Aghast, she saw the trap she’d created for herself.
‘But he didn’t hear me,’ she said. ‘Only you.’
‘Only me,’ he agreed with an odd inflection in his voice that she couldn’t quite understand. ‘I won’t tell him, but sooner or later the truth will out.’
‘What truth?’ she asked in a hollow voice.
‘That underneath that calculating, hard-as-nails exterior you’ve so carefully painted on there’s a soft-hearted, empathetic, generous human being.’
‘It’s a lie,’ she said fiercely.
He grinned and took a swig of the local beer before asking, ‘Where did you get all that detailed knowledge of Hadson’s?’
‘I spent a week there once.’
‘And got to know them all as people?’
‘I did a detailed survey of the situation, as my job required,’ she said stiffly.
‘And made friends with them,’ he persisted remorselessly. ‘Liked them, felt for them.’
‘I suppose one can be a human being without becoming an automaton.’
‘Not really. Sooner or later the choice has to be made. My dear girl-’
‘Don’t call me that. I’m not a girl, I’m not yours and I’m not dear to you.’
‘Isn’t that for me to say?’ he asked quietly.
She was silent a moment before saying, equally quietly, ‘That’s enough!’
He shrugged. ‘Whatever pleases you. It’s time I went to my room and spent some more time in the soulless pursuit of money. Goodnight.’
He left her there, wondering how she could ever have thought he was a nice guy. He was a monster who called her vile, unspeakable names.
Soft-hearted. Empathetic.
She would never forgive him!
The following morning she rose to find that he had compounded his crimes. There was no sign of him at breakfast, only a note.
Brusque to the point of discourtesy, she fumed. Perhaps he found writing difficult. He certainly seemed to have had a problem at the end of the note because there was an inky smudge just before his initials, as though he’d started to write something else, then scrubbed it out. Maybe he didn’t know his own initials, she thought uncharitably.
Her morning at Hadson’s wasn’t happy. They all suspected the worst, and she could only confirm it.
‘He says the place isn’t viable,’ she said with a sigh. ‘It’s just a matter of time now. I’m so sorry.’
‘We know you did your best,’ Mr Jakes told her and the others murmured agreement.
She was left feeling cast down. She had mishandled the whole business, failed to save their jobs and they were being nice to her. She could have wept.
He turned up in the middle of the afternoon and was received in near silence.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone,’ he said, apparently oblivious to the atmosphere. ‘This morning’s business took longer than I expected, owing to Mr Kellway’s difficulty in making up his mind. But in the end he saw things the right way.’
‘You’ve been to Kellway’s?’ Olympia asked, astounded.
‘I’ve bought it. There’s no room for both of you, so there’ll be a merger. Those who want to continue working are guaranteed a job at Kellway’s. Those who don’t can apply for voluntary redundancy.’
Forty faces turned accusingly towards Olympia.
‘But she said you were going to close us down and chuck us out,’ Mr Jakes said.
‘Did you say that?’ Jack Cayman asked.
‘I-not in those exact words. But you said-’
‘I said this place wasn’t viable, and it isn’t, on its own. A merger makes sense. I never mentioned chucking people out. That was your spin. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’
‘I-’
‘Before we leave we’d better sort out who wants to stay and who doesn’t. Mr Jakes, your position is protected. Kellway’s is eager to get you.’
‘You mean I don’t get the redundancy?’ Mr Jakes demanded.
‘Of course, if you want it.’
‘You bet I want it. I can go and see my daughter in Australia.’
Olympia stared. Was there anything she hadn’t got wrong?
It took a couple of hours before they were ready to leave and then the cheers followed them. As they walked back to the pub he said, ‘Do we have time to reach the other place tonight?’
‘Just about.’
She took the wheel for the three hour drive. They said little on the journey, each saving energy for what was to come. This time the journey was to the Midlands and they managed to find a small hotel, just in time for the last serving of dinner.
Only when they were sitting over the soup did she say crossly, ‘You made a complete fool of me.’
‘I didn’t mean to. You shouldn’t have made that announcement without consulting me first.’
‘I never thought you’d do anything like that. Anyway, suppose Signor Rinucci doesn’t agree with you about this purchase?’
‘He will.’
‘Just like that?’
‘Why not? It’s the logical next step. You didn’t see it because you haven’t the right mindset, but you’ll learn.’
‘The right mindset for Leonate, you mean?’
‘No, for any successful business. You’re still thinking on a small scale and that’s no use for an international conglomerate.’
‘So how do I learn to think “international” if I can’t get to meet the big boss?’
‘Still fixated on him, huh?’
‘You knew that.’
‘Nothing’s changed?’
‘Nothing,’ she said firmly.
‘What about all that warmth and humanity you were showing signs of?’
‘An aberration. I’ll get over it. Besides, look what a mess I made. I got Mr Jakes all wrong. But you didn’t,’ she added as the realisation came to her. ‘You understood him.’
‘So maybe I’m not just figures and accounts?’ he said with a slight inflection of teasing.
‘Did I say that? I don’t remember.’
‘You’re tired. That was a long drive and we have a lot to get through tomorrow. Let’s finish the meal and get some rest.’
She was only too glad to agree. She felt as though something had knocked her sideways, but she couldn’t quite work out what it was.
Tired as she was, she found it hard to sleep. Lying awake for hours, she became aware of him on the other side of the thin wall. She could hear his bed creak, his footsteps on the floor, his window being pushed up as if he were drinking in the night air, then his bed again, sounding as though he were tossing and turning.
She wondered what he was thinking and why he should be as restless as herself.
The next day was more successful. As before, they arrived without warning and walked in as the manager was talking with a dissatisfied customer. It soon became clear that a trivial matter had been blown out of all proportion, chiefly because the customer had a quarrelsome nature.
He was inclined to take umbrage at the new arrivals, but within minutes Olympia had taken over, dazzled the man with her smile and calmed him down to the point where a sensible conversation became possible.
By the time she had finished, the order was not only rescued but increased and the customer was purring with content. Primo took them all to lunch and kept the manager locked in conversation while Olympia completed her
