“Not in my opinion,” I intervened, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. “By divesting ourselves of Viburna straightaway and concentrating on our traditional-”
“Let me get this straight,” Jennifer interjected. “You three”-she glanced at Bella, Uncle Larry and me-“mean to vote against the offer?”
“Yes,” I said. At which Uncle Larry nodded and Bella straightened her neck in a graceful gesture of assent.
“Then the sale can’t proceed. The motion’s lost.”
“The motion’s not yet been put,” said Adrian. At once, the absence of panic in his voice sounded a worrying note in my mind. “As I’ve indicated, I’d have to resign if the offer was rejected out of hand. In view of the concerns that have been expressed, however, I’m willing to suggest a compromise. It would appear the bid as it stands is unacceptable to three members of the board. I’m therefore prepared to seek an improvement of the terms. More money up front, perhaps. More guarantees for the workforce. Whatever I can squeeze out of Bushranger.”
“That’ll be sod all,” said Simon. “You’ve got nothing to negotiate with.”
“I’m willing to try.”
He was playing for time. I knew as well as he did that Harvey McGraw wouldn’t give another inch. But if Adrian could persuade us to postpone a final decision, he might hope to lure Bella back to his side of the argument before the extension expired. No doubt he thought he could top my offer if he could only find out what she wanted. Which would have been sound reasoning, but for circumstances he had no inkling of. I almost admired his acumen. But I had no intention of allowing admiration to stand in my way. “The terms aren’t the problem,” I said calmly. “No offer from Bushranger is acceptable to me.”
“What about you, Uncle?” asked Adrian, smiling indulgently.
“Well, I…”
“I’m just asking for a little time.”
“Yes, but-”
“If I can’t get anywhere with Bushranger or if such improvements as I obtain aren’t sufficient to sway you, I’ll accept your decision as final.”
Uncle Larry stared fixedly at the papers in front of him and pursed his lips. “Well, that would avoid a… regrettable split… wouldn’t it?” He looked round at me, pleading for my agreement. “No sense forcing Adrian to resign, is there? Not when we can all… emerge from this with dignity.” He’d been nobbled. I could tell as much from his crumpled frown and his refusal to meet my gaze. Adrian had got to him before the meeting and forced him to choose between a family rift and a fallacious compromise. Fallacious because Adrian intended to use whatever breathing space he was granted to negotiate with Bella, not Harvey McGraw. And because his threat to resign would never have been carried out. With a wife, four children, two dogs and a mortgage to support, he couldn’t afford to pick up his ball and go home.
“I suggest we review the situation in a month’s time,” Adrian continued. “And leave the offer on the table until then.”
“That sounds reasonable to me,” said Jennifer.
“And me,” mumbled Simon.
Adrian looked at Uncle Larry with raised eyebrows. The old fellow cleared his throat and adjusted the knot of his tie. “Fair enough,” he said at last.
Bella looked across at me and made a mocking little circle of her mouth, as if to say, “Oh dear.” But what she actually said was: “Well, why not?”
“Because this should be settled now,” I said, trying hard not to shout. “Once and for all.”
“But that’s not the sentiment of the meeting,” said Adrian, goading me with the placidity of his expression. “Is it?”
“Apparently not.”
“Very well, then.” He smiled and flicked open his diary. “I suggest we hold a special meeting to discuss progress on, let me see, Thursday the twenty-eighth of October.”
“No good,” objected Simon gloomily. “You and me are going up to Lancashire, remember? To persuade a certain rising star to flash a T and S bat in front of the TV cameras.”
“Of course. The following Thursday, then. The fourth of November.”
“That’s six weeks away,” I protested.
“Well, we’re all busy people, Robin,” Adrian replied. “Especially me, now I have to go to Sydney at short notice.”
“Yes, but you only asked for-” I gave up, sensing hostility growing around me. It was bad enough for me to have opposed what Simon, Jennifer and Uncle Larry all obviously considered to be a sensible compromise. I was now in danger of looking petty-minded into the bargain. “Oh, forget it,” I concluded impatiently. “The fourth of November it is.”
“Good,” said Adrian, so affably you might have thought an unfortunate clash of dates was all he was trying to resolve. “Will you be able to join us then, Bella?”
“I’ll be able to, certainly,” she replied. “As to whether I will…” She glanced across at me and shook her head faintly, as if to disclaim responsibility for the way things had gone. “That depends.”
Bella and I had agreed beforehand to leave Frenchman’s Road at different times, in order to avoid stoking up suspicion, and to rendezvous at the Five Bells in Buriton. I’d expected to feel in a celebratory mood, tolerant of her vagaries. Instead, I was angry and resentful. Angry with myself for not having foreseen what might happen at the meeting. And resentful of the enviable position events had placed her in. Instead of having to fulfil her half of our bargain first, then trust me to fulfil mine, she could now sit back and await the results of my efforts on her behalf, knowing it would be six weeks before I could call in her debt. By which time, if I’d achieved nothing of value, she could go back on our agreement, secure in the knowledge that there wasn’t a single thing I could do about it. There was no way I could stretch my enquiries out to fill six weeks. Long before the fourth of November, I’d have to come up with the goods. Or admit my failure. And the latter seemed much the likelier outcome. Which left me with no alternative but to seek a promise from her I knew she wouldn’t feel bound to keep.
“I’ll do what I can, Bella. But if I end up even more certain than I am now that Paul’s telling the truth…”
“Can you rely on me to vote with you on the fourth of November?”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just find out what Paul’s up to.”
“Yes, but-”
“You should be glad things turned out as they did, really.”
“Why?”
“Because this gives you just the incentive you need.” She smiled disingenuously. “I don’t know why you’re glowering at me like that. Anyone would think what happened was my fault.” It was a thought that until then hadn’t occurred to me. But now it had been planted in my mind, I knew it wouldn’t go away. Was it possible she’d tipped Adrian off in some way, foreseeing how he’d react? Was it conceivable she’d set me up from the start? “I’m going back to Biarritz tomorrow, Robin. I’ll phone you early next week to see how you’re getting on. And remember…” There was a twinkle in her eyes as she sipped her drink and looked up at me across the rim of her glass. “There’s no time to be lost.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I phoned the Bryants that night and asked if we could meet to discuss the implications of Paul’s confession. It was his father I spoke to and he seemed quite touched that a member of the Paxton family-as my connection with Bella somehow made him regard me-should want to see them at all in the circumstances. It was also clear that any help I could offer them would be gratefully received. “I don’t mind telling you, Mr. Timariot,” he said, “Dot and I have been beside ourselves with worry this past week. We just don’t know which way to turn.” I was obviously going to be greeted as a welcome visitor in Surbiton on Saturday afternoon. Though whether I’d be remembered as such was altogether less certain.