by A. O'Connor
“We’ll hire more people. Expand.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea in today’s crashing economy. I think we should concentrate on what we have and try to keep it safe.”
“I disagree. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Your problem is, Darrell, you don’t know how to grow. How to think big.”
“You’ve definitely been spending too much time with Kate Fallon!”
“Who said anything about Kate? It’s Tony that hired us.”
“Sure it was!” Darrell sounded cynical.
“I have to go! I’m at the restaurant.”
“What restaurant?”
“Mount Falcon. I’ve a business dinner with the Fallons and their partners.”
“Say hi to Kate!” Darrell said sarcastically and hung up.
They had a large round table in the corner of the restaurant overlooking the parklands around the hotel. Nico observed Kate holding court throughout the evening. She had everyone eating out of her hand, as she charmed her way with an array of witty stories and anecdotes. Charmed everyone, that is, with the exception of Nico who she steadfastly ignored and spoke around, leaving him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. After dessert, she excused herself from the table and Nico watched as she walked elegantly through the restaurant and out to the foyer. He waited for his moment and then followed her out. He saw her through the windows, strolling along the drive smoking as she gazed out over the countryside.
“Well, thanks a bunch for today!” he said as he walked up beside her, startling her.
“For what?”
“Exactly! You purposely went out of your way to try and stop Tony from giving me that job.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Of course you did. And I want to know why?” He was angry.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“With your money you feel you don’t have to explain yourself to anybody, but I deserve to know why. You set out to sabotage Tony employing us.”
“Sabotage?” she repeated mockingly. “Get over yourself, Nico.”
“I thought you were happy with the work I did on the house. I also thought after our initial problems we managed to get along very well and were friends now. Why were you trying to stop Tony from giving me the job?”
“For all the reasons I listed to both of you this afternoon!” she said.
He shook his head and said, “I just don’t get you.”
“Good! You’re not supposed to!” She flung her cigarette into a bin and walked back into the restaurant.
99
Kate had read and re-read all the letters to Clara from her friends at the front. She was enthralled by them, thinking of how Clara had received them and read them in the same house, only separated from her by time. They were like a window on the past of the previous owner.
But she still hadn’t opened the letters addressed to Pierce. She had been severely tempted but she felt it wasn’t her place to open these letters that had never been opened by the person they were written for. She wondered whether it wasn’t Nico’s right to open them as a descendent of Pierce Armstrong. Time had gone by while she pondered these ethical issues. But she was intensely curious about what they contained, who had written them, and why they remained unopened.
Then one evening, almost on impulse, she reached for one and carefully opened it.
Armstrong House
1st of December 1914
My Darling Pierce,
I’m desperately worried about you. I still haven’t received any letter from you and I’m not sure if you are getting my post. Prudence says she is receiving letters from you all the time, so there can’t be a problem with the post getting through to you.
Is it something I have done? I feel so lonely here without you. I think about you all the time. If you could just drop me a line. I know you must have more on your mind than me, with the war to fight. I imagine you reading my letters and getting comfort from what I say to you . . .
Tony walked into the room “Are you still reading those damned letters?”
“Yes . . . I opened some of the closed ones. They are from Clara to her husband begging him to write to her. They mustn’t have got to him and were returned to her. It’s very sad. She doesn’t sound like the woman Nico described at all, running off having an affair behind Pierce’s back. She’s longing for his attention here.”
“Never mind all that. What have you done about organising our housewarming party?”
“Oh, yes – well, nothing to be honest. I didn’t think you were in the mood with all the trouble at work.”
“Of course I’m in the mood for it. What’s the point in spending all this money doing up this pile if we can’t show it off?” He went over and looked out the front windows. “Besides, I think we need to throw a ball here, to show everyone the Fallons are still on top, even if the world is turning upside down in this recession.”
“I’ll meet caterers and party planners during the week when I get back from London.”
“London?”
“Yes, I’ve seen a mirror going for auction at Sotheby’s which would be perfect for the dining room.”
He nodded and smiled. He’d often seen Kate at an auction and she pursued her goal with ruthlessness. “We need this party to be a big affair. No expense spared. We need to show everyone that the recession is not affecting us.”
“Leave it to me. It will be a party to remember,” she affirmed.
He bent down and kissed her. “You never let me down.”
In London, having safely acquired the mirror at Sotheby’s, Kate had met some old friends from her acting days for a quick lunch at the Fifth Floor Restaurant in Harvey Nichols. She was mindful of time and kept one eye on her watch as the mirror was a mask for her real visit to London.
“I’d better rush, I need to fit in a bit of shopping,” she said.
She quickly kissed them goodbye and rushed out to get a taxi. An hour later she was turning into the headquarters of Charter Chocolates plc which was housed in a Victorian redbrick building. She had done her research and discovered the factory had a museum and visitor centre and she made her way there. A busload of children and another busload of Japanese tourists were just reboarding their transport after completing their tour, and by the time she entered the museum it was relatively empty.
She wandered around looking at the displays of everything from replicas of the merchandise they had made over the years, to antique brass machines from the 1800s that had made the chocolates and sweets, and mannequins of workers dressed in their different work-clothes over the centuries. It was the photographs on the walls that most interested her, most of them taken within the factory in bygone years, of visits by dignitaries and royalty.
“Good afternoon,” said a kindly-looking man in his sixties, who she took to be the museum’s curator.
“Oh hello . . . It’s quite fascinating, isn’t it? I feel as if I’ve been allowed into Wonka’s chocolate factory.”
“Yes. I’m always surprised by the interest people have in the history of the place.”
“The Charter family no longer own it, I take it?”
“No,” he smiled. “They sold it in the 1920s. It’s been publicly owned on the stock market since.”
“Are any of the family still involved here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Oh dear,” she sighed. “I think I might have had a wasted trip.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m trying to locate one of them, you see. Well, she’s dead now, but maybe a relative of hers. I’ve some items belonging to her and would love to return them to her family.” Seeing the man’s face being overcome with confusion, she said, “I bought a house that a member of the Charter family lived in and found photos and some other items.”
“I see!” He was obviously intrigued.
“Have you ever heard of her? Clara Charter, she married Lord Armstrong.”
“I’ve worked here for
ty years, and my father worked here before me,” said the man. “The Charter family was quite a large family. I don’t really know anything about Clara though the name seems familiar. But come and let’s see if we can find anything.”
He brought her into an archive room and started taking out photo albums and flicking through pages of photos. “Aha! I thought I remembered her name. There she is!” He pointed to a photo marked 1913 with the caption –
‘Mrs Louisa Charter, her son Terence and granddaughter Clara on a visit to the factory May 1913.’
“Yes, that’s her!” Kate became excited.
“Right, she was Louisa’s granddaughter then. Louisa’s husband and his brothers owned the factory, though her son Terence wasn’t involved. From what I know he was a banker, a very successful one. I do recall now hearing that one of his daughters married an Irish Lord. There was a nasty divorce case, but that’s the last we heard.”
“Oh dear!” Kate was disappointed.
“I do believe one of the Charter family is on a charity board for the Red Cross. I could get her details for you, if you want?”
“Thank you – that would be wonderful. I’ll be returning home to Ireland though so may I leave you my card?”
“Certainly. I’ll send the details on.”
100
Kate was very busy planning the ball at the house over the next few weeks. There was a constant stream of event organisers and caterers visiting the house and going through details for the night.
“Tony wants the night to be spectacular, so we have to put everything into it,” she advised Chloe, a public relations woman she had used for several parties in the past.
“I’m thinking ice statues inside the house, I’m thinking the ballroom being the centre of the party obviously, I’m thinking all the gardens lit up!” gushed Chloe delighted with the commission as half her clients had gone broke over the previous year.
“Good, I’m working on the guest list and will get it to you shortly,” said Kate as Tony walked into the drawing room.
“How’s it all going?” he enquired.
“Very good, Mr Fallon, it’s going to be a wonderful event,” said Chloe, packing away her files into her briefcase.
“Glad to hear it,” said Tony as he went to pour himself a glass of wine. “Drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m just leaving, have to get back to Dublin for meetings.”
Kate stood up to show her out.
“Don’t worry, Kate, I’ll show myself out,” smiled Chloe as she exited the room.
Kate started to clear away the paperwork from the coffee table.
“Nico is on his way up for a meeting,” said Tony.
“Lovely.” Kate didn’t hide the sarcasm in her voice.
Tony picked up the guest list from the coffee table. “This is the guest list for the party?”
“Uh huh,” answered Kate.
“Speaking of Nico, make sure he gets invited, won’t you?”
Kate looked up at him. “Nico? Why would we invite him?”
“Because he’s our colleague,” said Tony.
Kate found herself becoming angry. “He’s not our colleague, Tony, he’s one of your employees. I can’t see any reason why we should invite him. I thought you wanted this party to be for the movers and shakers?”
“I do!”
“Then leave Nico off the guest list. He’s hardly a mover or a shaker, is he? He’s a second-rate architect from a second-rate architectural firm who has no business being at our party. He won’t fit in, and nobody will know who he is, and he will be like a spare part walking around.”
She looked up to see Nico standing in the doorway of the room. There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence. Nico looked incensed and Kate was mortified.
“The PR woman let me in as she was leaving. Sorry, I should have knocked,” said Nico.
Kate coughed loudly as she quickly tidied away the rest of the paperwork.
“Oh, there you are, Nico,” said Tony, taking charge of the situation. “Drink?”
“No, thank you,” said Nico evenly.
“Right!” Tony put down his glass and quickly walked over to him. “Let’s have our meeting!” He clapped Nico on the back and led him into the hall. As the atmosphere could be cut with a knife, he decided it was best if they left the house. “I hate having meetings in offices all the time, don’t you? I must bring you down to the pier at the lake to see my new power-boat I just got delivered.”
The two men went outside and walked down the steps to the forecourt. Tony talked incessantly about the shopping mall as they crossed the forecourt and walked down the first flight of steps onto the terrace and from there into the gardens. They continued down through the gardens until they reached the lakeshore. Nico couldn’t concentrate on what Tony was saying, he was so angry with Kate.
“What do you think?” asked Tony as they walked down the pier and came to the two-seater power-boat moored there.
“Very nice. You have all the toys,” said Nico, hardly looking at it.
“Jump in and I’ll take you for a spin,” said Tony, taking the keys out of his pocket.
“Now?” asked Nico, as he watched Tony get into the boat and start it up.
“Come on!” ordered Tony.
Nico got into the boat and sat down beside Tony. Tony revved up the engine and the boat took off across the lake at high speed.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” laughed Tony.
Nico looked around him and saw the house disappear into the distance. He tried not to show any nerves at the high speed. Suddenly Tony brought the boat to a halt in the middle of the lake and with the motor off the lake was returned to a complete silence.
“You know, I had my reservations when Kate wanted to buy here, but it was the best thing I ever did,” said Tony. “I love it here.”
“I’m glad it was the right move for you.”
“She’s a wonderful woman, Kate. I always listen to her advice, she’s always right.” He turned and looked at Nico. “Don’t mind what you overheard back there in the house, she didn’t mean it.”
“No?” Nico looked at him sceptically.
“I know she’s very fond of you. She was always singing your praises when you were working together on the house. You could do no wrong in her eyes. She has a lot of respect for you, honestly. And for your family. She’s always going on about the Armstrong family. She’s reading those letters found in the house all the time – totally fascinated by them.”
Nico looked at him in confusion.
“And when she was over in London recently she tried to make contact with relatives of Clara Armstrong to give back the photos, the letters and the brooch.”
“She did?” Nico’s mouth dropped open.
“So you see, she wouldn’t bother with all that if she meant what she said.”
Nico stared back at the shore where the house was a distant dot. Tony started up the boat again and powered back to shore.
Nico left the house and was walking across the forecourt to his Range Rover when he saw Kate on horseback trotting up the avenue. He went to meet her.
“Did you enjoy your boat trip?” she called out.
“Oh yeah, between the speed boats and helicopters you’ve turned this place into a James Bond movie set!”
“A bit of life in the place has done it wonders.”
She dismounted and started to lead the horse by the reins up the avenue.
“Well, look at you – you might as well be to the manor born! Tell me what’s next – when are you hiring a butler and under house parlour maids?” His voice dripped sarcasm.
“Can I help you, Nico?” she asked coldly as he walked quickly alongside her.
“I just wonder how far you are going to go to research this new lady of the manor role you’ve chosen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, you’ve bought the manor, learned how to ride a horse – and now you’re trying to take over my family hi
story.”
She stopped and faced him. “I haven’t a clue what you’re going on about.”
“What’s all this about reading Clara’s letters? Where did you get them and why didn’t you tell me?”
She silently cursed Tony’s big mouth. “The builders found them under floorboards in a bedroom.”
“A bedroom? Are you sure you didn’t take them from the items belonging to me stored in the ballroom? Not that it matters – they are still personal effects from the house and you have no right to them.”
She let go of the horse’s reins and it wandered off as her voice rose. “Are you accusing me of being a liar – as well as a thief?”
“Well, you tell me – are you?”
“I don’t believe this! How dare you! Ask any of the builders and they will verify my story – not that I should have to ever answer to you.”