More Than Riches

by More Than Riches (retail) (epub)

  Taking up the envelope, the fellow laughed. ‘Hopefully the missus won’t miss the price of a pint out o’ me wages.’ He said something then that struck Adam to the quick. ‘What would you know about being wed, eh? You’ve been too bloody clever to get yourself lumbered with a wife and family.’ He meant it as a compliment, not realising how he had touched on Adam’s deepest longing.

  Tipping the money into his large palm, the fellow counted his wages. ‘But you do pay yer men well, I’ll not deny that.’ Standing up and stretching his back with a groan, he wet his lips with the tip of a pink tongue. ‘I reckon a pint of ale would do me nicely. By! I can taste it slithering down me throat… dry as a bone I am. Matter o’ fact, being as I’ve done a deal of overtime this week, I reckon I might treat meself to a couple o’ pints.’

  Adam met the other man’s gaze, his dark eyes brooding now. ‘Off you go then, before the ale gets warm.’

  ‘I can wait, if you want to join me?’

  ‘You’ll wait a long time. There’s four wagons to clock in yet, and a mountain of work to be done before I can lock up.’ He waved a hand over the pile of papers and documents strewn across his desk. ‘I’ll be honest, Tom. There are times when I wish I was back on the rounds with the rest of you lads. In fact, now that the business is thriving and I can afford it, I’ve been thinking about getting somebody in to take all this paperwork off my hands. I’d much rather be shifting coal any day of the week.’ He stretched himself in the chair and thought of Rosie. When a man’s back was heavy with his work, his heart was somehow quieter.

  ‘Don’t be daft, man!’ At fifty years of age, Tom Lockwood was the oldest man there. He felt it his duty to look after the others, and to this end he spoke his mind now. ‘You could get a clerk to do the paperwork, but who could you trust to go after the contracts, eh? Who would grade the coal and haggle about price? What about the buying and selling of wagons? You said yourself we need to keep a good fleet. Get somebody to do the paperwork, aye! No doubt you can offload the financial side of it too. But there ain’t nobody who can run this business like you, and it’s you we rely on to keep our wages coming in. No. There’s more to running a business than doing paperwork and making up the wages. This is your own business. You’ve worked bloody hard to get where you are in a tough world. And, as far as I’m concerned, there ain’t nobody who can look after your own interests better than yourself.’

  Adam had to laugh. ‘Sounds like I should set you on?’

  Tom pursed his mouth and winked an eye while he considered that. ‘No,’ he said at length, vigorously shaking his head. ‘You’ve got the best man doing the job now. Like the rest of ’em, I know what’s needed, but there ain’t a man here who could do what you’ve done, and that’s the God’s honest truth. There’s them that lead, and there’s them that’s content to follow. Besides, think on what you’ve achieved here. Hand it over for somebody else to take care of, and you could end up with nothing.’

  Adam leaned back in his chair. He knew that what had been said made sense. All the same, in spite of everything he had gained, he felt as though he had lost a great deal more. ‘Sometimes I don’t feel as though I’ve achieved anything.’

  ‘Away with you! To take on a rundown outfit and build it up to a flourishing concern, and all in less than two years. Well, I’d say that were some achievement.’

  ‘I was in the right place at the right time, that’s all.’

  The other man shook his head. ‘There’s more to it than that. You’re a grafter like the rest of us, but you’ve got brains too. That’s what makes the difference between us. And you ain’t afraid to take a chance when you see it.’ He chuckled. ‘To tell you the truth, none of us ever thought you’d do as well as you have… but you’ve proved us wrong, and I’m glad of that.’

  ‘So am I.’ Holding out his hand, Adam suggested, ‘You’d best let me have this week’s work-sheet… unless you don’t want any wages next week?’ In that minute two other men walked in, eager to collect their wages and make for home or the ale-house.

  Producing the work-sheet from his overall pocket, Tom leaned forward. Lowering his voice he said, ‘I hope you don’t mind me speaking my mind?’ When Adam assured him that he didn’t mind in the least, he visibly relaxed. ‘Right then. I’ll be off for that pint.’

  Once outside, Tom strode off in the direction of The Liverpool Arms. It wasn’t long before one of the other men caught up with him. ‘Heard you say you were going for a pint,’ he confessed, ‘I’ve a thirst of my own. Mind if I walk along with you?’

  The two men talked over what had been said in the office, and they were agreed that they would never find a better boss than Adam Roach. ‘Still an’ all, it’s a crying shame,’ the second man said, ‘a young fella like that… living on his own in Ben Saxon’s big old house. He ought to have a pretty wife to come home to, and a dozen kids running round his arse.’

  ‘It wouldn’t do no harm if he were to tell that brassy blonde where to get off. Old friend or not, she fetches more trouble to his door than any dozen kids. What! It’s a wonder there ain’t been bloody murder between that landlord fella and our man. If you ask me, there’s trouble brewing, and I wouldn’t like to make a bet on which one of ’em will come off worse.’ From the look on his face when he glanced at the other man, it was plain he was thinking of Adam.

  * * *

  Thankful that the last man had gone, Adam finished his paperwork and locked up for the night. It had been an especially busy week. For months now he had battled to secure the lucrative contract to supply all the coal for the local Infirmary. The competition was fierce, and all the sealed tenders had been submitted last Tuesday. Adam had learned only yesterday that he was the successful candidate, and even now could hardly believe it. He was in no doubt that he had made many enemies over that particular contract, and because of the extra work was forced to consider increasing his manpower and consequently reappraising his whole operation. He was into big business now, and such were the implications that he still had not told the men.

  The office was situated in the ground floor of the old house. When Ben Saxon was alive, the room had been a junk-hole, cluttered from top to bottom with rubbish. Since Adam had taken over the house some two years back, the room had been transformed; there was a desk and two filing cabinets, and the walls were painted a quiet green.

  The window of this particular room still overlooked the street, but Adam had commissioned builders to knock through a door leading straight to the yard. It had proved to be a real asset because now there was easy access in and out of the office and the men could come straight in on pay-day instead of going all the way round to enter the house from the scullery door.

  In fact, the entire house had been subject to a great deal of change. The large room at the back was now a comfortable place where Adam could relax at the end of a long day. The freshly painted walls reflected the light, and were now hung with pictures; landscapes mostly, though there was also a seascape whose quiet mood and sun-kissed waves never failed to soothe his troubled heart. The big black fire-range had been restored to its original beauty, and the new light oak furniture was both attractive and serviceable. Where the floors had been covered in tattered old carpet, the boards were now exposed. Adam had spent many back-breaking hours sanding and polishing the boards, until now the beautiful grain in the wood made a splendid sight.

  When Adam took over the tenancy on this house, every room was neglected and dingy. Now, they were bright and easy to live in. The kitchen had been remodelled the most with Adam ripping out everything that could move and refitting it with a new sink, a shiny gas-cooker, and a large pine dresser that was six feet wide and reached almost to the ceiling. Right along the wall nearest the sink, he had fitted a deep shelf that served as both table and a working surface.

  The bedrooms were all painted in soft colours and, like the downstairs living-room, every floorboard was exposed and polished, with soft scatter-rugs spread to give a homely feel.
The main bedroom, which overlooked the street, had a huge four-poster bed which he had acquired from the rag-man after a long and enjoyable haggle. Built of dark oak and draped with a patchwork eiderdown which Connie had bought in a curio shop, it was a wonderful, comfortable thing. Together with the dark oak dresser and wardrobe and two armchairs which he’d rescued from the tatter’s wagon for a pound and recovered with his own hands, the room reflected his own strong personality. It was undoubtedly a man’s room. Yet, every time he entered it, Adam saw how it lacked a woman’s touch, and couldn’t help but think about Rosie, and wonder what other touches she would bring to the whole house.

  Now he wandered from room to room, feeling incredibly lonely, and wondering, not for the first time, where his life was leading. He felt empty, unfulfilled and immensely sad. Suddenly he could feel her in his arms, soft and warm, loving him as he loved her. ‘You bloody fool, Roach!’ he snapped angrily. ‘When will you learn, she’s done with you for good?’ The truth seemed finally to overwhelm him, and suddenly all the trappings of success meant nothing.

  * * *

  The mantelpiece clock struck eight-thirty. After a long soak in the bath-tub, and afterwards an enjoyable meal of crusty bread and cheese, Adam was seated in the living-room. The Evening Telegraph was set out before him on the table. He kept a close eye on local adverts, for you never knew when a bargain might crop up, or who was undercutting who in the coal war.

  The sound of a knock on the door startled him. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but his thoughts flew straight to Connie. ‘Surely to God she’s not been fighting with him again, has she?’ he asked himself as he went quickly to the front door. When he opened it, he was astonished to see not Connie but Ned Selby. ‘Good Lord! You’re the last person I expected to see,’ gasped Adam.

  ‘I’m sorry to disturb you.’ Doug’s father looked haggard, and his shoulders were stooped as though he was carrying a heavy load. In these two years since Adam had last seen him, he had aged more than ten. ‘I’ve been meaning to come and see you for weeks now,’ he explained as Adam led him into the living-room. ‘Only it’s taken some courage, and lately I don’t have too much of that, I’m afraid.’ A look of embarrassment crossed his downcast features. ‘I shouldn’t have come so late. I can always come back tomorrow.’

  ‘You’ll do no such thing!’ Adam told him. ‘I’m delighted to see you, Ned, and now that you’re here, I won’t let you go that easily.’ He ushered him into the most comfortable armchair. ‘What’ll it be… a jug of ale down at the pub, or a mug of tea?’ His smile was designed to relax the older man, and it did.

  ‘I don’t feel like going to no pub, lad.’ Even though Adam was now a mature man of thirty, Ned still saw him as the boy who’d grown up with his own son. ‘If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stop here. What I have to say isn’t for any other ears.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Adam was both intrigued and bothered by Ned’s comment. ‘A mug of tea then, eh?’

  Ned shook his head. ‘Not for me,’ he declined. ‘Like I said, it’s taken a lot of courage to come here, and if I don’t speak my mind now, that courage will be gone.’

  At once Adam sat down, his dark-eyed gaze settling on the older man’s face. ‘Go on, Ned,’ he encouraged kindly, ‘I’m listening.’

  Ned couldn’t speak for a minute. He wiped his hands over his face, then sighed and looked up through workworn fingers. His eyes were those of an old, old man, and when he spoke the words were barely audible. ‘I’ve come to the end of the road, lad,’ he murmured, and his voice broke with emotion.

  Adam was loth to reply. He felt instinctively that to do so would be an intrusion. The eyes that stared at him now were tear-filled in the folds of that aged face, reflecting the tortured soul inside. When it seemed as though Ned was lost for words, he said softly, ‘You’re safe enough speaking your mind here. Whatever you have to say won’t go no further, I can promise you that.’

  Taking his hands from his face and leaning back in the chair, Ned sighed deeply, his gaze never leaving Adam’s concerned face. ‘I don’t know how to start,’ he confessed. ‘So much has happened that you don’t know about.’

  ‘Is it Rosie? Is she in some kind of trouble?’ Sitting bolt upright now, Adam was ready to leap from the chair.

  ‘No. I didn’t come to talk about Rosie… at least not directly.’ When Adam relaxed into the chair, Ned went on, ‘It’s not one thing in particular. I wish to God it was, because then I might be able to cope.’

  ‘Whatever it is, Ned, I’m sure you’re man enough to deal with it. And if I’m able to help in any way, you know I will.’ This man had been like a father to him.

  ‘I know. And I’m ashamed that I didn’t reply to your letters.’

  ‘I thought you must have your reasons.’

  ‘Oh, it was all to do with our Doug and misplaced loyalty, I suppose. And, to be honest, I’m a bloody coward. In spite of what you might think, I’ve allus been a coward at heart. But I’ve kept them all, though, and I’ve read them time and again.’ He smiled for the first time since entering Adam’s house. ‘I’m proud of you, lad. You’ve done well for yourself.’ He glanced around the room. ‘Your own business, and a grand place like this to come home to. By, you have! You’ve done well.’

  ‘It was you who taught me everything I know. The master and the boy.’ Memories came flooding back as Adam looked at Ned with affection. ‘I owe you a lot.’

  ‘Aye, maybe, lad. But now the master’s gone down in the world while the boy has gone up. And rightly so, because I couldn’t see what was happening under my own nose.’ No sooner were the words out then Ned clamped his lips together for fear he might let slip more than he’d intended. The last thing he wanted was for Adam to suspect how Doug had been robbing his own father blind.

  ‘You’re not making too much sense, Ned. What exactly do you mean about not seeing what was happening under your own nose?’

  Thinking swiftly, Ned sought to allay any suspicion. ‘What I mean is, I should have seen it coming… the market failing the way it did… customers going elsewhere to save a penny or two.’ He slammed one gnarled fist into his palm. ‘Damn and bugger it, Adam! I should have seen it. But I didn’t, and now I’m in a spot o’ bother.’ He laughed, a low ugly sound. ‘In fact, I’m about to lose it all.’

  Adam sat up. ‘Not if I have my way! How much, Ned? How much to keep you on top?’

  Ned smiled again, and this time it was filled with warmth and regret. Oh, if only his own son was made of the same stalwart goodness. ‘Bless you for that,’ he said, ‘but I’ve not come here looking for a loan.’

  ‘What then?’

  ‘I want you to buy me out.’

  Adam couldn’t believe his ears. ‘Give over, Ned! You’ve years before you need to think of retiring.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t mean to retire, lad.’ Now that the subject had been broached, he was more at ease. ‘Whatever would I do with myself, eh? No, what I’m asking is this… buy me out at market value, then let me carry on as though it were my own business? That way, I’d have the capital to get myself out of debt, and the only people who’d know that the business was yours and not mine, would be the solicitor and the two of us. Then, when the time does come for me to retire, it’ll be yours to do with as you like.’

  Adam didn’t care for the proposition. ‘You built that business up with your own sweat and blood, and believe me, Ned, I know now just what that entails. Besides, it was always there as your security for when you grew old. If I buy you out, where will that security be then, eh?’

  ‘Look at me, son,’ Ned entreated. ‘I am old.’ Following Adam’s thoughts and afraid that he would turn him down, he went on, ‘If I don’t sell to you, I’ll sell to somebody else, and they’ll not give me a fair price the way things are. There are jackals out there, lad, and if they smell blood, they’ll move in for the kill. As it is, I’ve still got two good rounds… not as lucrative as they once were, I’ll admit, but they’re good rounds
all the same. If I could get a fair price, an outright sale should fetch enough to get me out of trouble, and happen leave a little to put by for a rainy day.’

  ‘You really mean to sell, don’t you? Whether it’s to me or to somebody else?’

  ‘That’s right. I’ve already made discreet enquiries… sounding out one or two possible buyers. Honest to God, son, you wouldn’t believe the measly offers I’ve had. Daylight robbery, that’s what it is.’

  ‘And you’d want to stay on, you say?’

  ‘I’ll run it well for you, you know that. Besides, to tell the truth, I need the wages.’

  ‘What about Doug?’ Always, his thoughts came back to Rosie.

  ‘He doesn’t work for me any more.’ Quickly now, before Adam could voice the questions forming in his mind, Ned added, ‘We went through a real lean time last year. I told him to keep his eyes open for a more secure job. He found it with Leyland’s.’

  ‘I see.’ Adam pictured Doug leaving his own father floundering, and hated him for it.

  ‘No, you don’t see!’ Ned had been worried that Adam’s instincts would tell him a story. Afraid it might be the right one, he said, ‘It were my decision that Doug should go, not his.’ That at least was the truth, though he was careful not to reveal that he had sacked Doug after a bitter argument. ‘There are other things too,’ he went on. ‘Things that have taken their toll on both me and the business. Martha had a bad fall… her back was broken and she’s paralysed from the waist down. She’s confined to her bed, and there are times when I have to neglect my work to look after her.’

  Adam was shocked. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ He had always been in awe of Martha, and knew what a taskmaster she could be. All the same, it was a terrible thing. ‘Is there anything at all that I can do?’

  ‘There’s nothing anyone can do. The thing is, she’s become harder, more difficult to handle. Earlier on, I paid for a nurse to look after her… most of the money I earned went on medical expenses and the like. But I didn’t mind that, because it meant I could work all day same as usual, and at night I tended her best I could. That went on for about a year, until she became hostile to the nurse, and every blessed other that came after.’ He smiled, but there was sadness in his face. ‘At least I knew she was feeling better, because she was getting more like her old self.’