The Christmas Child by Penny Musco

Author:Penny Musco [Musco, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781522301684
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2018-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

5

Robert settled into his seat in the hansom cab and sighed. The day simply was not turning out as he had planned.

“May I see you in my office, Jessup?” Carson Duff had motioned to him from the doorway of his office earlier this morning.

“Yes, of course.” Robert pushed aside the stack of paperwork on his desk, smoothed his wing collar and four-in-hand, and buttoned his jacket.

“Sit down, young man.” Mr. Duff indicated one of the fine leather chairs in front of his massive oak desk and looked at Robert over the rims of glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Are you free this afternoon for a business luncheon?”

“I have no appointments. I had planned to continue with what I’ve been working on, but it can wait.”

The older man leaned back in his chair. “We’ve certainly seen an increase in the number of loans lately, haven’t we? Well, the economy is strong right now, and we’re just sharing in the good fortune. You must be doing a very thorough job as our senior officer, since our default rate is the lowest it’s been in some time.”

“Thank you, sir.” Robert wondered what all this was leading up to.

Mr. Duff brought the front legs of his chair down with a bang. “And that’s why this meeting today is so important. We must be seen not only as an institution that makes money, but gives it, too. Strange talk for a banker, eh?” Without waiting for a reply, he continued. “How does lunch at Delmonico’s sound? Ever been there?”

“No, sir, I haven’t, although I considered taking Hannah there for our last anniversary.” He paused. “Is this a charitable function?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Mr. Duff waved away the suggestion. “It’s a client I want you to meet, a Mr. Halsmith. He’s dealt with us in the past before he retired and sold his shipbuilding company. A very profitable one it was, I might add. Now he’s asking for our help in securing a loan with favorable interest rates and terms for an orphanage he’s setting up.” Mr. Duff shrugged. “I’m not too keen on the idea myself, but the board wants to do it. And I want you to handle the account.”

“I’m honored, of course, by your confidence in me, Mr. Duff, but I’m a bit mystified why you aren’t handling it yourself.”

“Quite frankly, I can’t stand the fellow, always quizzing me about my religion and such. That’s why I believe it’s a perfect fit for you, being as how your wife is like that.”

Robert stiffened slightly in his seat.

“No need to get your back up, Jessup. No disrespect intended. She’s a lovely woman. We must expect these things of the weaker sex.”

Which was why Robert found himself in the cab shortly after midday to meet Mr. Halsmith for lunch at the fashionable restaurant. As the horses left behind the bustle of Wall Street and rounded the corner onto Broadway, he glanced up at the Gothic steeple of Trinity Church and turned over in his mind Mr.

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