Mightier Than the Sword (The Clifton Chronicles 5)

No one asked the obvious question.

“The Buckingham’s captain had reported to the board that during its latest voyage the third officer, a Mr. Jessel, was found drunk while serving on the bridge, and had been confined to his quarters for the rest of the crossing. Admiral Summers demanded that Jessel be sacked immediately without severance pay or a reference. I supported him because, like all the other board members, he’d forgotten that Jessel was the junior flag officer of the watch on the first night of the maiden voyage, and must have witnessed everything that took place.”

Fisher dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.

“It wasn’t difficult,” continued Mellor, “to track down Jessel, who is not only out of work, but admitted to being three months behind with his rent. I took him off to the local pub, and it didn’t take long to discover that he was still angry and bitter about his dismissal. He went on to claim that he knew things that would bring the company down. A few rums later and he began to elaborate on what those things were, assuming that I’d been sent to make sure he kept his mouth shut, which only made him open it even more. He told me that he saw Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington carrying a large vase of flowers up from one of the first-class cabins to the upper deck. They managed to th

row it overboard just moments before it exploded. The following morning three Irishmen were arrested and the captain apologized to the passengers, giving them the Home Fleet story, whereas in truth they were only seconds away from a major disaster that could have killed heaven knows how many people and, quite literally, sunk the company without trace.”

“But why didn’t the IRA publicize what really happened?” demanded Fisher nervously.

“Jessel told me that the three Irishmen were arrested later that morning and transported back to Belfast on a Royal Navy ship before being locked up in a Belfast prison on other charges. They’ve recently been released, and one of their bail conditions is that if they say a word about the Buckingham they’ll be back in solitary the same day. And let’s face it, the IRA don’t talk a lot about their failures.”

“But if the IRA are in no position to corroborate the story, and our only witness is a drunk who was dismissed from his post, why would anyone be interested nearly six years later?” asked Fisher. “And how often,” he added, “have we read headlines claiming the IRA planned to bomb Buckingham Palace, the Bank of England, or the House of Commons?”

“I agree with you, major,” said Mellor, “but the press may take a very different attitude when, as the new chairman of Barrington’s, I decide to put the record straight just weeks before the launch of the Balmoral and the announcement of the date of its maiden voyage.”

“But the share price would collapse overnight.”

“And we’ll pick them up for almost nothing with the profit we make on the bank deal. With a new board in place and a change of name, we’ll soon get the company back to its former status.”

“A change of name?” queried Lady Virginia.

Desmond smiled. “Mellor Shipping. Adrian gets the bank, and I get a shipping company.”

“And what do I get?” said Virginia.

“Exactly what you always wanted, Virginia, the pleasure of bringing the Barrington family to their knees. And you still have a vital role to play, because timing will be everything. Another piece of information I picked up at the last board meeting was that Harry and Emma Clifton will be visiting New York next month, which as chairman she does every year. That will be the perfect time for you to let your friends in the press know what they can look forward to at the trial. It’s important that you get your side of the story over while she’s stuck in the middle of the Atlantic. So by the time Mrs. Clifton returns, she’ll have to defend herself on two fronts: the shareholders will want to know why, as chairman of a public company, she failed to let them know what really happened that night, and at the same time she’ll be having to deal with Virginia’s libel case. I predict it won’t be long before she joins her father as a footnote in the company’s history.”

“One snag,” said Virginia. “My lawyers only give me a fifty-fifty chance of winning the case.”

“By the time the trial opens,” said Sloane, “Emma Clifton will have lost whatever credibility she ever had. The jury will be on your side from the moment you enter the witness box.”

“But if I don’t win, I’ll end up with a hefty legal bill,” persisted Virginia.

“After Mrs. Clifton resigns as chairman of Barrington’s, I can’t see how you lose the case. But in that unlikely eventuality, the bank will happily cover all your costs. Pennies in the grand scheme of things.”

“That doesn’t solve the problem of Sebastian Clifton and his six percent,” chipped in Major Fisher. “Because if he gets a place on the board, he’ll know everything we…”

“I’ve got that covered,” said Sloane. “I’m going to call Clifton and suggest we meet.”

“Perhaps he’ll refuse to see you.”

“He won’t be able to resist, and when I offer him five pounds a share for his stock, giving him a hundred percent profit, he’ll roll over. From what I remember of that boy, he forgets any other commitments the moment he sees a chance to make a killing.”

“But if he were to turn down your offer,” said Fisher.

“Then it’s plan B,” said Sloane. “I don’t care either way.”

* * *

“As I explained when we first met, Lady Virginia, in my professional opinion, your chances of winning this case are no better than fifty-fifty, so perhaps it might be wise to drop the action.”

“Thank you for your advice, Sir Edward, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“So be it,” replied her silk. “But I felt it necessary to place my opinion on the record, so there can be no misunderstanding at a later date.”

“You’ve made your position abundantly clear, Sir Edward.”