by Rosie Harris
‘Don’t the police know?’
‘Our local bobby does, but he says what they do in their own place is their own business. They’re not causing a public nuisance, not tucked away up here. We don’t want to make a fuss since our home goes with the job, but there’s some right goings-on, I can tell you! Some of the men frighten me silly when I pass them in the lane. Oh, you’ve no idea what it’s like. It’s enough to make his father turn in his grave. Mrs Walker never comes here at all these days. We’ll walk up to the house and you can see for yourself …’
‘No … no thanks!’
‘Miles comes and stays here most weekends. He’s probably up there now, though I haven’t seen his car drive up the lane today.’
The thought that she might encounter Miles made Megan even more anxious to get away and as soon as she left Tynmorfa she pushed the matter to the back of her mind. There were more important things to think about than Miles and his weird friends.
She decided to let her father pick the right moment to explain to her mother about the move and to take her to see the bungalow.
Kathy didn’t enthuse about the idea, but neither did she object.
‘I hope your mother’s going to show a bit more interest when it’s time to start packing,’ mused Watkin. ‘She didn’t even seem to care whether our furniture would fit into the bungalow or not.’
‘Why don’t you buy everything new, Dad?’ Megan suggested. ‘That way, leaving Liverpool will give Mam a fresh start. It would be a chance to help her put aside her memories of Lynn.’
‘Everything new? That would cost a fortune! What would we do with all the carpets and curtains and furniture we’ve got now?’
‘I shall still be living here so it’s a case of either you buy new, or I do. And I think it would be better if you were the ones to start afresh.’
‘There’s stupid I am.’ He laughed. ‘I forgot you wouldn’t be coming to Rhyl with us. Surely, you won’t want to stay on here in this house? Not all on your own, girl! Why not give up this place. You can afford to rent one of those posh flats they’ve built at New Brighton. You know, Portland Court. All nice and modern, right on the prom with lovely sea views and everything.’
‘We’ll see,’ promised Megan. ‘Let’s take things a step at a time. This place will do me for the moment and give you a chance to make sure Mam likes living in Rhyl. You might even want to come back here, you know.’
‘I don’t think so, not now that I’ve seen Russet Place,’ he assured her. ‘It’s a lovely spot, and so handy for everything. Your mam is bound to love it there once she’s settled in.’
‘Well, let’s hope so,’ agreed Megan, ‘because I was thinking that we could open a depot there and you could run it.’
‘Do you think you are going to be all right living here on your own, then?’ he asked anxiously.
‘Of course I will be. Robert’s always on hand if I have any problems.’
‘Yes!’ Her father raised his eyebrows. ‘I was hoping that perhaps you …’
‘Stop it, Dad!’ Frowning, Megan cut him short. ‘We agreed a long time ago that you wouldn’t try any matchmaking. Remember?’
‘But Megan you can’t go on making him wait for ever!’
‘Wait for what? I haven’t promised him anything, have I?’
‘Come on, girl, you know what I mean. The man is in love with you. He’s been crazy about you ever since the first time I brought him home. All these years he’s waited so patiently, giving up his time and his ambitions, so as to devote himself to your interests. You must see it.’
‘We’re just good friends,’ she affirmed stubbornly.
‘He wants to marry you, Megan! And if you don’t make your mind up, then one of these days you’ll find you’ve left it too late. Robert will have packed his bags and gone!’
‘Megan, can you meet me for lunch at the Rendezvous Restaurant? It’s urgent.’
It was so unlike Robert to make such a request that Megan was on tenterhooks for the rest of the morning as she puzzled over what he wanted to see her about. It had to be something very important, she decided. Otherwise he would have waited until he came into the office with the bills of lading and any other documentation that had amassed during the course of the day.
At one o’clock, she locked the office door and set off for Hackins Hey. Robert had already arrived and had ordered omelettes for them both.
‘Your message sounded very ominous, is there something wrong?’ she asked as she sat down.
‘Well,’ he lowered his voice and leaned across the table until their heads were almost touching, ‘there’s a rumour going round that Walkers are about to go bankrupt!’
‘Oh, poor Miles!’
Robert stared at her in silence, shaking his head in disbelief. He had just told her what he thought to be the greatest piece of news he’d heard in years, expecting her to be overjoyed, and all she could do was murmur ‘Poor Miles’. As far as he was concerned, Miles Walker was simply getting all he deserved.
‘Is there anything we can do to help?’
‘I would have thought help was the last thing you’d have in mind,’ he retorted cuttingly. ‘I expected you to be over the moon that he was on his way out.’
‘Is that why you told me?’ Her eyes were inscrutable as they levelled with his.
‘No, it’s not!’ His jaw jutted aggressively. ‘I did think we could benefit, though. Their fleet of lorries, the warehouse and a hundred and one other things will go under the hammer. We could use them … that is, if you still want to expand, of course.’
His jibe wiped the sentimentality from her mind. Robert was right. This could be their golden opportunity. Walker’s main warehouse in Canning Dock was one of the best on the quayside. If they owned that …
She let her thoughts drift for a moment, remembering the first time she’d ever gone there. She had been curious to see where her father worked. Miles and one of the other shipping clerks had been there checking a consignment. She recalled how hurt she had been because Miles had ignored her.
‘Yes, you’re right,’ she agreed, bringing her attention back to Robert. ‘There will be some rich pickings. Can you get hold of an inventory?’
‘By the time that is drawn up and circulated it might be too late. If there is anything you specifically want it might be better to act now …’
‘Go and see Miles personally, you mean?’
‘Exactly.’
She pushed her half-eaten omelette away and stood up. ‘I must get back.’ She laid her hand briefly on Robert’s arm. ‘Thanks for letting me know.’
‘Don’t leave it too long. It’s not official yet but, once it is, it won’t be possible to do any private deals,’ Robert reminded her as they parted outside the restaurant.
Megan went straight to Old Hall Street. It seemed strange to be walking into the building again. There were new faces in the general office. The girl on the reception desk repeated her name to make sure she had it correctly before phoning through to Miles.
‘He’ll see you right away. I’ll show you the way.’
‘There’s no need, I know where his office is,’ Megan told her.
Miles was at the door to greet her. They assessed each other in silence. Megan was shocked at the change in him. He was skeletal thin, his face sunken, and there were dark rings beneath his eyes. He didn’t offer to shake hands, merely indicated a chair.
‘I understand your company is in trouble,’ Megan stated, coming straight to the point of her visit.
He scowled. ‘Do you believe all the dockside gossip you hear?’ he asked bitterly.
‘I’ve come to make you a proposition,’ she told him. ‘I’m interested in your warehouse at Canning Dock. If you are not yet in the hands of the official receiver I thought we might be able to do a private deal.’
‘You don’t pull your punches, do you!’ His eyes narrowed. ‘How soon could you complete?’
‘As long as it takes to write out a cheque … p
roviding the price is reasonable.’
‘I don’t want a cheque. I must have cash.’
‘You and Carol making a fresh start?’
His mouth twisted into a sneer. ‘No, she won’t be coming. It’s been over with Carol for a long time. I knew I had made a mistake in marrying her even before we came back off our honeymoon!’
He assessed Megan’s smart appearance. ‘Obviously your business has survived the slump.’
‘Yes, that’s why I need another warehouse.’
‘Then you’ve got yourself one.’
‘You haven’t stated a price.’
‘Whatever you think it’s worth. I’m getting out of the shipping business and going abroad.’
‘Leaving everything behind … even the house at Tynmorfa? I met Sybil Jones not long ago and …’
‘I’m selling it.’ He stood up and came round to her side of the desk. Placing a hand under her chin, he tipped her face back forcing her to look at him. The burning, haunted look in his eyes frightened her. ‘Why don’t you come with me, Megan?’
‘No!’ A shiver went through her as she pulled away.
He gave a contemptuous laugh. ‘Of course, I forgot. You’re an entrepreneur these days, making quite a name for yourself.’ He sighed. ‘I should have married you, Megan. If only my father hadn’t stopped me. Short-sighted of him really, because obviously he recognised your flare for business. He couldn’t resist the one thing he’d set his heart on, though, the combined wealth of the Walkers and the Brocklehursts. Now I’ve succeeded in ruining it all. I’m glad you will be getting the warehouse, it’s one less acquisition my wife and father-in-law can claim.’
Megan wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. It didn’t matter now; in some ways she’d had a lucky escape. Robert was twice the man he was.
‘We haven’t settled anything yet. You haven’t named your price, Miles.’
‘Whatever you think is fair. You know its value. Bring the cash here tomorrow, I’ll be waiting,’ he said as she stood up to leave. ‘Here’s the documentation,’ he added as he handed her a sheaf of papers.
‘I would much rather he’d fixed the price,’ Megan frowned when she told Robert about the proposed deal.
‘That would be too straightforward for Miles Walker,’ Robert sneered.
‘Yes, I’m not at all sure that I’m doing the right thing in going on with this.’ Megan sighed.
‘You’ll do it anyway, since you think it’s a way of helping him out,’ he commented grimly. ‘Make sure that the papers he’s handed over are in order, or you could find you’ve parted with the cash and he’s scarpered leaving you with egg on your face.’
‘Robert, how dare you say such a thing! You certainly believe in kicking a man when he’s down,’ she added scathingly.
‘You really ought to settle by cheque or credit transfer not by cash,’ her solicitor advised when she called at his office the following morning to collect the transfer documents she had asked him to check over.
Megan nodded but said nothing as she took them from him. Silently, she stowed them away in her briefcase alongside the bulky package she had already collected from the bank.
A tight smile played around Miles’ mouth as he took the package from her and dropped it into a leather holdall by the side of his chair.
‘Aren’t you going to check what’s in there? It might be old newspapers cut up,’ Megan said with a ghost of a smile.
‘I trust you! Are you sure you won’t change your mind and come with me, Megan?’ His voice was pleading, as if the chasm that had grown between them had been miraculously breached.
‘No Miles, my life is here,’ she said firmly.
‘That was what I expected you to say, but I needed to be sure.’ He held out his hand. ‘I’ll never forget you, Megan. And thanks for the money, you won’t regret that either.’ He drew her towards him so that their bodies were touching. He bent his head, his lips rested on hers, but she felt no flicker of emotion … nothing.
She walked out of Old Hall Street knowing it was the end of an era. She went straight to Canning Dock, eager to inspect her new acquisition, planning in her mind how she would use the additional warehouse space.
For several minutes she stood on the quayside, admiring the vastness of the building and finding it hard to believe it was now hers. Then she slipped the key Miles had given her into the lock and went inside.
The first thing she noticed was that it wasn’t empty. Puzzled, she lifted the light grey sheeting from the massive bulk in the centre of the warehouse, then caught her breath in astonishment. The Silver Cloud Rolls Royce, with its personalised number plates, MW 100 gleamed at her from under the covers.
On the windscreen was an envelope with her name on the outside. Her hand was trembling as she opened it.
MEGAN
IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE YOURS
THE KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION
MILES
Chapter Thirty-eight
THEIR NEW WAREHOUSE at Canning Dock proved invaluable. Megan’s haulage business was suddenly in a different category now that the effects of the slump were beginning to ease. Dockers and seamen, like everyone else, were keen to recoup their losses.
Robert became more involved with the administration and spent less and less time out on the road, so she installed two large desks, one for her and one for him.
‘I think it’s time everyone realised how much we’ve grown,’ insisted Megan.
He looked puzzled. ‘I’m not sure I quite follow.’
‘Carefully designed publicity. I want all our vehicles to be in the same colours. A company livery, not a hotchpotch of odd lorries like it is now.’
‘Mmm! You have a point there, I suppose.’
‘Can’t you see it, Robert?’ Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. ‘Our entire fleet all carrying the company name. A name that will be recognised not only here in Liverpool but right across the country …’
‘Hey! Steady on. Our drivers are only smalltime chaps, operating with one lorry apiece.’
‘That’s how it stands at the moment, but it can change.’ She tapped on the desk with her pen. ‘Why can’t each of them employ a driver and operate a second lorry? Most of them have taken on a mate to help with loading and unloading. Now, if they were offered a slightly higher percentage on each load, don’t you think they would be prepared to operate a second lorry and hire another driver?’
‘I suppose some of them would be interested,’ he admitted. ‘Most of us are keen to increase the size of our wage packet.’
‘Exactly!’ Her face glowed. ‘The storage capacity is available, we have an ever-growing network of contacts, so all we need is extra lorries.’
‘Well, why don’t you buy more vehicles yourself?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘It would tie up too much of my capital and slow down expansion in other areas. What is even more important, it would cut down on individual involvement. As it is, fiddling and pilferage are non-existent because each man is personally responsible for what he carries.’
‘It’s an interesting idea,’ he admitted cautiously, ‘but I’m not sure if any of them will be able to afford a second lorry.’
‘They can! I’ve already made enquiries. It will be possible for them to buy a vehicle on hire-purchase if we vouch for them. We will also tell them that all the lorries must be in a specified colour and carry the company name in silver lettering on a deep blue background.’
He gave a nod of approval. ‘That sounds good!’
‘I’m glad you’re in agreement. I was also wondering, since you are becoming more and more involved with the administration … I’m planning to open a new depot in Rhyl, or somewhere close by, and to put Dad in charge of it, so if you would like to come into the office on a full-time basis … as general manager?’
‘I could be persuaded.’ He grinned. ‘What’s the deal?’
‘Basic salary plus a percentage of the overall takings?’
&nbs
p; ‘That sounds tempting.’ He scribbled down some figures on the pad in front of him, nodding in satisfaction.
‘What are you going to do if I’m in the office all the time, holiday abroad in the sun?’
Robert regretted his words the moment he uttered them. Megan quivered with anger. Her face hardened, and when she answered her voice was icy and distant.
‘I shall still retain overall control of the business,’ she said stiffly.
‘Yes, of course. That was meant as a joke.’ He sighed. ‘You intend to go on expanding?’ he asked cautiously.
‘Most definitely. And not just with road haulage. I have other ideas …’ She hesitated as if she was about to impart some exciting news. Then she shrugged and looked away.
Robert held his breath waiting for her to go on. When she did, her voice had its old, natural warmth and he dared to hope.
‘About this position of general manager, Robert. I was counting on you taking it,’ she said confidently. ‘No one else could do it as well as you! Anyway,’ she said with a grin, ‘I wouldn’t want anyone else working alongside me.’
Megan wasted no time in putting her new plans into action. She talked to the drivers and explained the scheme to each of them individually. They were all enthusiastic and promised their full support.
‘It means a lot more work and far greater responsibility,’ she warned.
‘I don’t mind that if it means more money in my pay packet,’ Jock told her sombrely.
‘It’s a grand idea,’ Fred agreed, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
‘It couldn’t have come at a better time,’ Sandy told her. ‘I’m going to be a dad in a few months’ time,’ he confided, ‘and that means Patsy will be giving up her job so the chance for me to earn more is wonderful news, I can tell you.’
With Robert’s help, the project went ahead smoothly. He even agreed with her that they should launch the extended fleet publicly by throwing a party for all their customers.
‘We could hold it in the Canning Dock Warehouse the first week in September,’ Robert suggested. ‘Leave it any later in the year and all the decent weather will be gone. You don’t want customers freezing to death as they stand around on the quayside admiring our new fleet!’