OTHER THAN THE odd squeaks and groans emitted by any old house, Trentingham was deathly quiet. By candlelight, Violet sat at her desk in the library, chewing on the end of a quill.
Nodding to herself, she dipped it into the ink and began writing.
Dear Mr. Wren,
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Royal Society function last month, and it is my hope that we renew our acquaintance sometime in the future.
The quill’s scratch sounded loud in the empty room.
In the meantime, I am requesting your assistance with some information. You had mentioned patenting an invention, and I would be grateful to know how to go about doing so. A few lines of instruction would be most appreciated.
Yours truly,
Violet Ashcroft
Simple and straightforward. She read it over twice before folding it, then added a seal and addressed it to the Royal Society for delivery. Surely someone there would see it reached Christopher Wren’s hands.
Now to the more important letter. She had already addressed the backside of the paper to Daniel Quare, Watchmaker, Fleet Street, London. She’d found the information engraved on the backs of two of her father’s gold pocket watches.
Dear Mr. Quare,
I have invented a new watch with an additional hand to mark the progress of the minutes. I am querying your interest in producing and selling the design, a vast improvement on all current watches. I am certain you can envision the profits as patrons must replace their old watches with this newer one, which could very well allow you to dominate the market. I have patented the design—
She removed her spectacles and rubbed her eyes. That wasn’t quite a lie—she did intend to see it patented.
—so there is no sense in your own craftsmen attempting to duplicate my idea. I am asking—
She hesitated again, then took a deep breath.
—twenty-five thousand pounds for my sketches and the working sample, plus a royalty percentage to be negotiated. You have two weeks in which to answer, after which time I will offer my invention to Mr. Thomas Tompion. I hope to hear from you in the affirmative, with a contract ready to be signed.
Yours truly,
For a third time she stopped and closed her eyes. Then she opened them, redipped her quill, and etched the name.
Ford Chase, Viscount Lakefield
If he had no ambition for trade, she figured she had enough for them both.