Chapter 19

Laurel didn't say it out loud but she was happy to see Michael, Kirk and Joe leave, it had been a long day, she was tired, irritable and just wanted to crawl into bed with a nice warm blanket. Alex chuckled as he pulled off his jacket "are you going to rip my face off if I climb into bed with you?" hearing a muffled sniffle and a muttered "no, I just don't feel very good" Alex slid into bed careful not to jostle Laurel "I know you don't sweetheart" gently he started to rub her lower back. Laurel sighed "Mmmmmmm I knew I was keeping you around for a reason" Alex grinned then asked seriously why she didn't do something like Nedra the cat did to help herself feel better, Laurel sighed again "I will when I get home where I can hopefully sleep for a good twenty-four hours, I didn't want to fall asleep our last night together for awhile but I am anyway" Alex rubbed her lower back little harder, he smiled slightly when he heard a sniffle "it's not like we're going to be a part for years, I will ride to Zinmer as often as I can, last night's can't compete with nature I'm afraid." Laurel snuggled against Alex with a mmmmmmm "your nice and warm, Alex you don't have to ride over each time, that would take a week of hard riding, all you have to do is call my name when you want to reach me, I'll hear you and bring you to Zinmer." Alex frowned "your feet are like ice, do you want a pair of socks? I like your suggestion better than spending a week in the saddle" Alex got up and found a pair of thick socks, putting them on her feet he got back into bed with a wink "I was just worried about where those ice cold feet might end up during the night" Laurel giggled then snuggled up against Alex again whispering "I love you" Alex smiled "I love you too urchin."

The next morning Alex kissed Laurel as she got dressed "go back to bed when you get home, sweetheart your terribly pale" Laurel nodded "I will, with a sign reading 'bother the dragoness at your own peril" Alex laughed "good idea" he watched her send her bags on to the lair, then look around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Alex took her hand and lead her over to the bed just before she left the room "I have something for you" Laurel sat down with a look of surprise as Alex slid a ring on her left ring finger "I know it's not a wedding ring or even a betrothal ring, love, but I wanted and needed to see something here on your finger" Alex told Laurel raising her hand and kissing the ring and her finger. Laurel felt the tears as she looked at the ring, it was gold, flat on the top, engraved in its center was a dragon holding in one paw a musical note in the other a piece of laurel branch.

Laurel kissed Alex deeply "I don't know what to say Alex except I love you" Alex smiled handing her his handkerchief "that's all I need to hear, love, now let's get you home to bed." Laurel had already dismissed the servants telling them that if they ever needed a job there was always a place for them at Zinmer, she had seen the look in cook's eye's and figured she would be knocking on the Manor House door in the next few weeks. Just before she left a letter of thanks appeared on Tetly's desk and a box of sweetmeats and flowers for Grinley. Alex smiled at her and gave her a tight hug "off with you now, I hate good-byes, sniffles are bad for a man's image" Laurel blew Alex a kiss then picking up her pack she was gone.

Laurel slept for three days, anyone that came in got snapped and snarled at until everyone decided to stay out of the lair for the next few days. On the fourth day Laurel got up feeling a hundred percent better, she fixed herself something to eat, took a long hot bath, dressed in her breeches, shirt, jacket and boots, made sure she had the Zinmer papers in her pack then headed for Mr.Rivers cottage. Mr.Rivers was the agent for Lord Roundmoore who had been stealing from the tenants and Lord Roundmoore for almost five years now. Rivers lived in a very nice house on the outskirts of Zinmer village, he was rarely seen except at the pub or when he decided to prance around town in his fine clothes trying to order everyone around. Laurel knocked on Rivers door, getting no answer she banged harder. Deciding to see if he was in town Laurel went to the small local pub.

Laurel stood just inside the pub door's listening to the angry talk and murmurs from the people inside, as Rivers told them that the Landlord didn't have the monies for improvements come spring and that they were just going to have to get by with the old thatched roofs and farm equipment they already had. Laurel gently pushed her way through the growing crowd of angry tenant's until she was standing next to Rivers and Mr.Whitaker the pub owner. " You're wrong Rivers, come spring everyone will get the improvements they need to their homes, their farms, there will be new livestock arriving and the rents will go back to where they always were until you started raising them." Rivers sneered "go sing out in the street or something, you don't know what you're talking about, in fact pack your things and get out of the stone cottage I'm tossing you out." The people looked at each other angrily, everyone liked Laurel, she didn't cause any troubles and was always nice and pleasant to them when she came into town and they all enjoyed her singing.

Laurel reached into her pack and smiled " You're the one who doesn't know what he is talking about, you see I am now the owner of Zinmer, all properties, that mean's everything, Rivers. I have the paper's to prove it and came here today to take possession of the keys you hold, you're the one who will be packing, I would suggest you do it quickly before these good people find out how you've been robbing them for the last five years, I spoke to Lord Roundmoore about the tenant's rent." Rivers laughed nastily even though the color for a moment went out of his face, " You're nothing but a street beggar, barely able to pay the rent on the stone cottage, how would the likes of you come up with the coin to purchase even a cow." Laurel smiled as Mr. Whitaker took the papers and started reading them "looks can be very deceiving Rivers, I can buy a hundred Zinmer's if I choose. I've watched these good people being coerced by you for months now, I plan on making Zinmer my permanent home, this is a good place, good land that has gone to waste for lack of seed, good grazing land lay's empty for lack of animals, that's going to change."

Mr.Whitaker grinned widely "aye own Zinmer she does, lock stock and barrel, these paper's be in order and legal as they come, hand over the keys to the new owner of Zinmer, Rivers." Rivers with a snarl snatched the papers from Whitaker, as all those standing around started talking loudly, the word quickly spreading from person to person that Laurel the singer had bought Zinmer. Rivers threw the paper's at Laurel "you will have this place in ruin within half a year, what would the likes of you know of running an estate" Laurel holding out her hands for the large ring of keys smiled "a great deal more than you do Rivers, a good owner doesn't bleed his tenants till they have nothing left to give and move off the lands, a good owner makes sure his tenant's are happy and thriving then so will the land and the owner. I want you off Zinmer land by tomorrow morning." A loud cheer rang out when Rivers with a vicious glare handed Laurel the keys then pushed his way out of the tavern.

Laurel stood the ring of keys firmly held in her hand, she smiled at Mr.Whitaker then looked at all the people crowded into the pub. "If any of you need work done on your homes to make them warmer for the winter go ahead and get started, I know all of you have tabs at the mercantile that have been difficult to take care of because of the outrageous rents Rivers was charging, consider those bills paid in full, see that your families have what they need, come spring we are going to be very busy turning Zinmer once again into a thriving estate." Laurel put the papers back in her pack, with a smile she headed to the Manor house.

Laurel stood for a long time just looking at the house, slowly she started walking around it, all the windows were shuttered so she couldn't tell from the outside if there were any broken or cracked. the garden in the back of the house was overgrown with weeds and wild bushes, as she climbed over them to a pair of long cracked glass doors she added to her mental list two new doors. Working her way around to the front of the house she took one of the big key's, with a deep breath she unlocked the door and pushed it open. Laurel chuckled seeing her footprints in the dust as she walked across the wide foyer, her boots echoing on the marble floors, each room she went into Laurel pulled open the dust covered drapes, she opened windows and shutters, sneezing violently she laughed thinking this was worse then Lord Roundmoore's house. In the kitchen Laurel made sure the water pump was working, filling an old kettle that was sitting on the stove she found some fire wood and got the stove working, in the large storage room off the kitchen she found an old broom, some cleaning rags and an old mop. She stood in the center of the kitchen shaking her head, sneezing as the dust flew off her hair, the more she swept the worse it got, muttering to herself she snapped her fingers then smiled at the sparkling clean kitchen.

Going out of the kitchen Laurel went into the front room, peering under dust covers, she had expected to find the house empty but it was as if the last person to live there had just walked out of the house and never returned. Hearing a noise Laurel whirled "oh Mr.Dinty you startled me, I didn't hear you come in till just now" Mr.Dinty an older man chuckled "the Mrs. and I saw you coming up over the hill but didn't see you come back our way, thought I'd make sure you were all right." Laurel smiled thanking him for his concern, she went on to explain that Zinmer was now hers and she had been surprised to find so many things in the house. Mr.Dinty grinned "it will be nice to see the old house with lights once again. The last to live here was an elderly lady, had no family from what we knew, when she passed on the property went to some very distant relation who never even came to pack up her things, I don't believe the new owner ever came here at all, the Mrs. and I followed that villain Rivers each time he came in the house to make sure he didn't steal anything, it annoyed the Hades out of him but this was a good house once and has some pretty things in it, the Mrs. and I figured someday it would go to someone who would take care of it."

Laurel nodded, giving Mr.Dinty a speculating look she asked him if he and his wife used to work in the house? Mr.Dinty nodded sadly "the Mrs worked in the house as housekeeper for the old Baroness, I was the gardener, broke my heart to see the place fall into disrepair, it was a good place back then, even when the old Mistress couldn't get around anymore her footmen would carry her downstairs and out into the garden, she would sit for hours, said she was talking to the little folk. I see the surprised look on your face Miss but its true once upon a time there were little folk here abouts, the Mrs and I even saw them a time or two." Laurel almost giggled "I see them in the forest all the time Mr.Dinty and I'm sure they will be visiting here again." Mr.Dinty smiled a great big smile "wait till the Mrs hears, she always said the magic left with the old Mistress." Laurel smiled at the man, she had enjoyed chatting with him each time she had met he and his wife in the village, she knew they were having a hard time of it trying to make a living as farmers "tell her that the magic is back and we will make it even better, would you think about being the gardener and your wife housekeeper again?" Mr.Dinty almost danced a jig across the dusty floor "I'm sure the Mrs would agree, for myself I'd like to see the garden's blooming again and the lawns growing green." Laurel watched Mr.Dinty heading down the drive with a chuckle she went back to pulling off the dust covers in the front room. Izzie sneezing and coughing glared at Laurel "don't tell me your going to clean this big old place the human way, that will take a year of Sundays" Laurel laughed "the thought crossed my mind for a few seconds, but no I was just taking off some of the dust covers to see what was under them, none of you ever told me that you knew the old Baroness or the Dinty's." Izzie with a surprised look on her face shrugged "didn't we? I guess the subject never came up, nice old lady she was too." Laurel with Izzie following behind starting on the lower floor went from room to room cleaning them "I'll do the upper floors tomorrow, I think it's time to head back to the lair and a hot bath and something to eat" Laurel told Izzie, Laurel locked the front door, standing under the portico she smiled looking out over the long tree lined drive. Izzie tugged on Laurel's hand "let's go before you start bawling like a baby" Laurel chuckled brushing her hands over her eyes.