No, Grandfather would not be pleased if outside actors mired the Company’s reputation and threatened its income.
“I will look into it,” I assured Mr. Carey when an attendant poured tea into my cup. “If men are taking matters into their own hands and selling illegal goods, the board will not tolerate it. I am to speak with William Wilberforce, and I will assure him that we will discipline anyone caught upending Company rules.”
Then I took a deep breath. “I will not be returning so quickly. I am also to marry Colonel Grenville’s granddaughter.”
Mr. Carey frowned at the news. “You do not look pleased.”
I shrugged, doing my best to appear nonchalant even though I chafed at the command. “I scarcely know her, and our last meeting as children proved most unpleasant. Truthfully, I would prefer to choose my wife when I am ready, but of course, my family won’t allow it after my grand tour...”
I winced at a sudden onslaught of memories.
Mr. Carey’s expression softened. He knew those stories. All of them. The opera star. The drunken nights.
Forgiveness changes us,he had told me once.A repentant man is no longer defined by his sins.I still struggled to forgive myself.
“What else can I do?” I added quietly. “My brother passed without leaving a son. Now the weight of the Sinclair name rests on me.”
“I know the burden you carry, Sebastian.” He paused, waiting until I met his eyes. “But you do have a choice. You don’t have to walk the path that’s been set before you. God’s will often runs counter to man’s ambitions. You could return with me once you’ve met with Mr. Wilberforce and translate the Scriptures. You have a rare gift for languages. I’ve need of men like you by my side.”
True enough. I also had a gift for placating shareholders when Hugh or Grandfather offended with their blunt speech. But language had always captivated me. I found joy in unfamiliar syntax, the challenge of deciphering nuance. Countless hours spent at the docks and wandering through Calcutta had given me a rare insight.
My jaw clenched. “Everything—my future, my place in the family, the Company—it all depends on me doing what he says. You know how we’ve clashed in the past. I must show him that I’ve truly changed.”
Besides, a man like myself would not be good enough to work by Mr. Carey’s side. Nay, I was the furthest from qualified for any ministry.
Of course, I might meet with Miss Grenville and discover that she wanted nothing to do with me. Regardless of what awaited in London, I needed to provide answers regarding the rumored underbelly of theBritish East India Company, and I needed to know if I could rely on Wilberforce’s colleagues to be allies with my grandfather.
Mr. Carey picked up his teacup. “The world and Lord Sinclair may tell you that power and wealth make a man. But God asks us to walk a different road. One of justice, mercy, and humility.” He sat back, folding his hands on the table. “You can choose to serve God’s will, even if it means losing everything. I suppose I always viewed you as a fellow worker in sharing the gospel, not as a Company man.”
The weight of his words hung between us, and the sweetened tea suddenly tasted bitter. There were far better men than I to take up the mantle of preaching.
Could I really walk away from everything my family had built? I admired Mr. Carey for working in an indigo plantation while operating a printing press with the Serampore mission. However, I could hardly ask a bride to live in a sweltering flat while I translated Scriptures. What wife would consent to such a life?
“My plans lie in the direction of England for now.”
Mr. Carey offered a sympathetic smile as if reading my tumultuous thoughts. “Of course. But remember, God’s path may be harder, but it is always the right one.”
3:Kitty
The undevout astronomer must be mad.
WILLIAM HERSCHEL
Miss Fredericka Radcliffe welcomed me warmly despite the impromptu nature of my visit so early the next morning, with December’s frost clinging to the windowpanes. Wearing a simple morning gown of pale-green wool, she looped her arm through mine and led me from the austere hall to a series of rooms to the right. Two years older, she always brought a sense of calm with her measured way of speaking.
“Come into the drawing room and you can tell me about your latest astronomical finds. You’re shivering, Kitty. Did you ride over? Come, sit by the fire and warm yourself.”
Shaking my head, I pointed to my slippers, melting frost stuck to the kid leather. “It was such a splendid morning, I decided to walk and enjoy the sun rising above the hills. Tea sounds lovely.”
I took a deep breath, thankful for a friend with whom I could share my worries with. “The comet should be in view later this week. I fullyintend to make a wish on it—perhaps for a less complicated life. Why not come and view it with me on the rooftop?”
She laughed under her breath. “I wonder how I would explain such an adventure to Mother, especially if it involves rooftops and midnight.”
“Two thousand years may pass before the next one. At least we won’t be the only oddities on display this season,” I said with a half-hearted jest. “A few natural philosophers have arranged to view it next week, but I already caught a glimpse through my telescope on a particularly clear night. I knew it was unique the moment I spied its faint but distinct tail—two rays, forming a perfect parabola. Of course, Monsieur Flaugergues published his account before anyone else could.”
Fredericka’s brow furrowed. “Awhat?”
“A comet, Freddy. It’s a rare one, visible from Earth as it passes through the sky. But that’s not why I’ve come. I’ve received terrible news.”
