Page 13 of The Artisan and the Duke
“What sort of apprenticeship did your husband persuade the child to join?” Lady St Claire asked the question with vested interest.
Mrs Kelley said with a laugh, “Masonry. My husband loved architecture.”
“Masonry?” Lady St Claire repeated in disbelief. “My goodness, your husband was a forward-thinking man. I have never heard of that for a young lady.”
Mrs Kelley smiled, “You’d be surprised how many artisans and tradesmen are actually females. It is a common practice for women to enter the field wearing wolf’s clothing.”
“Oh, my dear,” Lady St Claire said with mirth. “I can see how it would be practical in the short term, but it seems a bit harsh on the women. Living the life of a man does not fulfill all the longings of a woman’s heart, after all.”
Mrs Kelly agreed, “That is what I have been trying to get across to Julia for some time.”
“Sometimes it just takes the right gentleman to make that point for you,” Lady St Claire said with a smile to Mrs Kelley.
Jules wanted nothing more than to melt into the cushions of the chair in which she sat. She would have been much happier to be sent to bed like Georgie and Tally had been. Why could she not still be a child?
***
“She seems nice enough,” Fredrick said as he lit the end of his cigar.
Gregory nodded and drew in a puff of smoke from the cigar he held. He released the smoke slowly as he thought. “Truthfully, I quite expect to get an earful about placing her at my side. She is rather strong-willed that one,” Gregory said.
“Seems to be your preferred set.” Fredrick laughed.
They sat in the drawing room. Gregory behind their father’s desk and Fredrick reclined on a small couch to one side of the room. Fredrick swirled the amber whisky in the tumbler in his hand, while he stoked the fire at the end of his cigar by drawing the air through it.
Gregory leaned back in his chair, his own tumbler of whisky untouched on the desk in front of him. “Perhaps, but truthfully when I first met her, she was quite different,” Gregory said in amusement.
“How so?” Fredrick asked with interest.
The smoke swirled up over Gregory’s head, and he watched it lazily. “Well, she was dressed as a man for one thing,” Gregory said, and then he laughed at the look on Fredrick’s face. “Her father had her apprentice to be a mason,” Gregory explained.
Fredrick took a sip of his whisky. “I see. She cleans up well enough,” the man said with a shake of his head. “I imagine getting wrapped up in all of this has distracted you from your investigation of the fire?”
“A bit, but there was nothing much more to find, to be honest,” Gregory said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I did hear some of the locals talking about the fact that the watermen did not show to try and protect the building, despite it being insured.”
Fredrick set his glass down with a clink on the heavy wooden table beside his chair. “Poorly run insurance bureau?” He asked the question warily.
“Perhaps I should find that out,” Gregory mused. “I never did locate the owner of the factory either. There was a rumour he might have been in the factory when it burned down.”
Fred pursed his lips out. “Dedicated factory owner to be there at that time,” he said. “The newspaper implied the fire started in the early morning hours. I would think he would have been having his morning sip.”
Gregory nodded at his brother. It really did not follow the usual way factory owners ran their business. At that hour, there would have been perhaps a supervising employee, but still, the man was nowhere to be found.
“We might not know of his whereabouts for some time or ever. The remains I saw being removed were burned beyond any recognition. Most of them were being identified by belongings that had survived the heat, more than features,” Gregory said.
There was a haunted look in Fred’s eyes before he averted them. Gregory wished he had chosen his words more properly, but Fred said softly, “I’m glad that at least some of them found their way back to their families. Were there no survivors?”
“None,” Gregory said sadly. He tapped his father’s desk. “I keep running into dead ends. I cannot make much headway without running into a boundary that I dare not cross without drawing too much attention to myself.”
Fredrick mused aloud, “Perhaps your young lady could be of assistance. You said that she knew these people. Perhaps she could make enquiries?”
“I have no doubt that is just what she proposes to do, but I am not keen on allowing her that risk. The guards are looking for her after all,” Gregory said resolutely.
Fred shrugged. “The guards are looking for a young man, not a comely young woman,” he said to Gregory.
“No,” Gregory said firmly
Fredrick rolled his eyes and grinned at his brother. “I do think that you are truly taken with the young lady,” he teased.
