His Lordships Daughter (18 page)

“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 doe
s 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 getting 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?!

“All that beauty and all that money. Oh boy! I wished she worked for me.”

Steven sipped his drink.
glancing at him
“Have you met her?”

His accountant shook his head, sadly. “I should be so lucky. You should consider yourself very fortunate that you have her on your books. What does she do?”

“She is a Progress Chaser! And very good at it as well.”

George sighed and shook his head in astonishment. “I don’t know!
Some people have all the luck!” He sipped his drink “She works for you and you bank with her father. Can’t be bad can it?”

“Pardon?”

“Can’t be bad?”

“Not that.” Steven said, his eyes narrowing. “The bit about the bank?”

“You have recently moved your account into their family bank. I’m not sure on this, but I think it all belongs to Phyllipa Gore now. Lord Hemingham has taken a back seat for the past few years, and…”

“Are you sure about this George?” Steven rudely interrupted.

“Of course! Didn’t you know?”

“No! I bloody well didn’t!”

“They are a good bank to be with.”
His guest pointed out. “They don’t supply you with an umbrella in dry weather and whip it back when it pisses down.” He emptied his glass and eyed his host hopefully. “At the moment, they are picking up quite a few major accounts.”

Steven topped their glasses up. He was only half listening, a rather sort of odd idea was finding feet in his mind and trying to gain strength, but, he knocked
it out of the way. No! he thought to himself, she
wouldn’t do that to me!” suddenly he glared at George. “Do you know a guy called Braseby, Manager of the Imperial Bank?”

“Yes! I know Clive. As a matter of fact, he and his family are very friendly with the Inchcape-Gores. Big pals, so they say!”

Steven groaned to himself. His little idea was gaining stature. “Clive” was the name Phyllipa had let slip. For a few moments he gazed into space and got lost.

“Are you there?” George shouted, waving his hands in front of his client’s face.

Steven jerked himself back to
reality. “Sorry!
I think I have made a very large mistake!”

“Perhaps I can help you?” his accountant offered.

“Thank you but no! this is something that only I can sort out!”

Chapter 16

The Managing Director of SG Packaging, sat in the darkness of his office, staring at nothing. The information given to him in the previous night had not only shaken him rigid, but had intensified his anger, allowing his secretary’s clairvoyancy to come true. He had put two and two together and come up with five!

The lov
ely Phyllipa Gore was a taker, he had concluded. She had
taken his heart and
his company. With a lot of effort he may get the latter back, but the former would be beyond recovery.

It had gone! Given in everlasting faith to a cause which
was lost before it  had even began.

The over lights flooding on, startled him as June entered. “Sorry! I didn’t know you were in.” her boss looked at his wristwatch and gave a rueful grin. “I couldn’t sleep. Work is a wonderful tonic for the insomniac!”

June pulled a long face at the very thought of such an idea. “I’m glad you think so.” She
murmured
, switching the desk lights on and wondering why he was sitting in the dark.

H
e
walked to the window and looked out, it was
eight o’clock in the morning  T
he staff were trickling in
,
only one machine worked around the clock and that was for the Kristex job. He shook his head in admiration at Phyllipa’s methods. The breakfast cereal contract was the icing on the cake. Phyllipa’
s cake
!

He swung round as his secretary returned with his early morning coffee. Taking it gratefully, he trie
d to smile without success,
indicated to his chair. “Sit down June, I’d like a word.”

June sat and waited expectantly. He’s got something on his mind! She conjectured, knowing the work habits of her boss pretty well.

he
sipped his coffee, appreciatively. “Five weeks ago you gave me the address of a merchant banker.” June’s stomach did something, but she wasn’t sure what. “Yes!” she
murmured
, watching her boss carefully. His eyes looked strained as he rubbed his chin with his hand. “
Where
did you get it? W
as it out of the Yellow pages or
what?”

June’s brain shot into overdrive. She didn’t wish to fib to her boss, but she didn’t want to give the question a straight answer either. “I’d have to check on that.”

“Did Phyllipa give it to you
?”

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, June removed the pencil from her hair and stabbed it back again. “As I just said, I will check it out.” She answered in what she hopes was a convincing tone.

Steven drank some more coffee. “She gave it to you didn’t she?” It was more of a statement than a question.

His secretary hesitated. “Can I claim the right to silence on this one?” she finally asked.

Her boss nodded. “You have told me all I wish to know.” His voice creaked as if he had a bad cold.

“Will that be all?” she asked, already half way to the door.

Steven nodded. “For now!”

Almost running, June cut through the Print Floor to Phyllipa’s office.

“Are you on some sort of fun run?” the company Trouble-Shooter grinned, noting June’s anxious face as she flopped gratefully into a leather chair.

“It’s bridge crossing time!” her friend said, breathlessly.

“Really!” Phyllipa
murmured
. “That was quick wasn’t it?”

“The boss is probing. He put a straight question to me which deserved a straight answer, but he didn’t get one.”

“Sounds ominous.”

“Someone has obviously got in his ear and told him things.”

Phyllipa nodded. “It was always on the cards that he would find out, but I didn’t think it would be quite so soon.” She smiled, as she opened her daily newspaper at the crossword page. “Not to worry, eh?”

June stood up. “I just thought I would warn you that’s all. I don’t want you and Steven to fall out. What you did was for the best possible reasons!”

Phyllipa sighed. “History is full of such excuses!”

“Yes well…..” June added. “As I said before, mind your feet, it could be a difficult day.”

“See you in the pub later on. We’ll compare notes and thanks!”

Phyllipa watched her friend leave, then scanning her crossword, studied the clues. Ten minutes later, leaving her desk she looked into a mirror on the wall. “The best form
of defence
.” She told her image. “Is attack.” Leaving her office, she watched and listened to the giant machines thundering through their cycles and smiled openly at the kick she got from the activity. Suddenly the noise was dying away to a gentle hum as she approached the Managing Director’s office. He was sitting on the edge of his desk studying some papers, but, somet
hing in his stance told her he was waiting for this moment
.

“Good morning!” he looked at her without returning the greeting, showing his tired face.

Phyllipa watched him carefully
. “Is there something wrong? Perhaps I should go out and come back in again?”

He dropped the papers he had been reading on the desk. “My accountant popped in to see me last night.”

“That’s nice. Good news I hope?”

Steven ignored the question. “He gave me some startling information. It was only startling because I didn’t know anything about it.” His eyes narrowed and his face coloured in anger. “But apparently you did!”

“Did what?” Phyllipa stared at his face.

“It was you who paid off my overdraft, and it was you who engineered the company account being moved to your bank!” he attempted to laugh, but it didn’t come out quite right. “Your bank!” he shouted. “There was me thinking I had a white knight in the background and all the time it was a dark queen.”

Her
eyes flashed dangerously, but she kept quiet to let him say what he had to say.

“It worried me how quickly you bought in the Kristex accountant. There was just something not quite right about it. Nobody and I don’t give a damn who they are, could get a contract like that without there being something just a little bit suspicious about it.” A heavy frown replaced the sadness in his face. “For all I know you and your family probably own the whole outfit.”

“It isn’t what you think Steven.” Phyllipa’s voice was quiet but firm.

“Isn’t it?” walking over to the window he gazed out. “After my accountant had left me last night, I sat down and started to think and every road which I went down returned to you. All roads lead to Phyllipa Gore eh?”