A Defiant Liaison

II

"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." Timothy Leary

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II.

Peter Denham was a typically productive man of business, even if he was only twenty years old. He looked every one of his twenty years, sometimes a few less, which often vexed him when it came time to conducting important meetings as many assumed Peter was not old enough to be privy to such information, nor old enough to manage the business that he did.

Despite his young age, Peter was every bit capable of running a business. He had always been clever. School had never particularly challenged him. He had always known the answers, to the point where the vicar would often have to ask him to put his hand down to give others a chance when it came to answering questions. Peter had always been a vociferous reader, poring over whatever few books he could get his hands on, enjoying literature as much as he did textbooks. It had been Peter's dream to finish his schooling and go on to university to study business, so that he might establish himself properly in a city like London.

Except that Peter had known his dream was exactly that; a dream. Peter was the eldest son of a poor family. University could never be a reality. Peter left school early, shortly after his elder sister, Kate, married the blacksmith, Jim Ellis. Through this connection, Peter secured an apprenticeship, and his future was set.

Peter could never be ungrateful for Jim's patience and instruction. He did not dislike the work. In fact, he was rather good with his hands, and his talents had come in handy when some of the printing presses had jammed. But as the years went on, Peter could not deny that he wanted more for his life.

Were it not for the advantageous marriages of his other sisters, Grace and Claire, Peter never would have even considered leaving Jim and his apprenticeship. But with Grace and Claire married well, and the security of his mother assured, Peter came to the decision that he had to try. He had to wet his feet in London, to see if he could do it, to see if he could really be a man of business.

Peter was so grateful to his brother-in-law, Jim, for his graciousness as he left, and he was doubly grateful to his brother-in-law, Jack Beresford, for giving Peter the opportunity to be his partner at Beresford Press.

Peter had been in his role at Beresford Press now for a little over a year. Next month it would be the anniversary of the first book that Beresford Press had published. To date, they had now published four. Jack was responsible for finding the books. He had the eye, the taste. He knew what he liked to read.

It was Peter's responsibility to handle the money. In hindsight, Jack had taken an enormous gamble on Peter. He had been only nineteen at the time and was still only twenty. To be given the responsibility of handling capital of upwards of twenty thousand pounds was simply unheard of. But Jack had done it, and Peter hadn't let him down yet, and he certainly did not intend to.

"It will be anonymous, you are certain?" checked Hattie Granger.

Miss Granger sat opposite Peter's desk in his small office above the printing room. From where they were, they could hear the printers below chatting jovially as they went about their roles.

Miss Granger was in her late twenties, by Peter's estimation, and was oddly dressed as a widow, complete with a veil, despite herself being a Miss. But Peter could attribute that to her wanting to appear incognito.

Miss Granger had written the fifth book that Beresford Press had purchased in order to publish, a manuscript entitled, "Confessions of a Lady".

Peter did not need to wonder as to why Jack had been intrigued by such a book. Four of the five books that Beresford Press had published had been written by women. Ordinarily, books authored by women did not sell well at all, and that was where Peter worked hard. Taking out advertisements in women's magazines had been one of his many brainwaves to ensure that the books they published sold well.