When at last Jinks was brought home, they hired a nurse to help out, at the doctor’s suggestion. They had chosen a pleasant Scottish girl who, being a vegetarian, had something in common with Harriet. The two got along very well. Mavis McCormick was sensitive and intelligent, and fully aware of Harriet’s problems. She knew when she should interfere and when to stand aside.
Edward had waited until his daughter was safely home before he broke the news that he would have to go away for a few weeks. There were problems in South Africa just as all the hard work of the last few years was coming to fruition. There were serious hitches and financial discrepancies that would have to be sorted out fast. Skye Duval was not answering Edward’s telexes, and his office phone had been left off the hook.
Edward left details with Mavis of how to contact him, day or night, if it should prove necessary. He was very reluctant to leave, but really had no option. Harriet was philosophical about it. She carried Jinks in her arms to see him off, waving the little girl’s hand as Edward got into the car. Then he got out again to give them both another kiss.
‘Okay, now you take care of your mother,’ he told Jinks seriously, ‘and when I come home I’ll bring you something special.’
Harriet, smiling, said if he brought anything more home for the baby, they would never be able to get into the nursery.
Edward had never been so relaxed and happy in his life, and he hated leaving. The thought of his family fed his anger on the flight to South Africa.
Skye had never seen Edward so angry. In all the years they had known each other Edward had never shown this icy fury, and he was terrified. Skye sweated it out as Edward went from site to site, checking and double-checking the company’s building projects. To all intents and purposes Skye had been running the company as Edward instructed, but there were big payouts, five thousand here, ten there, which were not accounted for.
Skye stuttered. ‘That MP you got, he’s in and out of the place all the time. Every time he comes here he wants more, he gives us a project and his hand is out... Take a look, he’s got an account here, one in Switzerland, and he’s even got me setting up schemes for his wife, his kids... I’ve been warning you about him, I sent you telex after telex...’
Edward swore. Walter was going over the top, feathering his nest at Edward’s expense, and yet they could do nothing. They needed him — his name had already got them into Mexico.
‘You think we could get these deals without him, Skye? Do you?’
Skye said they could, the company was now very prestigious, but he doubted if they could lose Walter. He would want to milk them on everything they built.
‘We’ll see about that... Mexico, how’s that going?’
Pulling out the drawings and the files, Skye showed Edward that Walter had once again taken a ten thousand pound bribe for his connections in Mexico. ‘He wants a share of everything, Edward. The guy is so greedy, he wants to be a rich man and he’s doing it on your back. But I don’t see how we can stop him. If word of his share in all these projects leaks out, it’ll finish his political career and at the same time wipe us out. The government would step in right away.’
They dined together at a very elegant restaurant. Edward chose a table at the back of the room, in a small alcove. He poured Skye a glass of Dom Perignon and toasted him.
‘Got some business to add to your already expanding duties. That land I own over at Ghost Mountains, I’m ready to begin work on it. I want all the tractors and digging machines driven over there at the beginning of next month. I have all the licences for blowing the place apart.’
Skye whistled. He had been waiting to see why Edward had been steadily buying up vast areas of land to add to the millions of acres he already owned.
‘It’s not for diamonds, it’s perlite... I’ve done a deal with some Americans to start mining for perlite.’
‘What do I get out of it, apart from more work?’
‘You’ll be handsomely paid, old bean, as always.’
‘The official will want a cut, plus the government, you know that?’
Edward ordered for them both, and Skye tossed the menu aside. He downed his champagne, ordered another bottle.
Edward mused, twirling his glass around. ‘Been thinking of floating the company on the London Johannesburg stock exchange, raise more money from Joe Public — make you a tycoon, Skye. I’ve made an appointment for you to see the solicitors tomorrow, Main Street, they’ll be waiting. I’m not interested in the stones, it’s the perlite I want. You’ll have the best man to help you, an expert on sedimentary rock, he’ll do all the assessments. I want to corner the whole market, become the sole owner of every perlite mine in South Africa, so I don’t want any leakage. I don’t want anyone to suspect there might be valuable stones there as well...’
Skye lit a cigarette and blew out the smoke, which formed circles above his head. ‘You’ll have to be fucking careful, man, that place could be more productive — surrounded by fucking oyster beds, you know, near the fucking coast. Could be showered with pearls, never mind fucking diamonds.’
Edward didn’t speak while the waiter served their meal, then he jabbed at the steak with his fork. ‘I’m arranging a method for getting the stones out and over to England... We are mining for perlite, sweetheart, anything else keep quiet about. I’ll get it out of South Africa, no problem.’
Skye toyed with his food, pushing it around his plate, his cigarette still burning between his fingers. ‘You’re the boss, man, but you want to get on the side of the blokes running the so-called “Illegal Diamond Division”. I’ll give you their names. They’ll turn a blind eye as long as you pay them enough.’
Edward nodded, chewing his steak, then spoke with his mouth full. ‘I don’t want a single mining house to get wind of this project. Next week I want you to go over to Sbwana Bay, and take your fucking quinine with you, it’s bush and more bush. You don’t go near the map companies, I’ve got some worked out. This is mouth shut time.’
‘Okay by me — fancy a trip, bored out of my mind on the building sites. You know how much the machines will set you back? Around fifty thousand — pounds, not dollars, sweetie.’
Edward pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with his napkin. ‘I don’t like to push you, but I have a lot of money tied up in this deal, and I’m trusting you with it. Fuck me over, Skye, and you’re dead.’
Skye sighed, his voice quiet and pitiful.
‘I know, I know... I’ll see it through for you as I do everything else. Goodnight.’
Edward mentioned neither Harriet nor the child to Skye, and Skye didn’t dare to broach the subject. There was no friendship between them now and he knew it, had known it ever since he made that stupid pass at Harriet.
Edward, after a delay of over a month, eventually returned to London and went straight home. Even though it was after midnight, he went to the nursery to deliver the promised gifts. His daughter lay sleeping, her blankets kicked off, her fists curled tightly in sleep. He felt such a strong surge of emotion he wanted to pick her up and hug her, but he gently covered her and crept into the bedroom.
Harriet was sitting up in bed, a pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose. She gave him a wink and tapped her book. ‘Just checking up on the pros and cons of motherhood. She is extraordinary, I’m sure she’s advanced for her age. Do you know, I’m sure she almost said something... Did you see how long her hair’s grown? And she has a front tooth coming... You’ve missed so much, she’s nearly walking, and she holds on so hard. And when she laughs she tosses her tiny head back and gurgles...’