honestly.
‘I’m part-owner of a quarry,’ Louise explained receiving Mary’s sharp attention. ‘Quarrying has always been big business on this island and it goes right back to
the eighteenth century. There are many quarries here, the bulk of them in the north of this island. Ship-building is also another good business as well as growing tomatoes plus our cows with their
rich milk and butter. However I suspect ship-building might decline when the war ends and perhaps too even the quarrying. In which case I’ll sell out and concentrate upon the tomatoes until I
think of something else worthwhile. Until that happens though I do really need someone to do the quarry accounts and books. I’m not as quick with figures as I used to be and I’m slow
compared to you.’
Mary nodded and waited to learn more so Tante continued.
‘Our stone is exceptionally strong,’ Tante told her, pleased with Mary’s concentrated interest. ‘Tests have been carried out on the mainland which prove our stone will
only lose four to five pounds of wear over a given period of time while Dartmoor granite will lose twelve and a half pounds and Aberdeen stone fourteen and three-quarter pounds.’
Mary sat enthralled. Acquiring information was her favourite pastime and she concentrated hard.
Louise steepled her fingers together as she explained. ‘In 1913 we exported nearly half a million tons of stone to the mainland. Did you know that it is our splendid stone which was used
in the construction of the Bank of England and the steps to St Paul’s Cathedral?’
‘No, I didn’t!’ Mary exclaimed, then her thoughts moved to another area and she frowned. ‘I’m rather puzzled,’ she said carefully. ‘You own a half share
of a quarry but this lovely house with its magnificent furniture and grounds must have cost a lot of money in the first place? What they call a capital investment?’ and she held her breath
wondering if she had been too nosy.
Louise’s lips twitched. She admired the girl’s perspicacity and was also annoyed by it. As yet she was not a member of the family and had no right to more information.
‘There was a lot of smuggling on the island in the last century. Before England changed her tariff laws, fortunes were made here which would make you hold your breath,’ she explained
delicately. ‘My father Dan was a smuggler and
that
is all I’m prepared to say,’ she ended flatly then added a sharp addenda. ‘Duret does not know and is not to be
told either!’
Mary blinked. ‘Because he is a dreamer?’
‘Mary!’ Louise gasped and halted. This girl was almost too sharp for her own good.
Mary saw shutters slip down and reverted back to the quarry. ‘Me and the quarry books?’ she prodded.
‘You can soon learn to do the books for me. Check the Bills of Lading, the fob and general accounts. Then if I do sell out you could go in on the ground floor with tomatoes. By then Duret
will be home and that could be a joint business venture. I had a clerk doing my books but the fool went off to war and is dead, for his pains.’
Mary was surprised. ‘Don’t you approve of men joining up then?’
Louise snorted disparagingly. ‘Of course I don’t when they go like romantic knights after the Holy Grail!’
‘But Britain has been bleeding for years and the Empire too!’
‘Don’t try and teach me history, girl!’ Louise said coldly. ‘I’m perfectly well aware that someone has to go but these tiny islands carry little population and we
are well tucked away from the mainland. What do you know about us? Precious little! But we are British. We give our allegiance to the Crown even if the Laws of Westminster have no authority here.
Did you know the Writ of Habeas Corpus cannot run here?’
Mary shook her head realising she was suddenly out of her depth and secretly shocked by Tante’s unexpected hostility.
‘We have total independence from Westminster. We have a Lieutenant Governor but, when the
‘I’m part-owner of a quarry,’ Louise explained receiving Mary’s sharp attention. ‘Quarrying has always been big business on this island and it goes right back to
the eighteenth century. There are many quarries here, the bulk of them in the north of this island. Ship-building is also another good business as well as growing tomatoes plus our cows with their
rich milk and butter. However I suspect ship-building might decline when the war ends and perhaps too even the quarrying. In which case I’ll sell out and concentrate upon the tomatoes until I
think of something else worthwhile. Until that happens though I do really need someone to do the quarry accounts and books. I’m not as quick with figures as I used to be and I’m slow
compared to you.’
Mary nodded and waited to learn more so Tante continued.
‘Our stone is exceptionally strong,’ Tante told her, pleased with Mary’s concentrated interest. ‘Tests have been carried out on the mainland which prove our stone will
only lose four to five pounds of wear over a given period of time while Dartmoor granite will lose twelve and a half pounds and Aberdeen stone fourteen and three-quarter pounds.’
Mary sat enthralled. Acquiring information was her favourite pastime and she concentrated hard.
Louise steepled her fingers together as she explained. ‘In 1913 we exported nearly half a million tons of stone to the mainland. Did you know that it is our splendid stone which was used
in the construction of the Bank of England and the steps to St Paul’s Cathedral?’
‘No, I didn’t!’ Mary exclaimed, then her thoughts moved to another area and she frowned. ‘I’m rather puzzled,’ she said carefully. ‘You own a half share
of a quarry but this lovely house with its magnificent furniture and grounds must have cost a lot of money in the first place? What they call a capital investment?’ and she held her breath
wondering if she had been too nosy.
Louise’s lips twitched. She admired the girl’s perspicacity and was also annoyed by it. As yet she was not a member of the family and had no right to more information.
‘There was a lot of smuggling on the island in the last century. Before England changed her tariff laws, fortunes were made here which would make you hold your breath,’ she explained
delicately. ‘My father Dan was a smuggler and
that
is all I’m prepared to say,’ she ended flatly then added a sharp addenda. ‘Duret does not know and is not to be
told either!’
Mary blinked. ‘Because he is a dreamer?’
‘Mary!’ Louise gasped and halted. This girl was almost too sharp for her own good.
Mary saw shutters slip down and reverted back to the quarry. ‘Me and the quarry books?’ she prodded.
‘You can soon learn to do the books for me. Check the Bills of Lading, the fob and general accounts. Then if I do sell out you could go in on the ground floor with tomatoes. By then Duret
will be home and that could be a joint business venture. I had a clerk doing my books but the fool went off to war and is dead, for his pains.’
Mary was surprised. ‘Don’t you approve of men joining up then?’
Louise snorted disparagingly. ‘Of course I don’t when they go like romantic knights after the Holy Grail!’
‘But Britain has been bleeding for years and the Empire too!’
‘Don’t try and teach me history, girl!’ Louise said coldly. ‘I’m perfectly well aware that someone has to go but these tiny islands carry little population and we
are well tucked away from the mainland. What do you know about us? Precious little! But we are British. We give our allegiance to the Crown even if the Laws of Westminster have no authority here.
Did you know the Writ of Habeas Corpus cannot run here?’
Mary shook her head realising she was suddenly out of her depth and secretly shocked by Tante’s unexpected hostility.
‘We have total independence from Westminster. We have a Lieutenant Governor but, when the
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