Free The Possessions of a Lady by Jonathan Gash Page A

a mint out of
discarded dross, squirrelling a car load away every nightfall.
    Like the 'lilly-narcissus', a.k.a. the tulip. Brought innocently
from its native Turkey to Vienna about the 1540s, the tulip showed up in
England in 1577 to no ado. So what, a different flower? Then it took off, in
Holland in 1594. For forty years the Dutch went crazy. One— one —bulb of a red-white stripey flower
fetched 10,000 guilders, the cost of a pricey town house. Dealers used
diamond-merchants' scales to weigh bulbs out. The dirt cheap old flower zoomed
to priceless.
    Until a terrible April in 1637, when the whole inverted
pyramid—paper shares of paper wealth on paper promises balancing on a
tulip—toppled. Speculators' fortunes crumpled. Ruin stalked Holland's proud
cities. The lesson, if only we'd hark: money is whim.
    Sometimes, too, antiques can change and we forget. The worthless
suddenly focuses today's lust in a new way unprecedented even though nothing
about the antique has changed. Nowadays, we all boggle at the daft Victorians
who couldn't see the blindingly obvious, that barmy old Turner's strange daubs
are worth a king's ransom.
    Sand job, but where? No prizes for guessing that Roger Boxgrove's
new wealth was funding it. He'd put me on to Carmel, the instigator. But what
was the stripe? Jessica, and Tubb already knew, if I'd guessed right. I knew of
few museum loans, though I don't follow news much. Should I ask Lydia, in the
morning? Something she'd said vexed me, but I didn't know what.
     
    It's unusual for me not to wake about five. The wind had abated,
the rain a steady drizzle. In the gloaming Mavis's garden seemed to have been
put through a tumble drier. I tiptoed about, had my bath without splashing. By
the time I emerged, unshaven but clean, I knew Lydia was listening. You can
always feel a woman awake in bed, even with walls in between.
    Toast is easiest. I managed to strangle the toaster's beeping when
it popped. Mavis only had inferior marmalade, really annoying. What good is
stealing a neffie breakfast? I brewed up. The house listening in silence. We're
odd, people.
    I stole a teaspoon, drank the milk, nicked the milk bottle,
Mavis's kitchen salt, a half-pint commemoration mug, and a bottle of spring water.
Off to make some free money. We homeless waifs have to.
    Dressed, dry, I let myself out, walked to the bypass, where I got
a lift from a returning student. I told him I was late for my fishing smack. He
drove me the extra three miles to the harbour.
    Brad was about to put to sea. With a cheery greeting I jumped
aboard, thrilled that his lass Patsy was with him. She's the most beautiful
female on earth, dark eyes, pale skin, lips you'd jump into without hanging on
to the selour. She's one of these exquisite women who wears clumsy garb to
accentuate the entrancing figure beneath.
    'After mackerel, Lovejoy?' Brad joked. He knows I think fish come
in batter.
    'Ha ha, Brad,' I said gravely. 'Land me at Toosey Stone?'
    'Morning, Lovejoy,' said Patsy, stopping the world.
    Weakly I returned the greeting, sat in the thwarts, whatever those
are. The clouds were wearing thin, the wind whippy.
    'What's in the bag, Lovejoy?' Patsy asked.
    Brad grinned. 'Lovejoy's broke. He's hunting amber.'
    She eyed me, coiling a rope. Everything Patsy does looks erotic.
We'd once made smiles when Brad was away at Birmingham's flintlocks auctions. I
hoped Brad didn't suspect. I wouldn't like to fall overboard.
    'Amber? Hunting amber?
At Toosey Ness?'
    'I'll show you,' I offered, and quickly added, 'Er, when you're
both free.'
    Toosey Ness is the local way of saying Saint Osyth's Point, after
the priory. It's marked by a great stone, for sailors to take sightings.
There's one each side of every estuary, predating the Romans.
    'Amber's cast up on shore after storms.'
    'Got enough salt there, Lovejoy?' Brad's often seen me wash for
amber.
    'Aye, ta. I nicked all Mavis had.'
    'Mavis who?' Patsy asked, quick as a flash.
    The boat pulled as