"Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies."
Pride and Prejudice
--
The next week was particularly trying for John, which with a new business was hardly unusual. What was unprecedented was that it was not from Atlantis that his troubles stemmed, but rather from issues more heavily involved in his personal sphere. Namely, his boating lesson with Elizabeth earlier in the week had been witnessed by many a member of the company, and as such, there seemed to be a renewed interest in the supposed romance of the two newlyweds which had him constantly on the receiving end of such sly and knowing comments that irked him exceedingly. Not surprisingly, Rodney was one of the most frequent culprits, and the constant jibes and jokes had set John well on edge.
As a result, not only was he more snappish than his usual pleasant demeanor dictated, but he additionally felt that for his own peace of mind, it might be wise to avoid close contact with Elizabeth for a short period of time. Thankfully, she seemed unbothered by any injudicious comments that might have been aimed in her direction, instead working with the dedication and effectiveness that John had always believed her to be capable of. He could not, at this time, imagine anyone but Elizabeth being his partner in trying to make a success of Atlantis Trading and Shipping.
Still, when Elizabeth came to his office later in the week, it was with some small amount of trepidation that he allowed her entry. She was flushed and obviously excited by some piece of news she had to tell him – perhaps relating to letter she had clutched in one hand.
"Is everything well?" he asked with somewhat more than a mild concern, considering her obviously animated features.
"Very well," she assured him with a wide smile. "It is merely that I have recently been the recipient of some particularly interesting news. John, you know, of course, that my father currently holds the position of King's Ambassador to Denmark."
"Of course," he acknowledged, though if he was being quite honest, he was uncertain if he had known her father's exact position.
"Well, I have just received a letter from him containing a most intriguing proposition. You see, the King is scheduled to take a tour of the Scandinavian countries next month, but has long had a tense relationship with the authorities in Denmark for some long ago offense that only they remember. In searching for a way to appease their disquieted sensibilities, His Royal Majesty applied to my father, who suggested that perhaps a gift of some sizable value would smooth things over nicely."
John smiled. "As is the way of things."
"Yes, of course. Unfortunately for the King, many of his Royal Navy ships are currently embroiled in the ever-growing conflict with France at the moment, and his regular secondary source of transportation, the East India Trading Company, has been temporarily banned from Denmark while some outstanding taxes are being disputed."
Suddenly suspecting where this line of thought was heading, John found himself rising from his seat in anticipation. "Elizabeth, do you mean to tell me that in less than two months of being with me here at Atlantis, you have somehow managed to secure our company employment from the King himself?"
Looking inordinately proud of herself, Elizabeth nodded. "That is exactly what I am trying to express, although you should be made aware that the offer is contingent on your agreement to ship the King's gift within the next two days."
Feeling overwhelmed by such an enormous boon, John finally stood completely and, at a loss for what else should be done, took Elizabeth in his arms, spinning her around so quickly that she shrieked and laughed most entertainingly. "You," he said when he finally slowed, out of breath and elated at the prospects before them, "are a most remarkable sort of woman."
She merely rolled her eyes at his effusive praise. "I take it that you agree to my father's terms, then?"
"Yes, most eagerly! I shall begin to make arrangements without any further delay."
Before she could respond, there was a sound at the door that drew both of their attention. "Mr. Sheppard, the…."
Cameron Mitchell stopped shortly upon entering, staring for a moment until John remembered that he and Elizabeth were still in what could be a misleadingly intimate position. Sparing no time in clearing his throat and releasing Elizabeth, John looked at his employee expectantly.
"I do apologize for…my interruption," Mr. Mitchell began. "But I came to announce the arrival of Captain Lorne's puddle jumper back from Lisbon. You did say that you wished to know when they were back."
"Yes, of course," John acknowledged. "I'll join you on the docks shortly to begin unloading."
For his part, Cameron nodded shortly, and after one more ridiculous, supposedly knowing grin, was gone. "I am sorry for that," John offered stiltedly.
Elizabeth, however, seemed unbothered. "It is of no consequence. So, I shall write back to my father expressing our agreement?"
"Absolutely. Send Aidan Ford to town with the message as soon as you've finished composing it – he is by far the fastest rider we have, and the most trustworthy."
She nodded, making her way toward the door. "Go on and inspect your booty from Portugal then, and leave me to attend to this matter. It will all be arranged."
As she left, John wondered that she should feel the need to reassure him. He certainly did not feel a requirement for it.
--
Considering the extreme degree of scandal with which she had departed London and all of her contemporaries in fashionable society there, it was with no small amount of amusement that Elizabeth beheld the stack of letters in front of her nearly a week later. Perhaps she should have anticipated this turn of events when the delivery of the King's most particular gift to the Demark government was accomplished with a swiftness and professionalism unlike he was previously accustomed to, even going so far as to prompt a letter of thanks from His Royal Majesty herself, hinting at possible future employment opportunities for Atlantis in the near future.
But being so far removed from the society of veneer-thin manners and currying favor had broken Elizabeth's previous habits of expecting the world to behave in a particular manner. As such, it must be admitted that the sudden influx of letters from previous acquaintances, businesses attempting to schedule interviews, and even several high ranking society members had quite startled her at first. The numerous invitations for the entrepreneurial Sheppards were almost laughable, proving to Elizabeth that every social scandal, no matter how serious, was eventually overcome by either circumstance, money, or both.
All of this she had been reflecting upon in the sitting room of their more personal quarters when John entered, disrupting her introspections. "You look very serious," he teased, as was his habit in the last week, being in so good a mood as a result of their sudden good luck in business.
"I assure that it is nothing dire. I was merely reflecting on the transient nature of social standing. Right now, it seems we are quite in favor with the King, and as a result, everyone else."
John seemed undisturbed by this fact, other than it might mean he would be required to be a bit more sociable than he might otherwise like. When Elizabeth assured him that this was not the case, he relaxed. "So you do not find yourself missing the bustle and business of London, then?" he asked, a note of worry laced in the off-handed inquiry.
"Surprisingly, no," she teased back. "Really, I lived in that world because it was required of me and because I was adept at maneuvering through it. I find, however, this life to be much more rewarding, where my status seems based purely on the quality of my work."
"Which is above reproach," he pointed out.
"Well, yes, that does help, doesn't it?" she laughed. "Nonetheless, I have instructed the cook to prepare a more elaborate meal than usual tonight. I thought we might celebrate our fashionable status, seeing as it is certainly going to be of short duration."
The idea seemed to appeal to him, and soon the two were dressed and seated together for dinner, as had become their habit whenever John was in town. Elizabeth was forced to admit, if only to herself, that she quite enjoyed this aspect of their situation. Dinner with John was almost always an enjoyable affair, even if nothing more than business was discussed. Their conversation was, as it had always been, light and effortless, and she found it often so easy to laugh at his various antics that it made the evening hours when one could not work pass quickly.
"Have all of the profits been reported from the recent Lisbon run yet?" she asked as the soup course was served.
"Nearly, and I'm pleased to say it was one of our most profitable ventures yet. Captain Lorne and his crew really did a remarkable job. I have been considering hiring them full-time, now that they have proved themselves."
"He is a most agreeable man, and certainly clever enough to turn a profit, so why do you hesitate?"
At this, John looked a little awkward. "I wished to consult with you before doing anything that might be construed as long-term."
This fact touched her a great deal, and she reflected that she could not be more content with her current situation. She had wondered briefly, when first agreeing to his proposal all those months ago in the city, if she and John should really suit each other as partners for longer than a lively conversation. Now, watching him across the dinner table, she found that he was perhaps a dearer friend to her than anyone had ever been previously. But because she knew him well, she knew that to say this would only embarrass him, and instead stayed within the limited scope of business when replying.
"Then by all means hire him," she said before sipping at her beef and barley broth.
--
Mr. Kolya was not accustomed to being summoned and then kept waiting. His area of specialty had often imbued a certain mixture of respect and fear in all of his business associates, a situation that he preferred vastly to this waiting indeterminately for someone to be ready for his arrival.
Finally, however, he was permitted to enter the office of a Mr. Wraith, the man who had rather curtly requested his presence with the promise of making it more than worth his while. "Ah, Mr. Kolya, do come in," said Mr. Wraith in greeting. "I apologize for the delay, but as you can imagine, running a business like mine is no easy task."
"Nor mine, Mr. Wraith," Mr. Kolya said shortly. "But I was assured you would more than compensate me for my time."
"That is my hope as well," Mr. Wraith agreed. "I have asked you here with the expectation of coming to a business accord with you. It is my understanding that you and a small number of your countrymen housed within this country run a sort of…business of requirement, where you accomplish certain deeds that might perhaps reflect badly on a gentleman of my stature if they were connected to me."
"We have been known to do such things from time to time," Mr. Kolya admitted easily. "For a price."
"Of course, of course! Now, to the particulars. There is a small company to the south of here that has lately become something of a thorn in my side. I am convinced, however, that they would be significantly less troubling if I could merely examine the plans to a rather renowned ship of theirs, which seems in everyway to be inferior to mine superficially, but seems to outsail, outship, and outmaneuver mine at every turn. They call it a puddle jumper, I believe."
"And do you require the possession of a previously made ship, or would something less…bulky…serve your purposes better?" Mr. Kolya asked.
"Mr. Kolya, I can already see that you and I are of like mind. A ship is much too difficult to steal and easy to trace for my liking, and the work of reverse engineering something of that scope leaves me rather impatient. I would assume, rather, that there are set plans for these ships somewhere within the headquarters of Atlantis Trading and Shipping, that could, at the right time, be procured more easily than an entire ship."
"That seems to be likely. Do you have a set date by which you would prefer to have these plans in your possession?"
"I can be a patient man when I must be, Mr. Kolya. However, I have heard tell that Atlantis is currently planning a much longer journey than their recent day trips to mainland Europe. It is my understanding that the bulk of the staff will be joining this expedition, and so it might seem a prime opportunity for someone to take advantage of the lack in manpower."
"A clever plan, indeed, Mr. Wraith. I assure you, my team can do this job for you easily and without hesitation."
"Excellent, Mr. Kolya, excellent. I look forward to this and many future business transactions between us," Mr. Wraith said easily, leaning back in his chair. "And please, if we are to be well-acquainted, you must call me Michael."
