Astoria Park Resumes

"And how do you feel about that? Did you accept his proposal?"

"I sort of agreed with him, but I didn't say that I would. I have the feeling that Sir Nigel's money may have something to do with his proposal."

"I have heard that he is in debt to a lot of men, and they are threatening to have him in court if he does not pay them."

"I sensed this, after all, it was his gambling that caused me to work for the Wellington Club."

"What do you mean?"

"He owed a lot of money, and Juliana offered to pay his debts if he would persuade Bella and me to work for her. There is one other concern, you see he and Bella are more than brother and sister."

"Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"Yes."

"But that is illegal. They could go to gaol for that."

"Elizabeth, what are you to do? You must decide who your friends are, and what you are going to do with your life. I am not your mother, but I know that she is very concerned about you. I received a letter from her just today, in which she asks me to look into what you are doing and what your father and his woman are doing to you. Then I have heard that the woman is dead and your father is missing. I know that he would not go to Astoria Park. If he did this and the police find him, he will surely hang."

"I do not know what to do. There is this trouble over Sir Nigel's will. I would love the money and the house, but his family will not let me have it, and, in a way, I don't care for it. I should be looking for a nice steady young man who would marry me and I would become a good wife and mother. But who would have me now?"

"I am sure that there must be someone. I will ask my friends."

"There is one man that I found to be most helpful, but alas he is not available."

"Why, is he married?"

"In a way, he is training to be a Priest."

"The good ones are always out of reach, are they not?"

o - 0 - o

Bill, as Sir William chose to be known to his fellow passengers, walked the deck of the ship as the seas increased, they were nearing Cape Horn, and once around it was expected to be a comfortable journey. "Bill, there you are. I've been searching for you." She was young by his standards, no more than thirty years of age, and passingly handsome especially, without clothes, an enthusiastic lover. You promised to come to me this morning. I waited for simply hours."

"I needed some air and to stretch my legs. I feel revived by the salt spray. Come, my dear." He held his hand out to her and led her below to her cabin. His thoughts were not on the pleasures that awaited him, but how he could extricate himself from her clutches when the ship docked in Liverpool to offload its cargo of wool for the mills that clattered away throughout the day in Manchester and Liverpool. He wanted no distraction from the job at hand, that of finding a market for the entire clip from his property.

His plan was that the sale would proceed on the erroneous understanding of the buyer, that the money would go to the property. His intention, and that of Henry, was that the proceeds would be split between them and that none would end up in his wife's hands.

Chapter 7

Wills and Mary stayed at Astoria Park for three weeks. "I hate to admit this, but I have really enjoyed myself," Wills told Priscilla as they prepared to leave for Sydney Town. "I used to hate this place and never wanted to live here permanently, but now I feel as if I could be interested in working here and helping to run the place. I think that it might be because of seeing how happy Izzy is here, and how happy Mary has been. You have accepted her as a member of our family, and even though she has not been born to wealth or status, she has fitted in with everyone. She told me, not that I needed telling, that she thought that you and Ben made a fine couple. You are certainly much happier than I have ever seen you."

"I am, and I am glad that you have enjoyed your stay, and Mary is a very fine young lady. You have chosen well."

"She chose me, and she has made me think about my future. Until I met her, I had no future, no purpose in life. As you may have guessed, she has no great learning, she has worked as a Housemaid these five years gone. She was employed in one of the best houses until the family fell on hard times and she had to be let go. That was when she began to work with the Thompsons. She has learned a great deal from those for whom she worked, and has learned that honesty and hard work has its rewards. If it weren't for that we would not have met. She also learned that not every man bore good intentions to her. She had been taken advantage of several times before we met, but from the very first she saw something in me that she liked."

"Mary and I had a good long talk. She is a good girl, and you would do well to listen to her. She may not have much in the way of reading and writing, but she has other skills that will benefit the both of you."

They walked to where Jimmy stood with Bowler in the shafts of the sulky. Their meagre baggage and a sack of provisions were stowed under the seat. Priscilla took Mary in her arms and hugged her. "You two take good care of each other. When the harvest is complete we will travel to Sydney Town, I need to speak with our agent and there are several other appointments that we have to make. Ben will be with me, and Isobel will be in charge of the running, with James' help I suppose, while we are absent from Astoria Park. We will call on you. If you go to your Aunt Meg and advise her of where you are living, we will find you soon enough."

Wills helped Mary into the sulky. "Leave Bowler and the sulky with Brownlow's stables and we will send someone to fetch them," Ben said as he shook Wills' hand. "Good luck to the both of you."

Some weeks later, with the harvest complete, Ben and Priss set off for Sydney Town. Arriving two days later they called into Meg and Henry's house to find Elizabeth staying there. "It is good to see you," Priss said to her. "How have you been? We haven't heard any news of you for some time."

"I am doing well enough. The Beaumont family are still attempting to overturn Sir Nigel's will. I have told them that I don't want his money, but they insist that they get everything, the house, the money and the ring that he gave me. I will not give that up, it was a gift from him to me and has nothing to do with his will. They insist that he was not in his right mind when he gave it to me, that I had somehow bewitched him into giving me everything, including the ring. I told them that I knew nothing of the house and money, and that was a separate matter, but to no avail."

"Apart from that, how are you keeping? Are you seeing anyone? We did hear that you were quite friendly with Roderick Hamilton."

"I do not see him anymore, he seemed more interested in the money that I stand to receive than me. There is a man that I have been seeing, he has been very helpful and kind. He is very nice, but I don't think that I shall never be able to marry him. He is training to be a Priest."

"Is he to be a Catholic Priest?"

"No, he is of the Church of England faith."

"I understand that they can marry."

"He is a very devout man and I do not want to stand in the way of his chosen path. He has asked me to attend the commemoration service for his ordination this Sunday."

"Will you go?"

"I feel that I must, to repay him for his kindness, and the help that he has given me these past months."

o - 0 - o

Priscilla and Ben had an appointment with Henry Bannock, the agent that Astoria Park had used to arrange the sale of their wool and wheat. "I have good news." He told them as they sat down in front of his desk. "I have just received a letter from a woollen mill in England requesting that I obtain for them as much fine wool as I can. They are offering a price higher than the current market price for exclusive access to the very best quality. Your fleece sprang immediately to mind, so it is fortuitous that you should call in to see me."

"This is good news. This spring's lambing has been very productive, many ewes have birthed twins, and our flock is now in the thousands. You shall have our entire clip on one condition." Priscilla said.

"And what is your condition?"

"Cash on delivery. We have arranged with our bank to advance us enough money over and above what we already have to pay the contractors. We do not wish to have a debt outstanding for any longer than necessary. We have to pay for the winter planting of our next wheat crop."

"But I will not get paid until the mill receives the fleece. I do not have the money to give you until then."

"You could arrange payment on delivery to the docks," Ben said. "If you insure the cargo against loss or damage, Lloyds of London will then be responsible for the cargo reaching the mill."

"I'll see what I can do." Henry was not happy with this arrangement, William had assured him that, when Priscilla was informed that the mill had not paid for the fleece and that it was out of his hands, there was no way that they would be able to pursue him for non-payment for the cargo. The mill would pay him, a greater profit for the both of them. He would tell the mill owner a price that was reasonable and send Henry a share, and pocket the rest.

Henry had made a lot of money from Astoria Park, along with several other property owners, out of the Bounty Immigration Scheme that was implemented to solve two problems, the high level of unemployment among farm labourers in England, and the desperate need for farm labourers in the colony. Property owners were paid a bounty for each labourer that they employed. Because individual farmers were not able to select the labourers themselves, agents would act on their behalf. Henry was one such agent. On settling in their new jobs, the farmer was required to repay the bounty. Henry would collect this money from each of them, but not pay the government, instead, he would tell them that the labourers had lied on their applications and were not experienced labourers at all. The government wrote the bounty off and Henry got very wealthy as a result.

o - 0 - o

"Ah, Sir William, welcome, welcome indeed sir." John Rycroft stood up from his chair in the library of his newly acquired stately home. He held his hand out in greeting to this man, newly arrived from the colonies, and by all accounts wealthy. John was what is known as a self-made man, a man of new wealth, a man who had jumped onto the opportunity to accumulate wealth by building a woollen mill. To be said his wealth would not be as spectacular as that enjoyed by the cotton millers, but it was a far cry from that earned by farming on the land through which the Liverpool to Leeds canal ran. He had a ready supply of coal and water to power the mill, and of wool, something that was being overlooked by the cotton millers in their rush for profits. "They tell me, sir, that you can provide my mills with high yield, high-quality fleece at a fraction of the cost that I would have to pay for the local or German fleece."

"That is correct sir, I have a property of some ten thousand acres in New South Wales that produces the highest quality merino fleece to be found anywhere in the world. By cutting out the middle man and transporting it myself, I can guarantee you sufficient fleece to keep your mills in full production."

"Would you have a sample of this fleece?"

"I do indeed." Sir William took a package from his pocket and handed it over. John rubbed it between his fingers and stretched it out to see for himself the length of the wool fibres. "It is fine fleece, I grant you that. How soon can I expect the first shipment?"

"I have a ship presently on its way from Australia, with a cargo of several hundred bales of wool of this quality."

"You seem to be damned confident that you have a market for this fleece."

"It is a gamble granted, but a calculated one, and if it comes off we will both benefit greatly."

"That remains to be seen. In the meantime, would you join me?" He indicated a crystal flask. "It is the finest whisky that money can buy. Do you smoke sir? I have some of the finest Cuban cigars, the previous owner of the house left me a plentiful supply."

"Thank you, I will." They sat and enjoyed the single malt and cigar in silence, each sizing the other up, calculating the risk of this venture.

"Sir, I am having a few guests for dinner this evening, you must join us. The introductions will be of benefit to you."

"I would be honoured, thank you, sir." Sir William took his leave and walked to where his carriage waited for him. "Home Rupert." He told the carriage driver.

That evening he sat at a table with a dozen men and their wives. He was the odd man out, beside him was an empty chair, for he had not yet met a suitable woman to accompany him on such engagements. A woman entered the room and as a servant held her chair out for her, she sat next to Sir William.

"May I have your attention please." John Rycroft said. "We have with us this evening Sir William Langtry, newly returned from the colonies. He has had little time to become acquainted with the important men of this town, but I have been informed that he brings with him a business opportunity that we would be well advised to consider. He is a man who personally has some ten thousand acres of prime sheep grazing land, and he assures me that his fleece is the finest available in the whole world. I have tested a sample of this and have seen none finer. His proposition is that he should become the sole supplier to our mills. He personally can provide me with more than enough fleece for my mill, and he assures me that through his agent in Sydney Town, he can access a considerable quantity of similarly fine fleece for your mills. More than is enough to satisfy your needs."

"Tell me, sir, why is it that you seek to do business with us?"

"You have to appreciate that in the colony of New South Wales, there are not the facilities to spin the wool into yarn, while you gentlemen have not only sufficient water, which we sadly lack, to wash the wool and feed your boilers but access to coal and an abundance of cheap labour. We do not have the manpower to run the machines, so it is more advantageous for us to export the fleece to your mills and buy back what finished fabric needed to meet our needs."

He felt a hand on his. Turning he looked into the face of the woman seated next to him. "Tell me, sir, are you married?"

"Alas, I am not. I am recently become a widower. And you, I notice that you are without an escort this evening?"

"I too am recently widowed. My husband was an army officer who was killed in one of these horrid wars that we seem to be always having."

"I am sorry to hear that. I am seeking someone to show me around this country, would you so oblige me?"

"You are most forward sir, I shall have to ask my father if he approves of me being seen traipsing around the countryside with a strange man."

"Do you consider me strange?"

"No sir, I do not, in fact, I find you passably handsome and of a much more civilised demeanour than I had expected of one from the colonies."

"We are not all uneducated heathens and hardened criminals in the colonies. My father was a free settler, an army officer who was granted land by the government in exchange for his service. He married a friend of the family here and took her to News South Wales. I was born there but educated in England and my poor departed wife was the daughter of a family friend. I have three children, my oldest daughter has arranged a suitable marriage, while my son will shortly be joining me and studying at Cambridge. My youngest is in the best boarding school for young ladies. She will stay with my sister-in-law when not at school. I shall return on a regular basis to keep in touch with them."

"You care for your family, don't you?"

"Yes, it pains me to have to be here so far from them."

"My father cares little for me. When it was revealed that my husband was killed, his first reaction was that he would have me here to help him."

"Your father is which of these men?"

"Why he is your esteemed host. Did he not tell you that I would be seated next to you?"

"No, he did not."

"This is why he needs me, he is but rough bred and has little learning. But he makes up this lack with cunning."

"I knew that there was something that I liked about him."

"Oh dear, we have a problem, you see I do not like his methods. I am proud of his results, and the money is of great benefit to me, but he has placed his highly polished shoes on too many toes for my liking. I see the way that people look at me as I walk down the street."

"I would have thought that people would look in admiration at you."

"Why sir, are you flattering me?"

"I speak plainly when I say that I find you a singularly beautiful woman."

"Tell me more of you. Why is it that you have come here to this part of England?"

"When my wife died I found that I could not stay in New South Wales, I had to get away from that part of my life and forget about my loss."

"I think that I will set myself the task of taking your mind off your loss."

"Do not take pity on me. I think that it is time that I knew your name."

"I will never take pity on you, and my name is Elizabeth."

"The same as my eldest daughter. I would see you again if you wish it."

"I wish it, very much indeed. Would it be too forward of me to pay a call on you on the morrow?"

"I would indeed be flattered. Shall we say ten o'clock?"

"I will see you then. Now let us turn our attention to the other people in this gathering, for I fear that my father would want me to chat with others, and you are needed to speak with his business partners, for that is the reason that you were invited."

William left the gathering at one o'clock. He had only one chance to speak with Elizabeth before he left, and she reassured him that she would be at his hotel in nine hours.

William was seated at the table in his room drafting a letter to Henry Bannock, telling him of the success of his mission, when there was a tap on his door. He rose and opened it to admit Elizabeth. "I will be just a moment, I need to finish this letter to my agent in Sydney Town."

Elizabeth walked over to the bed and sat down. "I will make myself comfortable while you complete your task." She took off her bonnet and stretched out on the bed.

William blotted the letter and sealed it. Setting it aside, he turned to find Elizabeth had loosened the bodice of her dress, exposing much of her breasts. "Are you certain that we should be doing this?"

"Do you not like what you see?" She raised one leg and exposed her thigh to his gaze.

"I very much like what I see, but would not your father disapprove?"

"I care not for my father's approval. I have not been with a man these past six months and I am desperate to have you."

William stood beside the bed, admiring the vision that lay before him. He reached out and ran his hand up the inside of her thigh to find that she wore no undergarments. His fingers entered her.

Elizabeth spread her legs wide. "Come to me."

William slipped his trousers down and kneeled between her legs. Taking his penis in one hand, he guided it to the entrance of her vagina. Slowly sliding it into her body he experienced something that neither Priscilla nor Juliana had given him, the feeling that she was enjoying his being there. He could feel the wetness of her vagina as he slid in and out of her. Her body stiffened for a second or two before she was wracked by spasms. "Delay no longer sir, give me your all." William gave her all of his pent up semen in a flood. He could feel it oozing from her even before he removed his penis. "You do not know how I have longed for a man such as you."