'Without divulging the complete details, it may interest you to know that the Honourable East India Company will soon lose a great deal of the autonomy that allowed individuals like the late Lord Beckett to operate with impunity, outside the control of the Crown.' The thought prompts a hint of a smile, though his gaze has slid out of focus, fixed somewhere in the middle distance on something only he can see. 'And that loss of autonomy will play a crucial part in events to come -- events which, in a manner of speaking, will turn the world upside-down.'
He clasps his hands behind him once again, and the change in posture brings his gaze back into the present and restores his brisk, professional manner: Acting Governor Lyon addressing a matter of official business.
'Once you have spoken to your man, you may have the leave of the house and as much time as you need to collect that which is yours. Your rooms were searched at some point in the past few months, and not with the most care for your possessions. To the best of my knowledge, nothing was taken, and they have not been disturbed since I have been here. For that matter, you may of course look around and see if there is anything else here that you would not wish to leave behind for my eventual successor -- anything that belonged to your father, for instance.'
He's keenly aware that Elizabeth is in an awkward position here, as an uninvited guest in the house that had once been her home. And so his tone is a little less professional and a little more cordial as he adds:
'I was wondering, perhaps, if you might do me the honour of dining with me this evening? The staff know that I am accustomed to keeping odd hours, and a late supper is simple enough to arrange.'
no subject
He clasps his hands behind him once again, and the change in posture brings his gaze back into the present and restores his brisk, professional manner: Acting Governor Lyon addressing a matter of official business.
'Once you have spoken to your man, you may have the leave of the house and as much time as you need to collect that which is yours. Your rooms were searched at some point in the past few months, and not with the most care for your possessions. To the best of my knowledge, nothing was taken, and they have not been disturbed since I have been here. For that matter, you may of course look around and see if there is anything else here that you would not wish to leave behind for my eventual successor -- anything that belonged to your father, for instance.'
He's keenly aware that Elizabeth is in an awkward position here, as an uninvited guest in the house that had once been her home. And so his tone is a little less professional and a little more cordial as he adds:
'I was wondering, perhaps, if you might do me the honour of dining with me this evening? The staff know that I am accustomed to keeping odd hours, and a late supper is simple enough to arrange.'