Chapter 12

Jake returned to Bristol alone the next morning. Victoria was staying for another day or two to make sure that the painters were aware of exactly what she wanted. And, he was quite sure, she would make certain that Annabelle got what Victoria wanted. He arrived back in his office to find that since he was now available to be consulted that was exactly what was happening.

“Dennis, what have you been doing for the past few months,” he asked his assistant.

“Umm ... well, I’ve been running things in your absence, sir.” his assistant told him.

“And Angelica?”

“The same. Couldn’t have done a better job, sir.”

“And everyone else?”

“Excellent, sir. They have all been doing very well.”

“That is what I thought, Dennis. So why does everyone suddenly need my guidance and approval?”

“Well sir ... I ... I suppose they all want your approval.”

“And they shall have it, Dennis. But I think it will be better if I go round each department and see how they are getting on and discuss things with them, rather than having them come into my office one by one, or I shall get nothing done myself.”

“Yes, sir,” said Dennis grinning, “that would be an excellent idea! Everyone really wants to see you.”

Jake decided that with Victoria away his first call would be the shop. The assistants had not expected Victoria to be away more than over night, and Jake was greeted by Becky asking after her. She seemed reluctant to let Jake get away to see Gina, but eventually she could delay him no longer. As he reached the door to the studio he could hear a twitter of girls voices. Gina came out carrying a plate to be developed and stopped dead when she saw Jake.

“Oh!” she coloured up. “I wasn’t expecting you,” and she rushed into the darkroom.

A moment later the twins Siobhan and Roisin appeared. They stopped and looked at each other, unusually silent.

It only took a moment for Jake to realise what was going on.

“All your buttons and bows properly done up girls?”

They nodded, even then in unison.

“And what am I going to say to your mother?”

“Oh, please,” said Siobhan.

“Don’t tell her,” said Roisin.

“We’d be in terrible trouble,” said Siobhan.

“Father would be horrified,” said Roisin.

“He’d insist we got married,” said Siobhan.

“And we really don’t want that,” said Roisin.

The girls came close to Jake, one on either side.

“Unless...” started Roisin.

“There was someone we really liked,” said Siobhan, picking an imaginary piece of fluff of Jake’s lapel.

“We couldn’t both marry you, of course,” Roisin went on.

“But Victoria says...”

“Enough!” exclaimed Jake, to the sound of both girls giggling as they danced around him. “Go!”

“And you’ll not tell mama?” asked Siobhan.

“No, no! Now just go.” said Jake, thoroughly discomfited.

The girls trotted off down the stairs still giggling.

“Gina!”

Gina came out of the darkroom.

You are incorrigible, you have corrupted those two young girls, and...”

“Corrupted? Me? That pair?” said Gina. “You have got to be joking. The devil himself couldn’t corrupt them. You should watch out for yourself, Jake, they are hunting as a pair, and you are the quarry.”

“Oh, I don’t really think so, they were just trying to divert me. Anyway, I can’t marry both of them.”

“I understand you did pretty well with Caroline and Victoria.”

“Different entirely. And Victoria seems to have been telling a lot of things she shouldn’t. Anyway, what have you been up to ... besides...”

“Come and have a look,” Gina told him.

Jake followed Gina into her small office.

“There, nice aren’t they.”

“Oh dear,” said Jake. “Yes indeed, they are. How on earth did you get them to pose like that? No, no, don’t tell me, you’re probably right about the corruption.” He shook his head.

“How are you doing with the catalogue photos?” Jake asked.

“All going according to plan, Jake,” Gina replied. “As soon as those two little horrors have their sketches complete we’ll be ready for the printers.”

“Excellent!”

Jake decided that his next call should be on Lady Bridget. She was an important part of the business, and he wanted to persuade her to open the London store. He decide to call on her for tea that afternoon. Meantime a call at the workshop was in order. He had not been there for some time and he was surprised to see the number of girls who were now working the machines, and doing all the pressing, hand finishing the decorations and other operations. Since all appeared to be running smoothly he went over to the corner to see if the twins had completed their sketches yet.

“Did you like the photographs?” asked Roisin.

“Yes, good aren’t they,” said Siobhan.

“Gina’s everso clever,” said Roisin.

“I’m not sure whether she’s a bad influence on you or you two on her. The latter I suspect.” Jake told them to a chorus of giggles.

“What are you laughing at girls?” the twin’s mother arrived.

“Jake made a joke, Mama,” said Siobhan.

“You should be addressing him as Sir Jacob!” their mother, Kaitlynn Humble admonished them. “You seem to have lost all respect for your betters. I don’t know, young people today!”

There was another chorus of giggles from the girls.

“Jake doesn’t mind,” said Roisin.

Both Jake and their mother looked heavenwards, looked at each other and laughed.

“I must be on my way,” said Jake.

Jake arrived at Lady Bridget’s in mid afternoon. The door was opened by a maid that didn’t know him, and who took his card and went to see if Her Ladyship was in. She clearly was because no sooner had the maid entered Lady Bridget’s salon than Brigitte, Lady Bridget’s French companion came flying out and grabbed Jake in to a major hug.

“Jake, eet ees soo good to see you. Are you well? You ‘ave been away, come you must tell us all about eet. We ‘ave som ozzer visitors. Come!.”

Brigitte took Jake by the hand and almost dragged him into the salon.

“Good afternoon Lady Bridget,” said Jake with a bow. He then stopped dead as he recognised the woman sitting alongside her.

“And good afternoon Miss Smith.”

‘Miss Smith’ gave a peal of laughter.

“You appear to know my guest Jake, but her name isn’t Miss Smith,” said Lady Bridget.

“It was when he manhandled me,” replied ‘Miss Smith’, with more laughter.

“Manhandled you? This young man?”

The voice was almost behind Jake, and he turned to see an older lady. It was many years later when Jake was attending a performance of Mr Wilde’s new play ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’, that he suddenly realised, with a misplaced guffaw of laughter, that Lady Bracknell was this lady to the life. She was a substantial figure whose bust seemed to enter a room before the rest of her, followed after an interval by her backside. Her chins were another notable feature.

“Young man,” she addressed him. “What is the meaning of this? You have been manhandling my niece?”

“Three times,” exclaimed ‘Miss Smith’, with more laugher.

“This is no laughing matter, Hermione. Young men do not go around manhandling ladies.”

“Your Grace,” Lady Bridget broke in, “May I present Sir Jacob White, Sir Jacob, Her Grace the Duchess of Skegness.”

“Well,” said the lady, “at least I know who has been manhandling my niece. Now young man, out with it, what is the meaning of this outrage?”

“Your Grace, I had to assist your niece in boarding my ship.”

“Your ship? You are a sailor?”

“No, your Grace, I own the ship.”

“I see. But three times!” she turned to her niece, “Are you incapable of walking up a gangplank Hermione?”

“The ship was almost leaving and Jake leant over and grabbed me by the hand and hauled me on board,” Hermione replied. “He is very strong,” she said, a rather faraway look on her face as she recalled the incident.

“If my niece was expected, why did you not wait for her, young man.”

“Your Grace, we were not expecting her, or rather we didn’t know whether she would be joining us or not. ‘Moonfleet’ runs a regular service from Bristol to Dublin and back, and leaves on time. It is up to the passengers to ensure they are in good time,” Jake told her.

“That might be in order for the lower classes, but a lady of the Royal Court should not be treated in that way. In any case, what were you doing in Dublin, Hermione? I had no idea that you had ever been there. Now, that is only one occasion. Or do you make a habit of not quite missing sailing times?”

“Oh dear,” said Hermione. “Jake can you explain. Please?”

“Of course,” Jake replied. “Your Grace I was asked by a Mr Hatherley to convey your niece...”

“Lady Hermione Russington, young man,” the Duchess interrupted. “You have clearly not been properly introduced.”

“Indeed, your Grace...”

“Hatherley... ?” the Duchess went on. “Are we talking of the Hatherley’s of Bristol?”

Jake stopped because he clearly didn’t have the Duchess’s attention, if he ever really had.

“Yes, I believe so, you Grace,” said Jake.

“That is the family name of Lord Kingswood!” the Duchess exclaimed. “How do you know him Sir Jacob?”

“Auntie, everyone knows him,” said Hermione, though she might well have had her fingers crossed behind her back.

“He asked me to transport Lady Hermione to Ireland,” said Jake.

“It was the Queen’s request,” said Hermione, still with her fingers crossed, realising that since a ‘request’ from the Queen was effectively a direct order, that this might stop the inquisition going any further. It was a stroke of genius because when the Duchess continued it was in a different tone.

“Oh! Well, you should have said,” she went on, “If Her Majesty requested it then I’m sure everything was in order.”

Although from her expression she did not really believe that and would clearly have liked to know more.

“Sit down, young man, you are making the room look untidy. Now, I believe you would like to take your acquaintance with my niece further,” a statement that surprised Jake, “though I would need to know more about you before anything of that nature could happen. In the meantime you could take her for a walk in the garden, Bridget and I have things to discuss.”

Jake stood and held out his hand to assist Hermione. From the corner of his eye he could see a distinctly sour expression on Brigitte’s face, clearly she would have liked to be the girl Jake was escorting. Oh well, he thought, another time.

When they reached the garden Hermione gave another peal of laughter.

“Oh my goodness, auntie does want to know everything,” she said.

“She certainly is a formidable lady,” Jake observed.

“And she is going to know everything about you that it is possible to know before too long. But I’m afraid your suit may stumble at the first hurdle. You may be a knight, but from humble beginnings. I do not care myself, of course. But my aunt is an entirely different matter.”

“My suit?” said Jake. “I wasn’t aware until this moment that I had one.”

“That seems rather ungentlemanly. You have handled my person three times, that almost makes me soiled goods. Good heavens I’ve known people who were betrothed and had had less physical contact. The Queen I believe, would be an instance.”

“But there were no witnesses to my contact with you,” said Jake.

“Well I think that ‘Moonfleet’s’ captain was present on all three occasions,” claimed Hermione.

Jake had now realised that she was merely having fun with him, but nevertheless he thought he should be careful.

“Doesn’t count,” he said. “Captain Johnson is very loyal to me.”

“Oh! But Maria O’Brien, she was definitely watching when you hauled me aboard in Dublin.”

“But do you think she would support your case? She might want to become Lady White herself!”

“Then I am undone! There is positively no hope for me,” Hermione held the back of her hand to her brow in mock despair.

“Oh I wouldn’t say that,” said Jake with a grin. “After all if nobody will admit to seeing you manhandled, then your reputation is intact.”

“You play a good game, Sir Jacob, small wonder you are successful in business. Now, we have been out here long enough, my aunt really will believe my virtue is no longer intact. I should be delighted if you would come and see me when you are in London.”

From somewhere she produced a card.

When Victoria arrived back from London she was in an excellent mood, everything was going well with the new premises and the decoration was coming along nicely, and she was very pleased with the choice of manageress. Jake heard directly from her that evening in his study. After the progress update he asked her about the ‘leakage’ of information regarding their domestic arrangements.

“I wasn’t overly surprised to discover that Gina knew about my relationship with Caroline and you,” he said, “but the the twins said something and I felt that I should warn you about the possible problems if it became general knowledge.”

Victoria was suitably chastened.

“I’m sorry, Jake,” she said. “Gina does know something of it, but how Siobhan and Roisin would know I cannot think, but they are an extremely bright and precocious young ladies. So they may have worked things out, but I certainly haven’t told them anything.”

“Gina’s opinion of them was somewhat different when I suggested she was corrupting them. She said the Devil Himself couldn’t make them any worse. Still, it is something we must bear in mind and take care.”

Although Millie should, officially, have a day off every week, that really wasn’t possible. She had assistance from a young girl called Betsy, and if she wanted to be away for more than an hour then cook would lend her a scullery maid. On this occasion she left the two of them with full instructions and left to do some essential shopping. Whilst she was out she decided to look in at Victoria’s Secrets.

As she was browsing the racks of dresses at the lower end of the price range she was approached by Siobhan and Roisin.

“Hello, may we help?” said Siobhan.

“We always know what suits you best,” said Roisin. “It’s what we do.”

“And you’ve a lovely figure,” said Siobhan.

“Come over here,” said Roisin. “These dresses are much better.”

“And more expensive,” said Millie, doubtfully.

“But you could try one on,” said Siobhan.

“You don’t have to buy it,” said Roisin.

“Oh! You’re Millie, aren’t you?” said Siobhan, though the apparent sudden recognition was more contrived than actual.

“Jake’s concubine!” exclaimed Roisin.

“I’m Jake’s what? What are you two up to?” asked Millie

Millie had by this time been hustled towards a changing room with a beautiful dress and was completely confused. She’d no real idea what a concubine really was, or whether it was an insult, but the way the girls were carrying on it didn’t seem to be, and at the same time she was being encouraged to try on an exquisite dress. The dress won. She was equally confused about where the twin’s hands were touching her as they helped her into the new dress, and whether that was normal in these circumstances which were entirely new to her.

Siobhan and Roisin manoeuvred her in front of a large mirror where she was overawed by her own reflection.

“A hat, she needs a hat,” said Roisin.

“That one over there,” said Siobhan. And suiting action to words fetched it.

With the hat on Millie looked every inch a lady.

“Photographs, let’s see if Gina is free,” said Siobhan.

“I’m sure she is,” said Roisin. “Come on!”

One on either side holding an arm they ‘escorted’ Millie up to the studio.

“I’m not sure about this, You’ll get me fired,” said Millie.

“Don’t be silly, Jake wouldn’t do that.” said Siobhan. “Gina, we’ve got a subject for you.”

“Have you got some plates ready?” asked Roisin.

“Who?” said Gina. “Oh! Millie! I hardly recognised you. You are looking lovely!”

“We need to do just a bit of paint and powder work,” said Siobhan. “Come on Millie.”

Millie posed and Gina exposed several plates.

“The camera really loves you, Millie,” Gina enthused. “I could take your pictures for hours. But, that’s enough for today.”

Siobhan and Roisin seemed to have disappeared, but they were there to greet Millie when she reached the ground floor again.

“I must change and get home,” she told them.

“No, we’ve parcelled up your own clothes to take with you,” said Siobhan.

“Just make sure Jake sees you in that dress when you get there,” said Roisin.

“You can send the dress back tomorrow,” said Siobhan.

They hustled her out onto the street. Well, she thought, no harm and I will enjoy the walk home looking like a lady, and so she set off.

When she got home, realising how long she had been away she went straight to the nursery to make sure all was well, and to send the scullery maid back to the kitchen where cook would need her. She was surprised on entering to find Jake there playing with the children, who were all laughing at his performance as he told them, complete with voice imitations, of his encounter with the Duchess. The babies, of course, understood not one word, but they were joined in laughter by the scullery maid and Betsy.

The two maids jumped to their feet as Millie entered, and then relaxed a little as they recognised who it was. Jake, on the other hand stood, but was somewhat slower in recognition.

“Ma’am, I don’t think I...” was as far as he got before a big grin spread across his face. “Millie, you look simply wonderful.”

Millie smiled and inclined her head in acknowledgement.

“I’d better get changed and sort out the children or my job will have been taken over,” she laughed.

Much later that evening Millie explained to Jake what had happened at Victoria’s Secrets.

“What’s a concubine, Jake?” Millie asked.

“Umm ... well, it’s a woman who lives with a man without being married,” Jake replied.

“Oh! Well I suppose they’re right then. Sort of,” Millie mused.

“Who are they?” Jake asked.

“The twins, Siobhan and Roisin,” said Millie, and she went on to tell Jake about her encounter with them at Victoria’s Secrets. “So I’ve got to send the hat and dress back tomorrow,” she told him.

“You most certainly will not take it back,” Jake told her. “It looked so good on you, it couldn’t be worn by any one else. It’s a present for you, the hat too.”

Millie squealed with excitement and adopted her favourite position riding on top of Jake.

“You know,” she said, “one of these days you’ll remarry and if she doesn’t want to share you I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Then, you’ll have to marry me Millie.”

“Don’t be silly Jake, you have to marry a lady, now just keep that thing straight and stiff. Oohh...”

Between trying to keep up with sales in Bristol and build up stock for the London store, they were managing to get the order for Evans ready. As an initial order it was reasonably large, and then to make life slightly more difficult Maria O’Brien sent in another order. Obviously the simplest way to deliver goods to Aberystwyth was to get ‘Moonfleet’ to call in on her way to Dublin. It wasn’t too far out of the way and Jake discussed it with Captain Johnson.

They pored over the charts together and checked through the tide tables to see whether they could leave Bristol on one tide and arrive in Aberystwyth on the next.

“Well with a fair wind it should be possible,” agreed George Johnson, “ but if it’s foul we could lose twenty-four hours or more. As it is, if we get in an hour before the tide turns we’ll be alright, but it’ll be a damned close run thing.”

With that assessment they went ahead with preparations. Victoria would accompany Jake in order that she could meet the Evanses and set up displays with them.

Two weeks later, an hour or so later than would have been ideal, Captain Johnson brought ‘Moonfleet’ into Aberystwyth on the morning tide with the wind on her starboard quarter. With her mainsail sheeted tight, and helm hard to starboard she pivoted until, with the topsails backed, she came to a stop. As she began to pick up sternway one of the crew threw a line to to a bystander on the quay and in a few minutes she was moored alongside. As soon as she was secure Jake and Victoria disembarked onto the quay whilst the crew started unloading the packing cases containing the first order for Evans. Captain Johnson chivvied them to complete the work as it neared high tide. By the time everything was ashore the tide had turned, and he ordered the stern line let go. As the tide moved the stern away from the quay the bow line was slipped and the topsails sheeted home. The ship gradually gathered sternway and manoeuvred out into the centre of the channel, just stemming the tide. As the flow increased, the sails turned the ship broadside to the wind, and the tide began to carried her seaward, backing and filling the topsails to maintain her position in the centre of the channel. As soon as she was clear she made a course for Dublin, and set full sail. She’d be several hours later than usual, but nothing anyone would worry about.

An old seaman on the quay turned to Jake.

“That skipper knows what he’s doin’,” he said.

“Aye, he does,” replied Jake. “And I think we’ve just been treated to a masterclass in ship handling.”

He was just about to ask where he could find transport when he saw Ioan Evans approaching with a cart driven by a grizzled old man.

“We got your telegraph, and I had a boy waiting to bring me news of your arrival. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”

“Not at all,” said Jake and then went on to introduce Victoria. “We’ll go on and book in the hotel, and then come on to the shop. You should be unloaded by then.”

“Right,” said Ioan, “but you’ll want help with your baggage.”

He hailed a youth who was loitering nearby and told him to fetch a hand cart.

An hour later they arrived at the Evans Emporium to be greeted by the entire family.

Victoria and Iona seemed to get on well from the start, and were soon going through the stock that had been sent, and discussing how it should all be set up. The new catalogue was welcomed, Gwen and Iona were sure that it would be a big help to sales.

Jake left them to it and went in search of transport to take him to Aberaeron so that he could see how ‘Aurora’ was coming along. She should, he thought, be almost finished by now. Ioan had directed him to the local carrier to start with, and as luck would have it there was a phaeton available for hire. Jake booked it with driver for the next day, intending to stay two nights to give him a full day to go over any details that needed attention.

They were invited to dinner at the Evans’ that evening where, much to Victoria’s amusement, Jake and Iona played their ‘avoid mother’s attempts to get them together’ game, with a fair degree of success. As they walked back to the hotel Victoria told him that she was now convinced that Iona had an interest in him.

“No, no! We agreed that I wouldn’t express an interest in her because she didn’t want to leave the business, and I’m quite sure she was serious about that,” replied Jake.

“She’s very beautiful and very intelligent,” said Victoria, “and I think she’s playing a clever game. She thinks she’ll make you more interested because you can’t have her. She’ll make a move in due course, you’ll see.”

The next morning Jake set off for Aberaeron. A couple of miles before they got there they had to descend a steep hill and cross a small stream. There were a few houses here and on the beach was a single masted vessel unloading into a cart that was alongside. Laborious work Jake thought, and leaned forward to ask the driver what was being unloaded. The driver informed him that it was limestone which would be taken to a kiln, which Jake could see the other side of the road where it would be burnt to form quicklime which could be spread on local fields to improve fertility, or used as mortar. It was a fascinating side of life that was unknown to him, but he supposed there were probably many others.