A Dangerous Fortune - Ken Follett [153]
“What brings you here so late?”
“I thought you would like to be the first to see this,” he said, and he handed her a journal.
It was the new number of The Forum, still smelling of the printing press. She opened it to the title page and read the headline over the leading article:
CAN A JEW BE A LORD?
Her spirits lifted. Tonight’s fiasco was only one defeat, she reminded herself. There were other battles to be fought.
She read the first few lines:
We trust there is no truth in the rumours, currently circulating at Westminster and in the London clubs, that the Prime Minister is contemplating the grant of a peerage to a prominent banker of the Jewish race and faith.
We have never favoured persecution of heathen religions. However, tolerance can go too far. To give the highest accolade to one who openly rejects Christian salvation would be perilously close to blasphemy.
Of course, the Prime Minister himself is a Jew by race. But he has been converted, and took his oath of allegiance to Her Majesty on the Christian Bible. No constitutional question was therefore raised by his ennoblement. But we have to ask whether the unbaptised banker of whom rumour speaks would be prepared so far to compromise his faith as to swear on the combined Old and New Testaments. If he were to insist on the Old Testament alone, how could the bishops in the House of Lords stand by without protest?
We have no doubt that the man himself is a loyal citizen and an honest man of business….
There was much more of the same. Augusta was pleased. She looked up from the page. “Well done,” she said. “That should cause a stir.”
“I hope so.” With a quick, birdlike gesture, Hobbes reached inside his jacket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I have taken the liberty of contracting to buy the printing press I mentioned to you. The bill of sale—”
“Go to the bank in the morning,” Augusta snapped, ignoring the proffered paper. Somehow she could never bring herself to be civil to Hobbes for long, even when he had served her well. Something about his manner irritated her. She made an effort to be more pleasant. In a softer voice she said: “My husband will give you a cheque.”
Hobbes bowed. “In that case I will take my leave.” He went out.
Augusta breathed a sigh of satisfaction. This would show them all. Maisie Greenbourne thought she was the leader of London society. Well, she could dance with the Prince of Wales all night long, but she couldn’t fight the power of the press. It would take the Greenbournes a long time to recover from this onslaught. And meanwhile Joseph would have his peerage.
Feeling better, she sat down to read the article again.
3
ON THE MORNING AFTER THE BALL Hugh woke up feeling jubilant. His wife had been accepted into high society and he was going to be made a partner in Pilasters Bank. The partnership gave him the chance to make not just thousands of pounds but, over the years, hundreds of thousands. One day he would be rich.
Solly would be disappointed that Hugh would not be working for him after all. But Solly was nothing if not easygoing: he would understand.
He put on his robe. From his bedside drawer he took a gift-wrapped jeweler’s box and slipped it into his pocket. Then he went into his wife’s bedroom.
Nora’s room was large but it always felt cramped. The windows, the mirrors and the bed were all draped with patterned silk; the floor was covered with rugs two and three deep; the chairs were piled with embroidered cushions; and every shelf and tabletop was crowded with framed pictures, china dolls, miniature porcelain boxes and other knickknacks. The predominant colors were her favorite pink and blue, but just about every other color was represented somewhere, in the wallpapers, bedclothes, curtains or upholstery.
Nora was sitting up in bed, surrounded by lace pillows, sipping tea. Hugh perched on the edge of the bed and said: “You were wonderful last night.”
“I showed them all,” she said, looking pleased with herself. “I danced with the Prince of Wales.”
“He couldn’t stop looking at your bosom,” Hugh said. He reached