Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

Hugh's resentment grew inside him like an ulcer, but he now had a wife, a big new house and six servants to support, so he had to stay on at the bank. He had been given his own room, on the floor above the Partners' Room, and he put a big map of North America on the wall. Every Monday morning he wrote a summary of the previous week's North American business and cabled it to Sidney Madler in New York. On the second Monday after the duchess of Tenbigh's ball, in the telegraph office on the ground floor, he met a stranger, a dark-haired man of about twenty-one. Hugh smiled and said: "Hullo, who are you?"

"Simon Oliver," the man said in an accent that sounded vaguely Spanish.

"You must be new here," Hugh said, and stuck out his hand. "I'm Hugh Pilaster."

"How do you do," Oliver said. He seemed rather sulky.

"I work on North American loans," Hugh said. "What about you?"

"I'm clerk to Mr. Edwatd."

Hugh made a connection. "Are you from South America?"

"Yes, Cordova."

That made sense. As Edward's specialty was South America in general and Cordova in particular, it could be useful to have a native of that country to work with him, especially as Edward did not speak Spanish. "I was at school with the Cordovan Minister, Micky Miranda," Hugh said. "You must know him."

"He is my cousin."

"Ah." There was no family resemblance, but Oliver was immaculately groomed, his well-tailored clothes pressed and brushed, his hair oiled and combed, his shoes shiny: no doubt he modeled himself on his successful older cousin. "Well, I hope you enjoy working with us."

"Thank you."

Hugh was thoughtful as he returned to his own office on the next floor up. Edward needed all the help he could get, but Hugh was a little bothered at having a cousin of Micky's in such a potentially influential position at the bank.

His unease was vindicated a few days later.

Once again it was Jonas Mulberry who told him what was going on in the Partners' Room. Mulberry came into Hugh's room with a schedule of payments the bank had to make in London on behalf of the U.S. government, but his real reason was to talk. His spaniel face was longer than ever as he said: "I don't like it, Mr. Hugh. South American bonds have never been good."

"We're not launching a South American bond, are we?"

Mulberry nodded. "Mr. Edward proposed it and the partners have agreed."

"What's it for?"

"A new railroad from the capital city, Palma, to Santamaria Province."

"Where the provincial governor is Papa Miranda...."