“Very impressive!” her father observed, a satisfied look on his face. “Are you staying for the day?”
“That would be nice!” his daughter agreed, smiling at Steven. “But you’ll need different clothes!”
“My dinner suit is in the car.”
“Good!” Lord Hemingham rose from the table. “I hope to see you both in the billiard room.”
“Oh no!” a crestfallen look appeared on Steven’s face as he and Phyllipa watched her father leave the room. “I don’t play billiards.”
“It’s snooker which he plays.” Phyllipa pointed out.
“I don’t play that either!”
“Good! Because I’m going for a shower, and I thought of a game that you and I would be more suited to.”
Steven’s eyes lit up. “I thought we had just played that in the stable.”
Phyllipa nodded “We did, but are you game for a rematch?”
“Well, like you, the thought of hot water pouring over me does have a certain attraction.”
Phyllipa kissed his cheek and taking his arm pulled him from the room through to the privacy of her own part of the house. “That’s my boy!” she said, happily, overjoyed with the thought of the delight to come.
Chapter 14
Monday morning was cold and foggy. A hoar frost gripped the countryside like a white glove and the sun could only be seen in travel brochures. Phyllipa shivered as she climbed into her car and switched the engine on. Fighting the cold air, it growled, then settled down into a low hum. For a few moments, she sat and thought about yesterday. It had been nice, she and Steven had enjoyed it and so had her father and that pleased her. The two men appeared to have something in common, although Phyllipa wasn’t quite sure what it was. They had played snooker together, but she wasn’t quite sure who had won. They had played some music together, they had wined and dined together and she and Steven had showered together, which had turned out to be quite an event. Chuckling to herself she thought of his remark about her New Yorker, “It looks as if I am in competition with a chunk of metal!” and by his actions in the shower, he was obviously trying to move into pole position. She like that about him, it showed inner strength. But then her psyche had always told her that Steven Grant was a front runner!
Pressing her foot down on the gas, she took the road to the motorway, rearranging her speed to conform with the matrix for warnings. The arterial was almost deserted allowing her car to pick up pace. Suddenly turning off, she swept down a slip road and five minutes later parked her car in the company car park. Walking into her office, she found a message on her answering machine from Maisie to ring her. Picking up the telephone and dialling a number she waited. Then, her financial advisor came on the line. “Locotrend!” she told Phyllipa after the usual greetings. “We got lucky! Some years ago your family helped them out. It’s going back a bit but the help we gave is still logged.” Phyllipa smiled as she listened.
“The guy you want is their chief accountant, Leslie Shaw!”
“Do we know anything about him?” Phyllipa asked.
“Only one thing, he is big into charity work!”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
“Bravo! A million thanks Maisie.” she shouted as she broke the connection. Walking into the print section, she saw most of the machines were either being set up or working. Quickly checking on the Kristex contract, she nodded her head in satisfaction and rubbed her hands together in glee. It wasn’t going to be such a bad Monday after all!
Calling on June, who greeted her with the usual smile, and waved her hand “Hi! Any problems?”
Phyllipa shook he head. “Not one.”
“Do you fancy a quick one after lights out?” June asked going through the motions of drinking with a shaky hand. Phyllipa nodded. “Sure, why not …. Could I ask you to do something for me?”
June’s head shot up in alarm. “It’s official.” Her visitor said hastily, giggling at her friends misgivings.
Steven’s secretary held the palms of her hands up in mock horror. “As long as it s not wheeling and dealing, or messing with large amounts of money.” She said alluding to the recent overdraft events, “I don’t mind. But I’ve got to be honest , your ideas of business still gives me the bloody nightmares.” Phyllipa laughed. “You worry too much! You’ll be old before your time!”
June shrugged her shoulders “Yes but at least I won’t be tired!”
“Clive would have put your mind at ease. He knew what was going on.”
“We only talked about it the once and we finished up arguing.” June smiled “He doesn’t like talking “shop”.” She gave Phyllipa a suspicious look. “Anyway, what is it you wish me to do for you?”
“I want you to set me up an appointment with a Leslie Shaw from a company called Locotrend!” . June wrote the information on her pad, then her eyes narrowed. “You normally make your own appointments.” She queried. “Are you sure this isn’t dodgy?”
Phyllipa frowned. “I don’t know these people. If they were friends of mine, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“Sorry!” her friend apologised. “Just checking, is that all?”
“No. Just one other thing, would you please use my full title!”
“Oh?”
“I want a big favour from these people. So, I need all the help I can get.”
June threw her pencil on the desk. “The other day you gave me the impression that titles weren’t quite the thing anymore.”
A look of pride crossed Phyllipa’s face. “The family title isn’t a political one. My forebears fought on battlefields for it. It’s full of blood and guts and determination and that’s what runs through my veins, and I would like to think they would turn in their graves if I didn’t use some of that hard won valour to assist me in my life.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps it won’t mean a damn thing to this “Shaw” guy, but there is no harm including it, is there?”
June nodded he head. “No! course not. Give everything a go, I say!”
Phyllipa thanked her and walked through to the Managing Director’s office where she found Steven studying a huge blueprint which covered his desk.
“Do you know what this is?” he pointed to the drawing.
“No!” she answered, kissing his cheek. “I haven’t a clue!”
“It’s my dream machine!” he explained, absentmindedly, returning her kiss.
“Does it work?”
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t.”
“What’s it supposed to do?”
“Everything! That’s the trouble.” Phyllipa saw the excited light in his eyes as he turned to her. “All that cardboard we use in packaging comes from wood pulp which comes from trees which comes from forests, ad infinitum. Millions of which are wiped off the face of the earth every year.” He tapped the drawing with the point of his pencil. “This could be the ultimate carton. Man’s final package!” he sighed again. “But, as I said before, unfortunately it doesn’t work!”
“What has that to do with trees?”
“We wouldn’t need them!”
Phyllipa put an arm around his waist, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “If I were to ask you why? Would you plunge into a huge technological explanation?”
“Yes!”
“In that case I’m not going to ask.”
Steven rolled up the drawing and put it away. “I’ll have to modify it. Obviously, I’m asking too much.”
“Yesterday you told my father you had asked me to marry you.”
He ran a hand through his rough black hair. “So?”
“Why?” she asked him “Why did you tell him?”
Her boss sat down behind his desk again. Drumming his finger son the desk, he looked into her eyes. “I need all the back-up I can muster, . Apparently you can’t seem to make your mind up about me. You like my company, you like talking to me and you like making love to me, but…”
“But what?” Phyllipa interrupted
�
��But nothing.” He protested “That’s the problem.”
“What makes you think I haven’t made up my mind about you?”
“Well if you have your keeping it very quiet, aren’t you?”
She shook her head angrily. “That is my prerogative.”
Steven sighed “This is not auction love I am offering, Phyllipa. My feelings for you are total with a total commitment. They are yours! They belong to you and they always will, even if you decide I am not the man you wish to spend the rest of your life with. I have always been honest about them and now I have told your father and he is on my side.”
“Oh dear! My father’s idea of Utopia is the marriage of his daughter. Of course he is on your side. He was on Clive’s side until I finally managed to dissuade him…” she broke off, aware that she had said too much. Biting her lip with frustration, she silently swore.
Steven’s head jerked up as an enquiring look crossed his face. “Clive eh? One of your many boyfriends? Do I know him?”
“He was nothing of the sort!” she retorted, angry she had been pushed into mentioning him. “I was making the point that father’s sometimes get the wrong ideas about people.”
“What people?”
She swore again, exasperated by the way the dialogue was going. “Look, do you think we could restart this conversation?”
Her boss stared at her with a curious look in his eyes. “Of course. What you did before we met , belongs to you. I wouldn’t dream of asking you seriously about it. It has nothing to do with me!”
“Absolutely! And outside this company, what I do today has nothing to do with you, either. You and I are just good friends ,.. remember that!”
He chuckled. “Of course, if you say so!”
“I do say so!”
“Yes! I thought you would!”
Phyllipa glared at him, he was playing her at her own game and she didn’t like it.
“I don’t want my father or anyone else interfering in my affairs.” She spoke softly, as if talking to herself. “Even if he does do it for all the right reasons, wherever my life takes me I wish to get there on my own, and if I run into trouble or find the going a bit rough then I shall welcome the cavalry.” She looked at her boss, spreading her palms outwards. “I suppose you think I am being unreasonable or perhaps too pedantic about things which are strictly my business? Or that I am mistaken in thinking that my destiny is my own affair?” a pleading look entered her eyes. “Please ,.. please let me do things my way!”
He listened to her with astonishment. He had never heard her in this vain before. She obviously felt very deeply about being left to work things out for herself.
“It sounds reasonable.” He said, not quite sure if he had said the right thing.
“Thank you!” she looked at her wrist watch. “Do you fancy a spot of lunch? My treat, I’m hungry!”
“Me too” well aware that he had been put correctly and firmly in his place, picked up his car keys. “At your service , ma-am!”
“I should think so.” Phyllipa glared into his face. “Someone has to keep you guys in order!”
“I missed you in the canteen.” June commented, drinking her gin and tonic.
“Steven and I went out.” Phyllipa swirled her water around in her glass. They were having their “After Hours” drink in the pub around the corner.
June kicked her shoes off. “Anywhere interesting?”
“Martino’s!”
“I like that place.” June massaged her toes with her hand. “Clive and I were there three times last week.”
Phyllipa turned to her companion. “Talking of Clive I think I dropped a clanger earlier on.”
June’s eyebrows went up. “Oh?”
“It was so silly. We were talking about my father and I inadvertently mentioned Clive’s name.”
“In what context?” , An enquiring look in her eyes.
“I was explaining that parents are sometimes at cross purposes with what is really going on. You know; sons and daughters and what they get up to. All that sort of thing, I didn’t mention him in any connection with the bank.
“Well, I can’t see any harm in that. After all, there are thousands of Clive’s around.”
Phyllipa pulled a wry face “Too close to home though.” She spoke with regret, shaking her head in exasperation. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I know that! And now, Steven has asked my father if he can have my hand in marriage! Would you believe it?”
“Heck! And what did you say?”
“Indirectly, I’ve told them both to mind their own business.”
“Of course, he is nuts about you.” June confirmed. “How do you feel about him?”
Phyllipa looked alarmed. “What do you mean, how do I feel about him?”
“Do you love him?”
Maybe.”! I admit we have a lot of fun together and I do like him, but all that “Until death do us part” stuff leaves me cold. Swearing vows that will never be kept doesn’t interest me either.”
” June was taken aback a little at her friend’s vehemence.* “You don’t think much of marriage do you?”
“I’m not against it, don’t think that. I just don’t envisage it being right for me. Not at the moment!” her eyes glistened. “It’s the thought of belonging to one person that scares the hell out of me.”
“Free range, eh?” June giggled. “Poor little rich girl!”
Phyllipa scowled “Now that is not fair. It isn’t like that. I’ve had lots of friends and countless marriage offers, but as soon as someone gets close to me I back off.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why but I do!” bringing a small handkerchief from her handbag, she snuffled and touched her damp eyes with it. “I must have some sort of cold coming on.”
Her friend smiled knowingly “According to you if you lose the bet, then up the aisle you go!”
* Vehemence (meaning) emotion passion
“Yes! But I am not going to lose the bet, am I?”
June chuckled. “Well, from where I am sitting it doesn’t look like it, but fate works to a peculiar sort of programme.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This “Overdraft” situation could erupt and spoil everything. Then, bang! Would go your chance of walking alone and winning the necklace.”
Phyllipa nodded. “I know, don’t think I haven’t thought about it because I have. It would just be a token payment for me sticking things out for twelve months..” she laughed. “Something for my father and I to argue about. And, of course, I could never wear it because it is kept in the bank. So as I said it is not that vital.” She finished the last of her soda water. “But what is of consequence is the wager itself. Lose that, and obviously, I have lost my job, and I wouldn’t want that to happen. I’ve grown quite fond of it, I like the people and I like the hours.”
“So we’ve noticed.” June remarked, drily.
“I object to staying in my office when I have completed my work.”
“So do I, but it doesn’t work that way.” June retorted.
“It does for me.” she argued. “ talking of jobs, how’s things on the monetary front?”
“Very good. The company has a new bank, a new manager and a new overdraft. Steven is quite happy about it. They don’t harass him like the Imperial did, and it makes my life easier as well. All in all, it was a good move.” June looked around for her discarded shoes. “But, of course that’s just my opinion!”
For a fleeting second a look of anxiety flooded Phyllipa’s face and then was gone. “Yes. Let’s hope it stays that way.”
Chapter 15
Relaxing in the privacy of his home, Steven Grant was, as usual, thinking about Phyllipa. He sighed deeply, she was all of the things he had ever fantasized about in a woman. To him, everything was almost magical, but, he reluctantly admitted, she had never once told him of any affection she may have towards him. His ardour was one way traffic, although she had encouraged him with references to extended rain checks getti
ng shorter, they were no substitute for “I love you!” even the moments of concentrated passion had not prompted her to confide any tenderness towards him.
Mixing himself a drink, he crushed the cold ice with his fingers. Perhaps it was all some sort of a game to her, he conjectured. A bit of upper class fun! Perhaps when she had laughed enough, she would walk away from it all and leave him to pick up the pieces! Or maybe he was just being too pessimistic! Shrugging his shoulder he was about to put some music on, when his front door bell rang. It was George, his Accountant. “I was in the district.” He said, entering the room and plonking himself down in an easy chair.
“You are always welcome.” Steven pointed towards the bar. “Drink?”
“Just a small one. I’m driving, is the company busy?”
“Yes!” Steven nodded happily. “We’re full!”
His accountant sipped his scotch. “I was looking at your accounts the other day. You are in profit. Did you know?”
“I thought we may be. It’s a new contract which we are running.”
“And, I see you have changed your bank.”
“Yes! I though it time for a change.” He wasn’t going to disclose that Imperial Bank had pulled the rug away from him. There were things he should tell his accountant and things he shouldn’t.
“We have a tax demand for you.”
“So, what’s new?”
“I kept meaning to ring and congratulate you, but you know what it’s like tempus fugit* and all that!”
- tempus fugit (meaning) time flies
Steven stared at him. “Congratulate me for what?”
George gave him and old fashioned look. “Oh come on Steven, don’t be coy. You have Phyllipa Gore working for you.” He looked at his client accusingly. “You can’t keep a thing like that secret.” He scratched his head and grinned. “The city talks!”
Steven frowned. “You’ve got me at a disadvantage, George. What’s that got to do with anything?” he asked mystified.
“But she does work for you, doesn’t she?”
“Yes she does!?”
“Lucky man.”
Why?!
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