The Gilded Cage - Put in my Place

The Dinner from Hell

"However, I thought it would be nice to get together on neutral territory, as it were?" Richard Ellesmere continued, addressing the room as if he was the host, rather than Colin Montague. I did not know him, of course, other than by his reputation. I had seen him at church, visited his home and met his awful wife and daughter, but I had never heard him speak before. He was a tall man, with a cut glass accent, impossibly black hair and a slightly crooked nose. I would have put him in his forties, probably his late forties, and he seemed to be a very cultured man with manicured fingernails, a close shave and a real air of authority. I was used to strong, smart men, because my father was a reasonably successful corporate executive, and Colin Montague was a big noise in the City of London with his bank, but there was something about Richard Ellesmere that was on another level altogether. He seemed almost imperious. "Not that anyone around this table has really taken sides, as it were...this strange situation we find ourselves in is not a war, or any sort of battle...but it has been more of a moral dilemma, for some of us at least...and the rather unfortunate liberal tendencies that have been allowed to fester away in our lesser congregations of late are hard to let go...but I think it is safe to say that there are those who have found our return to a more traditional doctrinal approach within the wider community a real struggle at times, despite the obvious need for all Reformists to remember exactly what we stand for...and what this blessed community should be. But we are now all in full, cordial agreement, I believe, around this table at least...and so I wanted to get everyone together to break bread with each other and to celebrate the future as friends...therefore a toast...to the glory of God and the success of the new Deepdene!"

"God and Deepdene." Everyone responded, including me, all raising our glasses. All of the gentlemen had wine, as did Edwina, I noticed, but the rest of us had apple juice. I found that a little surprising too. I had not been allowed to drink alcohol, or coffee, since my maidenhood started, although I was never a big drinker and did not miss it, but Helen certainly liked a glass of wine with dinner, and I had seen Sheila partake of the odd glass as well, but none of us were given the choice. Except for Mrs Edwina Deacon, for some reason, who sat quietly beside her nephew looking rather smug and self-satisfied. Formal, as my Papa had said, of course. Formal and traditional, and rather extreme. It was not a convivial atmosphere.

"And I should also personally congratulate Colin on his promotion to the main board of the bank...a thoroughly deserved elevation that will see us working so much closer together in the coming years...to Colin!" Richard Ellesmere continued, announcing some more astonishing news, although on the face of it, I took it as good news. Papa was not sure of his position with the bank, after Nicola blackened the family name and pressure was put on him to take positive action and move his family back to Meadvale. Pressure which I now assumed had largely come from Ellesmere. And ever since dear Karen had been transformed into Camilla, and we were expected to look after her, Colin had seemed increasingly uncomfortable. He did not seem to like Richard Ellesmere, and certainly did not agree with his severe, fundamentalist, traditional interpretation of the doctrine. Not entirely, at any rate. He was certainly a pious Reformist, and I knew that whilst he had been coerced into moving back to Meadvale, both by his family and the bank, he had reconciled to the decision and thought that his family were better off in the community. But he was not any sort of conservative, by Meadvale standards, at any rate, and he did not much like the severity of the ongoing purge. And yet, despite his concerns, and he had been genuinely concerned about his future at the bank, he was suddenly being promoted to the main board, which sounded like a very big deal to me. I presumed that being on the main board would equate to having a lot more power, although not enough power to keep Mama and I out of our modesty bridles.

"To Colin." Everyone except me said, as I said Papa.

"It is important to have another Montague on the board...the old first congregation families with major shareholdings need members of the younger generation to take up the mantle...and although dear Malcolm is in rude health, and enjoying himself in New York, he is not long from retirement," Richard Ellesmere continued, talking about Papa's father, who I was yet to meet, who ran the New York operation of the bank. "Once we agreed the way forward, I was delighted to put my weight behind the appointment...new blood is badly needed!"