Throughout the journey across New York, Evelyn stared open-mouthed from the limo. He had never seen such tall buildings, and he asked many questions, repeating the phrase ‘skyscrapers’ with a chuckle. All the cars drove on the wrong side of the road, and the taxis were bright yellow... Eventually Alex patted his head and told him not to keep chattering, as he was very tired. So Evelyn kept his nose pressed to the window, and didn’t say anything when thick snow began to fall. He wondered what Uncle Edward would be doing, New York was much colder, and he hoped the lady would have big log fires like they had at the manor house.
Evelyn thought Ming’s apartment was very nice, if a bit too tidy. Everything looked sparse, and there was a place for every precious ornament. The Christmas tree was just some weird-looking, white-painted twigs with a few gold balls.
The tiny boxroom to which Evelyn was shown contained only a white-painted bed, a single white chair and a polished, lacquered chest with a single white cushion on it. The floor was of polished pine. He was afraid to sit down or move in case he left fingermarks.
Ming had not asked why Alex called her in the middle of the night, why he had wanted to spend Christmas with her, why he had trailed his small son along. She was too clever, waiting until they sat alone by the gas ‘log’ fire. Alex took his time, eventually slipping his arm around her. ‘I need you, I need you, thank you for letting us stay.’
Ming smiled and closed her eyes. Once, she had wanted to hear him say that, once, but it was a long time ago. She wondered what had sparked off this unscheduled visit, knew there was something else.
‘I don’t want to talk business tonight, but in the morning, we have a lot to discuss...’
Ming smiled again, but said nothing, she simply held out her hand and guided Alex into her white bedroom.
Evelyn woke in the night, and the white shapes in the room scared him, so he slipped along the corridor, barefooted, to his father’s room. Alex lay beside Ming, both fast asleep, and Evelyn stared, dumbfounded.
Christmas came and went, and Evelyn spent the majority of his time either alone in his room or being driven around New York by a Japanese chauffeur who could hardly speak a word of English. He visited the zoo, the cartoon cinemas, and behaved impeccably. Ming was civil, always smiling, but there was no warmth, no affection. She gave Evelyn a strange game with silver balls rolling around as a Christmas gift.
The bell chimed for dinner, and Evelyn washed his face and scrubbed his hands, then hurried towards the dining room. He could hear Ming’s voice.
‘I am thinking of going public, selling off the shares in the boutiques and shops. This will give me the cash flow to move into opening a construction company. It makes sense, as I do most of the designs for the major companies, so why not offer construction facilities as well?’
Evelyn reached the half-open door.
‘My company could help you there, we have facilities both here and in...’
Ming interrupted. Evelyn heard the chill in her high-pitched, snapping voice, and paused in the doorway.
‘You don’t have to tell me what you have, and isn’t it really more what Edward has? From what you have told me there is very little “we” in your company, you can’t even sign a cheque without Edward.’
Ming sounded the chimes again for Evelyn to come, and at the same time she pulled out a chair to sit down at the table. Evelyn entered and sat down, apologizing for being two minutes late. Ming flicked him a cold look of irritation.
The food, which Evelyn found dreadful, consisted of raw vegetables and rubber-tasting fish, and made him feel sick. Throughout the meal, Alex and Ming discussed business, but they were both cool and controlled, choosing their words carefully. Ming’s tiny hands folded her starched, white napkin into the shape of a flower.
‘Daddy... Daddy, can we go to see a movie?’
‘Not now, Evelyn, I’m busy. Ask the chauffeur... go along, I’ll see you later.’
Evelyn wandered back to his room and sat on the white bed. He felt lonely, and even as young as he was he could detect a change in his father’s attitude. He curled up and wept, trying to think what he had done to turn his father against him.
Ming leaned back against her white sofa, her delicate fingers cupping her brandy glass. Alex stood by the window, looking down on the busy avenue below.
‘Did Barbara admit it? She actually admitted it?’
‘It’s hard not to, you only have to look at him to see the resemblance. I have been such a fool, such a bloody fool...’
Ming said nothing, carefully placing her glass down on the polished coffee table. This was not the time to discuss her own business, to repeat her persistent request for the brothers to sell their shares in her company. Instead she commiserated, her voice soft and soothing. Alex joined her on the sofa and gripped her hand tightly...
‘He beats me at every turn. You were right, some partner he is! I had no idea what was going on in Mexico, but I accepted it without a murmur when he dropped the contracts on to my desk, accepted it because he’d included me. I’m a dumb piece of meat that he has squeezed every drop of blood from...’
‘I’m glad you came to me, because I have always been there for you. You know that, don’t you, Alex?’
He smiled, his grip relaxing, and she slipped her arm through his. ‘So what are you going to do? Divorce?’
He sighed and closed his eyes. ‘Barbara has millions tied up in the company. It won’t be that easy. It’s Edward I have to deal with first. Barbara is simple in comparison. You know, I think, truthfully, that Edward is insane. I’m not just saying it, but if you could have seen him when I went back the last time he was drunk and incoherent...’
Ming massaged Alex’s shoulders, her eyes more cat-like than ever.
‘Had anyone else ever mentioned that he could be unstable?’
‘You just have to read the papers — drunk, thrown out of night clubs, his driving licence has been taken away so many times, he’s crashed his car. Wish to God he’d smash himself up in it, then we would be rid of him.’
‘Well, that could be arranged, but surely it would be simpler to prove to the board members that he is incapable of running the Barkley Company, even if he is who he is, and then you could take the reins legally...’
Alex turned to her and smiled, cupping her face in his hands. ‘I knew I was right to come here.’
‘You must tread carefully, Alex. Don’t let him get round you the way he always does, not this time... You can get control of the company, I know it.’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Yes, I know it too, and the first thing you’ll want me to do is sell back your shares. Am I right, you little minx? Well, sweetheart, I promise you that will be the first thing I’ll do.’
‘And the second, Alex, is divorce Barbara. Promise me that, too, Alex.’
He looked at her and knew his brother had been right. She was as dangerous as Edward had always said, but he had not bargained for her genuinely loving him. Alex kissed her, swept her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. ‘First, my darling, I am going to take you to bed.’
Evelyn peeked from his bedroom to see his father with Ming in his arms. He quietly closed the door, afraid to be caught, confused and lonely. He wished he was still at the manor house, wished he was still with his uncle. He took out the gift he had taken from beneath the big Christmas tree, the shiny police car with the bells and the lights, his face twisted as he tried not to cry.
Later that night Alex lay wide awake, unable to sleep, thinking how he should go about taking over the company. Beside him Ming slept, as composed in sleep as she was awake. He studied her face, wondered what their life together would have been like if Edward had never interfered; but then they would never have met if it had not been for Edward. The realization of the immense power his brother had always had over him made Alex even more determined to beat him. He began to twist his gold chain round his fingers, unaware that Edward had in a way already beaten him. There would be no satisfaction in removing Edward because he had quite simply removed himself.