The Duke of York's steps

Inside the polished walls of the City Constitutional Club, the venerable Sir Garth Fratten surveys the post‑war financial world with a mix of confidence and nostalgia. A knighted banker whose counsel is sought by the Treasury, he still feels the pulse of a rapidly changing market. Across from him sits Leopold Hessel, a slim‑built director of German ancestry whose wartime scars give his charm a lingering bitterness. Their easy banter over sherry and coffee masks a deeper unease about the world they helped shape.

Their conversation drifts from old‑boys’ dinners to the lingering ghosts of the Great War, hinting at a new opportunity that could test both loyalty and ambition. As the evening darkens, the pair’s exchange sets the stage for a series of investigations, secret papers, and unexpected allies that will draw the city's elite into a tangled web of finance and intrigue. Listeners are invited to follow the ripple effects of this first meeting, where personal histories and public power begin to collide.