‘Yes, but it is always tense,’
‘Grimston seems to have found an ally in Doctor Herbert,’ said Martha. ‘I saw them mumbling to one another in the corridor.’
‘Noted,’ said Thea. ‘What a pair they are of grumpy men. I will prepare to be put in my place as a woman.’
‘But nobody has yet addressed the fact that Speckle has thrown away his entire family fortune on moral grounds by freeing a plantation of slaves, while that Knatchbull grows his own fortune by manufacturing the metalwork which aims to keep those slaves in check? That could be difficult conversational ground.’
‘Correct,’ said Thea. ‘As long as we avoid talking about society, politics or business tonight, we should be safe.’
‘And your mother-in-law is coming,’ said Martha.
‘I don’t think so, thank goodness,’ said Thea.
‘I mean, she is,’ said Martha, pointing out of the window. ‘I can see her carriage.’ Thea’s eyes followed where she pointed. This was just what she needed. George hadn’t bothered to tell her he had invited his mother.
‘It’s going to be a long night,’ she sighed.
‘I will be on my best behaviour,’ said Martha. Mrs Jenkins snorted through her pins.
‘It is simply a moral decision,’ said Speckle. ‘I had been considering it for some time, but once I got out there and saw the conditions, there really was no question in my mind.’
Thea breathed out slowly. They had made it to the game pie with polite conversation, but then Doctor Herbert had raised the subject of Speckle’s colonial business decision, the sly sparkle in his eyes betraying that he knew how controversial this would be. Her eyes slid around the room, hoping that the dinner party would accept Speckle’s statement.
‘It’s hard when you’re new,’ said Knatchbull, pointing a finger at Speckle.
‘Thank you, Mr Knatchbull,’ said Speckle. ‘It certainly was difficult to see the conditions the workers were kept in.’
Knatchbull shook his head. ‘I mean to know how to subdue them. You can’t go in there being nice. One sniff of weakness and they’ll take advantage. The best men shoot a couple who are insolent, just to establish authority. Create some fear. Probably where you went wrong. I’ve got a nice new flintlock they’re using in India if you’re interested. Quick to load. Lovely action.’
‘In India?’ asked Harriet. ‘I didn’t think there were slaves in India?’
Knatchbull waved his fingers in dismissal. ‘Same concept. Big uprising in the north recently, soon put down though. Another big order for me and The duke’s tea is safe. Long live the British Empire!’ there were some murmurings of agreement around the table.
‘You could learn a lesson, Speckle,’ muttered Herbert, his thin face remaining impassive as always. ‘Still time as you own the land.’
Kit nodded generously to him. ‘Thank you, but my mind is quite made up. The slaves are free, and I will publish a pamphlet encouraging others to do the same. It should be clear to us both, as physicians who study the fundamentals of humans, that all are created equal. The only difference is power and influence, and we must choose to use that correctly.’
Thea swallowed. The opinion would not be a popular one at this table.
‘Your father would be ashamed,’ said Herbert simply.
‘Perhaps,’ said Kit, the atmosphere around the table tense and quiet. ‘But generations change as we learn. ‘I do not have to be the same as him, but I will honour his legacy.’ He was so assured, thought Thea. How she wished she could be so calm in the face of criticism. And then she realised that she was, on the face of it. Who knew what turmoil sat behind Kit’s serene exterior?
‘You are very right, Doctor Speckle,’ said Harriet, breaking the silence. ‘Your principles will be an example to others, and I do hope they take heed.’
Both Knatchbull and Herbert gave derisive laughs. ‘What say you, Mrs Fairclough?’ asked Knatchbull, turning his attention to Emma. ‘We can always rely on you to defend what is proper in British society.’
All eyes turned to Emma. Thea saw her place her cutlery on the side of her plate, clearly buying herself time. She wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin and looked at Knatchbull.
‘For some time now, I have considered both Doctor Speckle and Mrs Henry to be two of the bravest and most principled people I know,’ she said, and then her gaze turned to Harriet. ‘Society is not static. It must progress, and sometimes it takes the bravest amongst us to pursue that change.’
Harriet looked as if she were ready to leap across the table into Emma’s arms, but she only nodded. ‘Pursuing it is easier for some than for others,’ she said gently. Thea saw the gentle smile on Emma’s lips, and the brief incline of her head in acknowledgement.
‘That must be it,’ said Herbert, breaking the moment. ‘You have been spending too much time with the ladies, Speckle.’
‘Turned him soft,’ laughed Knatchbull.
‘And what would they do, the ladies, without the riches men provide?’ drawled George from his end of the table. ‘If we all went the way of Speckle we would be having this party in the gutter.’
