History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason

Author:Richard Mason [Mason, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literary, Sagas, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780307957528
Google: nrdKBqP4vd4C
Amazon: 0307599477
Publisher: Knopf
Published: 2012-02-07T05:00:00+00:00

Piet had a hint of the crisis that night, leaning out of Didier Loubat’s window, but the young men could not make sense of what they heard.

The girls were engaged in collecting their disposable assets. “I suppose you did always want to open a shop,” said Constance doubtfully, surveying the pile of clothes Louisa had decided they could do without.

“I won’t let you starve, darling. You can be my chief vendeuse.” Once the shock of her father’s news had subsided, Louisa had seen possibilities in her family’s sudden misfortune. “Poor girls go out to work.” She opened her jewel case and removed the ruby bracelet her godmother had left her. “Haven’t you always rather envied them?”

“No.”

“That’s because you lack imagination, my dear.” Louisa sat on the bed. “Think of having a little shop on the Kalverstraat. Very chic, of course, inside. Mirrors and good lighting and soft carpets. All our friends would buy from us.”

“And take pleasure in our downfall.” Constance spoke bitterly. She was thinking of Myrthe Janssen, whose engagement to Frederik van Sigelen had just been announced. Perhaps she had been unwise not to marry when she could. “Do you think anyone will have us now?” she asked, contemplating her reflection in the mirror and deriving some comfort from it.

“What a silly question. Think of the love letters in your desk.”

“They were written to a girl who had a dowry.”

“No, Constance, they were written to you.”

There was silence. Louisa began taking shoes from her closet.

“I wouldn’t marry for money in any case,” said Constance at last, following her own train of thought.

“If you worked with me, you wouldn’t have to.”

“You’re not serious, Louisa.”

“Why ever not?” Until an hour before, Louisa Vermeulen-Sickerts had not been at all serious about opening a shop. She had been content to daydream about what never could be. Now it seemed that her father’s right to oppose her had dwindled dramatically, and her sister’s skepticism provoked a rush of conviction. “If we sold our jewels, we could rent a place and hire Mevrouw Wunder and Babette to work for us. Babette’s an excellent cutter. You could be the model. I’ll design everything and make sure people don’t swindle us.”

“Don’t look so happy about all of this.”

“I’m not.” Louisa adjusted her expression. “But one of us has to be practical.”

“Not tonight, darling.” And Constance went to the window and closed it, because she felt afraid of the future and did not wish her sister to see cowardice in her face.

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