‘You spent quite a lot of your earlylife out of the country,' he saidsoberly, as if she might have forgotten.
‘Isuppose that explains it. We did miss out on quite a lot of family weddings.'She smiled. 'Though perhaps I won't miss out on thenext one?'
‘Oh yes, haven't you two introducedyourselves? This is Annabelle, Annabelle Stapleton. My fiancée and possible future partner in the business.' Hissmile, though conventional, did atleast prove he brushed his teeth, which was something.
‘How nice,' said Flora, wishing she'd made more enquiries about the business before telling that nice man of course he could have her flat for at least sixmonths, she wouldn't be needing it.
‘Yes,' agreed Charles. 'Now, let'ssit down and discuss your part in Stanza and Stanza.'
‘Would anyone like a glass of waterfirst?' suggested Annabelle.
‘Oh, yes please,' said Flora. 'Andcould I post a little to Imelda? Inthe box? I need to check on her anyway.' Flora delivered one of her most appealing smiles to her distant cousin, a last-ditch attempt to get him onher side. 'I wouldn't have broughther if there'd been any alternative, I assure you.'
‘That's fine,' said Charles smoothly,almost, but not quite, concealing hisimpatience. Then, when the water hadbeen dispensed and the cat seen to, he said, 'Tell me, Flora, I hope this isn't a rude question, buthow much do you actually know aboutantiques and the auction business?’
Flora took another sip of water. 'Ah well, you pickup things like that as you go along, don't you?'
‘Do you?' asked Charles, who had, shenow noticed, rather strange grey-blue eyes which, beneath his sceptical eyebrows, had the look of the North Sea inwinter.
‘Well,yes.' Flora tried to think of a suitable phrase, to indicate she knew more than what she had gleaned from a lot of recent, frantic watching of variousafternoon televisionprogrammes on the subject. 'Cheap as chips'didn't seem to apply. 'Of course,' she said airily, 'having spent so much of my youth in Europe, I'm notso up on English furniture.'
‘But you must be au fait with all those glorious ceramics,' saidAnnabelle. 'I adore ceramics.’
Just for a moment, Flora felt unsure what ceramics were. 'Oh, you mean china and stuff? Yes, I love ittoo. I collect teapots, funny ones, youknow?’
Charleswinced visibly. 'I think we'd better get on.’
‘Well,yes, we'd better,' said Flora rashly. 'But I do wonder if we will.'
‘What on earth are youtalking about?' said Charles. 'Now . . .' He opened a file and drew outa sheaf of papers. He was not a man whowould get behind with his paperwork. He had that look about him. He was a filer and a putter-into-alphabetical-order-er. Itwas painfully clear.
‘Now,' he began, 'our mutual great-uncleleft things slightly awkwardly'
‘Did he?' asked Flora. 'I thought it was all quite straightforward. You'd already inheritedforty-nine per cent from yourfather, and I got fifty-one per cent when Uncle Clodio died. Clear as sixteenth-century window glass, orsomething. Although I realise I wouldn't normallyhave been expected to inherit,' she added as consolation.
‘Yes,' explained Charles, openlyirritable now. 'But it is awkward.You own more than me. And you know nothingabout the business and I've been running this auction house all my life,more or less.'
‘Well, obviously I'm not going tosweep in here and make huge changes!'Flora made an extravagant gesture withher arms, observing at the same time that a good sweep, on the floor at least, would be a good idea. 'I want to learn about the business I'm going to be partof.’
Charles and Annabelle exchanged questioning glances. 'That's encouraging,' said Charles warily, 'but it still doesn't quite settle the matter. I can'thave you having more shares than Ihave. It doesn't make sense, on any level.’
The cat yowled, possibly showing solidarity with Charles.
‘Sorry, I must have a peek. In case this is it.’
‘It?'
‘The moment when shereally is going to give birth. It'sher first litter, you see, and the kittens can come in about thirty minutes from when she starts. I'veread all about it.’
While Flora fussed with the cat she thought abouther own situation. She was obviously totally unwelcome and Charles was horrible. Which was a shame - shehardly ever dislikedpeople. She'd probably better make an alternative plan. Staying in the depths of thecountry with a couplewho deeply resented her presence was notgoing to be a lot of fun. 'If it wasn't for you, Imelda,' she breathed inaudibly, 'I'd hightail it out of townright now.'
‘Tell me,' said Charles, when Florawas again upright, sitting back inher uncomfortable chair. 'What exactly doyou hope to get out of your trip down here?' The grey-blue eyes were penetrating and cold - they really were just like the North Sea. Flora felt she wasbeing interviewed for a job for whichshe had no qualifications - which,in a way, she was. She struggled to remind herself that, technically at least, she was more powerful than Charles.
Shetook a breath and didn't let herself be distracted by Imelda'syowl. 'I haven't been brought up in the business like youhave, but I have known about it. I didn't expect toinherit, as- I said. It was such a shock to everyone whenNiccolô was killed in that car accident and even then,I never thought Uncle Clodio - did you know him, bythe way? He was lovely - would leave it to me.'
‘No. I didn't know him.'
‘It broke his heart when Nicki died, obviously.'
‘It must have been terrible,' murmuredAnnabelle.
‘Butreally, we - my parents and I - were totallysurprised when we heard about how he'd left things.'
‘Then I absolve you of forcing him tochange his will on his death-bed,'said Charles dryly. 'But it still leaves us in a difficult position. In theory you could come in here andupset everything.’
Flora smiled. 'Yes I could, couldn't I?'
‘Of course you won't,' Charlesinformed her firmly. 'But it would bemuch better if we could arrange things differently.'
‘And how would you do that?' askedFlora, sensing they had the perfect plan all worked out.
‘Annabelle could buy three per cent ofyour shares, so I would have one percent more than you. Which, consideringI am the senior partner, is only right and proper.'
‘And Annabelle would have
