The Vice Of Virtue (A Poor Man At The Gate Series Book 10)

by Andrew Wareham

  Sir William was aware that the bulk of the medical profession was in fact unconvinced that human waste could be a danger to human health – it was irrational that it should be so, for it was to say that mankind produced the ailments that preyed upon it. How could a healthy man be the source of deadly disease?

  He was no doctor, but he knew that the Thames stank, and he had to work on the very edge of the waterway.

  There was a general shaking of heads and his proposal – no doubt very worthy – was lost.

  “They ain’t going to, Milly. It would cost tens of thousands which they would have to pay in the end. They may not be the most go-ahead of folks, Milly, but, by God, they’re good at keeping their purse-strings tight!”

  She shook her head sympathetically, as unsurprised as he was.

  “I will go ahead with the purchase of a house for us well outside of Town, Milly, and high on a hillside. Summers to be spent in the countryside from now on. I might have to stay two or three nights a week here, but we can afford a coach and a good pair to travel fifteen or even twenty miles each way.”

  “How big a place can we go to, William?”

  “I can find three or four thousands, if need be – ten bedrooms set inside one hundred acres of good land, or twice as much of rough pasture.”

  Her eyes lit up at the prospect – a gentleman’s place in the country for the family to grow up in.

  Inquiries were made and Sir William discovered that small properties came onto the market very frequently. Houses with an acreage too small to make a profitable farm and too great to be a convenient garden could be difficult to sell, especially those more than half an hour’s ride out of Town.

  “You are, in fact, in a buyer’s market, Sir William,” his attorney assured him. “Those who are retiring from business wish to go deep into the countryside, and those who wish to set up as gentlemen need more acres, so there are few men with the inclination and the cash to buy just on the outskirts of London. Allow me one month, Sir William, and I have no doubt that I can provide you with a choice of desirable dwellings!”

  He gave the good news to Milly, who seemed strangely thoughtful.

  “What of your Mr McGregor, William? He will remain in his lodging-house close to hand, I presume?”

  “He must stay close to the yard – there must be a manager within ten minutes’ call.”

  “He cannot be less than seven and twenty years of age, I would imagine. Time for a man to be settled with a helpmeet. He will be earning a respectable income, I would think.”

  “Six hundred a year; a respectable competence, and with expectations.”

  “Has he mentioned any intention to settle down, William?”

  “No – mind you, Milly, we have hardly ever discussed personal matters, so he would not have.”

  It seemed strange to her that people who had worked closely together for more than four years should not have discussed everything, but men were peculiar about such matters, she believed.

  “He is not, ah… otherwise inclined, one presumes?”

  It took a few seconds for the significance of the question to trickle home, but then Sir William blushed and stated it to be highly unlikely, quite out of keeping with all he had seen of the man.

  “We must look about for him, William. He would be the more stable for having a wife and children!"

  Later in the week she spoke to her mother, idly enquiring whether her young sister, Susannah, had a beau yet.

  It seemed to Sir William that he was becoming the great man of the borough, and that as such he should make some sort of grand gesture, noblesse oblige, and all that.

  He talked with Milly, discovered her to be much in favour – the sign outside the main gate proclaimed the ‘Thomas Andrews Steam Shipyard’, but locally it was called ‘Rumpage’s’. The people knew who they worked for and who provided the wages for so many men, and the housekeeping that was spent in the nearby shops and the spending-money that kept the pubs open and paid for tickets to the new music-hall and the Dame School and the two new chapels, and other commercial activities that were never mentioned. The locality was rich, and the great bulk of the people knew why.

  The name of Rumpage needed to be seen even more, she thought.

  "We need an Infirmary in the borough, William, a free hospital for the local people. Was we to announce a Fund for the purpose, a first five hundred say from our pockets, then a great number of local men of affairs would follow your example. I do not know how much it would cost to build a pair of wards and a pharmacy and consulting and operating rooms, and then to employ a doctor and his assistants?"

  "A lot, my dear. I would have to commit fifty a year at least from my own pocket, and as much again from the Yard's funds - my lord would not object, I am sure. As well, I would have to find time to buttonhole every man I know in the whole area, talking to each individually. We would need a Board of Governors - important folk with big names who would hold a dinner every year."

  She was puzzled by this - what had a dinner to do with it?

  "An awful lot of aldermen's wives and the ladies and daughters of local businessmen would like nothing more than to sit at table with Lord This and Lady That. An annual donation to the Infirmary Fund and there is an invitation and a source of pride for the year - the vicar's tea-party will be the occasion for much superiority!"

  Milly grimaced - she could imagine the old tabbies sneering at each other and storing up their grievances for their husbands.

  "Will you do it, William?"

  "I will talk with my lord and with the lawyer, Mr Michael. If they agree it is wise then, yes, I would like to. Amongst other things, Milly, it would be good for the men at the yard to have a place to take their children."

  Robert was in favour, provided it did not cost too much - they could not, for example, provide guarantees.

  "I would be very happy to set my name on your list, Sir William, and to attend your annual beanfeast in company with my lady and with all of the others I could persuade to attend. Lord Rothwell seems a likely candidate as well - he will be spending the bulk of his days in London, it would seem. My brother, Mr James Andrews, could be persuaded, I am sure, as could one or two other political gentlemen. I wonder if it might not be possible to rustle up a bishop or some such - it seems the sort of activity that should be attractive to a man of the cloth. Are there any large breweries in your patch, Sir William?"

  Both Watney and Whitbread were within reason close, they discovered.

  "Always good for a few hundred, the brewers - they like to assume an odour of sanctity, the reality of the booze hidden under a patina of good works!"

  "Where do they get their water from, my lord?"

  "The Thames, I presume... What an appalling thought, Sir William! No more beer for me, sir!"

  "As a matter of policy, my lord, do you believe that we should invite senior local officers of this 'Metropolitan Police' to join us?"

  They debated the possibility, decided in the end that the Hospital Foundation would comprise gentlemen and businessmen, and that policemen were, in the very nature of things, likely to be neither.

  "We can perhaps offer them cut-rate fees for treatment of their men, Sir William - but I am not convinced that we should encourage them, you know!"

  Robert inspected the yard, as was demanded of his position - the men would have been affronted to be ignored. He admired the ships in building and asked the proper questions, displaying a careful ignorance so that he could have all explained by proud craftsmen. He made a point of talking to Mr McGregor, making it clear to all that he took a keen interest in every man in the yard, and knew all of the important ones by name.

  "What of Mr McGregor's housing, Sir William?"

  "I believe he is looking about him for a suitable rental, my lord."

  "I will speak to Mr Michael. A house, not so large as yours, but respectable, to be provided by Roberts. He is one of our people, and the Family owes him a debt, of course. Tell him to end his s
earch, if you would be so good, Sir William."

  He left, happy to have helped Sir William tie his man down, for if McGregor was to be settled into a large house he would very soon find himself needing a wife to run it. He must now give thought to this fellow Nash - a damned nuisance of a man, and not one he wanted seen in his company in London.

  Nash had returned in September, as he had promised, and had shown himself in the Little Season, paying court rather casually to a pair of young ladies and coming up to scratch with neither. He was still in England and active in Polite Society - keeping company with many of those who habitually dwelt in Town, mostly having Public Men as the head of the family. Robert gained a very definite feeling that Nash was offering himself at auction - his estates and Consols on the block in exchange for a large Settlement, or, no... Nash did not need money, so more likely an early title; the daughter of a Cabinet Minister could easily come with the promise of an Irish barony within a year or two, a few inconvenient debts cleared in exchange.

  All very well, and quite understandable that one should pursue one's best interests in the marriage market, but there was an expectation of at least a little by way of subtlety and understatement and Mr Nash was just a fraction too overt in his quest for advantage. Robert did not like to be seen to greet Nash as a relative, particularly bearing in mind Rothwell's apparent pursuit of notoriety - there would soon be a feeling that the Masters were just a fraction outré.

  It was rather difficult, because he could not himself speak quietly with Nash, barely knowing the man, and he knew of no man in London who had influence with him. Possibly a word with one of the Duke of Wellington's secretaries? The family contributed generously to party funds and had asked no favours in the past year or two; the Wellesleys had more than sufficient influence in Ireland, he would have thought.

  It proved easy to make contact with a lesser gentleman from the Prime Minister's train - so much so that Robert became suspicious - they wanted him for something. The government was split by a number of feuds, most of them based on personality rather than policy. His Grace tended towards the acerbic and was unwilling to flatter the inadequate or sooth the sensitive, and it was amazing just how many politicians fell into one or both categories. The Member of Parliament for Liverpool, Mr Huskisson, for example, was at odds with the Duke currently, and he was an able man, one who was actually needed by the administration; he was also known to be a friend to the Andrews family.

  It seemed probable that he would be urged to act as a peacemaker - a nuisance, as he preferred to keep them all at arm's length in these years of change when not even a crystal ball could forecast what the next month's political upset might be.

  Not to worry - he wanted a favour and so he must pay for it. Cash would be easier, and generally very acceptable, but he must proffer the currency of the day.

  "Mr Carmichael, it is very good of you to make time for me! I know just how busy you must be in Downing Street just at the moment."

  The Duke did not suffer the company of fools and Carmichael was alert to all that was happening in Town. He had a very good idea why Lord St Helens might wish to beg his aid. He smiled politely, ushered Robert to a seat and said nothing.

  "There is a distant relative of the family in Town, Mr Carmichael..."

  "We all have them, my lord - sometimes very dirty dishes indeed!"

  "I would not describe Mr Nash in quite such terms, Mr Carmichael, but he is not, perhaps, entirely au fait with our ways of doing things in London. He is a wealthy young man, and has every prospect of making a name for himself, preferably in his native Ireland. I believe him to be in the way of seeking a wife, one of some advantage to his ambitions."

  "Very wise, my lord. One must always have an eye to the future."

  "True indeed, sir - but preferably only one eye, and that discreetly employed!"

  "Elegantly expressed, my lord! The gentleman wishes to attain some degree of worldly promotion, one assumes?"

  "A barony in the Peerage of Ireland, sir. He does not seek a seat in the House of Lords and, I believe, has no intention to take any part in wider British politics. His intent is to be the great man in his own County, or so I am given to understand."

  "And he is single-minded, and oblivious to other concerns - and people - in the pursuit of that aim, I have heard, my lord."

  "Exactly!"

  Carmichael was silent a moment, obviously weighing up alternative courses; he was obliged to make a positive response of some sort, having agreed to meet Robert. Had he intended to be disobliging he would have avoided this appointment.

  "Could you return, in two days time, ideally in the company of Mr Nash, my lord?"

  "Of course, sir. At ten o'clock again?"

  "Eight would be preferable, my lord - there are fewer men of affairs busy at that hour."

  Not clandestine, yet not for the delectation of the public in general - dirty deeds in the offing, quite possibly. Robert was delighted at the prospect.

  Mr Nash was dressed in his very best and under warning to be conciliating; he was also more than a little nervous to be in the company of the greatest in the land. He waited silently in the anteroom.

  Carmichael appeared and nodded to Robert, ushered the pair into the presence of the Duke.

  "Mr Nash - the Londonderry family, I believe? Married into the Masters?"

  "Yes, Your Grace."

  "Good! There is a degree of unrest in Ireland, as you know, and the policy must continue to be of Coercion. There is neither cash nor willingness to purchase peace by conciliation, despite Catholic Emancipation. Do you agree?"

  "Wholly, Your Grace!"

  "Excellent! I would wish you to present yourself in Dublin, at the Castle, early in the New Year, sir. You will receive a letter giving a date. You will be invited to play some significant role in the governance of your county and will be made Baron in the Irish Peerage if you accept. Will you be willing to accommodate me in this fashion, sir?"

  "Very definitely, Your Grace. I will be pleased indeed to play my small part in the larger affairs of my country."

  "Good. I shall rely upon you to keep the peace, sir, and will be very pleased to hear reports of your undoubted successes."

  Carmichael escorted Nash from the room.

  "Satisfactory, St Helens?"

  "Very much so, Duke. A man of some abilities, I suspect, but not quite my sort, not one I wish to introduce to my London acquaintance. I shall, no doubt, be forced to visit him occasionally - but not too often!"

  Wellington laughed and turned to more important business.

  "I am told that your interest in these new railways is coming to fruition, St Helens."

  "The Manchester to Liverpool railway is close to opening, Duke and there will be freight moving within weeks, passengers in the middle of the year. My brother Mr Joseph Andrews is closely involved - he can, if you wish, tell you in remarkable detail all that has occurred, Duke."

  "I had heard that he has been in the company of Mr Huskisson, St Helens."

  "The Board of Trade has an obvious interest, Duke, and Mr Huskisson possesses an inquiring mind. I would be very pleased to speak with him about the railways and mention your interest in them."

  "Do that, if you would be so good, my lord."

  Robert nodded, the unspoken message quite clear - the Duke needed peace in his administration but was too stiff-necked to offer conciliation himself. A middle man was needed, and might be called upon for some months of contact between the two.

  "Thank you! What do you do with Mr Nash the while, St Helens?"

  "Get him married and then get him out of London, Duke!"

  "I wish you, and him, joy, my lord!"

  Nash was waiting silently in the outer office, followed Robert to their carriage, taking a junior position at his shoulder.

  "I believe I must offer you my thanks, my lord!" The grating Ulster accent came across as more than usually grudging.

  "Family, Mr Nash. Mr Patrick Plunkett mentioned your
name to me, and he has a claim on the Andrews as well as being a Masters."

  The statement was not quite true but it provided a satisfactory answer.

  "I would imagine that I should return to my home in the very near future, my lord. There will be work waiting for me there, no doubt."

  "It would be well for you to clear your desk, so to speak, ready for your new responsibilities, Mr Nash. A wife will be almost essential, one would imagine - there will be much for her to do in the way of your responsibilities to local society."

  "I had not considered that, my lord... I will be obliged to dine many of my neighbours, will I not?"

  "By far the best way of working with your people is to meet them in your own dining-room, sir."

  "The Hughes girl, I would think, my lord. I believe she would accept my suit, the more readily for the title to come, and she is a sensible young lady, and her parents have strong military connections - always useful in Ireland! Add to that, my lord, a blonde girl will always stand out in company and attract positive attention to the family!"

  Robert made no comment, other than to pledge himself to dance at the wedding.

  "And so, Miriam, I have spent a busy and profitable month in Town - Mr Nash owes us gratitude at least and the Duke will remember my name in a positive fashion. You will not be pleased to be informed that we are invited to the wedding, to be held at some out-of-the-way place in Wales where the Hughes seat is located, and at the end of November. Four days on the road, at very least - twice that if it comes onto rain, no doubt marooned if snow should fall!"

  "We must attend, my lord. Wedding gift to be put in hand, I presume?"

  "Already done, my dear. I have instructed Mr Michael to discover and despatch some item of remarkable elegance and modern taste. I have specified that it shall be capable of display in Nash's dining-room, in order that he might point to it and drop the name of 'his cousin, St Helens' into every conversation."

  "From what you say of him, I have no doubt he will do exactly that, Robert."

  "All is well with the children, I presume, my dear?"