The Secret Garden Chapter 6: Further matters of business by D.L. Copyright  © 2011 D.L. All Rights Reserved. Inspired by the classic children’s tale by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Lord Headley stared at the notebook that he had just been given by Richard. It was supposedly the notes from the external auditor. Quite why the boy had Miss Kayeeda’s notes, he couldn’t work out.

Like the book of minutes, this notebook contained sections of shorthand and normal writing, but the text in this book was slightly different. The first book had been written with swift fluid strokes, where the second seemed to be inscribed with a lot more focus being placed on the accuracy of the letter shapes.

Since reading the name of the auditor in the minutes, something had been bothering Lord Headley. He was sure that he had heard the name before, but didn’t want to say anything in front of his guests. Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a large box of paperwork. This contained the personal papers of his late brother, which Captain Edwards had posted to him a few weeks before. Flicking through the items he located a sealed envelope marked, ‘R. Kayeeda’ and pulled out the contents. Two pieces of paper were inside.

The first was a covering letter from the local government offices in India. Reading the note it would appear that Fredrick had requested a copy of a birth certificate for Miss Kayeeda. The second sheet was the certificate itself. The document did not give much information. The mother was named as ‘Aslesha Kayeeda’ and the father wasn’t listed.

Lord Headley handed the papers to Richard and asked, “Do you have any idea why your father may have had these?”

The child appeared to be shocked on seeing the documents. However, the boy quickly regained his composure and covered his surprise with a neutral expression before shrugging and returning the paperwork to his uncle.

The man looked on in suspicion, but decided not to press the matter further for the moment. He would keep hold of the certificate and letter for further investigation. It appeared to Lord Headley that Richard might know more than he was letting on.

“Now onto other matters, I have asked the headmaster of the local school, Mr Hobbs, to come and assess your level of education. I don’t know what schooling you have received. You’re obviously literate, but I would like to know how you compare to other children your age,” Samuel stated.

The boy nodded his head in acceptance. Richard had a private tutor in India, and was a keen Student, but was curious himself as to his level of knowledge. He thought of himself as being intelligent and well-educated. He also liked to read and whenever he could, he would study the journals from the Royal Society.

“While you stay here, you have the freedom of this house and its grounds. I understand that you like painting. There are many scenes in the surrounding countryside that I think you may find interesting. The fresh air and tranquillity will do you good, both in mind and body. We are only four miles from the coast,” Samuel stated. “If you wish to travel to the beach, or one of the nearby towns, put a request in to Mrs Medlock and she can arrange for somebody to take you in the carriage.”

Turning to the blackboard, Richard wiped it clean with the cloth provided and then wrote, “I’m unable to travel by horse-drawn transport. I have panic attacks. I was almost killed in one.” After a pause, he then decided to add, “May I have a bicycle?”

His uncle considered this for a moment, “Yes, I will arrange for one to be delivered. This actually brings me onto the last thing I need to discuss. I notice that you are listed as an employee of the company, on a salary of nearly one hundred pounds per annum. Was this a way for your father to give you an allowance, or did you actually have a function. I note you minuted the management meetings.”

Richard picked up the book containing the meeting minutes and flicked through the pages to an entry from the previous June. Pointing to a paragraph, he handed the book to his uncle, who then read the highlighted text under the title of any other business:

Question from Mr Miller. Why are we paying Richard Headley?

Answer from Fredrick Headley: Richard has several roles.

Since Mrs Jones left the company to raise a family, he has taken over a number of her duties including minute taking, typing and filing.

He is fluent in nearly all local dialects and is therefore able to act as a translator to make sure that the workforce understands what is required of them.

Because he is able to understand them, and is familiar with local knowledge and customs, he is trusted by the workers and they talk freely in his presence, something they don’t often do when Englishmen are around. He is therefore able to use this to his advantage to spot issues before they become serious.

This directly assists in keeping the workforce motivated and productive, which in turn helps to make us one of the most profitable tea growers in the area.

Richard has also started an apprenticeship in bookkeeping under Mr Horsey.

“I see,” Lord Headley noted. “Now that you are no longer fulfilling those duties, I can’t justify paying you forty shillings a week. I will however provide you with an allowance of thirty shillings a week if you agree to act as my personal advisor on the tea trade. I know virtually nothing about the company I have inherited and your insight will be most valuable in keeping everything running smoothly.”

Richard nodded and smiled in return, happy with the arrangement. The two of them shook hands on the deal.

Dinner that evening was served in the dining room, and the two family members ate together. Lord Headley was pleased to see that the child was well groomed in table manners and had no problem with the formal setting.

Richard retired to bed after dinner, exhausted from the earlier excitement. Meeting new people always made him nervous.