simple M for Mountfort to represent the village, the house and the family as one."
There was a small ripple of applause from around the crowd. "those bastards really weren't liked were they!" she thought to herself.
"And here is another change," she announced loudly. "Mr Jones would you come up here please?"
As he stepped onto the little dais she pulled a bag of coins from the pockets of her dress. "From now on, the family and house will pay in full any agreed price on completion of the work, not haggle after the event or delay payment."
She tossed the bag of coins to a shocked looking Jones. "Ma'am thanky much indeed!"
Then she pulled out anther smaller bag. "In here are some guineas," she said loudly, "for you to disperse among today's working party as you see fit. This is over and above the payment for the gates, so make sure you hang them straight! No beer for the workers till the gates are swinging on the hinges!" she laughed loudly.
As she handed him the pouch of coins, she pulled him into a hug, whispering in his ear, "you'll get the rest of your reward on Friday!"
In a matter of seconds, the working party were inside the tent, stripping off their Sunday best and into their working clothes. An hour later the old gates were on the back of Harry's wagon as scrap and the new ones shining on the stone posts.
"Let the party begin!" cried Helena from the dais, "a job well done by all."
Jones divided the guineas among the workers, "Now don't go drinking it all at once now Harry!" he joked.
For the next couple of hours Helena mingled with the villagers learning more and more about them all. She struggled to keep a straight face, when having conversation with Lucy's father, the vicar, about the amount of sin in the world.
"You are lucky Sir," she responded, "to have such a devoted and well-behaved daughter, she is a credit to you and your wife."
Lucy nearly choked on her mug of cider as she heard her Mistress describe her as such. When she reached Jones and his family she sang his praises as such an honest man and hard worker. "Now Mr Jones I know you have only just finished this job," she began to explain, "but I may have some more work for you. If your family can look after the blacksmith side of things?"
Jones looked back, "we are rather busy your Ladyship." he began to reply.
But then his wife stepped in. "Of course, we can look after things. Do the boys good to have to work the smithy on their own for a change. It's only farm stuff we have at present and you knows they can do that alright."
She turned to Lady Helena with a gap-toothed smile, "Now what was it you're wanting my Jones to work on?"
Helena responded, "It's your husbands leather skills I am interested in." Jones nearly choked on his ale. Helena continued, "Or should I say my friends the Faversham's are interested in. His wife is insisting on a new set of harnesses and bridles etc for their horses and carriage now they are regularly at court. I extolled the quality of you workmanship and your honesty in pricing Jones, unlike those vultures in London. If you are interested I could invite her down at the weekend to discuss it with you? Perhaps you could draw up some designs and bring some examples of your work up to the house on Friday? "
Annie Jones clipped her husband round the ear, "Of course we would be honoured to carry out the work, he'll be there at ten if that's OK?"
"Mrs Jones that would be perfect," Helena replied, knowing full well that Lily Faversham would not get there much before one o'clock at best. "I may have to keep him there for the day to work through the ideas with Lady Faversham. I hope that isn't an inconvenience?"
Annie laughed, "not at all, glad to be rid of him to be honest!"
Helena smiled, "That's settled then. Make sure to bring some examples of your special work with you Jones. I hope to interest Lady Faversham in it."
With that she left the party and the villagers to their carousing and returned to the house. James was waiting for her at the doors. "No need for them to have to leave this evening James. Let them party till the drink runs out. As long as I have a maid, which doesn't have to be Lucy to dress me in the morning and a cook to prepare breakfast."
James smiled, "Very well your ladyship. I'll let Lucy have the night off. I'll have Susan attend you in the morning, she doesn't tend to drink very much."
As she started to climb the stairs, she stopped and turned back to James. "Oh, I will need a messenger in the morning to carry a note to the Faversham's please, for her Ladyships attention." She reached her room, undressed herself for the first time in years and collapsed into bed, promptly falling asleep.
"Your Ladyship," an unfamiliar voice started to break through the fog of Helena's sleep. The fog of sleep refused to break, and she buried her head back into the pillows. Her body ached in places she didn't know could ache.
"Fuck I think I might have overdone things yesterday!" she thought to herself as her mind started to break through.
"Your Ladyship," came the voice again, "its ten o'clock and there is a visitor downstairs for you, a Lady Charlotte apparently."
