Sons of Fortune

“He was,” said Julia. “But I think that’s enough business for one night, so once my money has been deposited, perhaps the bank would be willing to represent me at the auction? However, I require complete discretion, I don’t want anyone else to know who you’re bidding for. Something else my husband taught me.” She turned her attention to the hostess. “Can I help you with the next course?”

“No, thank you,” said Su Ling, “Nat’s hopeless, but is just about capable of carrying four plates into the kitchen, and when he remembers, pouring the occasional glass of wine.”

“So how did you two meet?” asked Nat while, prompted by Su Ling’s comment, he began to refill the glasses.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” said Tom, “but we met on a building site.”

“I’m sure there has to be a more romantic explanation.”

“When I was checking over the council land last Sunday, I came across Julia out jogging.”

“I thought you were insistent about discretion,” said Nat smiling.

“Not many people seeing a woman jogging over a building site on a Sunday morning think she wants to buy it.”

“In fact,” said Tom, “it wasn’t until I’d taken her out for dinner at the Cascade that I discovered what Julia was really up to.”

“Corporate real estate must be a tough world for a woman?” said Nat.

“Yes, it is,” said Julia, “but I didn’t choose it, it chose me. You see, when I left college in Minnesota, I did some modeling for a short time, before I met my husband. It was his idea that I should look at sites whenever I went out jogging, and then report back to him. Within a year I knew exactly what he was looking for and within two, I had a place on the board.”

“So you now run the company.”

“No,” said Julia, “I leave that to my chairman and chief executive officer, but I remain the majority shareholder.”

“So you decided to stay involved after your husband’s death?”

“Yes, that was his idea, he knew he only had a couple of years to live, and as we didn’t have any children he decided to teach me everything about the business. I think even he was surprised by how willing a pupil I turned out to be.”

Nat began to clear away the plates.

“Anyone for crème brûlée?” asked Su Ling.

“I couldn’t eat another mouthful; that lamb was so tender,” said Julia. “But don’t let that stop you,” she added, patting Tom’s stomach.

Nat glanced across at Tom, and thought he’d never seen him looking so content. He suspected that Julia might even come to dinner a third time.

“Is that really the time?” asked Julia, looking down at her watch. “It’s been a wonderful evening, Su Ling, but please forgive me, I have a board meeting at ten tomorrow morning, so I ought to be leaving.”

“Yes, of course,” said Su Ling, rising from her place.

Tom leaped up from his chair and accompanied Julia out into the hall, before helping her on with her coat. He kissed Su Ling on the cheek, thanking her for a wonderful evening.

“I’m only sorry that Julia has to rush back to New York. Let’s make it my place next time.”

Nat glanced across at Su Ling and smiled, but she didn’t respond.

Nat found himself chuckling as he closed the front door. “Some woman that,” he said when he joined his wife in the kitchen and grabbed a drying-up cloth.

“She’s a phony,” said Su Ling.

“What do you mean?” asked Nat.

“Exactly what I said, she’s a phony—phony accent, phony clothes, and her phony story was altogether too neat and tidy. Don’t do any business with her.”

“What can go wrong if she deposits five hundred thousand with the bank?”

“I’d be willing to bet a month’s salary that the five hundred thousand never turns up.”