‘You spoil that child, you know. Maybe you’ve been spending too much time with him.’
Alex gave Barbara a strange, veiled look, and spoke quietly. ‘Well, one of us has to.’
Barbara pursed her lips. She didn’t want to discuss it, they invariably argued about Evelyn.
Suddenly the little boy ran into the room. ‘Daddy... Daddy...’ He threw himself into Alex’s arms, and chortled with laughter as his father twirled him around, tossed him up in the air and caught him.
‘Who’s Daddy’s boy, then, eh? Who’s Daddy’s boy?’
Watching them, Barbara was terrified that Alex would notice Evelyn’s likeness to Edward, it was so obvious to her. ‘I don’t want Edward seeing him, Alex, he’s such a foul-mouthed man. I don’t want Evelyn near him.’
Alex held his son close and buried his face in the thick curls. ‘We’ll keep him away from the big, bad wolf... Now, Daddy’s got to go out, but... tomorrow, what are we doing tomorrow?’
‘Zoo... zoo...’
Alex carried Evelyn to the nursery and the nanny smiled. He so obviously adored his son, in a way he made up for the lack of motherly affection. Evelyn began crying because he didn’t want Alex to leave, but he got a tap on the nose and was told Daddy had important work to do.
When Alex arrived at Selina and Conrad’s house, he found his stepdaughter alone. She was a strange, quiet girl, and although he was fond of her he found her trying, she was so shy and introverted.
‘How are your boys?’
Selina murmured that they were all well, then lapsed into silence.
‘I really need to talk to Conrad urgently, you expecting him soon? If so, I’ll wait.’
Selina shrugged, her mouth turned down. ‘He comes and goes as he chooses, perhaps you should try at the office in the morning.’
Alex tilted his head to one side. ‘Nothing wrong between you, is there?’
Selina laughed, humourlessly. ‘There’s nothing between us, but I’ll pass your message on if I see him.’
‘I’d appreciate that, tell him we’re in trouble, Edward’s back, and kicking.’
Alex felt sorry for her, and made a mental note to have a word with Barbara, perhaps she should talk to the girl. He sighed, irritated by Selina’s lack of energy. She had everything money could buy, a handsome husband, two lovely boys, and yet she was never enthusiastic about anything.
Edward was sitting up in bed with stacks of files on each side of him. Dewint brought a dinner tray, and Edward lay back. ‘I dunno, I leave for a few months and he gets us into such deep water, you know what’s the matter with him, he’s a big softie; can’t do business on favours, keep it in the family, doesn’t work...’
Harriet shrieked for Edward. He leapt out of bed, overturning the tray, and ran from the bedroom. He threw open the nursery door. ‘What, for Chrissake? What is it?’
‘She’s cross-eyed — look for yourself, she’s cross-eyed. Mavis agrees with me — can you see, hold your finger up... See, it’s her left eye... Oh my God, she’s cross-eyed.’
Edward picked up his daughter and stared into her face, while she tried to ram her fingers in his mouth. She had round, rosy cheeks and auburn hair, darker than her mother’s, and strange black eyebrows. No one could actually describe her as beautiful, but to Edward there was nothing wrong that he could see. ‘She’s not, she’s just got strange-coloured eyes! You’re not cross-eyed, are you sweetie?’
‘She is! Give her to me and I’ll show you. It’s bad enough to have hair like a burnt orange, now she’s cross-eyed. There! See — the left eye swings in towards the corner...’
Mavis was hovering at the door, and Edward brought her into the debate. ‘What do you think, Mavis?’
‘Well, I’d no say it was crossed, maybe a wee bit lazy.’
‘Oh, bloody hell, you know what’s going to happen — she’s going to be one of those children with glasses and a patch over one eye. She certainly suits her name, she’s jinxed all right.’
Edward carried Jinks on his shoulder for a third opinion, and Dewint peered up into her face. ‘Well, I couldn’t say for sure, sah, but they can do wonders nowadays, you know. They can straighten it out.’
Proved correct, Harriet gave Edward a smug look. ‘Right, Mavis, we’re taking her to Harley Street. The last thing I want is a cross-eyed daughter.’
Edward shut himself in his study for the rest of the day. Late in the afternoon, Harriet returned with Jinks and stood, hands on hips, at his door.
‘Well, I was right, she’s cross-eyed, and it’s got to come from your family because none of mine squint — mentally a wee bit unstable, as Mavis would say, but no cross-eyes.’
Edward laughed, and she sat on his knee. It was the first time she had ever referred to her own condition with humour. She became serious, and told him they could operate, but not for a few years, then she burst into tears. ‘Oh, God, Edward, she’s going to have to wear glasses, and when she goes to school they’ll call her four-eyes, or three, because one side of the glasses will have to be blanked out. I knew it, I told you.’
Edward rubbed his head. His mind was still on the work littering his desk. He suggested they should get opinions from two or three specialists before they took any drastic steps.
‘I’ve been to the very best man at Great Ormond Street, and they said they will give her glasses and operate when it’s time. Well, you’re obviously busy and I’m obviously interrupting you, so I’ll let you get on with it.’
She waltzed out, and Edward shut the door. But after a moment, unable to concentrate, he went up to the nursery. He sat with Mavis — he found her a pleasant girl, and she adored Jinks.
‘Mavis, you know about Mrs Barkley? Well, she seems just a little frantic over this eye business. How do you think she is?’
‘Och, she’s lovely, and she’s such a sweet nature. She’s the easiest child I’ve ever taken care of.’
‘I meant Mrs Barkley, Mavis... Do me a favour and watch over her, just as much as Jinks. If she starts... well, acting a little bit strange, even the tiniest bit, let me know.’
‘Oh, yes, Mr Barkley, I will... And I’d like to say... well, I’d just like to say how much I like working here and how much I like your wife — she’s a verra special person.’
‘She is, Mavis, she is...’
Alex had to admire the way his brother had grasped the complexities of the banking system, and the formula they would use to put the bank back on its feet. All loans would be foreclosed on immediately, and those unable to meet the deadline would have to offer their companies to the bank. The Barkley Company was ready to ‘take a spin in the City’, and Edward had earmarked certain companies they would be able to ‘pump up’ and use inflated share prices. Conrad was staggered, said they could not even attempt to hoodwink the City in that manner, it would have a catastrophic effect on any later dealings.
‘The City has its own laws, we would be blacklisted.’
Edward snapped that they would only be blacklisted if they were caught. From what he had gathered, the City was as crooked as any other business. ‘All bloody used car dealers, Conrad son, and we will go in right at the top, offering companies that have good turnovers. The attitude to take is, if they can’t come up with the repayments then it’s their loss, the bank will not take the fall. They will all have the opportunity, and the Barkley Company will stand behind the bank, taking forty-five per cent of the shares of those with a high turnover... My company, however, will not make a penny from the issue, just the shares after the float.’
Conrad gasped as Edward continued to earmark one company after another, and he interrupted Edward. ‘Does your company have the financial backing for these negotiations? You are talking about millions?’