Strike the Red Flag by David McDine

Author:David McDine [McDine, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781549715525
Google: j6ZWswEACAAJ
Goodreads: 36159500
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2017-08-29T23:00:00+00:00

8

Duty Calls

After what seemed like an age confined to his bed, Anson was at last up and about, taking short walks in the grounds of Ludden Hall with Josiah Parkin.

The old gentleman was clearly of comfortable independent means and Anson was eventually able to coax him into revealing something of his background.

‘I had what many would consider the good fortune to be born into a Kentish banking family. It was a foregone conclusion that I would enter the profession after university and the Grand Tour, although the business never attracted me.’

The Grand Tour explained the pictures of Roman ruins, the ancient damaged statues and display cases of coins that adorned the hall and library, but not the detailed anatomical drawings and stuffed creatures in glass cases.

Anson asked: ‘But you joined the bank nevertheless?’

Parkin nodded ruefully. ‘I did. It was the least I could do after the privileged education the family bank had given me.’

Anson thought of the richly furnished house, the beautifully kept grounds and the immaculate carriage and pair. ‘And you were clearly successful in the banking business?’

‘Moderately so, but it was not a profession I enjoyed. We would willingly lend money to those who didn’t need it but withheld it from those who did, or we would lend it grudgingly and charge them high interest.’

‘I suppose that’s the nature of the business.’

Parkin frowned as if the memory pained him. ‘I tried to conduct it with humanity, but yes, banking is a curious and rather unsavoury occupation. I’d sooner consort with my rats.’

‘Rats!’ Anson did a double-take.

The old man smiled. ‘Deceased, of course, ready for dissecting … I am, you see, something of a natural historian too.’

‘And you are clearly happy to have left banking behind?’

‘There are worse professions, of course – the law, for example. Some lawyers I have had to deal with are among the biggest crooks un-hung. In knowing the ins and outs of the law they understand how best to work it to their own advantage, squirming and wriggling through it without rendering themselves liable to punishment for circumnavigating it.’

Anson laughed. ‘You clearly don’t rate banking or the law very highly I see.’

‘You could say that. It was a great relief when a few years back I handed over control of the family bank to some rather disagreeable second cousins. You see, I was always more interested in natural history and antiquarian pursuits than in pounds, shillings and pence. Your family, of course, is engaged in far more worthy and honourable professions.’

‘The church and the navy?’ Anson looked doubtful. ‘I would like to think that the navy is, but I sometimes wonder if the same is true of some clergy. They may espouse the sentiments of the sermon on the mount and suchlike, yet live privileged lives off the fat of the land while some of their flocks endure hardship.’

Parkin raised his eyebrows. ‘You cannot mean members of your own family?’

‘I am very much afraid I do. My father is an upright man but enjoys an extremely comfortable living, a good table, fine wines, hunting and so forth.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.