The Prudential Light, page 16
part #1 of Cry Havoc Series
Lily blinked at me, obviously surprised. “I had no shame. Father married a woman from Canton when I was about two years old. The story he told everyone was that he had married a white woman and she had died after my birth. I never had any problems. Father told me the truth when I was old enough to understand and also to keep a secret. I have wanted to meet you ever since. It was a relief to learn that you had not died while bringing me into the world.” She reached out and laid her hand on mine. “I am grateful to you and my father for what I am, who I am, and all that I have achieved. You will hear no recriminations from me. Besides my father gave me the letter you left for me when I turned sixteen. He thought I was old enough then to understand it.” With a squeeze on my hand, she added. “It was a beautiful letter. I could feel your heart break and my yearning to meet you only increased since then.”
More tears trickled down my cheeks. Lily handed me a delicate handkerchief and patted my shoulder. When I could speak again, I said, “I am so happy your life turned out so well. I did not know your father for very long, yet I trusted him with my life and yours. He was kind to me and helped me when no one else would.”
Lily nodded her understanding. Then, patting my hand, she stood up and fetched her carpet bag. “Father has asked me to present this token to you.”
My daughter knelt in front of me, the bag by her side. From inside she drew out a lacquered box, the kind associated with the orient, and lifted it to my lap. It appeared quite heavy, and it felt so as it rested on my knee. “That is kind of him. It is beautiful.”
Lily frowned at me. “You must open it. That is not the gift, only the wrapping.”
“Oh, I see.” With a glance at Lily, I lifted the lid, and there, nestled in a compartment with red silk lining, were three gold ingots. “Oh my…” I gasped. No wonder it was heavy. Each bar must be worth at least a £1000. In another compartment was a jade figurine, and I thought that was rather special, too. I opened the flap of a third compartment, and found a string of pearls. Lily then showed me a drawer at the base of the box, in which contained a wrapped, solid round of Pu-er tea. This type of tea could be aged of years and fetch a tidy sum. We had often sipped it after our evening meal, Yu and I. The scent washed over me, bringing back such rich memories.
I was speechless. On top of the tea, I could see a letter poking out, and glimpsed some of Yu Tang’s beautiful handwriting, familiar in spite of the passage of time.
I covered my mouth. Distressed, I met Lily’s gaze. “He should not…I cannot…” I sucked in a breath. “You should have these.” I lifted the box to hand it back.
Shaking her head, Lily put her hand on mine once again. “He was adamant that you accept these gifts. He said that if not for you, he would not have been so successful in business, and this is but a small token from him, a share of his success.”
Gold bars? Pearls, jade? These were all things of high value. It was not their worth that was important to me, though. It was what they represented. Chen Yu Tang valued me, even after all this time. I closed my eyes, breathing slowly so as to not dissolve into tears yet again.
I was tempted to read the letter, but as Lily was still with me, I decided to wait until I was alone. The most immediate problem was how to introduce her to my family? Until now, only Charity had known of Lily’s existence and the circumstances of her birth. Those secrets had died with my sister, I was certain. Edward had never hinted that his mother had said anything to him, and his reaction of utter surprise today supported that. My nephew and Milly did not know I had been married or that I had had a son all those years ago. With such a negative experience, I did not want it known. Perhaps it was wrong of me to feel shame for being duped by Charles and having my son abducted.
These days I trusted this household with my life. I had to trust that they would accept Lily’s origins and keep the truth about my story to themselves. It would do Lily no good to be considered illegitimate and tarnished by the shame our society at large would probably apply to me. I had been willing for them to read my story in my memoir. That was now pre-empted by the arrival of my past.
Shutting the box, I put it beside me on the settee and drew her closer to me. “We have so much to discuss, of course. But first, what are your plans? What do you hope to do in England?”
Lily smiled lightly and looked down as if abashed. “I have been in London these six months. I have been waiting for the right time to find you. Running Father’s business takes a lot of time and planning. The brother nearest me in age is in control of our Singapore businesses, and my next youngest brother is managing the Canton warehouses. The youngest brother runs our Hong Kong offices. Although I employ an Englishman as a manager, I make the important decisions for our English dealings. However, I have learned that English society is sometimes less flexible than Chinese when it comes to women and business.”
Lily was twenty three years old.
I nodded sadly. “From what I can recall from my time there, that is true.”
Her shoulders dropped and she let out a slow sigh. “There is more. My brothers are traditional. They desire me to marry in order to firm up connections to other merchant families. We did not separate on the best of terms.”
“You do not wish to marry?”
Lily lifted her chin, and I detected steel in her. “If I did marry one day, it would be a man of my choosing. I do not wish to marry for money or connections. My younger sisters do not object to my brothers’ wishes and so they are preparing for these arranged marriages. Father says it is tradition, except he has told my sisters privately to choose their own happiness and that they need not agree to it if they do not like their prospective husbands.”
From the little I knew of her father’s culture, it seemed it was quite unusual for Lily to have been given so much responsibility and freedom. It was no wonder she desired more than a traditional arranged marriage.
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” I asked.
“I am the eldest of ten children living. Two died as infants. My next brother is twenty one years of age, the next nineteen and the other is eighteen and was a twin with my sister. The other two marriageble sisters are seventeen and sixteen. My…um…my Chinese mother died last year.”
“And your father?”
“My father lives, but he is old now.”
I tried to calculate his age. He was perhaps a bit older than me, but surely he was no more than fifty.
“I see.”
Seeing my puzzlement, she added, “He is fifty-five years old. He is clear of mind, but he suffers from arthritis and is not as lively as he once was.”
Acknowledging her words with a nod, I recalled he looked a lot younger than he was. I then asked, “And how have you found London?”
Lily met my eye. “It is cold, and the food is very dull.”
I chuckled. I liked her frank reply. “Indeed. Having been warm all your life it cannot be easy being in England.”
Lily nodded and continued, “Also, the people are not always kind. Sometimes it has been dangerous.”
My heart sank. “I am afraid my fellow countrymen are not as used to the variety of people in the world as those who have travelled abroad. I am sorry you were troubled by their ignorance.”
“Yes, an Oriental lady has not the same standing as an English one,” agreed Lily. “Also, I dare say some people do not like to see a woman in trade.” Her smile was bright, and I was glad to see that she did not seem cowed by the situation.
“However do you manage? Surely you are not in real danger?”
Lily nodded. “At times, yes. I have had to use my gift.”
My ears pricked up. “Gift?”
Lily frowned. “Surely you know about it. Is it not from you? Father always said so.”
A nervous tremble overcame me, but I ventured, “Do you mean the Prudential Light?”
Lily frowned. “Yes father said he called it that in you. For me he labelled it, 柔光 Róu Guang. That is what Father calls it. He said it was related to your name, Prudence, and that it means ‘soft light’. He said that in your life you had to hide your gift, and by the time he met you, it was extremely hard for you to use it. Father said I was able to use mine early because we nurtured it. He also trained me to fight, to look after myself. He said my gift is more resolute spirit, 不屈心魂—Bu Qu Xin Hun—and he encouraged me to use it when I needed to.”
I blinked, thinking that would have made their home life interesting. “What can you do with your gift?” I asked, fascinated. I was thinking how astute it was of Yu Tang to understand my plight. I had gifts, that much was clear; I had seen my brother’s spirit and talked with him as a child, and in that alley in Singapore, I had been able to repel my attackers. Perhaps I could yet awaken the gift within me.
“Well,” she replied, “I can fight, including fending off attackers. Father said you could do this when threatened, too, but that you couldn’t control it. He trained me from a young age, so now I can refine the gift to suit the situation. I can also move fast and leap high. Combined with some defensive techniques Father showed me, I am able to look after myself. I try not to kill anyone, but when my life or someone else’s is at risk, I do not hold back.”
I was stunned. There was so much more to my daughter than met the eye. Also, Lily sounded like Jemima: brave, strong and indestructible. Could the family cope with two such extraordinary women? I supposed it would have to.
Just then there was a commotion in the hall, and as if thinking about her had conjured her up, I heard Jemima’s voice. Sighing, I patted Lily’s hand and stood. “You are about to meet the family. Are you ready?”
“You will introduce me?” She looked hopeful and yet anxious. “Surely you need not. Call me a friend, perhaps.”
“I’m afraid my nephew and Mr Fulton already know of our relationship,” I replied.
“Oh yes, that was my fault. I am sorry. Could we not say you cared for me when I was a baby and that the title ‘Mother’ is an honorific?”
“Only if you wish it; I am not sure they would believe me. But be assured, my family will keep our secret, for they are your family too. Do you not wish to be known to them? With your gift I think you will fit right in.” I feared her response, as I knew the lie would not wash with my family, and would only undermine the trust that had grown between us all. Besides, I had written it in my memoir so they were going to read the circumstances of her birth.
Lily stared at her hands and then looked up, meeting my gaze. “All right. Let us tell them, if you would not find it too distressing.”
I exhaled with relief. “Pfah! I never thought I would see you again in my life. Now that you are here, I want them to know you too.”
Lily stood and embraced me again, and I hugged her back, cherishing the feel of her in my arms. As we pulled apart, Jemima bustled in, dressed in a pink robe with a chintz overlay, an elaborate outfit that could pass for afternoon tea apparel. Milly was behind her, looking wan in a pale blue robe with a darker blue trim.
“Milly! You should not be out of bed!” I exclaimed as Fulton hurried in behind her and guided her to a chair.
“I am not missing this,” Milly said, a militant glare in her eye. Her gaze flicked between me and Lily. Obviously, the gentlemen had not taken refuge in the library but had dashed upstairs to gossip with their wives! I shot them both a castigating look, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
Jemima’s eyes flashed as she assessed the scene, then she nodded once and sat down, Edward standing sentinel behind her. I was grateful she held her tongue—a difficult task for her, to be certain.
“Well, I see you have all come to stickybeak,” I said with a sigh.
“Aunt Prudence, what is going on?” Jemima said, acknowledging the visitor with a nod. Her gaze then switched back to me. I knew it was too good to be true that Jemima would keep quiet for long.
“Impertinent girl, I will explain everything if you would only let me get a word in edgeways.”
Jemima lifted her shoulders and then sighed. “She is back to her old self after the fainting spell you told me about Edward. That is a relief,” she said to the rest of the room.
There was nothing for it. I garnered my resolve and reached out to take Lily’s hand, pulling her gently to my side. Lily, I noticed, was not quite as tall as me, and slighter of figure.
“This is Miss Lily Chen. Lily, may I present my nephew, Mr Edward Huntington, and his wife Jemima, who I now know since recently completing my family tree is also a blood relative. This other young lady is my niece, Milly, who I raised like a daughter after her parents died, and her husband and my benefactor, Mr Ambrose Fulton.”
Lily curtseyed creditably.
My four young relatives nodded at her politely, but continued staring at us with an expectant air. I drew in a breath. It was now or never. “Lily is my natural daughter,” I said finally. “She was born in Singapore and her father is Chinese.”
Jemima’s mouth dropped open, but she shut it with a snap and covered it with a hand. “Oh, Aunt. But I said terrible things to you about never having had a child. How horrid of me. I am so sorry.”
I smiled beatifically at her. “Your insult did not touch me, Jemima. Think nothing of it. You were in pain at the time, and I know you did not mean it, so all is forgiven. Also, Lily’s birth is not something I could ever talk about freely, so your misconception is understandable.” As the focus was on Lily at this time, I did not wish to bring up the existence of James, if he was even still alive.
Jemima sat back and allowed herself to relax. “Thank you, Aunt. Hello, Cousin Lily. I am delighted to meet you.”
Lily inclined her head.
Milly smiled and wiped her eyes, which had started to leak tears. “I am pleased to meet you, Lily. Please excuse me, I am only happy to have a new cousin.” My niece then proceeded to cry into her handkerchief.
Lily nodded in acknowledgement. “I am delighted to meet you, Milly.”
Edward came forward, offering his hand to shake. “How do you do?”
“Well, thank you. I am pleased to meet you, sir.”
“Edward will do,” he said, grinning. “Family and all that.”
Fulton approached last and bowed over Lily’s hand. “Welcome to the family, Lily.”
My daughter cleared her throat, clearly moved by their welcome. My chest filled with pride when I saw that my family had accepted Lily as I had hoped they would. They were shocked and perhaps bewildered, not yet knowing all my history, but they accepted the truth of my words and for now, asked no further questions.
Lily faced them and folded her hands in front of her. In her excellent English, she said, “Thank you for the welcome. I must confess I was a little anxious about it; I did not know what to expect, so it was a risk. I did not wish to ruin my mother’s reputation or presume on her good nature. But I was charged by my father with an errand, and I have had a lifelong wish to meet her, you understand. I would ask that you be discreet and not spread word abroad of our relationship, for her sake. I do not know all your ways, but I am aware that your society does not smile on such situations.”
“It does if you are a duke and have lots of money,” quipped Jemima.
Lily turned to her. “I understand that is so. Women have a more difficult time, it seems.”
“It is not fair, though,” Jemima said, and folded her arms. “Sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.”
Lily frowned, glancing at me.
“She means that there is a double standard at play: men should have the same restrictions, face the same repercussions, as do women,” I explained.
Lily nodded. “Oh, I see. My father said there is nothing fair in life. That we must make the most of the situations we find ourselves in and pray for good fortune and health.”
“He sounds like a logical man,” Fulton said.
“Secrets are tricky things,” Lily continued. “I grew up knowing about my mother and why she had to leave. My father explained these things to me, even at the risk that I might inadvertently speak of them, which would have pained his wife, whom he married after I was born. She always knew that I was special to my father, but she thought my mother had died. She was not unkind to me, and then she was too busy when she had nine children of her own to care for. I realise knowledge of me is new to you, and I am sure it will take some time for you to adjust.”
Conversation erupted then. The others peppered Lily with questions about her home, what it was like there and what she was doing in England. My secret was out. They only needed my memoir for the details.
After an hour or so of intense conversation, Lily glanced at her pocket watch and rose to take her leave.
“Oh, but you must stay,” Jemima insisted. She turned to her host. “Do invite her to stay, Fulton.”
Fulton, God bless him, was as patient as a saint with her. “Indeed, it was on the tip of my tongue to do so, Jemima.”
Lily broke in to protest, “Oh, I could not possibly impose.”
Milly, who now looked rather tired, said, “You came a long way, Cousin. Surely you do not mean to return to London this evening. You must stay here with us.”
To my delight, Lily was swiftly offered a room, and a footman was sent to collect her things from the inn where she was staying.
Dinner that night was an interesting affair, as Lily entertained us with tales of Singapore, her family, her voyage and interesting perspectives on life in London.
“You are so beautiful,” Jemima said in her blunt way. “I can see you slaying gentlemen with one look, with one flick of your fan.”
Lily blushed and inclined her head. “You are kind to say so, but I am not ready for marriage just yet.”
“Why? You are older than both Milly and I, if the year of your birth is correct.”
Lily smiled and looked between us all. “I am a businesswoman. A gentleman would not like that. And I learned at a young age that English law would grant my husband all my money upon marriage, and the right to rule over me. I do not wish that.”
