Nothing Ventured

‘I’ll have to call my boss,’ said William, who would have happily left immediately. ‘And as long as he gives his blessing, I could fly over tomorrow afternoon.’

‘No later than that,’ said Christina, ‘because once I’ve finished packing, all sixty-nine crates will be loaded onto Miles’ yacht.’

‘Will you also be on board?’

‘No, that’s not part of my plan. Once the Christina – named in happier times – has set sail for Southampton, I’ll be flying back to Heathrow. I’ll then be driven to Limpton Hall to wrap up some more of my presents, which have to be ready in time for the removers who will be turning up the following morning and taking them to Southampton, where they’ll also be placed on board the Christina. It’s all in the timing.’

‘Dare I ask what happens after that?’

‘All will be revealed when I see you in Monte Carlo tomorrow. Give me a call when you know which flight you’re on, and I’ll send a car to pick you up.’

‘I’ll phone you back once I’ve spoken to the commander. Goodbye, Christina, and happy Christmas.’ William put the phone down and returned to the dining room. How much he wanted to tell them, and Beth in particular, that by this time tomorrow he might be in possession of the Rembrandt. He sat down next to his fiancée, to find an empty plate in front of him.

‘You missed the main course, my boy. But not to worry, I’m sure there’ll be some pudding left over.’

‘Ignore him,’ said his mother. ‘We haven’t even started yet. Joanna’s been telling us what she’s been up to in Arthur’s absence.’

William smiled at Beth’s mother, as he helped himself to some brussel sprouts.

‘When Arthur first went to prison,’ said Joanna, ‘we all assumed that the company would be wound up. But we quickly discovered that Hamish was made of sterner stuff when he continued to run the office as if Arthur was still out on the road.

‘Meanwhile Arthur set up office in his cell at Pentonville, while I sat at his desk in Marylebone. I wrote to him every day, keeping him up to date.’

‘But what happened when someone made an appointment to see the chairman, only to find that he was in prison?’ asked Grace.

‘After a while I took his place and even began to travel around the country visiting the company’s clients. I was pleasantly surprised by how few of them deserted us.’

‘Reputation is the shield of the righteous in difficult times,’ said Sir Julian.

‘Who said that?’ asked William.

‘I did, you insolent child. But please continue, Joanna. You’d lost your accountant, and your bank must also have been apprehensive.’

‘Barclays did everything they could to help,’ said Joanna, ‘but it was Kleinwort Benson who came to our rescue and gave the investors the confidence to stick with us. And then, when we least expected it, we had a stroke of luck.’

Everyone at the table stopped eating.

‘Gary Kirkland hadn’t written a will, and his son Hugh inherited everything, including his father’s gift for figures, so he now sits in Gary’s old office and accounts for every penny the company spends. And before you ask, unlike his father, he’s happily married.’

‘So does that mean the company’s back on track?’ asked Grace.

‘No, we’re just about breaking even, but once Arthur returns, we should soon be showing a profit.’

‘No pressure then,’ said Sir Julian as the phone rang again. ‘Are we having our Christmas lunch in the BT Tower?’ he asked, letting out an exaggerated sigh. ‘As it’s bound to be for you, William, why don’t you invite whoever it is to join us in the hope that we won’t be interrupted again.’

William scurried out of the room and returned to his father’s study. He grabbed the phone, assuming it would be the commander. ‘William Warwick.’

‘Sorry to bother you on Christmas Day,’ said a voice that could only have hailed from New York, ‘but I need to speak to Ms Grace Warwick on a personal matter.’

‘May I ask who’s calling?’

‘Leonard Abrahams.’

‘Please hold on, Mr Abrahams, and I’ll let her know you’re on the phone.’

William quickly returned to the dining room. ‘It’s for you, Sis. Leonard Abrahams?’

‘Would you tell whoever it is, Grace, that we were rather hoping to have one course at which the whole family are present.’