Niccolo Rising - Dorothy Dunnett [256]
Everyone looked up. Messer Pigello glanced from his face to that of Nicholas and back again. He said, “A great deal of money is involved. I am happy, of course, to take the responsibility, but I should prefer you and your colleague to check it. And of course, there is the consignment of arms at Piacenza. The order placed with Messer Agostino by Messer Tobias.”
“That was for Thibault and Jaak de Fleury,” said Julius quickly. They looked at him. Suddenly his face began to burn. Julius said, “These lists are …”
“Bills for moneys owed your company by M. de Fleury,” said Messer Pigello. His voice, always polite, almost concealed his impatience. “And corresponding credits for the gold and the property of Thibault and Jaak de Fleury in possession of their agent Maffino in Italy, impounded on your behalf and on our own as soon as the bankruptcy became known. All these are in addition, of course, to the debts which, as you know, were purchased by us in June from the Charetty company. We were fortunate in having early warning of the failure in Geneva and have been able amply to recoup them.
“It is usual, of course,” said Messer Pigello, “for a far-seeing company to insure against disaster at sea. It is seldom that a merchant thinks of the consequences of disaster on land, and makes corresponding provisions. The demoiselle de Charetty is rare among persons of business.”
Indeed. “How did the Fleury fail?” said Julius abruptly. Nicholas, chinning the rim of his empty cup, didn’t return his gaze.
“A large, a very large withdrawal of capital. That is all we know. Coupled with an immediate demand by creditors, as the deficit became known. The August fair, as you know, is due at this time. Small tradesmen already committed to purchases can risk failure themselves, if they cannot call on funds they have lodged, in good faith, with such a company. Companies like your own, who have sold cloth on credit, may well never see cloth or money.” Messer Pigello, pausing, looked at his brother. “It is a lesson every dealer must learn, including our branch in Bruges. Not to extend credit, no matter how great the firm or the personage.”
“So we have all Jaak de Fleury’s undelivered guns in compensation,” Julius said. “And how much else?”
Nicholas put his cup down, and lifting his elbow, pushed a paper before him. “That. Enough to buy the business if there’s anything left.”
“Not the business in Geneva,” Pigello Portinari said. “They’ve wrecked it. I told you, word got about. There were a lot of small creditors. Some hothead started a rush, and the crowd broke in and took everything they could find and then set fire to the building. The owner got out. Jaak de Fleury. There’s an elderly brother, a sleeping partner called Thibault near Dijon. Our filiale in Geneva think he went there. I have to tell you to call, of course, on our manager, on Francesco Nori in Geneva. He has cloth of yours, and other things.”
Julius said, “That’s extraordinary.” He felt dazed. His natural elation receded. What had seemed an act of celestial retribution had turned into catastrophe. Nicholas, his unmoving hands on the table, was gazing at the manager in a way that transformed his whole solid face into an instrument of inspection. Julius realised there was a question no one had put. He said, “And what about Jaak de Fleury’s wife? The demoiselle Esota?”
Messer Pigello wished to gather his papers. He shot a look of enquiry round the table, and then began, unimpeded, to collect them and form a neat pile. He said, “Alas, it was sad, according to what reports say. The crowd meant no harm. But the lady was, it seems heavily built, and excitable. Instead of leaving quietly, she tried to bar the way to some, and urged others to help her. They paid no attention and pushed past. She fell, she was trampled. But it was her own weight which killed her. You knew her?”
“Yes,” said Nicholas. “She wouldn’t be able to deal with that.”
Messer Pigello looked at him. He said, “Some might say her husband should not have left her. But