The Wages Of Virtue (A Poor Man at the Gate Series, Book 8)

by Andrew Wareham

  "Miss Tucker is, obviously, single; she is quite unattached, Mr Mostyn. So I understand, are you?"

  This was very direct - one would have expected a degree of subtlety in such an approach.

  "I am unwed, sir, and my parents have no contract in mind for me, I know. My father, in fact, has mentioned in recent letters that he hopes I may establish myself in Bombay."

  "So I understood, sir. Let us be open, Mr Mostyn: I am interested in achieving a great expansion in our China trade. Within the next twenty years we shall establish a presence in mainland China, a port similar to but greater than Macao; if the Chinese will allow this, we shall do so peaceably. Otherwise, more direct means shall prevail."

  "Building a docks, warehouses, dwelling-places; employing stevedores and warehouse hands; recruiting a gendarmerie sufficient to maintain order - a large sum in the first instance, sir."

  "A close relationship with a major banking house would be of great utility, Mr Mostyn."

  "Of profit to both concerns, sir."

  "Miss Tucker is in receipt of an income derived from her father's junior partnership. She is aware that the income will cease upon her marriage, except it be a contract approved by me. I would be very willing to see her wed to you, sir, retaining her income in trust and to pass to younger offspring, while you became possessor of ten per centum of Mathiesons."

  David thought for a very few seconds, then smiled his assent.

  "If she will have me, sir, then I shall be very pleased to oblige you. I shall do my best to persuade her of my virtues as a husband, be sure, Mr Mathieson, but I do believe that an unwilling wife would be the very devil, so I will beg you not to coerce her."

  "Plain-speaking, but sensible, sir. My wife is forever reading these novels, you know - abducted brides and such - and I have often wondered just why any sensible man should wish to burden himself in such a way. One would always be fearing ground glass in the evening curry!"

  They laughed, but the prospect gave each to shiver.

  David danced with Miss Tucker, made obligatory light conversation.

  "Do you know Mr Mathieson well, Mr Mostyn?"

  "A passing business acquaintance, Miss Tucker - he is an older man than I, and far more eminent in Bombay. I am much his junior."

  "I know very few people in Bombay, of course, Mr Mostyn. Who is the tall, military seeming gentleman who exchanged a greeting with you just now?"

  "Major Wolverstone, distinguished in the wars and now a representative of the great firm of Roberts as well as a notable businessman in his own right. He is dancing with his wife at present - she is the daughter of one of our merchants, recently returned to Ireland."

  "Mr Mathieson tells me there are very few single gentlemen in Bombay, yet I seem to observe several unaccompanied men here, sir."

  "Company and King's officers, mostly, ma'am, forbidden to wed until they reach both captain's rank and the age of thirty, as an absolute rule, forty preferred in fact by the Company. Most of the others are civilian employees of John Company, junior Writers, again single by order until they reach a proper seniority. I doubt there are three free businessmen of an age with me in the whole of Bombay, and I believe that one of them will never be in the way of marrying - though I must apologise for so indelicate a comment, ma'am!"

  She did not understand his allusion, fortunately, perhaps.

  Miss Tucker discussed the evening's entertainment with Mrs Mathieson over the next days - such excitements were all too few. The older lady was forthright in, as she put it, 'surveying the field'.

  "There's Mostyn, and he's richest and brightest; a Jewboy by birth, of course, but we must not hold that against him, he acts like a Christian. Then comes Harris, who is in line to inherit from his uncle, but who ain't his match as a businessman - he won't go bust, I think, but he'll never make a million. We can forget about Staveley - he won't ever take a bride to his bed, my dear!"

  The younger lady looked blank, had her ignorance dispelled in two graphic minutes.

  "Oh! I never dreamt, ma'am... I did not know of such things. Well!"

  "Servants gossip, my dear, and we all come to know who is what before too long. If you want a husband, and there is much to be said for the married state, then you can take your pick of the old men - there has to be a dozen of widowers and captains and majors in their forties, any of whom would fall at your feet, their tongues hanging out. If your fancy turns to a younger fellow, then Mostyn is your man - and I can tell you that he liked the look of you, that was obvious enough. You'll probably meet him at Colonel Fellowe's dinner party next week, and I am quite sure he will spend some of the evening at your side."

  As Mrs Mathieson knew, it had been arranged that David would be there.

  Major Wolverstone was present as well, and Miss Tucker concluded again that he was a very fine figure of a man. Mr Mostyn was assiduous in his attentions, and she gave him a little of encouragement, though he was not really that attractive to her.

  From all that Mrs Mathieson had said it seemed that married ladies had far more freedom than single, were able at least to talk to whomever they wished. She considered the question carefully over dinner, concluded that it would be as well to take a husband in the within reason near future, a wealthy man, of course; that formality completed it would be possible to quite enjoy one's existence in Bombay society. She smiled her best at Mr Mostyn, chatted again with him later in the evening.

  The Bay of Biscay had been vile. A deep Atlantic storm had whipped up its waters into a patternless mass of short, steep, tumbling waves, the ship pitching and rolling without pause for three days, almost on her beam ends time after time. Shoreham was of the largest class of Indiamen, little short of two thousand tons burthen - though officially referred to as a 'thirteen-hundred tonner' for some unknown reason - but was tossed about like a cockle-shell. Her captain had commented that he was glad he was commanding nothing smaller - he doubted that many merchantmen could have survived this near-hurricane.

  The seas had calmed off the coast of Portugal and meals were served again in the great cabin - few stomachs had been strong enough for more than a little dry biscuit in the previous days.

  "Not once in ten years will you meet up with so powerful a storm in European waters, Mr Star. This is the sort that did for Cloudesley Shovell in his day and the Earl of Abergavenny in ours."

  Luke Star, still feeling green, made a comment more or less of thanks for Divine mercy.

  "Quite right, too, sir. I see the military men have ventured from their berths - their steward tells me they lay the days unmoving on their mattresses!"

  There was a party of a dozen or so of men of Luke's age, some a little older, he estimated. All had the look of soldiers - straight-backed and lean - and seemed poor as well, hardly likely to be taking a sea-voyage for their health.

  "On passage to Gibraltar, Mr Star. Where after that, I do not know, for sure, but my guess is that they have Greece in mind. I understand that certain merchants of the City of London are themselves of Near Eastern origin, a generation or two since, and have contributed to a fund for the aid of the rebels against the Turk. Officers experienced in the long wars and put out to grass on a few shillings a day of half-pay might be expected to be very willing to earn more in foreign fields. Many of them will be simply bored - they will have started campaigning as fifteen or sixteen year olds in many cases and have fought for five years through Spain and America, then have been dumped back into civilian life with no skills or other interests. Small wonder that they will seek adventure again. Most outbound voyages have a few officers off to Africa or India in search of a fortune; few will gain more than a grave, I suspect."

  Luke was intrigued, made a point of leaning on the rail next to a pair of the Gibraltar bound men.

  "A pleasure to see the sun again, gentlemen!"

  "It is indeed, sir - I had wondered whether we should ever do so or if we should instead discover a watery grave!"

  They agreed it had seemed highly l
ikely at one stage, talked on a little before introducing themselves, Captains Mears and Evans, both of line regiments.

  "Mr Luke Star, on passage to the Cape in the family interest."

  "We are for the east, sir, to Greece specifically, recruited to offer a little of military experience to the Christians in their uprising against the Mohammedan barbarians who so oppress them."

  Luke knew nothing at all of the tribulations of the Greek peasantry, was moved to indignation that pious men and women should be so enslaved by pagans. He learned more next day as they sailed slowly south in the near-calm that followed the storm. By the time Shoreham took her berth at Gibraltar he was inclined to wonder if God had not called him to a new mission in life.

  "I have no military experience, Captain Mears, have in fact led a highly peaceful existence. I have, however, handled short and long guns quite frequently, growing up on a country estate. My late father's great friend, Lord Andrews, was a pistoleer of some renown and congratulated me on my skills more than once. I believe that I could, ah, 'keep my end up', as they say. Would it be possible for me to accompany you, sir?"

  "Our employers wanted a score of us to go out, Mr Star, and we could only muster fourteen. Another man would be very welcome - but you would have to equip yourself, sir."

  Gibraltar was a military base - there were gunsmiths and military outfitters sufficient for any reasonable need, and Luke had deep pockets. He carried a bandoleer with four pistols and a sabre together with a knapsack containing powder and ball for hand guns and for the sporting rifle he had purchased. He had bought clothing under the guidance of the captain, and two pairs of good boots and a water-bottle on a heavy leather belt.

  "You look the part, Mr Star. In the first instance you must stay at my shoulder, your eyes wide-open, your mouth - if you will pardon me, sir - firmly closed. You will soon learn how to go on in the field, Mr Star. You are an educated man, sir, will be at home in ancient Greek, I doubt not; you will find the demotic very different, but you will have the basis to pick up the modern language very quickly. One last word, sir, before you commit yourself to this campaign - we are off to war, sir. If you feel that you would not wish to kill your enemy then you should not join us. You must understand, sir, that we will more often fight from ambuscade than in open battle - a bullet or knife in the back of an unsuspecting sentry will be a commonplace; a volley from the cover of a hedgerow will be our ideal. If you hesitate then you may lose a colleague's life! Are you willing, sir, to swallow all scruple?"

  "I must, I fear, Captain Mears. This is a fight to be won, I believe. I shall join you, sir. I must find a bank first, however - I am carrying family money, the bulk of which must be returned now that I am no longer to carry out my commission."

  Mears agreed wholeheartedly - financial probity was imperative.

  They boarded a trading brig for Malta, understanding that they could find smaller craft still there to take them the last leg of the journey.

  "We could have transhipped in the Ionian Islands, of course, sir, but we were warned that the Turk has eyes there, and a speedy passage for messages to their mainland. A caique out of Malta will be far less visible, although there is always the off chance of a Barbary pirate in those waters; far fewer than there used to be, of course, the Mediterranean Fleet having no love for them."

  "I had thought them to be characters of fiction now, sir."

  "They still raid the Italian coast, and the Spanish less often. They have more of square-rigged ships nowadays and fewer of galleys, yet the traditional oared vessels are still a menace. There are many tens of thousands of Christian slaves held on the African coast, Mr Star - which is yet another reason for the Fleet to be active."

  They met no pirates on their voyage to Malta, suffered only the tedium of voyaging in a small sailing vessel - poor food and cramped conditions and the boredom of staring at an empty horizon.

  "My brother, Sir Matthew, was a sailor, became a post-captain, in fact. He is an intelligent man and I cannot imagine how he overcame the monotony of the life."

  "Dreams of prize-money, I doubt not, sir."

  The army, which saw almost none of the cash that flowed into the pockets of successful sailors, generally had no love for the navy.

  The Greek insurgents, or their English supporters, had an agent in Valetta and every ship in from the west was scrutinised as it docked. The party was identified, greeted and led away within minutes of the port officials giving the brig clearance. An Englishman of military appearance met them in an apparent back-street hostelry that was surprisingly large, and well-appointed out of the public eye.

  "Good morning gentlemen, I do not propose to introduce myself or beg the honour of your acquaintance. You have the opportunity, gentleman, to take passage back to Gibraltar if you have come to believe that you have made a mistake in coming here. If you wish to continue, there will be a schooner sailing in two days time in order to land on the Greek coast with the dark of the moon. She will be carrying small arms, powder and ball, as well as yourselves. There may be a few dozens of Congreve's rockets as well, provided their ship docks tomorrow as expected."

  They were told to wait indoors for the two days - there would be food and a modicum of drink available, free of charge.

  "Government money and people, Mr Star - this is no 'committee of merchants' we are dealing with. Congreve rockets are not to be picked up in the back streets, that I know - they are to be delivered from an arsenal, probably directly from London. Muskets may be found anywhere - they were produced literally by the million during the long wars - and powder and ball can be obtained with almost equal ease, but any form of artillery is difficult of access. I am told that the early insurgents bought in England but have lost most of the cannon to the Turks, which is hardly surprising."

  "It sounds as if the rebellion is enjoying slight success, Captain Mears."

  "It is close to failure, Mr Star, and I am not sure why the British government wishes it to succeed, or if it wholly does, for that matter."

  "Perhaps it is all part of a greater ploy, Captain Mears. A threat to Greece might cause the Ottoman to withdraw troops from another part of the Empire. Russia, for example, wishes to expand to the east, through the steppes, and Britain would like to see the Bear's eyes turned away from Europe, so weakening Turkish support for the Central Asian Moslem states might be seen as advantageous."

  "Our interests in India bring a potential for conflict with Persia, and a need to placate the Shah, Mr Star. The Ottomans sometimes press hard on the Persian borders, and there is this ongoing conflict between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam as well - as incomprehensible as the differences between Orthodox and Catholic Churches and equally foreign. There are many reasons why the British government might support the Greeks, and all obscure to little people such as ourselves, sir."

  Book Eight: A Poor Man

  at the Gate Series

  Chapter Nine

  The Gazette was published and prominent in its pages was the announcement of the new dignity of Viscount St Helens. The secret had, rarely, been well kept and there was a great effusion of congratulation in the columns of the press - Lord Liverpool had been very wise to suggest to His Majesty that the new sources of wealth and national prestige should be properly recognised.

  Letters from the whole of Society mounded up on the salvers at Mount Street and Thingdon Hall; it was necessary to recognise that the Andrews interest was flourishing on the political scene.

  Lord Star, In London for Parliament, called in person to express his congratulations.

  "I must purchase a seat and a park in Lancashire, Thomas, preferably within close reach of St Helens itself."

  "It will have to be a small farm, Robert, bought out and rebuilt from scratch; I am within reason certain there is no house of an appropriate dignity available in the whole area. Up on the hillside on the road to Wigan would be best - you will want the fresh air. I shall tell my people to be aware of your need. I have two men, was used
to be attorney's clerks, busy all the time as I am still continuing father's policy of buying up plots of land currently at a distance from any town - waste, ideally, moor or marsh the best as acres cost only a few shillings at the moment but will become valuable in ten or twenty years when they fall inside the boundaries of some new place."

  "I have had to build in Wales as well - a damned nuisance, and not dagger cheap, either. The land itself cost nothing - one sheep to ten acres on the valley sides, paying pennies in rent - but the cost of building was outrageous; we had to surface a road first! However, I have to be visible, or so I am advised. If I am not actually to run the firms then I must be seen to be taking an interest, which seems to make sense. I cannot be content to be a national figure living in distant London - because not one in a hundred or Welsh or Lancastrians will ever see Town. The newssheets must carry my name on occasion - so what is to be debated in the Lords this session? Is there any measure which we will be obliged to show interested in?"

  "Combination Acts - the Commons seems determined that they must be repealed in their present form and some sort of Trades Unions to be legalised. I shall speak in support of the measure, Robert; I want my people to know that I am not afraid of them and that they should not fear me. It won't work, but it must be tried even though I be a lone voice crying in our wilderness."

  "James has persuaded me in its favour, Thomas, so I shall stand as well. We may make an argument that one or two will listen to. At the least we will put two bodies through the correct lobby, and it may be remembered that we showed willing when our people are joining the new union."