Edward said in a nicely balanced voice, between condescension and flattery, "Perhaps I could speak with his lordship for a bit, my lady?"
"If it is about Mendenhall plantation, my wife is very much involved," Lyon said shortly. "What is it?"
Bemis cleared his throat. He didn't like it, but after all, Diana Savarol was the daughter of a planter. "As you know, my lord, England outlawed the buying of slaves some years ago."
"Yes, I know."
"Well, in any case, it has made things difficult for planters, English planters. Labor, abundant labor, is necessary to grow sugar profitably. I have discovered that I can buy slaves for Mendenhall from the Portuguese. They took over England's role. It will cost us more, but ---"
"I see," Lyon said, cutting him off. "You wish me to authorize you to break the law?"
Edward Bemis flushed. "Well, if you wish to put it that way ---"
"Is it not the way it is?"
"Yes, that's the way it is," Diana said. "Why would you think that Lord Saint Leven would go along with this, Mr. Bemis?"
"Profit," said Bemis succinctly. "Your now-dead relative, Oliver Mendenhall, would have approved it, my lord. Indeed, he did purchase some dozen slaves several years ago from the Portuguese. Why, I remember after the Hodge affair, he was infuriated, he ---"
Diana turned to Lyon and said quietly, "Back some years ago, in 1807, I believe, a planter on Tortola by the name of Arthur Hodge of Estate Bellevue, was actually tried for murdering one of his slaves. I'll never forget the slave's name --- Prosper --- like a character from Shakespeare."
"Good God," said Lyon. "What had the man done?"
Diana's voice rose in fury. "He had the gall to eat a mango that had fallen from a tree he was supposed to watch. Hodge beat him to death."
Edward Bemis said sharply, "It was a miscarriage of justice! Just because the English were writhing in guilt about slavery, while knowing nothing about the West Indian economy ---"
"Hodge was hung, just behind the jail in Road Town," Diana said.
"The whole point was that even though the slave was the planter's property, he was still, first and foremost, a man."
"Yes," Bemis agreed. "Nonsense, of course. The black beggars aren't really human, they have no feelings, they ---"
"I daresay that Moira didn't at all like being strangled," Lyon said smoothly. He raised his hand to cut Bemis off. "I will not authorize you to break English law and purchase more slaves from the Portuguese. I will come to Tortola to Mendenhall plantation next week. I wish to evaluate the workings of the plantation here on Savarol first."
Edward Bemis could only stare at the Earl of Saint Leven. In his vast experience, greed ruled, and absentee English owners gave him free rein to do just as he pleased, just so long as they received money. He said slowly, "There are now only ninety-seven slaves on the plantation, my lord. Some of them are old and quite useless. The women have bred too many females. They work, indeed they do, but not as quickly as the men, nor do they have the endurance men have. Without new blood, the plantation will not be able to compete. You will lose your inheritance. Planters are losing vast sums every year now."
"It seems excessively wise not to abuse any slaves, doesn't it, Mr. Bemis?" Lyon rose from his wicker chair. "Will you be staying here at Savarol, Mr. Bemis?"
"If it is all right with Mr. Savarol, yes, I should like to. I have no wish to put you out, my lady, or Mrs. Savarol. I shall stay with Charles Swanson."
Lyon looked at him with surprise, studying him more closely. Unlike Charles Swanson, he didn't seem at all effeminate. His imagination was running amok. Perhaps they were simply friends. He said easily, "Have you known Mr. Swanson long?"
>
"Oh, yes, Charles and I go back a long way. He grew up in England, then came out to St. Thomas. I met him there some years ago. I spoke to Mr. Savarol when he was in Tortola seeking a new bookkeeper. Thus Charles came here." He shrugged, gave a charming smile to Diana, nodded to Lyon, and took his leave.
"He is not a nice man," Diana said.
"No," Lyon said slowly, "I don't believe that he is. But he is straightforward, isn't he?"
"What do you mean?"
But Lyon merely shook his head.
Still, even realizing that Edward Bemis wasn't a nice man, it came as quite a shock to Diana, returning from her Trysting Cave the following afternoon, to hear furious shouting. She drew up Tanis at the edge of a small clearing, in the shade of a mahogany tree. She saw Edward Bemis arguing with Charles Swanson. Anger flowed between the two men. Whatever was going on? Why were they behaving in such a manner?
She heard Bemis say quite clearly, "I heard, damn you! Do you think I'm deaf? Even though you live on this backwater island, I know!"