No longer solemn, he set his pince-nez back on the tip of his nose, now like twin doors dominating his pink, babyish face, which seemed to overflow them. "I had a sudden thought, Tai-pan. It could solve your problem, in the time you need. Why don't you do what your mother did?"
Malcolm was thrown for a moment, then the meaning became clear. "Oh, oh you mean elope?
I've thought of that for God's sake," he said irritably, "but elope where and who's going to perform the ceremony, we're a million miles from Macao."
"What has Macao to do with it?" Skye asked.
"Everyone knows mother and father eloped and were married in the English Church in Macao, the ceremony performed quietly and quickly because of grandfather's influence."
Skye smiled and shook his head. "That's the published the story but it's not true. Your Captain Orlov married them aboard your clipper China Cloud en route from Macao to Hong Kong--your grandfather had made your father Master for that short voyage, and as you know the tai-pan's law is that at sea the Master was the law of the ship."
Struan was gaping at him. "I don't believe it."
"The first attribute of a good lawyer, and I am a good lawyer, Mr. Struan, is to be a good listener, the second to have a nose for facts and secrets, the third to be discreet.
It's very important to know as much as you can about your most important, potential clients--all the better to help them in adversity." He took a pinch of snuff, sneezed. "The Noble House is the first in Asia, the stuff of legends, so when I came to Hong Kong I wanted to sift fact from legend about the Struans, Brocks, the Americans Cooper and his partner Wilf Tillman, even the Russian Zergeyev. I thin--" He stopped. The young man's eyes were glazed, staring into the distance, not listening, his mind surely on the solution as it surfaced and filled his firmament. "Mr. Struan!"
"Oh, sorry, you were saying?"
"I'm delighted to present you with your solution, there are difficulties of course, but you have ships, they have captains, and captains of a British ship, in certain situations can perform a marriage. You are tai-pan so you-can-order-it!
Quod erat demonstrandum." "Heavenly you're fantastic," Malcolm burst out, "fantastic! You're sure, sure about my mother and father?"
"Yes. One of my informants was Morley Skinner, owner of the Oriental Times, a contemporary of Dirk Struan, an old man who loved to gossip about the old times, another was Mrs. Fortheringill before she died, and--have you noticed how few people are interested in listening to old people who actually witnessed all kinds of events.
Skinner died about eight years ago, did you know him?"
"No." Some of Malcolm's hope evaporated. "If that story's true, everyone in Hong Kong would know it."
"Dirk Struan decided to hush it, decided a "quiet church wedding" was better face.
He was powerful enough to do that, and even got the Brocks to agree. It's true."
"But if he..." Malcolm stopped--his face a delight to see. "But true or false that doesn't matter, does it?"
"Yes, it does. The truth is vastly important because it gives you a complete defense against your mother. After all, you're only doing what she did, you're following her example."
"My God, Heavenly, you're right again." Then even more excitedly. "Do you have proof?"
Of course, silly boy, Skye thought, but you don't get everything at once. "Yes, in Hong Kong. I'll need expenses to go there at once --against my retainer. Shall we say five thousand, which includes proof... and always providing my solution cuts your Gordian knot. By the time you get there, after the wedding, I'll have all the proof you'll need."
"God in Heaven, and I thought I was lost!"
Malcolm sat back in the chair. Now there was nothing to stop him. And this fact cleared his mind of many devils, devils of the night and of the day and of the future. "What other "facts" do you know about me and the past?"
"Lots, Mr. Struan," Skye said with a smile. "But they're not for now, however precious."
Malcolm Struan was heading homewards, happier than he could remember, his sticks or the pain not bothering him as much as usual.
And why not? he almost sang. Married next week to the most beautiful girl ever, Mother finessed flawlessly--I can't wait to see her face-- I've a party tonight that now will really be a celebration, and Norbert's back in perfect time to be sent onwards to meet his Maker, "Ayeeyah!"
Jovially he greeted and waved at those who passed by. He was popular as well as pitied, respected as tai-pan of the Noble House, and envied even more as the adored husband-to-be of the Settlement's darling.
The sun broke through the clouds to match his mood, set the sea sparkling, while the fleet sorted itself out in the bay, Sir William's tender rowing out to the flagship, the mail ship clustered with other tenders. Their own merchantman, Lady Tess, which plied between Yokohama, Shanghai, Hong Kong, then all the major ports home to London and back again, was prepared for sea, outward bound this evening.
Her captain would do, he thought, Lavidarc Smith, big and blustery, many years with Struan's like most of our captains but I've never liked him much, I'd rather have had old Uncle Sheely to marry and bless us. Pity I didn't know what I know now when he was here.
Never mind. Joss! Anyway I can't keep Lavidarc here and even tomorrow would be impossible, have to deal with Norbert first.
What about Vincent Strongbow, off Prancing Cloud? She arrives Sunday and turns around for Hong Kong Wednesday. That gives me plenty of time to kill Norbert and slip aboard her before Sir William creases me. I mustn't be delayed here, far safer to be in Hong Kong where we've real power and Angel... my wife by then... she can follow in two or three weeks.
So, everything decided. And Heavenly's right again: I must be very careful and not tell anyone, not even Angel, until just before. I can trust him, he's sworn to secrecy and his fee will be spread over the year which will ensure I have his devotion.
Ayeeyah, five thousand! Never mind, he's given me the answer, he's really done it!
Thank God!
Another decision: I'm going to cut down on the medicine, even try to cut it out altogether. I've a duty to Angel to get well and be strong without props. And be fit to take over the Noble House. With Angel beside me, I can...
Horses trotting past dispelled his reverie.
He waved at the riders and saw that he was near the church, sun on the steeple, the smell of the sea and horses and earth and life in his nostrils. In sudden gratitude he began to go in to say a prayer of thanks when he noticed their steam launch heading for their wharf, Jamie in the stern, his head deep in a newspaper, and that reminded him of mail. He changed direction and was at the wharf head just before she came alongside.
"Jamie!" he called out above the noise of the engine and waved as she nosed against the timbers, heavy with seaweed and barnacles. He saw Jamie squint against the wind, then wave back.
One look at his face was enough. "I'll come aboard."
Awkwardly he stepped on deck, difficult to walk on a sloping surface with two canes, but he maneuvered his way aft and allowed Jamie to catch his arm and help him down the three steps into the cabin. The cabin was spacious and private, with benches around a sea table, lockers underneath them. On the table was the mail, in neat bundles, separated into letters, newspapers, magazines and books. At once he saw a letter from his mother atop his pile, her writing so distinctive.
Another letter from her to Jamie was already open on the table.
"I'm, I'm glad to see you, Tai-pan."