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Authors: Shirley Smith
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as to insist that her mother was a victim of the landlord’s oppression. But still, she thought, he is such an unpleasant man, it is only too easy to be out of sorts with such as he.
Neither Matthew nor Adam wished to linger over glasses of port once the ladies had left the dining-room and soon they were all of them settled in the drawing-room, agog to hear what Adam Brown had to say.
‘The first item I found in the strong box is a letter writ to my own papa, Edward Brown, nigh on sixty years since, when Sir Benjamin was about to set off for India. Read it to us, Matthew, if you please.’
Westbury Hall
Norfolk
My dear Mr Brown
I write in haste as I am to sail for India in the morning. Acting on your advice, 1 shall take no further interest in the actions of my brother George. He seems to be intent on self-destruction, via drink and gambling. Both he and my youngest brother, Charles, now seem to be at daggers drawn over Lady Mary Spence, a great beauty and from a noble family. God pity her. I believe she is a most amiable and pleasant young woman as well as lovely.
As for myself dear Edward, my trusted friend, I find myself pleased to be leaving England for foreign climes, where I shall have the comfort of action and a change of scene. I find I can no longer abide either London society or even the quiet of Norfolk. My desire is to put as much distance between myself and my brothers as possible. I hope I shall remain in touch with you and, meanwhile, believe me to be your friend and client,
Benjamin Westbury
There was a silence after Matthew had finished reading and finally Charlotte said, ‘It certainly lets us imagine the family tensions of sixty years ago, but it explains nothing of the dead body and the little child in the picture.’
‘And would not Sir Benjamin take exception to our having access to his correspondence with your father, Adam?’ Lavinia asked uneasily.
‘No, my dear,’ he said gently. ‘Sir Benjamin has instructed me to act in any way that I think fit and that could aid in the resolution of the mystery.’
‘But no one here could possibly have the sort of knowledge to aid you in your enquiries,’ Jane protested. ‘Even I was not born when Sir Benjamin went away.’
‘But it can be invaluable as an aide-memoire ,’ he said quietly. ‘You and Mr Grayson were born in Norfolk and there must be memories of little things your parents might have said that you can recall to mind.’
Jane Grayson looked thoughtful at this and then said slowly, ‘Yes, I do remember my own mama telling me of a dreadful accident … I think it befell Charles Westbury but my dear mama’s stories were legion. I recall none of it except that the whole family perished at sea.’
‘But how could that be?’ Lavinia asked.
Adam Brown said gently, ‘They appeared to be on their way to Holland and were overtaken by a sudden freak storm which resulted in the loss of all the passengers and most of the crew. According to the newspapers for 19 November 1757, that day, there were severe storms all around Boston and King’s Lynn and from the wreck of the Golden Maiden there were but two who survived. But not all the family perished. The baby in the picture was Hugo’s father, Humphrey, and he had been left in the care of his nurse.
‘Let us pause there, while Matthew reads you another letter, this time from my own father to Sir Benjamin in Mysore.’
Dear Benjamin,
It is with great regret that I write to inform you of the deaths of your brother Charles and his wife, Lady Mary. They suffered with other passengers and crew when the Golden Maiden capsized in a terrible storm off the coast of Cromer. Not all the bodies have been recovered and no one seems to know why your brother and his wife were making the journey to Holland, but whatever the reason, they were tragically young for such a fate. Fortunately, Humphrey, the young baby, was left in the charge of his nurse. The memorial service will be at the end
Neither Matthew nor Adam wished to linger over glasses of port once the ladies had left the dining-room and soon they were all of them settled in the drawing-room, agog to hear what Adam Brown had to say.
‘The first item I found in the strong box is a letter writ to my own papa, Edward Brown, nigh on sixty years since, when Sir Benjamin was about to set off for India. Read it to us, Matthew, if you please.’
Westbury Hall
Norfolk
My dear Mr Brown
I write in haste as I am to sail for India in the morning. Acting on your advice, 1 shall take no further interest in the actions of my brother George. He seems to be intent on self-destruction, via drink and gambling. Both he and my youngest brother, Charles, now seem to be at daggers drawn over Lady Mary Spence, a great beauty and from a noble family. God pity her. I believe she is a most amiable and pleasant young woman as well as lovely.
As for myself dear Edward, my trusted friend, I find myself pleased to be leaving England for foreign climes, where I shall have the comfort of action and a change of scene. I find I can no longer abide either London society or even the quiet of Norfolk. My desire is to put as much distance between myself and my brothers as possible. I hope I shall remain in touch with you and, meanwhile, believe me to be your friend and client,
Benjamin Westbury
There was a silence after Matthew had finished reading and finally Charlotte said, ‘It certainly lets us imagine the family tensions of sixty years ago, but it explains nothing of the dead body and the little child in the picture.’
‘And would not Sir Benjamin take exception to our having access to his correspondence with your father, Adam?’ Lavinia asked uneasily.
‘No, my dear,’ he said gently. ‘Sir Benjamin has instructed me to act in any way that I think fit and that could aid in the resolution of the mystery.’
‘But no one here could possibly have the sort of knowledge to aid you in your enquiries,’ Jane protested. ‘Even I was not born when Sir Benjamin went away.’
‘But it can be invaluable as an aide-memoire ,’ he said quietly. ‘You and Mr Grayson were born in Norfolk and there must be memories of little things your parents might have said that you can recall to mind.’
Jane Grayson looked thoughtful at this and then said slowly, ‘Yes, I do remember my own mama telling me of a dreadful accident … I think it befell Charles Westbury but my dear mama’s stories were legion. I recall none of it except that the whole family perished at sea.’
‘But how could that be?’ Lavinia asked.
Adam Brown said gently, ‘They appeared to be on their way to Holland and were overtaken by a sudden freak storm which resulted in the loss of all the passengers and most of the crew. According to the newspapers for 19 November 1757, that day, there were severe storms all around Boston and King’s Lynn and from the wreck of the Golden Maiden there were but two who survived. But not all the family perished. The baby in the picture was Hugo’s father, Humphrey, and he had been left in the care of his nurse.
‘Let us pause there, while Matthew reads you another letter, this time from my own father to Sir Benjamin in Mysore.’
Dear Benjamin,
It is with great regret that I write to inform you of the deaths of your brother Charles and his wife, Lady Mary. They suffered with other passengers and crew when the Golden Maiden capsized in a terrible storm off the coast of Cromer. Not all the bodies have been recovered and no one seems to know why your brother and his wife were making the journey to Holland, but whatever the reason, they were tragically young for such a fate. Fortunately, Humphrey, the young baby, was left in the charge of his nurse. The memorial service will be at the end
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