"Well…"-Richard pulled at his earlobe-"it so happens I'll need help for this venture-at least a couple more riders. If, of course, you think you can spare the time for a little lark before heading south to more civilized climes?"
Devil raised his brows in mock exasperation. "Forget the jokes-what's the plan?"
"Catriona?"
Caught in the act of pushing away from the desk in her office, Catriona looked up. Devil stood in the doorway, with Vane just behind him. "Is anything wrong?" she asked.
"No, no!" Devil entered; Vane followed. Devil smiled ingenuously. "We just wondered if you could spare a few minutes to explain a few things to us."
He wanted something; Catriona could tell by that smile. Calmly settling back in her chair, she waved them to the two chairs facing her. Melchett had just departed, having looked in to tell her all was on track for the spring plantings to be done as she'd directed. Upstairs, Richard was with Worboys, getting dressed for his first attempt at the stairs. Her world was serene, on course. And the two before her were now part of it. "How can I help you?" she asked. "Whatever it is, if it's in my power, naturally, you have only to ask."
Devil's smile broadened. "It's about the crop yields. Richard told me what you achieve here-"
"And Corby happened to mention the tonnage you clear from your orchards-and how old your trees are." Vane raised his brows. "Frankly, if I didn't know he wasn't lying, I'd have said he'd dreamed the figures up."
Catriona smiled. "We do very well, that's true."
"Not very well," Devil corrected her. "Astonishingly well." He met her gaze. "We'd like to know how you manage it."
Catriona held his gaze and swiftly considered her options. She had said she would give them anything in her power; there was no reason she couldn't answer their question. Her only worry was that they wouldn't believe her-or wouldn't have a sufficiently open mind to understand. Then again, they had come to her and asked. And, as one of The Lady's disciples, it behooved her to spread Her message as widely as she could.
Drawing a slow breath, she nodded. "Very well. But you'll need to bear in mind that what I tell you is a… a philosophy rather than a prescription." She glanced at Vane. "So the answer is the same for both crops and orchards, indeed, for anything that grows. And the philosophy holds true for all arable lands, whether in the shadow of Merrick, or in Cambridgeshire, or in Kent."
They both nodded. "So…" Devil prompted.
"So," she said, "it's a question of balance."
"Balance?"
"What you take out must be put back, if you wish to take out again." Catriona leaned forward, resting her arms on the desk. "Each patch of soil has certain characteristics, certain nutrients which allow it to bear crops of such and such a nature. Once the crop is grown, however, the nutrients used in the bearing are depleted in the soil. If the soil is continually planted, it will continue to deplete and bear poorer and poorer crops until it fails. Crop rotation helps, but even that does not return the nutrients to the soil. So if you want to continuously crop, and crop well, then you need to renew the soil, replace the nutrients used, after each cropping. That's the fundamental point-the need for balance-in and out."
Vane was frowning. "Just go back a minute. Do you mean that for each particular crop, in each particular field, you need to work out a… a…"
"An understanding of the balance of the nutrients involved?" Catriona nodded. "Precisely."
"This balance," Devil leaned forward. "How's it measured?"
They questioned her, and she answered and explained; Devil asked for paper and sketched some of his fields-Vane listed the fruits and nuts he grew. They discussed, and even argued, but not once did they doubt, or give any hint that they dismissed her guidance. Quite the opposite.
"I'll try it," Devil declared, "and you'll have to come and talk to my foremen when you visit." He folded the sheet of paper on which he'd jotted notes. "If we can achieve even half of what you do here, I'll die happy."
Considering his own sheet of notes, Vane grinned. "My men are going to think I've taken leave of my senses, but… it's my fields-and my gain." Looking up, he smiled at Catriona. "Thank you, my dear, for sharing your secret with us."
"Indeed." Rising as she did, Devil waggled his brows at Catriona. "Doubtless the most useful lady's secret I've ever learned."
Laughing, she waved them out; they went with sweeping bows. Sitting back down, she couldn't stop smiling. After a minute, she tidied her desk, then went upstairs to gauge Richard's strength.
"Ah-there you are."
Catriona looked up from the garden bed she'd been contemplating, one she hoped would soon show a few green shoots. Gabriel was making his way between the beds toward her, patently trying to see what she'd been studying in the winter brown earth.
"Is there anything there?"
"No." Catriona grinned. "I was merely checking. Is there something you need?"
He straightened and smiled "Not exactly-I heard of the advice you gave to Devil and Vane."
"Ah, I see." Catriona waved him to join her as she ambled on down the path. "And what do you grow?"