Read Online Miss Jacobson's Journey by Carola Dunn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carola Dunn
Tags: Regency Romance
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tapestry-work. “God forbid I should have left it lying there for anyone else to see.”
“You’re right, it was careless of me. What should I do without you, Hannah?”
“I’m sure I can’t imagine,” snapped her faithful servant, “for all we’d not be on the road to Spain if you ever heeded a word of my advice.”
“It’s fated,” Miriam reminded her, depositing a fond kiss on her lined cheek before turning to peer out of the rain-spotted window. “Where has our panther got to? I haven’t had a chance yet to tell him about seeing Jakob Rothschild last night.”
“That fox was meant for Mr. Rothschild, wasn’t it? He’s a cunning one, sure enough.”
At that moment the carriage door opened and Isaac stuck his head in. “May I join you, ladies?”
“Of course. Are you very wet?”
“Not too bad.” Shrugging off his top-coat of dark brown drab with its modest single cape, he spread it over half the unoccupied seat, perched his hat on top of it, and sat down. “How did you persuade his lordship to let you teach him French?” he enquired, pushing back a damp lock of black hair from his broad brow.
“It was no more difficult than persuading you to let him teach you to drive. You both have sufficient sense to see the need.”
“Enough, at least, to accept the need once you had suggested it. I begin to think Jakob was right to send you with us.”
“Is that intended for a compliment? I thank you, kind sir.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and he smiled, his sensitive, rather serious face lightening. He really was almost as handsome as Felix when he smiled. Miriam’s heart gave a strange little quiver and she hurried on: “Did you know Jakob was at the inn last night?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize you had seen him.” Isaac frowned now, but in puzzlement, she thought, not annoyance. “Kalmann was there, too.”
“Kalmann?”
“The next youngest brother. He’s to meet us in Spain.”
“Next youngest? I was surprised at Jakob’s youth.”
“Kalmann is three or four and twenty, I suppose. The Rothschilds begin young. Nathan was scarce twenty years of age when he arrived in England in 1797.”
“Who are they? My parents used to entertain all the leading Jews in London but I don’t recall ever hearing mention of the name Rothschild.”
“There are five brothers. Old Mayer, the father, rose from curio dealer in the Frankfurt ghetto to banker for the Prince of Hesse and virtual director of the finances of Denmark. Nathan was sent to Manchester to buy cotton, before the family decided to trade only in money. He didn’t move to London until 1805.”
“We left England in 1802,” Hannah put in.
“And now Nathan is shipping gold by the hundredweight for the British Government,” Miriam marvelled. “I suppose it really is bound for General Wellington? You seemed surprised that Jakob and Kalmann appeared at the Grand Cerf, and I don’t see how they knew we were there.”
“I’m not sure what they are up to, but you can depend upon it that Wellington will receive the gold as promised. Nathan believes that dishonesty defeats its own purpose. A bank is built on trust; lose that and you’re in the suds.”
“That makes sense. But why smuggle the gold through France?”
“Even with the English blockade the sea lanes are precarious, and the Rothschilds already have many lines of communication all over Europe. They persuaded the French Minister of Finance to support this venture by convincing him that the British Government opposes it. Besides, they are taking advantage of Napoleon’s current preoccupation with his new Austrian wife, and now his heir. By the time the Emperor turns around to look, the flow will be well established, the necessary officials bribed.”
“This is the first shipment, then?”
“It is, and thus the most dangerous. It was unconscionable of Jakob to involve you.”
“I daresay I could have refused if I had tried,” Miriam admitted, “but he was
“You’re right, it was careless of me. What should I do without you, Hannah?”
“I’m sure I can’t imagine,” snapped her faithful servant, “for all we’d not be on the road to Spain if you ever heeded a word of my advice.”
“It’s fated,” Miriam reminded her, depositing a fond kiss on her lined cheek before turning to peer out of the rain-spotted window. “Where has our panther got to? I haven’t had a chance yet to tell him about seeing Jakob Rothschild last night.”
“That fox was meant for Mr. Rothschild, wasn’t it? He’s a cunning one, sure enough.”
At that moment the carriage door opened and Isaac stuck his head in. “May I join you, ladies?”
“Of course. Are you very wet?”
“Not too bad.” Shrugging off his top-coat of dark brown drab with its modest single cape, he spread it over half the unoccupied seat, perched his hat on top of it, and sat down. “How did you persuade his lordship to let you teach him French?” he enquired, pushing back a damp lock of black hair from his broad brow.
“It was no more difficult than persuading you to let him teach you to drive. You both have sufficient sense to see the need.”
“Enough, at least, to accept the need once you had suggested it. I begin to think Jakob was right to send you with us.”
“Is that intended for a compliment? I thank you, kind sir.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and he smiled, his sensitive, rather serious face lightening. He really was almost as handsome as Felix when he smiled. Miriam’s heart gave a strange little quiver and she hurried on: “Did you know Jakob was at the inn last night?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize you had seen him.” Isaac frowned now, but in puzzlement, she thought, not annoyance. “Kalmann was there, too.”
“Kalmann?”
“The next youngest brother. He’s to meet us in Spain.”
“Next youngest? I was surprised at Jakob’s youth.”
“Kalmann is three or four and twenty, I suppose. The Rothschilds begin young. Nathan was scarce twenty years of age when he arrived in England in 1797.”
“Who are they? My parents used to entertain all the leading Jews in London but I don’t recall ever hearing mention of the name Rothschild.”
“There are five brothers. Old Mayer, the father, rose from curio dealer in the Frankfurt ghetto to banker for the Prince of Hesse and virtual director of the finances of Denmark. Nathan was sent to Manchester to buy cotton, before the family decided to trade only in money. He didn’t move to London until 1805.”
“We left England in 1802,” Hannah put in.
“And now Nathan is shipping gold by the hundredweight for the British Government,” Miriam marvelled. “I suppose it really is bound for General Wellington? You seemed surprised that Jakob and Kalmann appeared at the Grand Cerf, and I don’t see how they knew we were there.”
“I’m not sure what they are up to, but you can depend upon it that Wellington will receive the gold as promised. Nathan believes that dishonesty defeats its own purpose. A bank is built on trust; lose that and you’re in the suds.”
“That makes sense. But why smuggle the gold through France?”
“Even with the English blockade the sea lanes are precarious, and the Rothschilds already have many lines of communication all over Europe. They persuaded the French Minister of Finance to support this venture by convincing him that the British Government opposes it. Besides, they are taking advantage of Napoleon’s current preoccupation with his new Austrian wife, and now his heir. By the time the Emperor turns around to look, the flow will be well established, the necessary officials bribed.”
“This is the first shipment, then?”
“It is, and thus the most dangerous. It was unconscionable of Jakob to involve you.”
“I daresay I could have refused if I had tried,” Miriam admitted, “but he was
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