The House of a Thousand Lanterns by Victoria Holt

Author:Victoria Holt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781585584154
Published: 2016-05-15T12:00:00+00:00

III

I had been to the Go-Down to see Toby on some special business which Sylvester had wished to be cleared up. I was often able to do this for him. The rickshaw would take me to the warehouse and wait for me and bring me back. Toby was always delighted to see me. He was a very good businessman and entirely loyal to Sylvester and I sensed that he was often uneasy as to his growing feelings for me. He told me once that Sylvester had given him his big chance. He had at one time worked in the Cheapside office and when he was about sixteen his father had remarried. Toby had been devoted to his mother who had died a year before the second marriage. His sister Elspeth left home when their father remarried and went away to teach in Edinburgh. The position had become intolerable to Toby; his stepmother, he realized, was a worthy woman but he could not endure to see anyone in his mother’s place. Sylvester had understood his feelings and his remedy had been to send him out to the Hong Kong branch. There Toby said he had been able to see things clearly and how wrong he had been to grudge his father his happiness.

He was constantly harping on his gratitude to Sylvester. I understood perfectly. As for myself I knew I would never feel strongly about anyone again. All I could hope for was to drift along in comparative peace and accept the way of life which was left to me.

On this occasion I came back to the house and I heard voices in Sylvester’s sitting room.

Adam was with him. I thought he looked rather grim but when I came in they stopped talking abruptly.

After Adam had gone, Sylvester said to me: “Adam almost suggested that he join up with me.”

“You mean in business?”

Sylvester nodded. “He was saying that I should rest more, that I needed someone to take the burden from my shoulders and so on. I told him that Tobias was a fine manager and that with you here and everyone at the Go-Down, I manage very nicely.”

“Perhaps, after all, it would be a good idea if he were to join you. You have a high opinion of his skill.”

“No,” said Sylvester very firmly. “I know my nephews, both of them. It’s a sort of arrogance they have. All of us have it. Redmond and Magnus did too. We all think we know best. That’s why we couldn’t work together. We all want to be the Tai Pan. Adam was very complimentary to you, Jane.”

“Oh?”

“But he said that it was difficult for a woman to deal with sly traders.”

“Did he indeed.”

Sylvester laughed. “You’ll show him that you can do as well as he can. That’s the spirit, Jane.” He looked at me intently. “You’ve got a rare business instinct,” he went on. “I have no qualms about the future.”

* * *

The days were passing quickly. Christmas came. It was not, of course, celebrated in China and we kept it very quietly in The House of a Thousand Lanterns.

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