Full of Money by Bill James

Gideon,’ Dean said. ‘Anxieties of a father about his daughter or daughters must inevitably be categorized personal. What could be more so? I’m bound to think of King Lear.’
    â€˜Well, I have two daughters, but it’s Dione I’m concerned about now,’ Pellotte said. ‘I don’t know whether anyone has mentioned Dione to you, Larry.’
    â€˜I’ve heard of her, naturally,’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜In which respect?’ Dean said.
    â€˜Or to be more precise, I wondered if Rupert Bale had spoken of her,’ Pellotte said.
    â€˜In a personal manner,’ Dean said.
    â€˜On an intimate basis,’ Pellotte said.
    â€˜Rupert?’ Edgehill said. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
    â€˜Leaving aside temporarily that “grossly gaudy lech factor” during the latest programme – the actual, or seeming, lasciviousness right off the Richter scale – I have to explain, we’re into a kind of Romeo and Juliet situation here,’ Dean said, ‘though with age adjustments. Or West Side Story .’
    â€˜Oh?’ Edgehill replied. Take it gently.
    â€˜Love crossing frontiers – not so much family frontiers as local geography,’ Dean said.
    â€˜A worry,’ Pellotte said.
    Edgehill said: ‘Do I gather your daughter and Rupert are—?’
    â€˜Oh, you’re considerate, tactful, but I think you’ve probably heard something of this,’ Feston said. ‘Rumour. At least one outside bastard sniffing around the situation – or would have, if he’d continued.’
    Edgehill said: ‘I—’
    â€˜This relationship puts Adrian in a predicament, doesn’t it, Larry?’ Dean said.
    â€˜Predicament?’ Edgehill replied.
    Dean set his cup down, stood up, and did some limited pacing in the fairly small room, as though so agitated by his thoughts now that he needed to work some of them off in physical movement. Probably he had often paced a cell like this, just a few steps possible each way. ‘I mean, on account of his status – that’s Adrian’s – his status on Whitsun, a status by no means easily achieved, and always under . . . under, I won’t say subversive, disgusting threat, but always liable to challenge and to dirty schemes by a welter of grasping, envious, swinish dear friends and colleagues, who have to be controlled, kept under, or they’ll start planning a takeover, the treacherous, insurgent louts. For instance, to illustrate status, I mentioned Adrian could put an edict out that any vehicle of yours should be properly respected on Whitsun, and respected it would be – paintwork, windscreen, even aerial. “Touch me fucking not.” But this power has not arrived like an entitlement, gift-wrapped, unworked for. Divine right doesn’t run on Whit. Adrian’s position must be guarded and nurtured.’
    â€˜You can take care of all that, I imagine,’ Edgehill said. ‘Par for the course.’
    â€˜Rupert’s a bit of a star, although it’s culture, so he’s well known to some in Whitsun – and also known as coming from Temperate,’ Dean replied. ‘Kilimanjaro Terrace.’
    â€˜They met at a concert in Smith Square up town,’ Pellotte said.
    â€˜Haydn, Mozart,’ Dean said. ‘That kind of area.’
    â€˜Dione’s a sucker for both,’ Pellotte said. ‘She’s a mature woman. I don’t intervene. In fact I don’t mind them. Haydn’s got a lot of body. Mozart fussyish, can be. “Filthy Mozart” didn’t someone call him? I’d obviously exclude Symphony Twenty-Nine from this judgement, though. He really gets into the majestic with that one.’
    â€˜Rupert likes to keep in touch with the arts scene generally,’ Edgehill replied. ‘Part to do with the job. Width of experience. Concerts would be in his normal itinerary. As chairman,