Chapter 4Jacob Taverner was getting bored. He had heard enough—most of it stale stuff which he knew already. ‘Your grandfather was John—your grandmother was Joanna—you are in this, that, or the other—’ It was all as dull as a parish meeting. No zip about John Taylor—no go, no sparks flying. He wanted to put his own fingers into the pie and stir it up his own way. He thought he had stood behind the door long enough. He pushed it open, walked in, came round in front of the line of chairs, and said, ‘Better introduce me, John.’
John Taylor said, ‘This is Mr. Jacob Taverner,’ whereupon Jacob walked down the line and shook hands with them all. Some of the hands were hot, and some were cold. Mildred Taverner, Lady Marian, and Jane Heron wore gloves. Florence Duke had taken hers off and stuffed
