Thrown Out on Christmas Eve, She Took Shelter in an Empty House — Unaware the Duke Was Coming Home
Chapter 18
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"Done," he said.He did not waste the week.By New Year's Day, every tenant in Lower Ashmere had a letter in the Duke's own hand: every debt to Silas Pike was forgiven; every rent went back to what it had been in the old Duchess's time; the roofs Pike had charged for and never mended would be mended now, the poorest cottages first.On the 2nd of January, the chandler's shop on Church Lane was unboarded: its lease was given free of rent for life to Miss Hannah Lowe and her brother Samuel.Hannah went to Ashmere House the next day to say that she could not possibly accept it. She found Edmund in the kitchen, of all places, with Sam, who had been coming up the hill every afternoon to see the cat. The two of them were sitting at the long table attempting to dip candles: there were six on the rack; all of them looked like parsnips."You can't give me the shop," said Hannah from the doorway."I haven't," said Edmund without looking up. "The estate has. The estate owes your father nine years of good name and one Christmas Eve. The shop is the smallest part of the debt. Sam, slower. Beeswax doesn't like to be hurried.""That's what Hannah says," said Sam."Hannah is always right," said Edmund. "It's very annoying. You'll get used to it."Hannah stood in the doorway with her bonnet in her hands and found that she had nothing to say. So she took off her cloak, came to the table, took the wick out of Edmund's hand, and showed him again how it was done.On the 5th of January, a letter came to the shop on Church Lane in the Duke's hand:
Miss Lowe, The estate wishes to order 300 beeswax candles from Lowe & Daughter, Chandlers, for delivery to Ashmere House by dusk tomorrow, Twelfth Night. Full price and duty paid in advance. Mr. Rudd will weigh every one, so that there can never be any question. The estate is aware that this is a great many candles and would be glad if the chandler would come and help place them.
Underneath, in smaller writing:
There is one more thing I would like to ask you, but I would rather ask it in person.
Hannah, Sam, Mrs. Tibbs, and four of the Dawson girls dipped candles all night and all the next day. Mr. Rudd came at noon, weighed every one, wrote it in his book, and went away beaming.At 4:00, as the light was going, a cart came down from Ashmere House to collect them. Hannah rode up on the seat beside the driver with the candles packed in straw behind her and Sam on her knee.