Chapter 32: A “Turneround”

After six weeks in London, Ellen was satisfied that she had seen most of her friends and acquaintances. She had quickly grown tired of relating her adventures and volunteered information only when friends asked her explicitly. What she enjoyed were the sessions with Colleen and Melissa. The three women worked together writing about the journey, with a focus on the Overland Route and with Melissa making an effort to transform Ellen’s awkward sketches into simple etchings. Every day they worked for one or two hours and then Colleen would work with Maddalena for another hour teaching her English. The young girl was gaining proficiency in English and she was able to make herself understood albeit with a still heavy accent. Colleen worked on her pronunciation but also on teaching her to read and write in English. Colleen’s reward was that she received a firsthand account of life inside a harem, and in her mind she was already forming a concept for her next novel. Of course she would never use Maddalena’s name or make her identifiable.

In the meantime Ellen was also waiting for something to happen, or rather not to happen. She had missed her first period after returning to England and now she was due again. She was feeling definitely different too. She was upbeat even beyond her normal optimistic disposition and she felt more emotional when she was with Richard. It was too early yet to be sure, but Ellen thought she might be expecting again and the possibility made her giddy.

She also met with Eleanor on an almost daily basis. The two young women were rebuilding their friendship after more than a year of separation. Most days Eleanor would visit Ellen. This allowed her to see her grandmother too and Old Lady Lambert enjoyed seeing both her great-grandsons on a regular basis. The old woman had recovered somewhat, but at her age any weight gain was painfully slow. Eleanor confessed to Ellen that Antonio was feeling restless. He had always had tasks to perform, but now, after relinquishing the ambassador position to his successor, there was almost nothing for him to do.

Since Richard was at loose ends as well, the two young men ended up spending time together. Antonio introduced Richard to a few compatriots of his, men of wealth and proud ancestry, who had moved their European interest to England. These men had fought for the independence of their countries against Spain and Spain regarded them as traitors. King William’s ministry had been sympathetic to their cause and it was natural that many of the former Spanish grandees were attracted to London.

The key event was when one of these men asked Richard and Antonio for financial advice. The man had been cheated in several instances when he bought into enterprises that went bankrupt shortly after. The traditional bank houses often did not have enough entrepreneurial expertise to advise him. The man even offered Richard a healthy compensation and Richard promised to look into possible venues for him to invest in. A few days later, he and Antonio had lunch with Sir Robert Norton. Richard had thought about the whole matter and when the men sat after lunch drinking port, he made his proposition.

Sir Robert’s keen business sense found a few small faults with the plan that were easily corrected, but voiced his agreement and support. He even asked to be a partner, and of course Richard agreed knowing that adding Sir Robert’s name to the enterprise would give it an immense boost from the start. They agreed on further talks.

That evening in bed, Richard approached Ellen about his idea.

“Ellen, darling, I need your opinion on an idea that Antonio and I developed.”

Ellen’s warm smile encouraged him to plunge into the middle right away.

“We think about founding a bank. Not your normal bank. More like an institution that advises people on how to invest their money most wisely. Evaluating enterprises, arranging for financial transfers, issuing the shares of new enterprises. Sir Robert is supporting us and may even lend his name as a partner.”

Ellen thought about this.

“You want to become a businessman?”

“Strange idea, isn’t it?” Richard laughed. “I would like to try my idea though. Antonio is with me too.”

“It’s hard for me to form an opinion, Richard. You know far more about matters of commerce. If you want to do that you will find my full support as always.”

“So you would not mind? Some people in the circles in which you move might look down on me for entering into the money business.”

“Darling, whatever anybody thinks of us, I will never feel anything but pride for you.”

“Why is it that I always feel blessed after having such conversations with you?” Richard smiled.

Ellen smiled back at him with a touch of smugness.

“Because I feel blessed too. Even more than you know. I talked to Lucy today and she agrees with me. Richard, I am with child again!”

“Really?” Richard’s face showed the battling emotions of concern, happiness and pride. “How can you know so soon? We’ve been back for less than two months.”

Ellen shook her head, still smiling smugly. “It must have happened on the pyramid, Richard.”

Suddenly, she was pulled into Richard’s arms and his kisses rained on her lips, her nose and her eyes. Then he held her face a few inches from his own.

“Wherever, whenever we started this new life, it will be a wonderful child. Because you will be its mother. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”

“Perhaps, if you were to show your appreciation more convincingly?” Ellen suggested, kissing him back.

“Can I, I mean with our child growing inside you?”

“Oh, Richard, of course. I need your love more than ever, and every aspect of your love.”

“I can do that,” Richard smiled back.

It was a very satisfied Ellen who sat at her tea table in the garden room on the next forenoon, reading some of the accumulated letters and writing a few of her own. Richard had gone to confer with Antonio and Ellen enjoyed her leisure. A clearly distressed butler Oldroyd showed shortly after eleven o’clock.

“Milady, there’s a young gentleman and his wife who have enquired about Mabel. A Mr. Turner, Milady, Esra Turner.”

Somehow, the name was familiar to Ellen. Yes, of course. Mabel had told her about the son of the family where she had worked before, the young man who impregnated her. According to Mable he had promised to look after her as soon as he came into his own means.

“Show them in, Oldroyd,” she said, curious to learn about the nature of this visit.

The young couple was clearly flustered as they were ushered in by the butler.

“Good day, how may I be of service?” Ellen asked.

“Hrhm,” the young man started. “My name is Esra Turner, Milady, and this is my wife Ruth. We came to inquire about Mabel Thomas. I am ... I was ... Miss Thomas was...”

“You mean to say that you and Mabel committed a certain indiscretion, an indiscretion with which she had to deal alone,” Ellen said uncompromisingly.

The young man blushed.

“That is true, Milady, too true. I had no means of my own and my parents did not allow me to come to Mabel’s assistance. Now that I am of age and I, I mean we, are independent, I wish to make good on my promises. Could we speak to her, please?”

He seemed earnest enough Ellen thought. She dreaded what she had to say next, but their was no way around that.

“That is not possible anymore I’m afraid. I regret to inform you that poor Mabel perished in India from the bite of a venomous snake. She was interred in Calcutta.”

The young man turned pale and swayed.

“I failed her,” he gasped.

His young wife put her arm around his shoulder.

“He has tried so long to find her, Milady. That was why he agreed to ... marry me. My dowry ... it made him independent. Now it was all in vain.”

To say that Ellen was astonished was an understatement. The young woman had spoken with perfect calmness and acceptance.

“Mrs. Turner, did I understand you correctly? Your husband married you to have the money to get his ... paramour back?”

She looked at the man. His face was buried in his hands. Ruth Turner looked back.

“You don’t understand, Milady. I love him and I am his wife. It is enough for me; it is more than I could hope for.”

“To each his own,” Ellen muttered weakly.

Ruth Turner had one more urgent question.

“Milady, Mabel Thomas had a daughter. Could you name the orphanage where she was placed? My husband will want to assume responsibility for her.”

“Sally lives with us. My husband has adopted her the day after Mabel’s burial.”

Mrs. Turner looked crestfallen.

“Oh, I had hoped...”

Suddenly Ellen was apprehensive. Was there a possibility that Ruth Turner wished to raise the daughter of her dead rival? Little Sally, or Sarah, as she was officially named, had grown to Ellen. Of course the natural father had certain prerogatives, but she would fight the Turners tooth and nail to protect the girl against an upbringing without love. Ellen sighed.

“Do you and your husband wish to see Sarah?” she asked more nicely than she felt in this moment.

The young man looked up at her. “If that is possible, I should be very grateful, Milady,” he answered.

Ellen rose to ring the bell. When Oldroyd showed, she asked him to notify Neeta to bring “Miss Sarah” down. She also asked him to have some tea brought into the reception room. With a measured bow, the old man limped from the room.

Ellen sighed. Oldroyd had become an old man. He was fiercely loyal to Old Lady Lambert, yet he had the tact to treat Ellen with all the respect she could ask for. She would have to ask him how he planned to spend his old age. Perhaps, he could supervise and train a young man to fill the butler position. That would allow him to remain in his position without running around the house. Ellen decided to speak with Richard’s grandmother about this.

She was torn from her musing when Neeta showed. The temperatures in wintery London had quickly convinced the young woman of the advantages of European clothing and she wore a conventional nurse’s outfit. Her only concession to her own style was the head scarf she wore instead of a bonnet. She led Sally by her hand and bowed to Ellen.

“Memsahib asked for Salih?”

“Yes, thank you, Neeta. Please, wait for a moment while my visitors can meet with Sally.”

Esra Turner stared at the little girl and Ellen saw that he had tears in his eyes.

“She is so pretty, just like her mother!” he said.

Ellen shook her head at this gaffe and quickly looked at Ruth Turner. The young woman had flinched at his words and a pained expression passed over her features. She was by no means ugly Ellen thought, but she was dressed in a most disadvantageous way and she was so sombre! With a little make up, a smile on her face and dressed in a formfitting dress, she would be called pretty Ellen thought. An idea formed in her brain.

Meanwhile, Esra Turner tore himself away from his little daughter.

“Milady, I am forever grateful to you for taking such good care of Mabel’s daughter. I understand that his Lordship adopted her as his daughter?”

“That is so, Mr. Turner. I may add that he did it with my full and unreserved support.”

The young man thought for a moment.

“On the risk of sounding presumptuous, Milady, would you not consider giving the girl into our care?”

Ellen raised her eyebrows.

“Mr. Turner, this is not for me to decide and it is a weighty decision for all concerned. I really feel that you should discuss such matters with your wife first. I, for one, would need to discuss it with Lord Lambert.”

“Certainly, Milady. Ruth, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Ellen saw resentment behind the dark eyes of the woman and she interceded.

“Mr. Turner, I suggest that you discuss such things in private. I need to speak with my husband, and you need to reflect on this with your wife. There is no need to rush things. Perhaps, if you and your wife want to see the girl a few times, we can arrange that. Let us wait a few weeks, perhaps months, and come to a decision born of reason, not emotion. After all, Sarah’s well being should be our foremost concern.”