Fowler was
about to exit when Mostyn came in.
“Sir Caleb,
there is a person who wishes to see you, to consult you professionally. It is my estimation that he is a personal
servant. I have placed him in the red
salon to intimidate him suitably.”
Caleb
laughed. He had suggested having one of
the rooms at Daisy Hall made specifically to be intimidating, and Jane had
thought it an excellent idea. The
wallpaper was dark red flock, and there were many gold-coloured papier-maché
mouldings, and the chairs in front of the heavy desk were remarkably
uncomfortable though suitably decorative and baroque in appearance. The chairs
behind the desk were outwardly similar but were in fact comfortable chairs with
carved features added by the local carpenter, who enjoyed carving when given an
opportunity to do it, gilded like the spindly Louis Quatorze style chairs. The dark wood of the true legs did not show
in the shadows, an added curved leg being gilded to show up. Caleb had taken the idea of the chairs from
those in the library of Amberfield Abbey, the home of ‘Beau’ Popham, which felt
as though they were about to slide anyone sitting on them off onto the floor.
He had written to the Beau, who had in fact been happy to sell some of the
chairs to Jane and Caleb for a reasonable price, and keep enough to use
similarly.
“Mostyn, you
are top-lofty,” said Caleb.
“Thank you,
Sir Caleb,” said Mostyn, inclining his head.
