Where a well known man is finally better known.
Chapter 40: London Business
London, Cheapside, Wednesday the twelfth August. Eighth day. Morning.
"Mr. Gardiner is not available, Sir. He just came home from a journey to the North..."
"Derbyshire and Pemberley," said the muscular and well shaved man. His blue eyes were looking at Jonas with a strength he had but rarely seen. "I know, some of my men escorted him. They made a report. That's why I'm here. I knew he was at home."
He pulled a card out of his jacket and hold it out to Jonas.
"Please give my card to Mr. Gardiner and inform Mr. Bennet that I would like to speak to him in a personal matter as soon as he is available. But, in the meantime, I would like to speak business with Mr. Gardiner."
Jonas looked on the name of the card and had immediate confirmation of what he suspected.
As every staff member of a great House he was informed of everything which was told within the walls of the House. And, being informed about the situation between Miss Bennet and that gentleman, he was not surprised that he would want to speak to Mr. Bennet.
But why he would want to speak to his master was a mystery.
For the time being.
Soon, as usual, he would be informed, probably by the Master himself who had no secrets for his butler.
But mystery or not mystery, this man was a very peculiar and dangerous guest. He would take great care not to upset him.
He bowed.
"Mr. Gardiner is in his study, if you would allow me to inform him, I'm sure you'll be received within a few minutes. In the meantime, if you would like a tea, it will be in the little sitting room at your right very shortly."
He made a sign to the maid.
"Mathilda, please take care of monsieur d'Arcy's coat. I'm back immediately..."
He was quite proud of Mathilda who didn't show the least surprise.
"Monsieur d'Arcy, here?"
"Yes Sir. He is in the guest sitting room where he should be drinking a cup of tea."
"And he wants to see me? Not my brother..."
"First you and then Mr. Bennet. In that order. His wishes."
"Well, Jonas, let's not be impolite and make him wait more than necessary."
"I'll get him at once. And I'll inform your family that we are receiving important guests..."
"Please and thank you..."
Jonas was hurrying toward the guest sitting room when he heard voices. A female shrill one and a male grave one.
There was one member of he Bennet family who he would not have to inform.
"...She's back at her Estate, my most trusted men brought her themselves at her doorstep and since we conquered Rutland just the day before, I can assure you that the Duchess will stay as safe as possible at her age."
"Thank you, monsieur," said Lydia. "I already knew that you were a gentleman, now I know that you are also un homme de coeur..."
"Toujours au service de ces dames, ma chère..."
"And how's Jane?"
"Jane? How should I know?"
Lydia chuckled like an old maggot.
"Come on, I'm sure you were with her before even considering coming here. Nothing can stop a man like you..."
Jonas heard that d'Arcy was smiling.
"If what you suspect is true I would have been with her tonight and you must understand that no gentleman would ever admit having met the lady of his heart in such unseemly circumstances..."
Jonas heard hand clapping.
"So, you saw her! I knew it. What's her answer?"
"There was no question so there can be no answer, miss Lydia. And I would be very grateful if we could change the topic of our conversation..."
Knowing Lydia, Jonas knew it was time to enter into the fray.
He coughed.
"Mr. Gardiner is ready to receive you Sir. If Miss Lydia will excuse us..."
Lydia was already running toward the stairs.
"I'm getting Papa! I'm sure he will be more than curious to see you..."
Both men looked after the swirling blue dress climbing the stairs.
"If it can reassure you, Miss Bennet was never ever quite so..." he hesitated. "Let's say lively!"
"Of that I have no doubt, dear Jonas. But don't be too hard on Miss Lydia, she has her moments and she shares with me a trait I admire: we fear nothing!"
"Monsieur d'Arcy... What an unsuspected pleasure," said Mr. Gardiner while pointing to his best armchair. "I'm in your debt and I would like to know how I will ever be able to repay your help at bringing me from Pemberley to London."
D'Arcy sat and made a hand sign.
"We will be very soon family, Mr. Gardiner. And Miss Elizabeth Bennet's relatives will soon be mine. So it's only normal that my men took great care in escorting and protecting you..."
He pointed toward the environment.
"I suppose you know that they are still doing it, don't you?"
"I suspected as much, monsieur d'Arcy. And since you're not here to present me the bill, what can I do for you?"
D'Arcy looked at the man facing him. A little older than himself and from what he had heard a quite successful businessman. With relations and business partners all over the world. He was just about to loose most of his fortune but he should have saved enough to begin anew.
But it seemed he would not have to do it after all.
"I'm here to make you a proposition, Mr. Gardiner. A business proposition which will put you in a difficult position and which will give you lots of work in the months to come..."
Edward Gardiner leaned forward and looked his opposite directly into the eyes. He could see that he was speaking the truth. He could have hidden his feelings with ease, he was sure of it, but he had chosen to be frank.
He could afford it.
"How so?"
D'Arcy took a deep breath and sat up.
"You know that within a few weeks we will have conquered the whole of Great Britain?"
"I feared so much..."
"A miracle could perhaps still save the United Kingdom but I doubt that even a miracle could prevent me from taking over the mainland of the islands."
Mr. Gardiner nodded. He was no strategist but he could recognize a fucked up situation when he saw one.
"And just after my rearguard the most hungry sharks of the French Bourgeoisie will fall upon your economy and tear it to bits and shreds."
"I feared so much in this field also..."
"But it could be in our hands to prevent such a ugly event..."
That part brought every cubic inch of businessman in Edward Gardiner to watch out. Here was a man who could destroy the British economy for decades to come and who was willing to do something to save it. Why?
"Why?" smiled his opposite. "Because I don't want Napoleon and his cronies to destroy for their sole profit what would be much more interesting if it is saved and protected..."
"And you would save it?"
"No, Mr. Gardiner, you are going to save it and when it is saved I'll protect it! I'm no expert in business, trade or economy. I know how to conquer and destroy a country. I have some knowledge in technology and I do possess a technical know how that is rare and precious. But when it comes to saving an economy I will be of no real use."
He smiled again.
"That's were you could play an important role."
"Because I'm family?"
D'Arcy nodded.
"Family is no definitive protection against theft and swindle but it happens a lot more between strangers! There are probably better businessmen than you in the world. But it happens that next Sunday we will have family links to bind us. For me it's worth more than excellency in your field... Much more!"
Edward Gardiner could only nod. He could understand that sort of reasoning. He had known that truth the day he chose to go his own way leaving behind a perfect association with an honest man. But even if both were honest, nothing could guarantee that the heirs would be the same. So they went their separate ways...
"How much are we speaking of?"
"No idea," answered d'Arcy. "What I want you to do is summon all those men who possess an important part of Britain's economy in order to convince them to place their factories, businesses and companies under your authority. I want you to create a joint stock company where all those who want to save their fortune bring what they possess in exchange for shares in the company's capital. You'll be manager general of the company and I'll be share holder. I'll bring you money and know how..."
Edward Gardiner looked at his opposite. He had listened and he had heard the part about technology and technical know how.
"What know how?"
"A new source of energy, Mr. Gardiner. I'm the proud inventor of a steam engine who works and who could be able to drive hundreds of different machines."
"They operate on long periods?"
"Indeed! They are build to work aboard ships who go to sea Mr. Gardiner. And those ships have shown in the Channel that they can function for days without the least incident. And on land the machines will be even more efficient since we'll not need a quarter of their output to pump leaking water out of the hull."
"That would be quite a revolution, monsieur d'Arcy. But why proposing to give them to us and not to your French compatriots?"
D'Arcy nodded. The question had had to come but he was sure his opposite knew the answer.
"Because here I have the power to impose my decisions. In France, even if I'm no underdog, I'm only fourth on the scale to power. Here, thanks to my status as Proconsul I'm the number one. I will not be able to prevent every French shark to grab a chunk of the British economy. But what's mine they won't get! And if I'm a share holder of said company, it will clearly be mine and even a greedy little Corsican will hesitate to try to rob me. Let's say that we have a sort of gentleman agreement. They won't look into how I've built my fortune in England and I'll forget to ask how they plundered Italy and Austria..."
His smile disappeared.
"With the little difference that I don't want to rob anybody. I just want a share in a company where a a lot of very rich people could join their forces to increase the wealth of every body..." There he stopped. "And when I say everybody, I mean everybody, Mr. Gardiner. I want that particular company to pay it's workers more than decently. I want them to get a larger part of the benefits than the capital share holders. I want them to be interested in the results of the company. I want them to be happy and satisfied and with enough money to feed their families, buy houses and goods our company will produce. There will be no exploitation of the workers by the owners, Mr. Gardiner. On that point I won't compromise..."
Edward Gardiner looked at d'Arcy.
What had this man in his mind? Why...
"Again wondering why I'm having such strange expectations?"
He sighed and stood up. He went to the window and looked out. The sun had risen and the day was as wonderful as all the other days of this exceptional August 1801. As if the Gods were smiling on his enterprise.
"No secret there, Mr. Gardiner. I want this land to stay under French rule and there's no better way to ensure such a thing than to give to the people what they didn't get before. Satisfied workers would not have accepted to die for the French bourgeoisie, Mr Gardiner. Starving and desperate people accepted to do the dirty work of the Rich in order to save what they could of their family. I want the English worker to be fat and complacent. Living in lovely homes and doting on their sons and daughters who will find, when the time comes, a secure job in the Company. And I want the English company holders to be wealthy and satisfied, not on the run and with ideas of revenge ."
He looked at Mr. Gardiner.
"Don't approach the greedy ones or those who love to have power over others. Those I will deal with. I'll point the sharks at them. They'll end with nothing left to them... Or they will kill each other. It would be even better. What ever comes out, it will be an end they all deserve."
Mr. Gardiner let the prospect wander in his mind. If he had d'Arcy's guarantee, he could very well build such a Company. He knew exactly who to see and who to approach. He had learned that they were quasi all in London trying to save what could be saved.
They would accept the bargain. They would loose power but they would increase their wealth and wealth was a currency which could be easily transformed in Power if one lusted for it.
"You spoke of investing money... How much..."
D'Arcy glanced at him and went back to looking at the street and Kennedy's men patrolling discreetly the surroundings.
"Hundred thousand pounds," answered he. "I could more but most of my Capital is not yet liquid enough. It will take a few weeks to get at it..."
Edward Gardiner was stunned by the huge sum.
"With such money you could do it alone..."
D'Arcy shook his head.
"As I said, I don't have the skills necessary to do it efficiently. And I don't have enough time to invest into that particular prospect. Even if I do consider that very prospect as even more important than this invasion business. It's very important for me and that's why I need somebody I can trust. Somebody who is more than an employee."
He turned and looked at Edward Gardiner.
"Will it be you?"
"It will expose me as a man of the French."
"Not necessarily. It will expose you as my man! And being family is, most of the time, a precious shield against fanatical behavior. They won't like you but they won't label you a traitor. Only a man who had to choose between two loyalties. And if I get what I want, It could very well be me being your nephew. Nobody will discuss our business understandings in the light of such a relationship."
Edward Gardiner couldn't help but smile.
"So she accepted?"
"I proposed but I didn't ask for her answer yet," came the answer. "I have to speak to her father first. He will have to decide if he wants me as a member of his family. Should he refuse, that particular prospect will have found its end."
He turned and came in front of his host.
"You didn't answer to my proposition. Do you agree?"
Edward Gardiner nodded.
"I'd be a fool to refuse to be at the head of what could become the most powerfull business company in the world. And I've proven many times in my life that I'm no fool."
He hold his hand out to d'Arcy.
"I'm your man, monsieur d'Arcy."
"I'm glad, Mr. Gardiner. I could not have found a better manager."
"always at the service of the Ladies, my dear..."
Next chapter: London Demand