‘I do. And you’re right.’ Opening the front door, they went outside together and headed for the main street. It was still light and, although the bright sky of daytime had dimmed, it was still blue and cloudless. Dusk had not yet descended.
Walking along at a good pace, and in step, they chatted about the progress the builders had made. James was still a bit surprised – and gratified – that there had been recent enquiries about renting.
When they reached the arcade, they saw that it was empty. The builders had packed up and gone home. They stopped at the small hut where the night watchmen sat. He told them Joe would be walking around the site – on patrol, so to speak.
Within moments they spotted him, and he came over to greet them, his wide grin in place.
‘Evening, miss,’ he said, inclining his head.
‘Hello, Joe,’ she responded, with a smile.
He looked at James. ‘Good evening, Mr Falconer.’
‘Glad to see you, Joe. I have something for you.’ Falconer took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it over.
‘Thanks, sir, but what is this?’ Joe glanced at the envelope.
‘I have written you a letter of employment, which allows you to patrol the arcade at will. I have given you the address of the B&B where I live when I’m in Hull, and the address of Malvern House in London. That’s our main office. You know where the little office is here.’
‘Thanks very much, sir.’ Joe put the envelope in the inside pocket of his jacket.
Falconer went on. ‘You should know that Miss Natalie Parkinson is my assistant on the Hull project. She stays at the B&B here, and works at Malvern House in London. The other young lady you met earlier has the same address but has now returned to London. I will be here in Hull all week. By the way, the other young lady is Miss Lucy Charteris.’
Joe nodded his understanding. ‘So I know where to find yer, Mr Falconer, night or day. Should I be needin’ yer.’
‘That’s correct, Joe. Also, there is some money in the envelope—’
‘Oh, Mr James, yer didn’t ’ave ter do that!’ Joe cut in.
‘Yes, I did,’ Falconer answered. ‘To tide you by for the moment.’
‘Thank yer, Mr James. Thank yer ever so much.’
James nodded, took out his pocket watch. ‘Oh, we must be going. We are meeting Mr Venables at the Tamara Restaurant. See you later, Joe. We’ll say goodnight after supper on our way back.’
Joe grinned, saluted them, and wished them a good dinner.
William Venables stood up and waved to them as Natalie and James walked into the Tamara. He was smiling with pleasure to see that Keller was absent, and was mesmerized by the way Natalie looked. Always lovely, she looked unusually stunning tonight.
Spectacular, he thought, as she walked toward him. Her chestnut hair shone like silk, piled high on her head, and her face was creamy-pink and flawless. The smile in her eyes seemed just for him.
Where was Keller? Well, he didn’t care. He had her to himself tonight, and he was going to make it clear he wanted to take her out next week. Alone.
As for James, he also looked on top form. William noticed the impact they had made on their arrival. And every woman in the restaurant had their eyes on James. He was handsomer than ever, William thought, as he shook hands with James. He then gave Natalie a light kiss on her outstretched hand.
William helped her to sit down, and then he and James sat on either side of her.
‘I’ve ordered a bottle of white wine,’ William announced. ‘I know you two have been working all day, and I think a drop of vino helps everyone unwind.’
‘How nice of you, William,’ Natalie murmured, turning to him, a smile on her face.
‘Yes, very kind of you,’ James said, then went on. ‘Peter Keller sends his apologies to you, William. His aunt died and he had to go to her funeral.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry for his loss,’ William responded, as always correct and polite. But he was pleased Keller was in London and not Hull.
James started to speak as the waiter came to the table and filled their glasses, and once they had clinked them, he said, ‘You’ll never guess who came to see me today.’
William glanced at him and said, ‘I hope it was someone you were happy to see …’
‘It was indeed!’ James declared. ‘Joe Turner, who used to work at Venables.’
‘Of course, I know there’s only one Joe in your mind,’ William replied with a small laugh. ‘You don’t have to add his surname. And he’s a good man. Genuine. How was he?’
‘He asked for a job and I gave him one. He’s going to patrol the arcade at night. And when the place is finished, I’ll keep him on. As head of security. He’s had a bit of a difficult time, William. A sick wife, no money. He told me Venables let him go.’
William stared at James and said slowly, ‘Yes, Annie became rather ill, and he was off for a long period. We did let him go but, as for money, we made sure he was all right. It was a shame though.’
The waiter returned to the table with menus, and said he would come back in a few minutes.
Natalie looked across at James, before opening hers. ‘Irina sends you her best, James. I had a letter from her the other day.’
‘Send her my love when you reply,’ he answered. ‘I suppose she’s settled in by now. Is she enjoying St Petersburg?’ His light tone betrayed nothing, though she knew he must be frustrated by her absence.
‘They all are.’ Laughter bubbled up. ‘You see, it became a family trip. My parents went, along with Aunt Cheska and Irina. Aunt Cheska invited all of us to go. What I mean is, she included me and my brother Sandro. But we had to decline because of work.’
‘Your aunt is really very generous,’ James observed. After a sip of wine, he went on, ‘She’s also very philanthropic with all her charities. That’s admirable.’
‘It is,’ Natalie agreed. ‘She undertook them when her husband, Edward Forrester, died—’
‘I didn’t know she’d had a first husband!’ James exclaimed, interrupting her.
‘Oh, perhaps I never mentioned it,’ Natalie frowned. ‘But, yes, she did. She married Edward when she was eighteen. He was twenty years older than her, but a marvellous man. Extremely successful in business. They’d been married about six or seven years when he dropped dead. Just like that. He stood up from the breakfast table one morning, took about three steps, and collapsed. By the time she had run over to him, he was dead.’
‘My God, how awful,’ James said. ‘What a shock for her.’
‘It was. It had been a good marriage, and she grieved for some time. Then she slowly got better and picked up her life. In his will Edward had included a clause that said his charities must be maintained by her. But he left his fortune to her. A huge fortune.’
James thought, So that’s where all her money comes from. Not from Lorne. He felt sure he was right about that, but he knew it was wiser to remain silent. He looked down at his menu, not wanting to ask about Irina, who he felt was unlikely to return any time soon.
The waiter came back, and the three of them glanced at each other. It was Natalie who announced, ‘I suppose we’re going to order the same as usual?’
William read the menu. ‘I will have the caviar and blinis as a first course, and I notice they have goulash tonight. That will be my main entrée.’
‘Sounds delicious.’ Falconer glanced at his own menu and chose the hot borscht soup, to be followed by poached salmon. Then he said to Natalie, ‘I bet you’re going to have the borscht soup and chicken Kiev.’ A brow lifted questioningly.
‘Of course I am. I can’t resist my Russian favourites.’
Once they had ordered, they sat sipping their wine and chatting about the arcade and its progress, the Venables wine business; then, out of the blue, William brought up James’s twenty-first birthday.
William said, ‘I suppose your family is giving a party for your big birthday next year. But I’d like to give a bash for you up here. How do
you like that idea?’
‘Sounds marvellous,’ James answered, pleased at William’s show of affection and his generosity. ‘We can talk about it more nearer the time.’
William looked happy with this answer. As James seemed to disappear into his own thoughts, he addressed Natalie quietly. ‘I hope this is not a rude or intrusive question, but I was wondering if you have an … understanding with Keller.’
Taken aback for a moment, Natalie didn’t answer for a few seconds, asking herself if she did. No, she didn’t; she realized that now. She said, ‘No, I don’t. Peter has taken me to supper a few times, and we’ve been at the same events sometimes. But we are only friends. He is very reserved. I thought he liked me, but nothing … that is to say, there is no understanding between us.’
William leant forwards a little. ‘Then would it be appropriate for me to invite you to supper next week? Just the two of us?’
Although a bit surprised, Natalie looked at William. She noticed the eagerness in his eyes and his hopeful smile. ‘Yes, it would be lovely to have supper with you, Mr Venables. Thank you.’
William Venables felt a rush of relief mingled with excitement. Deep down he knew Natalie was just the kind of woman he liked, enjoyed being with. He was going to pursue this relationship and stop dithering about her. He had been attracted to her since the first day he’d set eyes on her. Now the moment was right.
TWENTY-FIVE
It was William who brought up a crucial question, asking Natalie when Irina planned to return to London.
‘As soon as she can,’ Natalie answered. ‘I would say in a few weeks, not much longer.’ She looked from William to James, and remarked, ‘I wish we three could go for a visit. St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with wonderful things to see.’
James said, ‘It’s a great temptation to go, but I’m afraid I can’t take the time off. I did explain that to Irina when she suggested it.’
William agreed, and then added, ‘I would love to see the city. It’s built on stilts like Venice, isn’t it? And the Hermitage is a wonder.’
Natalie nodded, and was about to say something when the sound of thunderclaps made them all jump. They looked at each other, and it was Natalie who exclaimed, ‘I can’t bear it if it now starts to rain. I’m wearing a new dress, and we didn’t bring any umbrellas.’
James glanced out of a nearby window and shook his head. ‘It’s not raining yet, but it might. We can stay here a bit longer, wait it out if necessary.’
‘Or I’ll go and find a hansom,’ William said. ‘It’s been a hot day and, up in these parts, rain and storms often follow.’ He grimaced. ‘I’m afraid that Hull is considered a Rainy City, as well as the City of Gaiety.’
There was another thunderclap, and then total silence. Again James looked outside and told them, ‘No rain, we’re all right.’
William beckoned to the waiter and asked for the bill. Once he had paid it, he turned to Natalie and said, ‘Thunder often intrudes and, as often as not, it doesn’t rain. I’ll finish my wine and we can be off.’
‘I’m reassured,’ she murmured, and then smiled. ‘Thank you. It’s been a lovely evening.’
‘Yes, a real treat, old chap,’ James said. He had noticed the flicker of interest between them and the quiet conversation, and smiled inwardly, hoping their prospective supper date worked out well. He had recently begun to think they were made for each other. But they had to know that themselves. He felt a bit sorry for Peter Keller, but his colleague had been too reserved, too cautious with his interest. Too busy, perhaps, with all the travel for Malvern’s. James hoped his friend would take it on the chin.
There was a sudden flurry at the door of the restaurant. As he looked down the room, James saw Joe standing there, gesturing to the waiter, glancing around, looking for him. He was chalk white and obviously upset about something.
James jumped up and hurried across the room. ‘What’s wrong, Joe?’ he asked, staring at him.
‘An explosion,’ Joe said in a low voice, pulling James toward the door. ‘The arcade. The arcade’s on fire. Come on. Let’s go, sir.’
Shock rolled through James, and for a moment he was frozen on the spot. Finally he said, ‘Go on. Go back there. I’m coming after you in a moment.’
Joe simply nodded and left the restaurant.
James went back to the table and, although he was shaking inside, he said quietly, ‘The arcade’s on fire. It wasn’t thunder. It was an explosion. I’ve got to go!’
He left and began to run after Joe, who was speeding down the road. James was filled with alarm, knowing that he was facing a huge disaster.
His fear pushed him forward. He had long legs and stamina, and had always been a good runner. He sprinted on, worry prominent in his head.
It did not take James Falconer long to catch up with Joe, who nodded, and ran on. James ran next to him. When they came to the end of the side street, went out onto the main road, he saw the huge blaze ahead. Oh God! His arcade!
To his relief, he suddenly saw the firemen, whom he identified by their uniforms, holding hoses, along with half a dozen policemen. They were dealing with the fire between them.
Falconer grabbed Joe’s arm, brought him to a stop. ‘They’re on the job. Just tell me what happened,’ he gasped, out of breath, sweating. ‘How could the arcade start burning?’
Joe stopped, nodded, attempting to breathe more evenly. He too was perspiring hard, and barely able to speak.
Joe leaned against a shop door and finally managed to get some words out. ‘I don’t know who did this, Mr James. I been on duty since eight, like yer told me ter be. Not a soul in sight. I patrolled. Talked ter both watchmen. Then boom! It were like a bomb gone off.’
‘You saw no one, Joe?’ James asked, his voice a little more normal as he leaned next to Joe.
‘No.’ Joe shook his head. ‘I met yer at two. Then I went ’ome. Annie give me dinner. Saw yer at about nine, when yer came by.’
‘Someone did this,’ James said. ‘If it was a bomb, it was somehow placed earlier today and detonated from somewhere else.’
‘But ’ow can yer do that, Mr James?’
‘Not sure. Did you go for the police? Who got the fire brigade in? Was it quick?’
‘Police patrol on duty come right away. They ’eard the blast. They took over. I knows one of ’em, Andy Coles.’
James nodded. ‘Let’s go!’ He started running, followed by Joe, who soon caught up with him.
Within a few minutes, James was running right into the throng of men, followed by Joe, who motioned to the others to let Falconer through. The police and firemen did so.
Suddenly, there he was, standing in front of his beautiful arcade, a big part of his dream. It was blazing along one side; the flames still shooting up into the dark sky, illuminating it with brilliant light.
His heart clenched, and he stood there helplessly. Tears rolled down his face; he couldn’t hold them back, and he felt as if his heart had just broken. ‘Oh God, no!’ he cried out. ‘My arcade is gone! Destroyed.’ He felt a hand on his arm and looked down and saw Joe, still as white as bleached bone, tears on his cheeks also.
Joe said, ‘Yer’ll start over, Mr James. I’ll ’elp yer. An’ we’ll find the bleedin’ bastards who set t’fire. Arson, sure as bloody ’ell, it is. We’ll ger ’em.’
The Chief Constable of the Hull Police Force, Joe’s friend, Andy Coles, joined them quietly. James immediately wiped his cheeks, took out his handkerchief, patted his face with it and blew his nose.
With his usual determination, he took control of his flaring emotions. Turning to the policeman, he extended his hand. ‘I’m James Falconer, Chief Constable. This is my arcade. Or rather, I’m building it for the Malvern Company.’
‘Sorry to meet you under such terrible circumstances, sir. We’re here to help. Let’s move to the side, please, sir. The firemen need to move in closer to the blaze.’
The fire was burning on th
e left side of the arcade where the frame structures were. As James continued to stand watching the blaze, he began to realize that the right side was untouched. Relief flashed through him. He felt a bit better.
He mentioned this to Chief Constable Coles, who nodded. Coles explained, ‘I hate to use the word lucky, but you have been in one sense, Mr Falconer. It’s a warm night, no wind to blow the flames across to the other side, where you have a finished area. I think it’s safe there.’
‘But the left side is a furious fire,’ William said, and introduced himself to Coles. He and Natalie had been allowed through to join James. ‘It blazes on.’
‘They’ll get it under control. We’re proud of our fire brigade, as you’re well aware I’m sure, Mr Venables. Being a resident.’
Natalie said, ‘I’m Mr Falconer’s assistant, Chief Constable. How do you think this happened?’
‘We won’t know that until the firemen kill the fire and examine the ruined part of the arcade. But I believe this to be arson, a criminal act,’ the chief constable explained. ‘Not much doubt.’
‘Where are the two watchmen who sit at each end of the arcade? I hope they’re not injured,’ James said worriedly, looking at the police chief intently.
It was Joe who jumped in to answer first. ‘I gor ’em out quick. They’re over there with two policemen. Safe as ’ouses, sir.’
‘Thank God no one has been injured.’ James turned to Coles. ‘What started the fire? Do you have any idea?’
‘The chief of the fire brigade, the chap over there who’s manning the big hose, says it was probably a bomb. But a badly made one, perhaps. However, it’s done plenty of damage, I’m afraid to say.’
‘Dynamite?’ William asked, his curiosity aroused.
‘Most likely, Mr Venables.’
‘I thought dynamite wasn’t easy to get,’ William remarked, staring at the chief.
‘That’s true. The manufacturers sell only to demolition companies. But there’s always somebody ready to steal it, sell it for a few bob.’
Natalie asked, ‘I don’t understand anything about dynamite. What is it exactly, Chief?’
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