Danvers shook his head.
“He had borrowed extensively from merchants who dwell, and continue in trade, in French-held cities, Sir Septimus. One is given to understand that the debts were in some way underwritten by the French – who are now to argue the case themselves. The result, Sir Septimus, is thus doubly desirable. There are those who consider the means – the hangman’s rope – to be rather rigorous when applied to a grandee, but others feel that it made our contempt for his villainy quite plain. Suffice it to say, Sir Septimus, that those who are aware of the business are very pleased with you.”
“I have to say that I am thankful it is so, sir. Had I been in contact with the Army, I should have sought advice and assistance in dealing with the gentleman. Being distant from my superiors, I was forced to take immediate action with no certainty that I knew all, or understood the information I possessed; it was necessary, sir, but not the sort of thing one wishes to do on a daily basis!”
Mr Danvers laughed, said he was glad to know that Septimus did not propose to hang a Spanish nobleman every day.
“His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, was at first a little disturbed, inasmuch that the gentleman in question had recently spent some months in London and had become known to him. HRH did not relish the thought of an acquaintance being offered a hemp cravat, as they say at Tyburn!”
“I had feared that might be so, sir. He spoke the most excellent English.”
“He did indeed, Sir Septimus. He learned his English while discovering how best to betray us – HRH was dismayed when he came to appreciate that fact. He most rapidly agreed that you must be commended for your vigorous and loyal action; had the gentleman been brought to trial, stood before a court, he might well have named names that were better left unspoken. It is not impossible that he had been told that he would make an able king.”
“Then better far that his mouth was closed in a distant forest in Spain where only the ravens might hear his last words.”
Mr Danvers nodded gravely, then, out of curiosity, asked what those last words had been.
“’I am a man of noble birth! You cannot do this to me’.”
“Ah! I see he was as mistaken in death as he had been in life!”
“Well said, sir!”
Danvers gave a mock bow, as of an actor taking applause on the stage.
“The post of warden of the castle of Bentland in Somerset, which is in the Royal gift, is vacant, Sir Septimus. The castle exists only as a few tumbled stones and has neither garrison nor any real existence, but it does carry a salary, for life, of six hundred guineas, three bullocks, ten bushels of pease and a barrel of Madeira wine each year. The non-money payment is commuted in the sum of an extra fifty guineas each year, sir. His Royal Highness is pleased to appoint you to the position, sir, and has laid down that it shall be inherited for three generations in the male line.”
“I am dumbfounded, Mr Danvers! Such generosity amazes me!”
“It should not, Sir Septimus – those who do great and confidential services for the Crown will never be forgotten.”
Septimus bowed his understanding.
“Where exactly is the castle, sir?”
“I really do not know, Sir Septimus. You need never visit it, of course. I am given to understand that the Lord Lieutenant of your County will pay you a visit soon, sir, which will also please you.”
Septimus had heard of generals being appointed in such a way as a reward for their services, but had understood that otherwise such sinecures were normally reserved exclusively for royal cronies. It might be dangerous to be too close a friend to the Prince Regent, for he was no gentleman and would stab an inconvenient back without compunction, but it was certainly profitable!
Man of Conflict Series
BOOK FIVE
Chapter Seven
“Six hundred and fifty guineas a year for life, and for Jack’s life and his son’s! Six hundred and eighty-two pounds ten a year – all for nothing at all in the way of work!”
Marianne was equally delighted, the sum of more than thirty-five shillings a day added to their income and safe for three generations. Even if they faced disaster they would have a respectable competence to live upon, there could never be fear of the future now. Being rational, she had to admit that she had never had any fear of what the future might bring, but it was very pleasant to know that she never would have.
“Perhaps it might be possible, sir, to take some of the money held as savings and use it to buy some more fields now? There is always much to be said for land.”
Septimus thought that was a very sensible statement and went to see brother George.
“Poor investment, Septimus, land - two per centum, you know!”
“True indeed, George, but, and do not even whisper it, there is a possibility that the barony may come in this generation, not the next. Much will depend on my next employment. It may be Canada, and, if that be so, and if the Americans go to war, and if I am able to take a brigade into the field, and win of course, then Lord Septimus the First might not be impossible! To be serious, Baron Pearce is under consideration as a distant possibility. Such being the case, more land, to give the substance of an estate, can only assist.”
George’s family could only gain, rising on Septimus’ coattails; he was suddenly much in favour of a large purchase.
“One answer might well be a loan, Septimus, guaranteed by the new income and payable by its own rents. Sheepwalk comes in far cheaper than wheat land, particularly if it contains steep slopes and very rough pasture, and for the appearance of an estate, the size of the acreage is far more important than its quality. Leave it with me, brother. Large tracts of land come onto the market very infrequently, so I shall keep an eye out for you and simply use the power of attorney you have placed in my hands to negotiate finance for you, if it is necessary; it will be quicker that way.”
“The matter is yours to deal with, George. What is this I hear of Amelia? A marriage in the offing?”
“It seems very likely, brother. A family from the rich clay lands mid-way between Durley and Botley, about fifteen miles from here. Good soil and close to Southampton and not so far from Portsmouth, so that they have sales of butter and cheese from a dairy almost as great as yours, a very useful addition to the wheat fields for being almost independent of the weather. They are go-ahead people, for agriculturalists, and grow potatoes and cabbages for the markets in town as well. Rawle, their name, and the eldest son, in his mid-twenties, is an educated young man and values Amelia as he should for her learning, and besides is much taken by her, and she has an affection for him, I believe. Nothing has been said, but Lucasta and I have met her parents – they came into Winchester for the last two assemblies, staying in the hotel for the purpose, so there are grounds to be hopeful.”
“Good! She is a fine girl and I shall be glad to see her well-established. I do not know the family name?”
“A sailor two generations back, I believe, who did well for prize-money. Not uncommon in the estates immediately behind Portsmouth.”
“Much like us, George. Grandfather may have been a horny-handed naval man, but grandson is a gentleman born, as Jack’s boy will be when the time comes!”
“Like most of the blue-blood of Britain, brother!”
They laughed and their talk wandered to a broad discussion of local affairs, of all that had happened in Winchester while Septimus had been away. That took them five minutes – the pace was slow in rural England.
“Strange. Mr Danvers said that the Lord Lieutenant was likely to call upon me, but I cannot see what I might be expected to do. No doubt he will send a letter appointing a day, if he wishes to see me.”
A Sheriff’s officer arrived at Ahmednagar Lodge a few days later bringing a note to enquire whether it would be convenient for the Lord Lieutenant to call upon him of the morning some two days later.
It was, naturally.
Septimus was puzzled, for there seemed to be an air of confidentialit
y about the business, for otherwise he would have been begged to make an open visit to the Castle, in Winchester.
The gentleman arrived and was made welcome and was introduced to the family, as was only polite, and then sequestered himself with Septimus in his library, the door firmly closed.
“An unusual business, Sir Septimus. It is a question of an East India merchant as was, a nabob, who retired to England with his money and grew bored with idleness and bought into a large victualler in Portsmouth, a man, needless to say, with naval contracts. The nabob was in his forties and the victualler had a daughter of thirty or so and the two came into contact and there was a wedding, to the approbation of all. A year since and to some surprise, the lady found herself in the family way and presented her husband with a daughter, which was a cause of some delight. Three months ago and there was an outbreak of a nasty fever in Portsmouth, brought in, one presumes, by one of the naval vessels, home from far foreign. It happens every few years.”
“That sounds rather sad, my lord. Did many die?”
Septimus was still puzzled, could not see where he came into the tale.
“The nabob, and his lady and her father all perished, leaving thus the little girl still not a twelvemonth old and sole heir to both sides. She has been made a Ward in Chancery, for lack of any known relative. There is a need therefore to discover a trustee for the girl, which is normally no problem – indeed the sole usual difficulty is to choose between the volunteers.”
Septimus had heard of Wards in Chancery. Who had not?
“The trustee of a Ward in Chancery must bring the child up, educate her, in this instance, and maintain the value of her estate, where possible indeed, add to it. The income of the estate is paid in whole to the trustee and he retains as a fee for his services any surplus that may accrue. I am right in that, my lord?”
“You are, Sir Septimus. Where the ward is to become the owner of a landed estate on adulthood, there is little problem – the natural trustees will themselves be landholders and well able to exercise the burden of care, and will be glad to accept the addition to their own incomes arising from the wardship. But, rarely, this young miss is heiress to a victualling establishment, and a very large one – a business that must be kept in being to preserve her source of wealth. The father also left her substantial sums in the Funds, of course. She is a young lady of Hampshire and so it is right that a Hampshireman should become her trustee. It would not be too difficult to locate merchants in London who might be able to accept the burden, but to discover a gentleman of Hampshire who could do so was not so easy. Fortunately, sir, you – and your brother – were brought to my attention. If you were to accept the little girl into your house, sir, then no doubt you could make some arrangement with Mr George Pearce for him to keep the business in being, against a substantial fee, no doubt.”
“Of course, my lord. I am sure that I can speak for my brother and say that we will be very pleased to accept the charge of the little girl. I have twins in my nursery, much of an age with the little one, and it should not be a problem to accommodate her and her wet-nurse and nursery maid. Please allow me to bring Lady Pearce into the discussion.”
Marianne had no hesitation; the poor, orphaned mite was to be brought to them immediately and she should be a second daughter until she became of age or wished to wed, and hopefully would remain tied to them by affection afterwards.
The Lord Lieutenant produced the documents that must be signed and promised that the little girl and her attendants would be sent to them just as soon as might be possible, certainly within two or three days.
There was room in the quarters for one or two more maids; there could be no difficulty that Marianne could see.
Septimus set out for Winchester within the hour of escorting the Lord Lieutenant to his chaise.
“A Ward in Chancery, brother? To be sure, it would be a poor thing if we could not do our part there, and no doubt there will be no cost to us. A Portsmouth firm of victuallers, you say? Which one?”
“The name I am given is Rattigan, George.”
“He is nearly as great in the trade as we are, Septimus! He must turn a profit of ten thousand in a year!”
“And that is to come our way, between us, George?”
“Some part of it, certainly, brother. We must, to be fair, invest some part in the firm so that it may grow for the little girl eventually to inherit a rich concern. We cannot but do very well indeed from the business. You will, of course, bring the little one up with your three boys, Septimus, giving her every chance to cement her affections with one of them.”
That had not occurred to Septimus, but such a marriage would be unexceptionable for the girl, as a rise in her status, and would have much to offer the family by way of wealth.
“Might it be possible, George, to realise some of her holdings in the Funds in order to purchase her a landed estate?”
“That will be to improve her status in the world, to make her more marriageable among the better sort of people. The Court of Chancery would hardly disapprove, I believe.”
“There is much to be said for being in well with the rulers of the land, George.”
“There is. We shall be Fiduciaries, of course, with a duty to the little girl to ensure that financially she is at minimum no worse off for coming into our care, Septimus. The lawyers will be of no concern – the Court of Chancery exists to generate fees for its masters and judges and practitioners at its Bar and it will not seek to exercise any supervision of Wards. The application was brought by the Crown and was not disputed, one gathers, and so was dealt with on the nod and will never be examined again, except a formal case is brought. No honest attorney will ever recommend a client to go to law in Chancery and so we have nothing to fear while we behave with reasonable and visible integrity. The firm of Rattigan shall flourish and expand, Septimus, and any estate purchased shall be held in the young lady’s name and will be seen, again, to be well-managed so that she will at the age of one-and-twenty enter into lands and properties that are far greater than when she had inherited twenty years before. The gains to us must also be substantial, and honestly come by.”
Septimus sat back, aware that he was truly lucky; he might have been killed in the last campaign yet instead had come out a made man.
“You will wish to know how it came about, George, that I am suddenly so favoured?”
“It smacks of Royal influence, Septimus. Who did you do a favour for? Was it knowingly, by the way?”
“Prinny was indiscreet again, it transpires. There was a Spanish nobleman who spent some time in his company and came away believing that he was a favourite of the British government, a protégé indeed, and could therefore pursue his own interests in Spain without interference. It seemed to this friend of Prinny’s that he could set up his own kingdom of Catalonia, a client state of France initially, and then encourage the creation of others – Aragon, Castile, Andalusia and probably Navarre – all of which could be as independent as the Italian states. The little Count’s plans failed because he chose to betray a British regiment – mine – to the French to demonstrate his good faith. It then became necessary to deny that he had ever seen the Prince Regent, let alone been encouraged by him. I had hanged the man in the field as a discovered and dangerous traitor, far from public view, out of harm’s way as far as Prinny was concerned, and well before I knew of his involvements in England and before he could make any public outcry. While I say nothing to any man – including you, of course – then it is simpler to reward me than to silence me.”
“You are at risk, of course, Septimus. They may come a-knocking at your door at any time, begging you to do another favour, knowingly on this occasion, and you will be unable to refuse.”
“Royalty gives its favours – and they do not come for free, especially to those of us who are not of the right birth, George. It is worth taking a chance or two – for young Jack will be of a right family and will be placed to make himself and his descendants a power in
the land. The next few months must be put to good use. I have done well in my career almost by accident so far, George. Let us now discover what may be attained by policy!”
The little girl arrived and transpired to be a baby, much the same as any other, although not so well dressed and cared-for as some. The wet nurse smelled of gin and left the house very rapidly, under threat of the common cell in Winchester prison if she was seen in the whole county ever again. Rapid scouring of the villages and local farms disclosed a healthy and willing labourer’s wife who had lost her boy in the last day and was immediately available to the babe.
“A shame, Septimus, that one can so easily find a wet-nurse. So many little ones die young.”
“Too many. Her name is Maggie and her husband works for Taplin, down the valley from us. I have made no promises, but if we buy more land then he is to be offered a place with us, and as more than a simple labourer – it is only fair.”
“What is the little girl’s name, Septimus?”
“Whatever we make it, I suspect, my dear. The Chancery Court refers to her as the ‘minor daughter of Jabez Colshaw’, and gives her no further dignity. I shall go across to Portsmouth, to Rattigan’s office; there must be one there who knows the name.”
Four days and they had discovered that the girl was Rachel Maria by baptism; Septimus was inclined to be indignant that the lawyers should have been so coldly uncaring as to make no record of her name, but George was in no way surprised. Lawyers cared for the words of statutes, he said; they were not interested in people, except to pay their fees.
All settled and Septimus became restless; he was no agriculturalist and the country life soon palled.
“The Opera House opens for the Little Season in London, my dear. Shall we attend? A few days in Town, not to be part of the Season, for we have no entrée, but to do a little shopping perhaps and to take in whatever they have to offer – if we are lucky, there may be a Mozart!”
Spanish Tricks (Man of Conflict Series, Book 5) Page 17