Timber Estimate

Ernest had spent the entire week attempting to engineer his way around the inevitable. Monday had been consumed by a grueling six-hour capacity hearing with the Royal Railway Commission. Tuesday disappeared into an exhaustive preliminary review of the proposed Dunwell maritime corridor. Wednesday was spent inside the roar of Teucher Iron & Steel, reviewing the foundation footings for the third rolling mill expansion. Thursday had brought three distinct administrative battles concerning northern coal extraction targets, locomotive assembly bottlenecks, and the severe wagon congestion at the Helmarte freight terminal.

Friday had been mercifully, totally exhausting.

By the time Ernest's carriage rattled back through the gates of Oriel Estate late that evening, he had nearly convinced himself that his mother would simply overlook the scheduled engagement in the face of national infrastructure priorities.

She did not.