"Whip and spur, one presumes?"
"And a regular ration of oats, no doubt, my lord!"
Robert penned a very careful letter to Lord Star, begging his presence in London for the proper day, Court Dress to be refurbished, his lady's presence much to be desired as well. Letters were often retained in family archives - many a library had shelves of them - and it was as well to be very cautious in their composition - some things must only be hinted.
He then called upon the Marquis, spoke far more freely over a glass.
"The family and connections en masse, my lord. I shall bring James and wife in my train. Joseph will probably choose to stay in the North and Rothwell is still out of the country on his wedding journey, is he not?"
"Vienna, I am informed, visiting his brother; thence to Venice and Rome before making a leisurely progress to Paris and eventually returning to London. I have received letters, and a number of bills, to acquaint me with their stays in various cities en route."
"I shall bring Lady St Helens with me to the levee and shall beg to escort the Dowager. The presence of the Marchioness would be much appreciated, sir."
"My mother is too frail now to consider the journey, but I shall request Margaret and Captain Hood to attend with me to support my wife. He made his bow at St James as a young officer during the wars, so he will not be out of place, and can be useful to the family he has made himself a part of! The Quarringtons would add to our train, do you not believe?"
"They would indeed, sir. He is known, a little, already and it is time, and more than time, that his affairs were brought to fruition. He has a directorship with the West Indies Company now and I believe that it is right for him to change his name. Let us make a full sweep, my lord - I shall request Sir Matthew to bring Charlotte to Town as well."
Robert wrote his letters to the family and received immediate responses - he had made it clear that the matter was exigent. To his surprise he received a brief note from Joseph stating his willingness to attend as well - it was normal for young ladies to appear at Court soon after their marriage, he believed.
He took the letter to Frances, asked for enlightenment.
"Charlotte! I understand that she has made several morning visits to the new household and has been a treasure trove of information and assistance to the bride. This smacks of her arranging."
"Why?"
"She is, I am reliably informed, becoming the Grande Dame of Lancashire Society, the great figure of the County whose favour is to be courted by all of those who aspire to be noticed by the fashionable and influential. The County in the new homes of industry is in a state of flux - wherever the manufacturies and mills and potteries are to be found then one may discover their owners, often very rich and in recent possession of broad acres. The old families, the smaller squires especially, the thousand a year men, have often sold their lands at a premium and retired to the spas of Matlock or Leamington or Bath and their places have been taken by the upstarts. In the past the Mushroom Class could be ignored, or in the case of the occasional nabob home from the Indies, made welcome - but there are so many of these Johnny Newcomes and they are so wealthy! The general answer has been to assimilate them, to bring them into the embrace of the couth and the genteel so that their children at least fit in. Charlotte and Sir Matthew have a foot in either camp - noble parents on the one side, a shipyard on the other - and so she has been able to make a prominent place for herself. In the circumstances it is only natural that she should have brought Joseph's lady wife under her wing."
All was clear - and entries in the Court Pages of the local journals that recorded their presence before the Monarch could only add to her prestige.
"Very good for the Family, I would surmise, ma'am?"
"Excellent indeed, my lord."
"Have you word of their marriage, ma'am? Is all as it should be?"
Frances raised an eyebrow, very dryly said that she assumed Joseph to be capable of his duties.
Robert flushed and shook his head - he had not been enquiring about that aspect.
Frances smiled innocently, was sorry to have misunderstood him, reflecting that it did the young man good to be taken aback occasionally - he was becoming a trifle earnest, self-important even, in his ways.
"The new house has been purchased and the builders will soon be out. The decorators are in, the wallpapers are mostly up and the kitchens have been turned upside down - which is all as it should be and one gathers the young lady to be satisfied in her endeavours. She has already appointed a Nurse and has furnished her nursery - so one presumes it will not be long before she has an interesting communication to make to us. The gardens are to be next year's task, one gathers, it being too late in the season to plant them out. There is a man and two boys outdoors and they are rooting out all that is unwanted and turning the soil over in anticipation of the winter's frosts. Joseph has excelled himself there, by the way - there is a walled off kitchen garden and orchard of adequate size and ten good acres of ornamental land with a clean stream running through the middle from a spring up on the hillside behind them. I am informed that he has bought the hill itself, to keep it clear of housing."
"Expensive?"
"Not at all, my lord. I am reliably told that he expects to translate his family to a larger dwelling at a substantial distance from town in ten years or so, and by that time the empty land within a mile of the existing mills will command a very respectable price."
"He has turned that brain of his towards money-making, it would seem, and will certainly gain much. I hope he does not lose more than he can afford."
Frances was surprised - Robert was a banker by avocation and one did not expect an appreciation of the emotional and aesthetic from him.
"He might have been another Leonardo, ma'am."
"True - yet, in the end, how many of Leonardo's wonderful devices ever came to fruition? I wonder, did he die dissatisfied that so few machines lived after him?"
"Joseph will produce more, it would seem. Many hundreds of miles of railway lines will be his memorial."
"And many thousands of pounds left to his heirs, I expect."
"Not a bad thing, in itself - a branch of the family that will be to extent separate, but also powerful. That could, one day, be of use to us all."
The Quarringtons signified that they would show themselves as well, Jonathan making a flying visit to Thingdon Hall to discover what was in the wind. He was not au fait with the rumours and gossip, was interested to hear that there was a potential constitutional crisis and that he could play a part in it. He pledged himself to inform the Minchinhampton connection of all that was happening - they had remained fairly much in provincial isolation for several generations but had been prominent in the events that led to the expulsion of the Stuarts and the installation of Dutch William and were committed to the concept of a weak, controlled monarch. Quarrington was sure that the clan would make its opinions heard in London, might even bestir themselves to take a part in events; at very minimum, they had control of a dozen members and would instruct them to be heard in the House, or, more importantly, in the lobbies and committee rooms.
Joseph brought his bride to London almost immediately - she had not envisaged attendance at Court and needed be fully furbished with the appropriate dress.
"Hoop and feathers, sir! I doubt I shall feel exceedingly silly in so outmoded a style - I was embarrassed to be rigged out so when I made my curtsey as a debutante and cannot imagine that I shall be easier now! My sister, of course, inherited my finery and I must re-equip myself from new!"
Joseph smiled kindly, happy to assist his wife's poor relations.
He wondered whether he might not take advantage of the presence of the Dowager to ask for a little advice on his relations with his wife. His second lady was a very different person to the first and the certainties he had learnt in that marriage were not quite relevant to his present situation. Lucy was a very good wife, that was without question, presenting the best of public
faces and welcoming him unreservedly in private; she made a much more comfortable house for him as well. The problem was that Joseph could not help suspecting she was playing a part, that rather like an actor in a theatre she was parroting carefully learned lines and performing well-rehearsed actions.
Theirs was a marriage of convenience; that he accepted, but he was a little surprised that he was, it seemed, as convenient to her as she was to him. He was the rich man, after all, and his wife might be expected to show a little gratitude that she was so well established in life. Having thought the problem through he decided not to lay it at the Dowager's feet - she might be uncomplimentary to him, he suspected.
Not to worry! He sent his lady off to the dressmaker's with instructions that she should ensure that she was bang up to the nines - she must not be seen to stint herself. He reflected, almost sadly, that she would achieve the most tasteful of results without unnecessary extravagance - she would behave in the most responsible fashion, would not even consider wasting his funds. Perhaps he should surprise her - another emerald perhaps.
Book Ten: A Poor Man
at the Gate Series
Chapter Five
“I would not eat from that bowl, Sahib.”
Major Wolverstone froze, hands unmoving; then he carefully set down the serving spoon. Very slowly he sat back from the English style dining table placed centrally in the large room, entirely alien to the Indian décor surrounding him. He was alone at the table although it could have seated a dozen with ease. His own servants - one his old batman, Hubbard, the others long-employed and wholly trusted men of Bombay – stared at the figure in the door, the young woman silhouetted there. All recognised her.
She stepped forward, into the room.
Wolverstone rose and gave a formal bow, neither deep nor prolonged, more of a bob in fact.
“Good evening, ma’am. Welcome to my rooms.”
It was essential to be calm, to preserve the serenity of the master.
As an unmarried lady of the highest rank, the Rajah’s eldest surviving sister, Indira, had never ventured into Wolverstone’s quarters, had never in fact spoken to him except in the light of day and with an entourage of chaperones. He had noticed her frequently, a pretty, intelligent, very attractive, young woman who seemed to be watching everything he did; he had assumed her to be resentful of the foreigner who had usurped such power in her own home, rather regretfully thought nothing more of her.
“I regret to have intruded, Sahib, but discovered only minutes ago that there was an assassin in the palace and that he had made an entry to the kitchens. I believed it necessary to come immediately.”
Her English was coolly precise, almost unaccented, vocabulary exact – she was beautifully taught.
“I had thought my cooks all to be loyal to me, ma’am.”
“They are, Sahib. The poison, if I am entirely right in my supposition, is not in the food but brushed onto one or more of the bowls themselves.”
“That is very clever, and nasty, too – I had not considered that possibility. How did you make your discovery, my lady?”
“The senior eunuch of the women’s part of the palace, Major Wolverstone – a person who only seems to be of the greatest indolence – has a most observant eye. He as well pays a number of the servants, an unknown number, to watch very carefully all that happens around them. Word came to him of a stranger, a porter from the market who had come with a basket of grain, a heavy load needing an extra hand so that he was employed for an hour or two as a carrier; the man was seen to venture out of sight for a few minutes and so he was followed and then was observed outside of the palace and speaking to my sister’s chamberlain.”
Wolverstone nodded – either of the Rajah’s sisters could achieve power on their brother’s death, but only provided that there was no interference from him as the boy’s guardian. It would be necessary to kill him to make all tidy; the deaths could always be blamed on other conspirators, on the Marathas even.
“The eunuch sent guards to take up the interloper; he was discovered in possession of much money and about to leave the city. It took a little time to bring him to the palace and then to persuade him to speak. After that, it was felt wise to obtain confirmation of all he said, for he might have been an agent attempting my sister’s downfall.”
Wolverstone raised an eyebrow, made a face of incomprehension.
“It was possible that he was in my employ, Sahib!”
“Of course! I am sorry.”
“My sister’s chamberlain was implicated and decided to speak only a few minutes ago, and by then there was no time to send a messenger.”
A written message would have been placed on Wolverstone’s desk, his clerks never disturbing him of an evening. Any courier would have been delayed explaining his errand to Wolverstone’s people, all of them determined to protect their master’s leisure time.
“Is your sister aware of the details of the plot?”
“It would appear to be wholly of her making, Sahib. I left before her chamberlain could be questioned further, but I am inclined to doubt from his first statement that I would have long survived my brother.”
“Is the Rajah still alive?”
“He is, most fortunately, unharmed, Sahib. He was to be strangled, but only after it was certain that you were dead.”
Wolverstone relaxed; it made sense not to kill the boy before he was out of the way.
“Then both he and I owe you our most sincere thanks, my lady. I shall inform the Governor of your actions and he will, undoubtedly, make our debt to you known to the Company and to London. I do not think that I can offer you a reward, ma’am, for that would not be commensurate with your dignity and position, but, believe me, I am truly grateful!”
He rose and bowed again, far more deeply.
She gave an English curtsey in response, result of careful tuition over many years. She spoke quickly to the servants, watched as they took up napkins and cleared the table and cautiously took all of the foodstuffs away, bare hands carefully kept at a distance.
“I trust you have instructed them to see that all is burnt, ma’am, the crockery destroyed and the silver melted down – I would not wish any of the servants’ families to eat from those dishes.”
Wolverstone knew that the kitchen staff fed in part from his leavings.
“The food will not be wasted, my lord.”
The English title jarred on his ears – she had never used it on the few occasions they had previously spoken and nor had any other person in the palace.
“The food has been taken to my sister’s rooms and will be served to her and to those who dine with her tonight – all of whom may be assumed to be in her confidence. It seems only justice, my lord, and it is better than that you should be forced to put her before the judges here. They would seek a confession from her, using all necessary means to persuade her to speak – and I cannot allow my sister to be treated with such cruelty.”
“You have no doubt?”
“There can be none, my lord. I knew that she wished her brother to die, but I had expected that she would merely hope for another disease, or an accident perhaps. I did not suppose that she would actively seek to kill him – though I know that she despised his mother and her kin.”
“Why?”
“She was to have been married to a man of great wealth but of lesser status than she thought she deserved. Her children would have been landowners of much respect, but could never have aspired to be Rajah. This she believed to be a malicious insult on the part of the boy’s mother, who was the last and favourite consort and had displaced her own parent in my father’s favour.”
“Your sister is a few months younger than you, is she not?”
“She was, my lord.”
“What happens now, ma’am? What am I to do?”
“That is your decision, my lord. You may make a great noise of disloyalty and murder, and cast all into shame, if that is your wish.”
A little ingenuity a
nd the young Rajah could be smeared by his sister’s malfeasance. Accused of treason and the boy could be exiled, sent away to Cape Town or to the Mauritius perhaps, never to return to his throne again. The Company would be very happy to take direct control of the rich little state and would make sure that Wolverstone was well compensated.
Tempting, but dishonest.
“I would prefer to keep all quiet, if it be possible, ma’am. The Chief Eunuch of the Women’s Quarters could possibly assist in this? He seems to me to be a gentleman of great ingenuity, and of unparalleled loyalty.”
“He is a person of honour, and of intelligence; he wishes to protect the young Rajah. No doubt he will discover a contaminated piece of goat or sheep meat, my lord; all to have died of a very distressful food poisoning. So sad!”
“Sad indeed. We shall all grieve publicly.”
“We shall, wailing loudly the while.”
“What of you, my lady? Has a marriage been arranged for you?”
“No, my lord. The man I was betrothed to in childhood was also one of the very many who died. No other contract has been arranged - it would be difficult to do so in the absence of parents to agree the dowry, though not impossible if I had wished to enter an acceptable alliance, which I do not. I rather fear now, my lord, that was I to be married then my husband would be seen as a threat to my little brother; indeed, I am now the sole menace to his prolonged existence!"
Wolverstone was inclined to agree with her - married she was a present threat and while she remained unwed she was a focus for the ambitious. A gentleman who wished to take the throne might well see the best route as first to kill the boy and then to forcibly wed the sister to legitimise his claim. Why was she telling him all this?
Her sister was now, effectively, dead; she would be soon as well, unless she could find an escape. Running was no solution - a single woman could not find sanctuary in India and could hardly leave the country. Her sole way out, her only chance of survival was as the wife of a powerful man who yet could not become ruler of Amravati; a foreigner, in fact.
The Vice Of Virtue (A Poor Man At The Gate Series Book 10) Page 12