find if you are disappointed with your goods,’ said Dr Ambrose, ‘since he is living with me at present
at my aunt’s house in Whitefriars, Mr Leyton.’
‘I have met Mistress Fygge,’ said Cornelius to Susannah. ‘A formidable woman; well read and with a lively curiosity. How is
your aunt, Dr Ambrose?’
Dr Ambrose’s mouth curled into something resembling a smile. ‘Aunt Agnes is as she always is.’
Susannah realised that Mr Savage was looking thoughtfully at her, studying her face as if he’d only just noticed her. Discomfited,
she tried to meet his gaze with equanimity. She always found it hard to think of something interesting to say to a handsome
man. Hastily she remarked, ‘It must be a wonderful thing to travel the world. Tell us about—’
‘Is London so very different from Barbados?’ interrupted Arabella, loathe to have attention placed upon any other woman.
Mr Savage laughed. ‘You cannot imagine how different. London is so frenetic. Life moves at a slow pace on a plantation, except
in the fields, of course. My father has two hundred acres and over a hundred slaves.’
‘I have seen black slaves,’ said Susannah, determined not to let Arabella shove her oar in, ‘working at the docks or as menservants
to the wealthy.’
‘I should not care to have one in the house,’ said Arabella, making a face.
‘I hear they can be schooled,’ said Cornelius.
‘Indeed they can!’
Arabella sniffed. ‘We shall have to take your word for that, Mr Savage. My brother has trained his parrot to speak but it
has no real intelligence. I suppose it may be the same.’
Henry Savage’s lips tightened momentarily and Susannah was surprised to see he shot Arabella a glance that almost looked like
distaste.
‘And what other impressions have you of London?’ asked Susannah.
‘The constant noise and the ever-present black smoke; my face is covered in smuts all the time! The streets are so narrow
and dark after the wide-open and sunny space of Barbados. And the drains carry such a stench that I cannot get it out of my
nostrils.’
‘You will become used to it in time and hardly notice it, unless the weather is hot.’
‘I find it strange that such a fine city as this, with the most handsome buildings everywhere, allows the tanning and smoking
industries to found their businesses within the city to foul the air and make the inhabitants cough. But on the other hand,
there are so many ways to find amusement here. I like the hustle and bustle of a thousand people going about their business
and already I have made many new friends in the coffee houses.’
‘I should very much like to hear more about your home in Barbados,’ Susannah said.
‘The sun always shines and the plantation house has high ceilings and tall windows to welcome the breeze. The slaves have
their own accommodation and in the evenings after the day’s work is done you can hear them singing. It’s a haunting sound
and I miss it.’ His expression was wistful. ‘And, of course, there were the house slaves to tend to my every need. Here I
have to manage for myself.’
‘I wonder that you left this paradise behind and came to noisome, turbulent London, Mr Savage,’ Susannah said, thinking that
his eyes were as blue as a summer sky.
Mr Savage drank deeply and it was a moment before he replied. ‘My cousin will tell you that there is always a serpent in paradise.’
‘A serpent?’ Arabella’s eyes opened very wide. ‘How very exciting! As you know, my husband has a dried alligator in the shop
but I have never seen a serpent.’
‘I think my cousin is teasing you, just a little, Mistress Leyton,’ said Dr Ambrose. ‘He means that life is not always as
perfect as it seems. Indeed, I found that to be true during my sojourn on my uncle’s plantation.’
‘You have travelled there?’ Susannah asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
‘Some six years ago my uncle needed a doctor to tend
at my aunt’s house in Whitefriars, Mr Leyton.’
‘I have met Mistress Fygge,’ said Cornelius to Susannah. ‘A formidable woman; well read and with a lively curiosity. How is
your aunt, Dr Ambrose?’
Dr Ambrose’s mouth curled into something resembling a smile. ‘Aunt Agnes is as she always is.’
Susannah realised that Mr Savage was looking thoughtfully at her, studying her face as if he’d only just noticed her. Discomfited,
she tried to meet his gaze with equanimity. She always found it hard to think of something interesting to say to a handsome
man. Hastily she remarked, ‘It must be a wonderful thing to travel the world. Tell us about—’
‘Is London so very different from Barbados?’ interrupted Arabella, loathe to have attention placed upon any other woman.
Mr Savage laughed. ‘You cannot imagine how different. London is so frenetic. Life moves at a slow pace on a plantation, except
in the fields, of course. My father has two hundred acres and over a hundred slaves.’
‘I have seen black slaves,’ said Susannah, determined not to let Arabella shove her oar in, ‘working at the docks or as menservants
to the wealthy.’
‘I should not care to have one in the house,’ said Arabella, making a face.
‘I hear they can be schooled,’ said Cornelius.
‘Indeed they can!’
Arabella sniffed. ‘We shall have to take your word for that, Mr Savage. My brother has trained his parrot to speak but it
has no real intelligence. I suppose it may be the same.’
Henry Savage’s lips tightened momentarily and Susannah was surprised to see he shot Arabella a glance that almost looked like
distaste.
‘And what other impressions have you of London?’ asked Susannah.
‘The constant noise and the ever-present black smoke; my face is covered in smuts all the time! The streets are so narrow
and dark after the wide-open and sunny space of Barbados. And the drains carry such a stench that I cannot get it out of my
nostrils.’
‘You will become used to it in time and hardly notice it, unless the weather is hot.’
‘I find it strange that such a fine city as this, with the most handsome buildings everywhere, allows the tanning and smoking
industries to found their businesses within the city to foul the air and make the inhabitants cough. But on the other hand,
there are so many ways to find amusement here. I like the hustle and bustle of a thousand people going about their business
and already I have made many new friends in the coffee houses.’
‘I should very much like to hear more about your home in Barbados,’ Susannah said.
‘The sun always shines and the plantation house has high ceilings and tall windows to welcome the breeze. The slaves have
their own accommodation and in the evenings after the day’s work is done you can hear them singing. It’s a haunting sound
and I miss it.’ His expression was wistful. ‘And, of course, there were the house slaves to tend to my every need. Here I
have to manage for myself.’
‘I wonder that you left this paradise behind and came to noisome, turbulent London, Mr Savage,’ Susannah said, thinking that
his eyes were as blue as a summer sky.
Mr Savage drank deeply and it was a moment before he replied. ‘My cousin will tell you that there is always a serpent in paradise.’
‘A serpent?’ Arabella’s eyes opened very wide. ‘How very exciting! As you know, my husband has a dried alligator in the shop
but I have never seen a serpent.’
‘I think my cousin is teasing you, just a little, Mistress Leyton,’ said Dr Ambrose. ‘He means that life is not always as
perfect as it seems. Indeed, I found that to be true during my sojourn on my uncle’s plantation.’
‘You have travelled there?’ Susannah asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
‘Some six years ago my uncle needed a doctor to tend
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