Chapter Nine #2
“You and your brother are not on good terms?”
Jareth’s smile faded. “Not particularly,” he said.
“He inherited everything when my father died a few years ago and I’ve not heard from him since that time, probably because he thinks I will want a piece of his inheritance.
Or money. Or something. Jasper is the suspicious type.
He thinks everyone is out for what he has. ”
Desdra looked at the ledgers on the table. “I think you have more than he does,” she said. “In fact, I am certain of it. No one in England, save the king and mayhap a few very wealthy families, has as much as you do. Chances are that he will want some of yours.”
“Is that so?” he said, interested. “How much do I have?”
She looked at a pile of ledgers and pulled forth one bound in wood with iron edges.
It actually had a lock on it, and she pulled forth a small key from the chatelaine she bore on a belt around her waist. It was the name for a collection of keys that chatelaines or housekeepers usually had, keys to every door or lock within their domain.
Curiously, Jareth watched as she unlocked the small iron lock on the book and then opened it.
“That is an interesting ledger,” he said. “What’s in it?”
She was carefully turning the pages. “This is an accounting of every penny your family has made since your ancestor bought his first cog and decided to bring goods from France.”
He peered at the very old, very thick book. “How long ago was that?”
She looked at him. “Don’t you know?”
He shook his head. “Lady, I had no knowledge of any of this until I received my uncle’s missive,” he said frankly.
“I did not even know about The Feast until yesterday, so in answer to your question, I know nothing about his establishment. This is my mother’s side of the family and she simply never spoke of it. Any of it.”
She smiled at him. “Then let me be the first to tell you,” she said.
“And the only reason I know the story is because Lord Chester told me, but his grandfather six times over was the one who bought the first boat. He had a little merchant stall in the city and he evidently married into a family of merchants, so he went into business with his wife’s father, I was told.
His name was Damien de Long and he was very enterprising.
He’s the one who purchased this building, or at least what it used to be, and built Aphrodite’s Feast around it. The other things came after that.”
His brow furrowed. “What ‘other things’?”
She looked back to the ledger. “Would you like an accounting of it all?”
“You may as well.”
She began to flip through some of the pages.
“In addition to Aphrodite’s Feast, you also own Redcliffe Manor,” she said, reading from the ledger.
“Additionally, there is a very large merchant stall on the Street of the Merchants, run by a man named Marston, that is very lucrative. It is the most popular merchant stall in the entire shire.”
“Marston?” Jareth repeated. “Who is that?”
She answered without hesitation. “Some say he was Lord Chester’s lover for many years,” she said. “If he was, that relationship was over before I came. Marston is a lovely man and quite devoted to Lord Chester. He manages the stall quite ably.”
“Is he trustworthy?”
“Extremely.”
That made Jareth feel better. “I will go and meet the man,” he said. “Does he know about me?”
“He does.”
“Is that a full accounting?”
“Nay,” she said, shaking her head. “You also own eight cogs that bring goods to and from France. You have two cogs arriving in the next day or two, and you will have to be there to meet them and take an accounting of the goods. The captains know that Lord Chester has died, so we do not want anyone taking advantage of the situation.”
“Stealing?”
She shrugged. “Possibly,” she said. “The captains are all good men, but a couple of them must be watched.”
“How are they paid?”
“A percentage of the goods they have brought,” she said. “I will do the sums for you, but you will pay them. And stress that their loyalty will be rewarded. You’re big enough, and frightening enough, that they will not want to cheat you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Smart,” he said. “Is that all? The cogs and the stall?”
“Not yet,” she said. “Along with the cogs, you also own two properties toward the mouth of the River Avon. Two castles, on either side of the river, that guard the waterway from the pirates that like to roam the Bristol Channel from time to time. Portbury Castle is the larger of the two, commanded by a man who served your grandfather. The other, Long Cross Castle, is on the north side of the river and is a small garrison. Just a tower, really. Between the two of them, there are about four hundred soldiers.”
She was still looking at the ledger when she realized Jareth hadn’t said anything. When she finally looked up at him, he had the oddest expression on his face. Something between surprise and awe.
“What?” she said, concerned. “What is it?”
He shook his head. Then he laughed softly. “I have two castles.”
“You do.”
“And four hundred soldiers?”
“Aye.”
He let out a grunt of disbelief, but he was also chuckling, which made a strange combination. “God’s Bones,” he muttered. “Is that all?”
“Nay,” she said, looking to her ledger again.
“There are also twenty-three properties in and around Bristol that all produce income. Lord Chester owns the land where seventeen farmers plow and plant, but the properties in town are residences and buildings. He also owns the town hall and the land it sits upon.”
An astonishing situation only grew more astonishing. “The income everything draws must be… substantial,” he said.
Desdra nodded. “You asked how much money you have, and I shall give you the figures,” she said.
“With all of the enterprises your uncle possessed, and the accumulation of wealth over generations of your family, everything totals to around twelve thousand pounds a year. The total amount in your coffers, not including the value of the buildings owned, is a little over eight hundred and eight thousand pounds.”
She heard a thump. Startled, she looked up to see Jareth sitting in a chair, though he was listing heavily to the right. He sat so fast that he’d nearly missed the chair and had to put out a hand to brace himself against the table so he wouldn’t fall over. He was staring at her in utter shock.
“Would you say that again?” he said, sounding breathless.
Desdra nodded, looking back at the ledger.
“You have eight hundred and eight thousand pounds in your coffers,” she said.
“The money is split up, of course. It is not all in one place. Some is at Redcliffe, some is here, and the rest is spread out between the gold- and silversmiths that surround The Feast. Did you notice we are located on the Avenue of the Jews?”
Jareth had his hand over his mouth, looking at her with an odd expression that bordered on awe. “I did,” he said.
“That is because they are all holders of your money,” she said. “They protect it, exchange it, but it is there if you need it. It is too great an amount to keep in one place.”
Jareth still had his hand over his mouth, nodding quickly. “I realize that,” he said. “But an amount like that… I am not entirely certain I am comfortable with it being spread around.”
Desdra looked at him thoughtfully. “Then you could have it distributed between The Feast and Redcliffe,” she said. “Lord Chester did that for years before he gave some over to the Jews. He had an excellent relationship with them. They are very trustworthy.”
Jareth didn’t want to talk about his uncle’s business relationships.
He was still lightheaded from having heard just how much money there was in the de Long coffers.
He’d never heard of anyone other than kings and God himself having that amount of money, so hearing that he was now in possession of it was a distinct shock.
He needed to get out and clear his head.
“Thank you for telling me all of this, my lady,” he said, rising from the chair but still feeling woozy. “We can discuss the storage of the money at another time. I must think on it. I will speak with you later.”
Desdra could see that he was somewhat dazed. “I realize this is a good deal of information,” she said. “I am sorry if I was indelicate about telling you everything.”
He looked at her. “There was nothing indelicate at all,” he said. “I asked the question and you gave me an answer. I feel better knowing my empire is in such capable hands. But I must truly think on this for a while. Go about your business and I will come to you later.”
She stood up as he headed for the door. “I have been looking at these accounts for the better part of three years,” she said. “I forget how shocking the amount is. But it is true, all of it.”
He paused by the door, leaning on the frame. “I believe you,” he said. Then he smiled weakly. “You are correct—it is a bit of a shock.”
He turned to leave, but she stopped him again.
“There is something you should know,” she said, coming out from behind the table.
“Lord Chester was very good to me. He saved my life and I swore to repay him the only way I know how—by protecting his legacy. I am not a member of your family, but I feel as if Chester is the only family I have, and I am very loyal to him. Other than Lord Chester, I am the only one who knows how much money the House of de Long has. I am the only one who knows where it all is. I… I swore that if the nephew of Chester de Long was unworthy of his legacy and only wanted to spend his money recklessly, I would not tell him where it all was. I was going to lie about it. But with you… I can see that you are worthy of the legacy.”
“Oh?” he said. “And just how would you know that?”