Lt. Leary, Commanding by David Drake

Adele didn’t have enough information to analyze what was going on. She smiled like a sickle, though the grim humor was directed at herself rather than the woman in front of her. Obviously, she needed to gather more information.

“I’ve known your brother long enough to value the honor of a Leary,” Adele said. She took Deirdre’s hand and shook it; the banker’s grip was firm though the flesh of her hand was soft.

Seating herself on the offered chair she continued, “Now, if you can give me an explanation of why I’m here, Mistress Leary, I’d be pleased to hear it.”

“You’re aware that my father and brother parted on very bad terms, I’m sure,” Deirdre said, sitting as well. The chairs were side by side instead of facing, so that the two women looked over their shoulders at one another. “They’ve had no contact since.”

“Daniel’s mentioned that, yes,” Adele said. It had frequently occurred to her that testosterone was responsible for more than a few of the world’s troubles.

Deirdre’s moue suggested her opinion of the matter was much the same as Adele’s own. “I informed Father of my intention,” she said, “but I wouldn’t want you to think that this contact was at his suggestion, let alone behest. On the other hand, he didn’t attempt to forbid me either.”

“Perhaps you should tell me precisely what your intentions are,” Adele said, keeping her tone emotionless. What it appeared to be was an attempt to get at Daniel through his friend; and if that was the case, Adele was going to be more angry than she’d ever been before in her life.

“My sole intention, already effected,” the banker replied in a voice as dry as a fresh brick, “is to decrease the discount on the sums you draw from twenty percent to seven percent. Seven percent is a better rate than a stranger who walked in off the street might expect, but we at the S&M trust the government to pay its obligations.”

Adele digested the information, what Deirdre implied as well as the explicitly stated. “The discount I’ve been charged by my parents’ bank is excessive, then,” she said.

They must have seen me coming!

“I won’t speak for the management of another firm,” Deirdre said with a cold smile that suggested she’d be perfectly willing to do that if she weren’t sure Adele already understood. “If one of my subordinates were to offer that contract to a naval officer, however, he’d be looking for another job. Outside the banking sector, because I’d blackball him as well as terminating his employment.”

Adele, as the only surviving member of her family, knew very well how ruthless Speaker Leary was. It appeared that his daughter had inherited some of that personality.

“Before you blame yourself for allowing yourself to be taken advantage of, mistress,” Deirdre continued, “I should mention that my brother made an even worse deal for his share of the prize money. Banking involves as much specialized knowledge as astrogation or archival research do.”

“You bought Daniel’s account also, then?” Adele said; hoping against hope that the answer would be “No,” because Daniel’s reaction would be—

“Good God, no!” Deirdre said. “I won’t claim to understand my brother, Mistress Mundy, but I can guess how he’d react to that sort of interference. The S&M cultivates a genteel atmosphere, and the presence of a young naval officer threatening to demolish it stone by stone wouldn’t fit in with that at all.”

Adele choked when an indrawing breath met a jolt of laughter going the other way. She’d just had an image of a detachment from the Princess Cecile arriving at the Shippers’ and Merchants’ Treasury with axes and pinch bars.

“Yes, I agree with your assessment, Mistress Leary,” she said. She stood because she had work to do, absorbing information on Strymon. If the banker had more to say, it was time to say it.

Deirdre rose also. “Since you raise the matter, however,” she said, “it would be to Daniel’s financial advantage to transfer his account to the S&M.”

Adele suddenly remembered the first time she’d heard the details of her sister Agatha’s abuse and murder. “I won’t pledge my honor to induce Daniel to take any action whatever regarding the Leary family, mistress,” she said. Her voice was as thin as stressed piano wire.

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