Business Over Brunch | Late Morning, Saturday Jan 1st- Xmas 1677

[Charles Audley]

"I would certainly hope so," Charles replied, laughing. "More seriously, I think he would agree that I am no fool."

He was quite pleased with that bit of misleading phrasing. It was an entirely honest answer to the question, and he could not be blamed if Finch drew entirely the wrong conclusion from it.

The beef was a trifle overdone for Charles' tastes, for he liked his meat rare and bloody, but delicious for all that. He chewed slowly, mulling over his answer.

"I am a military man," he began, "and as such I thought I might attack the problem from the other side, as it were."

It would be a challenge to finagle himself a position that would allow him to do so, but not, he thought, not an insurmountable one, given his talents and experience.

[Hope]

"Herd them into our net?" Daniel mused Chatham’s part. 

Personally he'd have preferred more of a statement from the other, but these things take time. He'd pushed too hard when trying to get Kingston on board with a previous enterprise... perhaps I should speak to him again? 

Meanwhile he steadily devoured his lunch, reaching then for a slice of bread to mop up the gravy.

"So you will inform Cadogan of the settlement reached, and I shall then broach the topic with him when he returns the painting." a pause, and sip of wine, "he would not expect me to go to Westminster I trust, to collect it.  Those temporary offices of his are rather... disquieting."  

 

[Charles Audley]

"Something along those lines," Charles agreed. In truth there were any number of ways an enterprising officer could enrich himself, from investing his men's wages and pocketing the profits to drawing wages for entirely imaginary companies to 'appropriating' intelligence funds. That last would be his preferred option, if he could manage to position himself so he had access, as it was inherently more discreet. One could rarely ask for a receipt for bribes paid after all.

Unlike Finch, Charles lingered over his meal, savouring the flavour. He took uncommon relish in his food, he knew, and only an active lifestyle kept him from the horrors of excessive fleshiness. The portraits of his antecedents indicating a disturbing family tendency towards such.

"I'll send him a note," he agreed easily, and then paused as a thought struck him. "Those are genuinely temporary offices, then? I had thought Arthur was merely trying to save face."

He took a draught of wine, and waited to see if Finch had ought else to say.

[Hope]

"Oh yes, he used to have an office on Fleet, was in partnership with a chap called Smith.  There was some manner of to-do down at the docks in which his business partner was killed. Erm... there was something in the papers about it, must have been about two years ago now.  Oh yes, that is right, his surviving wife who stood to manage a small fortune her husband had amassed in shares was then declared insane and put into Bedlam by Silas Moorehead.  Moorhead was later proven to be as crooked as a dogs hind leg. Some how or rather both the widow and daughter then came to be wards of Lord Langdon, who had been assisting Moorhead previously.   As it now stands I am uncertain to what happened to the money, although little math is needed to note that prior to the wardship Lord Langdon was a Viscount, but is now an Earl." 

Daniel gossiped freely. “Anyhow, after Smith died Cardogan packed up and shifted his temporary offices in Westminster.” He took a sip of his drink, “I have lost count of how many pomanders I have brought.”    

[Charles Audley]

Charles listened attentively as Finch expanded on Cadogan's background. This was proving to be a rewarding meeting on many levels. The implied possibility of impropriety in that prig Langdon's ascension offered a thread that might well need pulling, and a tidbit such as that would have been worth the price of admission in and of itself, never mind the information on Arthur and the future possibilities Finch offered as a future contact.

And even leaving the practical benefits aside, I will confess that I rather enjoy the thought of such a calumny being attached to Langdon's name. A petty pleasure, but pleasure nonetheless. A knife-thin smile curved his lips for a moment before vanishing before his amicably interested mask.

"And Cadogan himself lost out in this... confusion?" Charles asked, looking to clarify the point. Another thought struck him, and he continued. "And what happened to Moorehead himself?"

He laughed as Finch mentioned the pomanders, and took a sip of wine.

"One does feel obliged," he agreed. "I have visited but the once, and I bought two."

[Hope]

OOC: sorry I'd missed your reply 

IC:

"The death of his business partner was the tolling of bell for Cadogan offices, I believe that chap Jorgensen was involved in that some how... have you run into him in London yet?" For London was a small  in that way.  

It was less often that Daniel had such a good audience, and Charles questions here and there, loosened his tongue even more.  "Moorhead was imprisoned in The Tower I believe, alas, unlike others whose incarceration has been temporary, he still remains.  I suppose he did not have influential admirers petitioning His Majesty for a release."  At that thought Daniel paused, one brow raisng an other lowering at the responding (though unspoken) thought. 

Yet their meal was nearing an end.  

"They do make nice gifts for the ladies." Daniel was chuckling of pomanders even as he dabbed his lips with napkin.  

[Charles Audley]

OOC: No worries 

IC:

"Jorgensen? I cannot say the name is familiar. Is he in a similar line of work?"

Charles swallowed a smile as Finch expounded on Moorehead's fate. Perhaps it would be worth a discreet call to the Tower at some point, to hear what Moorehead had to say of the whole story. Or he might seek out this Jorgensen, if the fancy took him. But that was a petty whim, and Charles had more important things to concern himself with for the nonce.

Moorehead is not going anywhere, in any case.

"It is always the friendless who suffer in such things," he mused aloud, allowing his grin to show. "A good lesson there, I think."

Skewering a piece of beef, Charles was surprised to find that it was the last. He had not realised how much he had eaten. Fastidiously setting about his lips with the napkin, Charles chuckled along with Finch at the pomanders.

"It never ceases to amaze me the effect something so small and simple can have," he agreed, rising from the table and raising his glass in appreciation.

"My thanks for the meal, and the illuminating conversation, but I fear that I have taken up too much of your time already, and so I shall wish you and yours the compliments of the season and leave you to your leisure. I will pass on your regards to Arthur when next I see him."

[Hope]

"Property." Daniel clarified simply what field Jorgensen’s interests lay in. The man was an inconsequential commoner for the most part, just with a surprisingly extensive portfolio.

"For a dire prediction, the turn of phrase as a pleasing ring to it." Daniel commented on Charles statement.  Perhaps it was the bald truth of it that appealed?  "If the military and associated fields ever ail you, you might take up the occupation of 'old wives saying generating'." he gave a laugh.

There seemed a genial beginning made, possibly this pair would become fast friends, though it was too early to tell just yet. "Yes it's been most interesting." Daniel agreed, warmly accepting the others well wishes he also offered his own.  He lingered a short while longer (avoiding that awkwardness of farewells being given and then walking the exact same direction).  

 

OOC: Whoop, and done!  Thanks for indulging me in my reminiscing of citizens and stories, lol, if you ever want to hunt out any of those folk out, do please tag me to mod your thread!