Bruni smiled politely. "My lord, as you know, according to our original agreement, my duties did not include arranging loans."
He was a senior Paris banking executive with close ties to London, but his commission was nowhere near enough to make him guarantee a loan of tens of millions of francs for the British.
McGovern said without hesitation, "Twenty thousand francs. Once it is done, you will receive a commission of twenty thousand francs."
For the enormous victory so close at hand, he no longer considered twenty thousand francs a fortune.
Bruni immediately gave a slight bow. "I can introduce you, my lord. But you will have to handle the actual loan negotiations yourself."
Early the next morning, a banker with a face full of wrinkles and an elegant wig met the British man in the offices of the Paris Seine Silk Trading Company.
Yes, this company was the United Kingdom's White Gloves for carrying out all manner of financial operations in Paris.
"Mr. Lemoine, that is roughly the situation." Danny Gray, McGovern's trusted confidant, gestured toward the warehouse. "For the sake of my company, I hope you can provide this funding."
Banker Lemoine nodded. "Mr. Gray, forgive my frankness, but your company is clearly not worth four million francs.
"You need such a large sum so urgently that you must provide sufficient collateral."
"A bill of exchange will arrive from London in a week. You can obtain ownership of the bills of lading in advance through an agreement..."
Lemoine shook his head firmly yet politely. "I am very sorry, Mr. Gray, but the amount is simply too large. I do not dare take even the slightest risk.
"If there is no collateral, we can proceed through the normal financial process. After thoroughly examining your assets and company, we will