Page 39 of Not Quite a Lady
‘Is he so unsuitable?’ Lily flipped the paper to the back page without looking up.
‘Of course he is. Your duty, Lily my dear, is to marry a gentleman, atitledgentleman. That’s what your Papa was working for all those years, the notion that his grandsons would be titled gentlemen.’
Not for the first time the treacherous thought crept into Lily’s mind that perhaps Papa would have been content just for her to be happy, then she resolutely dismissed it. It was her duty to advance the family.
With the idea of distracting Aunt Herrick she scanned the third page of the paper for some gossip, but as the majority of the sheet was taken up with the report of acrim.con.case in Hereford which she strongly suspected she was not supposed to read, and a depressing account of the starvation in the Scilly Isles, Lily turned to the back page.
‘Is the advertisement for Dr Jordan’s Cordial Balm of Rakasiri in today’s paper?’ Aunt Herrick asked. ‘I meant to tear it out the other day. It sounds just the thing for Cousin Alison’s rheumatic gout, and then I forgot and the girl has used it to light the fire with.’
‘I’ll see.’ Lily ran a finger down the column. A furniture auction, a cellar of wines for sale, novelty piping bullfinches, several notes to creditors…
‘Yes, here it is. Do you really think it suitable? He also says it is an infallible cure for distressed bowels and for warming the chilled bodily fluids.’ Lily grinned. ‘Actually, that sounds as though it would be highly efficacious for Alison – I cannot think of anyone chillier.’
She was still smiling as she read the rest of the advertisement, and her eye moved down to the one below.
Gentlemen desirous of obtaining a favourable opportunity for investment in a productive coal mine producing the finest grade of coal for the London market are invited to make themselves known to Mr Lovell, at the sign of the Green Lion.
‘Lily? Whatever is the matter?’
‘Nothing, nothing at all. I was so foolish as to read all the horrid symptoms in this advertisement, which I should not have done while I was eating. I will copy the address and details down for you, shall I?’
So, Jack was not waiting for her trustees to meet. Either he did not believe they would approve of her investing in the mine, or he had scruples about her doing so. And somehow, after last night, she felt certain those scruples would have hardened into resolve.
Well, I can be quite as stubborn as you, Jack Lovell.
‘If you like, I will write to Dr Jordan and purchase some of this cordial balm.’ Lily stood up, the paper folded in her hand. ‘I have some correspondence to take care of this morning.’
The order for the cordial balm was soon written. Lily pulled forward another sheet of notepaper.
Dear Uncle Frederick, I know that the trustees are not due to meet for another week, however, knowing that you are still in London, I wonder if I might prevail on you to call this afternoon to discuss a new type of investment in which I am interested. I trust that Aunt and all the family continue well. I am, as ever, your affectionate niece, Lily.
The six trustees had remained in Town after the last meeting in order to attend the funeral of a business acquaintance so, with any luck, they would all have decided to stay on.
The thought of talking a walk in the garden and just, quite casually, dropping in to see Jack was very tempting. Lily looked wistfully out of the window then resolutely pulled a pile a papers and correspondence towards her. He would think she was pursuing him, or reproaching him. Either was unthinkable.
She had her head in her hands trying to make sense of an involved letter from France & France’s principle agent in China when a tap on the door made her look up.
‘Jack. Please come in.’
Her mind was so full of the complexities of the combined effect of an unusually severe wet season coupled with an advantageous improvement in transport for the tea down from the hills, that for a moment she forgot to feel any awkwardness at seeing Jack again in broad daylight. Then she remembered the previous night and blushed to her toes.
Jack, however, seemed more than capable of keeping his countenance. Lily swallowed and tried to follow his example.
‘Am I interrupting? You seem very busy.’
Could she refer to last night? No, perhaps better not to, if he didn’t.
Lily pushed the agent’s letter across the desk. ‘There is good news from China, and bad news, and Mr Cummings, who is otherwise an excellent agent, rambles so much it is difficult to tell whether the end result is going to be a scarcity of good tea, a glut of poor tea or neither.’
‘But surely you do not need to concern yourself with this?’ Jack picked up the letter and read it. ‘Don’t you have people to take care of this for you?’ He re-read the middle section. ‘Monsoon? Rates for coolies? Do you understand these issues?’
‘About as clearly as you understand one of your diagrams of coal seams and faults. Do you think all I did with my fortune was to spend it?’
He hesitated for just a moment, then grinned. ‘Yes.’
‘So did Adrian. Papa raised me in the business as he would a son. He knew I would have to rely on agents and on my trustees to transact affairs, so he thought it was important that I would know when I was given good advice, or when someone was trying to cheat me. I was in the East with him when he died – that is why I made such a late come-out.’
‘I am impressed.’
