Son of a rogue and a gypsy, Hero Fiennes Tiffin was a notorious rake until a shattering betrayal left him alone and embittered in the Welsh countryside. Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Josephine Langford to ask Hero Fiennes Tiffin to help sav...
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When they came into sight of the mine, Hero reined in his horse and studied their destination. It was not a pleasant scene. The tallest structure was a chimney that poured dark smoke into the cloudy sky. Waste stone was heaped around the grimy buildings, and no trees grew for hundred of yards.
Josephine said, "The main shaft is right in the middle of those buildings. It's used for ventilation, access, and lifting the coal out." She gestured toward the left. "You can't see it from here, but there is also a small older shaft, called the Bychan. These days it's used mostly for ventilation, and sometimes for access to the south end of the pit."
Though they were over a quarter of a mile away, the pounding of a steam engine was clearly audible. "Is that racket from the engine that pumps water from the pit?" Hero asked.
"Yes, it's an old Newcomen engine. The modern Watts engines are much more powerful."
He set his horse in motion and they rode down the hill. "Is the engine one of the problems?"
She nodded. "Not only is it too small for a mine this size, but it's almost a hundred years old and unreliable."
"Why hasn't it been replaced? When Michael Kenyon bought the mine, he planned to modernize the equipment so production could be increased."
"Lord Michael did make some improvements in the first few months, but he soon lost interest and left the running of the mine to George Madoc," she explained. "The mine has several old adits—underground tunnels that drain water from the lower levels—so Madoc decided that it would be a waste of money to buy a better pump. That's also his excuse for using an old-fashioned whim gin to raise and lower loads. A modern steam winding engine would be faster, more powerful, and much safer."
"Shortsighted thinking on Madoc's part. New equipment would be expensive, but would pay for itself fairly soon. I'm surprised that Michael didn't maintain control of the mine's daily operations—he always had a shrewd head for business."
Hero glanced Josephine. "As you know, the Tiffin family used to own the mine, but my grandfather considered it more bother than it was worth. Michael became interested in the mine when he visited me. He thought that with better management it could be very profitable, so he made an offer. My grandfather was delighted to be rid of the nuisance of running the mine as long as he retained ownership of the land."
"So that's why the mine changed ownership," she said dryly. "No one bothered to explain to the people who worked there. It was said that Lord Michael took a passing fancy to the valley, so he bought a house and a business on impulse."
"There's some truth to that—Michael did fall in love with this part of Wales the first time he visited Westgate. As a younger son, he wasn't in line to inherit any land from his family, so he bought Bryn Manor at the same time he acquired the mine." A thought occurred to Hero. "Has he neglected the house as thoroughly as he has the mine?"
