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."
Helena woke with a start and sat up, forgetting she was naked. A startled maid looked away in shock at seeing her mistress's naked body. Helena quickly pulled her sheets up over her body.
"I am so sorry; its Susan isn't it?" Helena said softly. "I was so tired after the party at the gates and it was so hot I couldn't be bothered to find a nightdress."
Susan stuttered, "James insisted I left you to sleep, but Lady Charlotte insists on seeing you apparently it is rather urgent and involves Lord Faversham and his wife."
Helena shook her head, "help me into a housecoat and sort my hair first," she said, "then bring Lady Charlotte up and some breakfast. Oh, and give that letter to James on your way, to be delivered to Lady Faversham post haste. "
A little while later Helena sat at a table in her room opposite Charlotte.
"So, for heaven's sake Charlie," she asked when they were alone, "what is the emergency and why are you here so damn early!"
Charlotte went very quiet, "I need your help. Billy's wife is threatening to expose our assignations to Henry." she blubbered, "he will kick me out penniless!"
Helena sat back, "why now? She has known of you and his other women for years. Why you?"
Charlotte sat their tears in her eyes, "because Billy is refusing to increase her allowance or let her run up any more dress bills. She's gone haywire over this royal court thing, she wants new dresses for every event or party. Billy just can't afford it. This new demand for new horse harnesses tipped him over the edge and he shut down her accounts."
Helena paused, "I see and no doubt she is still fucking her way round London when he is working?"
Charlotte smiled for the first time that morning, "God yes, she's had almost all the single bucks and an awful lot of the married men too. She is very well known at Horseguards apparently, quite the officers favourite apparently. But she is so careful Billy has never had any proof, just rumour and gossip."
Helena smiled, "well my dear plans are already under way that can be adapted to bring her to heel shall we say. I have invited her here on Friday to discuss the new carriage harnesses she wants with Jones. I had planned to just embarrass her a little with him, but now I think we need to go a lot further! Leave it with me, but be here on Friday by three o'clock, I will have Lucy meet you and bring you to the party." They finished the breakfast and a slightly more relaxed Charlotte headed back to her house.
Helena sat back and pondered, wondering if the note she had sent would be enough to draw Lily into her trap.
It had simply said, "Lily, a little bird tells me that Billy is being tight with the purse strings around some new harnesses for your carriage turnout. I can totally understand your desire, especially if regularly attending court in the carriage. I may have an option for you. My local blacksmith is also rather a clever man with leather, he redid all my harnesses earlier this year at a fraction of the cost of the London people. Harry was such a skinflint he refused to pay to have them redone, but I had to have them done when they started falling apart. If you would like to attend my house on Friday for lunch and maybe stay the evening, I can have Jones explain his work, understand your needs and give you a price to take home to Billy. Yours Helena."
Later that day a reply arrived from Lady Faversham, "Helena you are a saint! I will be there for lunch on Friday, I'll bring the drawings I have had done so he can see what I am looking for. Will he really save me enough to convince Billy?"
A few days later Helena was sat in her drawing room with Lucy her maid. "I have a delicate question to ask Lucy, please be honest with me." she asked.
