The Shadow of the Dead Hand by Fred M. White

Meanwhile, things had been moving in another direction. Alcie had gone down to Devonshire to Kindale Castle, together with the Earl, rejoicing in her freedom and independence and quite happy in the knowledge that she might be in a position, sooner or later, to move the old man's heart so far as Roy was concerned. It was an entirely innocent little conspiracy, and, at the very worst, could do no harm. At any rate, it meant that Alcie was no longer depending upon the bread of charity, but that she was to earn her own living in circumstances that promised to be pleasing.

For the moment, at any rate, she had her work to herself. There were servants of the agricultural type, labourers and so on, who helped her with those famous birds of the old earl's, and, in the course of two or three days, she had them all at her feet.