Broken Rainbows
Page 44
‘Well, one thing’s certain. Big brother won’t stand for me moving in with his wife.’
‘Why are you so interested in getting your own place anyway?’ Tina asked irritably. ‘Now that the war’s over, and you’re home for good, you’ve plenty of time to get yourself sorted.’
‘I want to sort myself out now, along with who is getting what part of the business. What’s in this pie? No, don’t tell me, I’ve a feeling I don’t want to know.’
‘Ronnie will decide who’s going to run the cafés when he comes home.’
‘Who made him Chief?’
‘Mama after Papa died. Given there are eleven of us, Tony, there’s no way we can all work in the business. With only three cafés …’
‘I thought Ronnie went into some sort of partnership with Alma and Diana.’
‘Diana went into business with Alma in the shop she inherited from her first husband. That’s her son Billy’s inheritance and nothing to do with us.’
‘They used our High Street café as an extra kitchen.’
‘They’re still using it and they pay us rent, which I sent with what else could be spared to Mama and the younger ones in Birmingham. How else do you think they lived?’
‘So what are you saying, Tina? That now I’m home for good I’m out of the business I ran before the war when Ronnie swanned off to Italy.’
‘Of course not. Ronnie -’
‘Ronnie hates my guts. If it was down to him I’d be put out on the streets without a penny.’
‘Now you’re being melodramatic as well as stupid,’ Tina said uneasily. ‘Tony, you should be upstairs meeting old friends not discussing things that need thrashing out at a family conference.’
‘And if I’m not around for the family conference?’
‘You’re family, you’ll be consulted,’ she bit back crossly.
‘Are you still running things, or has Angelo taken over?’
‘Angelo’s managing the café on the Tumble. I’m running this place. Gina -’
‘Should be out of it, given the state of her.’
‘She helped manage this place until two months ago.’
‘You girls have husbands to keep you.’
‘And because we have husbands you think we should move over and make room for you?’
‘The war’s won. A woman’s place is in the home.’
‘And if the woman doesn’t think so?’
‘I’ll talk to you after Will comes home.’
‘Will’s my husband, not my master.’
‘Tina, don’t you see you won’t be needed? Angelo and I as good as ran the cafés before the war.’
‘Papa was in charge then and you know it. We all helped.’
‘It’s time to break up the inheritance, Tina.’
‘Says who?’
‘Me. The cafés and this restaurant are a family business.’
‘Exactly, and we’re family.’
‘Whose family? You’re a Powell, Laura’s a Lewis, Gina’s a Grenville. You should look to your husbands to keep you as the younger girls in Birmingham have done, and just as my wife will be looking to me.’
‘You’re married?’ Tina stared at him incredulously.
‘I will be as soon as it can be arranged.’
‘Do we know her?’
‘I doubt it.’ He looked his sister squarely in the eye so there could be no mistake. ‘She’s German.’
The HEARTS OF GOLD series
by Catrin Collier
www.accentpress.co.uk