the_comfortable_courtesan

Friends Afar (2)

Frank Hallock had returned from the tedious day’s work in the Revenue Department of the Hon East India Company’s Madras Presidency to his bungalow, in the pleasing anticipation of a little company for dinner. His khansamah had a refreshing brandy pawnee waiting for him, and there were aromas that suggested his bobachee was already preparing the feast.

A nice cool bath to wash away the frets of the day – changing into suitable evening dress –

Sure the work might sometimes be dull but when he looked back to the fate his family had determined for him as a country attorney – though these days one heard Firlbrough was quite the flourishing metropolis and a Parliamentary borough, and the whole neighbourhood come up as a result – no, he was still exceeding grateful to Cousin Ferraby – the late Sir Josiah as had become – for advancing his interest to Hon Company service!

When he had read his parent’s letters – and now his brother’s – about their various disputes and quarrels, he quite saw why they had desired their own man o’law for the family interests – he sighed.

Was in no great hurry to return Home.

He went and looked at the very properly appointed dining table, nodded approvingly, and then went out to what constituted the drawing-room did one receive company, just as Hackstead could be heard handing over the care of his mount to the horsekeeper.

Here was young Hackstead, promoted Captain some while since and very like to shortly advance to the rank of Major. Being on the Civil side, Frank had no great opinion of the military, but one must make an exception for the Engineers, that required a deal of intelligence and aptitude! And undertook excellent public works – roads, bridges, canals, &C.

He greeted him, handed him a drink, and said they had a further guest the e’en – Mortman of the Survey.

And there was the sound of a tikka-gharry drawing up, and came in Major Mortman, that had the look of a fellow that had ventured into wild and dangerous places to map 'em out.

Introductions were made all round, and there was a little general conversation and gossip before they were ushered into the dining-room.

Great praise for the bobachee’s culinary skills!

Mortman expressed some envy at having missed the visit some years previous of the famed zoologist Josiah Ferraby – now, there is a fellow one should like to meet! – mayhap one day. My sister was a preceptress in the school attended by his nieces – daughters of Sir Harry Ferraby –

Hackstead sighed that there was a fellow one should like to meet! –

– but she had been prevailed upon to go out to New South Wales to be the headmistress of a girls’ school being set up by two Misses Thorne – twins in fact –

No! cried Hackstead, Zellie and Joey, the sisters of my sister-in-law Clorrie, that married my brother Henry? He went out to the antipodes with Sir Thomas and Lady Ollifaunt, that took a jaunt there for business and pleasure – he is a great expert on sheep, and she took a theatre company, and Henry went as tutor for their elder children with a thought he might take a post in Perry and Derringe’s boys’ school – now has some ambitions towards this proposed university –

Really? Mortman exclaimed. What a most amazing coincidence that we should meet here! I was a mere boy when the Thornes married from my father’s house – both my parents were his greatest friends – just before he departed, along with Mr Carter and the rest of the scientific expedition for New South Wales. But Miss Gowing came to stay with us for some weeks before that – we were too young to hear the whole story but fancied there was some romantic sad tale behind – or mayhap that was just a boyish fancy, for sure she looked as if she should be the heroine in some romantic tale. Had an extraordinary talent in mathematics.

Frank poured 'em both more port, and said, had Miss Gowing not had a sister, about whom there was some tale of going to Russia and conspiring against the Tsar? Ended up in Siberia?

***

Emma di Serrante, née Reveley, looked over the Bay of Naples and sighed. O, she said, 'tis quite, quite, wonderful, and quite, quite, beyond my small talents in watercolours!

Mr White – that had already besought her not to stand upon ceremony, but to call him Alf – that was sitting beside her on the low wall of the terrace of the Villa Bexburi, remarked that indeed 'twas a sight to see. Still quite amazed him after all these years.

Added that it sounded as though London Town had sure changed since he took ship for Naples those many years ago! – for he had been quizzing her about how things went there, proceeding from the Great Exhibition in the Park – the coming of the railways –

Emma, alas, had only lived in Town for some few years since her father’s succession as Viscount Raxdell – they had resided on their estate in Suffolk – dared say the Umbertis, that had had a cottage there, had writ to him of it?

Indeed so – La Signora is still one of our regular correspondents –

I hope, said Emma with a moue, she did not write of what terrible pupils she had in me and Rettie!

Certainly not! – kept us informed about the new ideas going about – the latest poems and novels – I am most particular grateful to Lady Bexbury for that crate of books, I have been in the greatest longing for more recent literature in English.

At the moment he was engaged, if somewhat desultory, in correcting the galley-proofs of the journal on agrarian matters that they published at the villa – along with more clandestine matter, Emma understood from her husband Nardo.

Do you, she enquired, never consider returning to England – she had thought of saying home but was by no means sure he any longer thought of it as home. Seemed very contentedly settled here – he and Marcello Traversini were fine friends as well as comrades-in-arms –

Alf puffed out a breath of air through pursed lips. Why, 'twas not as though I had left to 'scape criminal charges – merely that there had been poking about the place I was in for the printing of seditious pamphlets, 'twas indeed the case, and a sense of being followed, and spied on, and when Mr MacDonald said, here is Marcello goes think of setting up a printing-press at the villa, why, seemed a fine opportunity –

So I packed my traps and set off. There was naught to keep me there – parents dead, sister married to a man that liked me not for my radical opinions – and have quite flourished here. But here is Marcello has a deal of invitations to go to England and talk about agricultural matters –

La, Artie Demington considers him a great hero! – was most envious that we should be visiting here.

Came across the terrace towards 'em Marcello Traversini and dearest Nardo, that remarked that for all his reading on the matter beforehand, discovered he had a deal to learn about grapes.

And here was Giulia with refreshing drinks!

Marcello – Emma could not get over how like some Greek statue he looked – wished she had an artistic capacity capable of painting him – said he had indeed, having overheard that last conversation, had some thoughts of going to England. But, he frowned, he should like to see how matters were going to be affected by these latest occurrences in France before undertaking travel.

This led to extensive debate on what the rise of a new Buonaparte might bring about.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

cesy

Neat!

em_h

Oooh, is the tale going to be unravelled after all these many years? There would be no harm that could come of it now ... I will await developments with interest.