ACV's 1 Operation Black Gold (31 page)

‘I’m on it.’  He dashed off.

She turned those green eyes onto me.

‘What’s this Sylvia?’

Her head whipped round.  ‘Don’t touch it Sammy!’  She was on her knees in a hot second clearing away sand from what turned out to be a type of roman hoe.  Chris arrived back with a metal detector, he received readings the length of the cut.  ‘How would you two like a job?’ Sylvia asked.  I had to laugh at the irony of it, a life’s ambition handed to me on a plate and I had to refuse.

She shrugged it off.  ‘It’s all academic now anyway, the money runs out next month; it would have been a short job.’

‘You’re joking; there could be a couple of years’ worth of work here.’

‘Don’t I know it.’

‘How much do you need?’

She shrugged.  ‘If we’d raised a hundred thousand the government would have put up the rest, we managed twenty.’

Sam was suddenly looking worried but there was no guile in her.  I smiled to let her know I didn’t think she’d set me up.  ‘Are you a registered charity?’

‘Well yes, we’re a part of the National Trust.’

‘Wait here a minute.’ 

I walked off a short distance and got onto the phone to my bank manager, he’d been screaming at me to make a donation for charity for tax reasons.  I had to call Sylvia over to give the details he needed.  I followed her back to the others.  ‘OK thanks Joe,’ I snapped it closed.  ‘Sorted.’

‘What is?’  Asked Chris impatiently.

Sylvia wiped away a small tear.  ‘Jim just gave us the money to finish the dig.’

‘You’re joking?’

‘No I’m not,’ she began to laugh.  The dam broke they danced one another round.  Sylvia threw herself into my arms for a very passionate kiss she broke it looking flustered.  ‘I wish I’d met you before Samantha.’

‘I haven’t met Samantha yet, we work together.’

‘Would you like to be kept informed of what’s happening here?’  A message flashed in her eyes.

‘Yes I’d love to.’

She dragged us back to the tent where we drank a celebratory toast of coca cola.  The large silver phallus was still on site.  Sylvia retrieved it for our viewing.  ‘It’s a beauty isn’t it?’  She ran her hand down the length of it grinning wickedly.

‘No contest here,’ I held my hands up in mock horror.  It was a good 12’ long, and far to detailed to be anything but a cast.

Samantha seemed mesmerized by it.  Before she realised what happened, Sylvia grabbed her wrist turned it over and slapped it into the palm of her hand, she tried to jerk it free but Sylvia held on.  ‘Don’t drop it now.’

She gingerly took hold of it with the other, but as soon as Sylvia let go she placed it gently back onto the table.  ‘It’s not as heavy as it looks.’

Chris was laughing openly at her.  ‘It’s hollow.’

‘I think we’ll have to go now.’  She was trying hard to keep a smile on her face.

Chris looked crestfallen.  ‘Oh do you have to?’

‘I suppose we’d better,’ I agreed.

Sylvia came over and I was the recipient of another kiss, not as passionate as the first, but just as nice.

‘Thank you again.’

‘My pleasure.’

‘Why don’t you boys go on ahead, we’ll catch you up.’

We took the hint and left.

Sylvia waited until the men were out of earshot.  ‘OK Sammy what’s all this we work together malarkey?’

‘We do.’

‘You’re stuck on him aren’t you?’

‘No.’

‘Don’t lie to me we’ve been friends to long and I’m a woman so don’t try.’

‘You seemed to be doing all right with him, mind you so did Amanda earlier on.’

‘You let that little slut near him, how could you?’

‘I never, she sneaked out while I was getting changed and introduced herself.’

‘Sammy, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known and the nicest, but when it comes to men, you are a complete and utter idiot.’

‘Jim likes to keep his relationships with women on a very superficial level.’

Sylvia shook her head in disbelief.  ‘How can you be so blind, all men say that right up until they fall in love.’

‘He’s sterile you known.’

She laughed.  ‘It just gets better and better.  I’ll tell you what Sammy because I love you, I’ll give you until Monday.  If you haven’t made him yours by then I’m going after him.  I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a man like that slip through my fingers.’

Samantha felt sick.  ‘I’m sure you can please yourself Sylvia.’

‘So be it.’

Chris and I had been letting our imaginations run riot while we waited for the women.  I shook hands with them and we left.

‘Sylvia’s quite taken with you.’

‘Umm.’  I heard her but never listened, my mind was full of an epic battle, flashing swords and screaming, dying men.  I was snapped out of my reverie as soon as I hit the main road; an idiot overtaking at the junction had me alert in a mono second.  It was then that I realised the state she was in.

‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘No you’re not!  Do you want to go home, ye dinna look well at all.’

‘I’m fine, honest.’

‘Bollocks, tell me what’s wrong or I’m turning this round right now.’

Panic flitted across her face.  ‘It’s that party tonight, I’m not looking forward to it.’

‘Then don’t go.’

‘I’m not you,’ she snapped.  ‘I can’t just please my bloody self,’ she burst into tears.  I was shocked, something was very wrong here.  I fought down my initial fears, neutralised my features, and coaxed the story from her as I had coaxed a thousand others.

‘There’s two men who are always at these parties, they are friends of General Pearson, father and son.  He’s an old army colonel, always badgering me to marry his son, who’s so effeminate; even I know what he is.  But it’s not that.’  She began to sob again.  I waited until she was able to go on.  ‘It’s the father, somehow he always manages to sit beside me and well…he touches me, under the tablet

A white rage swept through me.  ‘That’s why I hoped you’d be there; I thought that maybe If….I stayed close to you, it might put him off a little.’  Her eyes were full of longing.  Deep wells of sadness and misery.

I was lost in a raging sea of emotions, every instinct born of man crashed against the formidable fortifications I had erected against this woman and shattered them like glass.  The cat forcing his way onto her lap for some attention gave me a moment to collect my scattered wits.  Her distressed state was ripping me apart.  I had to do something.  I made a decision.

‘Samantha, would you do me the honour of letting me escort you to tonight’s function?’  My question shocked her back to the present.  ‘I know I promised I’d never insult you by asking you out but please before you say no, hear me out.  She nodded her accent.  ‘I hereby give you my word of honour and solemn pledge, that I shall not misconstrue, nor try to take advantage of any action you may deem necessary to prevent another assault on your person.  Furthermore, I will conduct myself like a gentleman at all times and will only resolve this matter of my own accord, if everything else fails and shall do so in as civil and decent a manner as is possible.’  I tried to convey my sincerity with my eyes, but she seemed a little lost.  I gently squeezed her hand.

She almost jumped through the roof, but she didn’t snatch her hand away.  ‘Trust me?’

For a long moment she neither moved nor seemed to breathe then she placed her other hand on top of mine.  ‘Yes, OK I will.’

CHAPTER 32

‘So how posh?’

‘Well posh.’

‘Like fucking, fucking posh or just posh?’

‘The first one.’

‘Right, got it.’  We were sitting outside a dismal looking shop on a cobbled street in the middle of Edinburgh.  ‘You sure we’re at the right place?’

‘Trust me,’ she asked with shining eyes.

Ten minutes later, I had steam coming out of my ears, the reason, a fairy with a tape measure.  It was prancing around oohing and ahh-ing, taking measurements of me.  I jumped about a foot in the air.  ‘Get your filthy hands of my arse,’ I roared at it.  ‘That’s it I'm out ó here.’  Sam, who’d been standing tittering at my discomfort, blocked my way.

‘Can I be of assistance?’  A grey balding man appeared.  ‘Lady Samantha what a surprise, how are your mother and father.’

‘Mr. Gordon,’ she greeted him affectionately.  ‘They’re fine, and you?’

‘Very well, thank you, now how can I help?’

‘Back off.’  I growled at the fairy, he was advancing once again, with the tape measure at the ready.  Samantha whispered something in Mr. Gordon’s ear.

‘Tim, can you go upstairs for a while.’

‘But...’

‘GO.’ 

He flounced off in a huff.

I let go a sigh of relief.  ‘Thank you.’

However, he wasn’t happy.  ‘Thanks may be a little premature Mr. Eh….’

‘Murison,’ Sam supplied.

‘You don’t seem to like gays.’

‘Your assumptions are correct Mr. Gordon.’

‘Then it may be important for you to know that I too am gay.  Tim and I live together.’

I walked over and looked him right in the eyes.  He met my gaze unflinchingly.  I looked deep but no warning bells sounded.  ‘That’s OK.’

‘It is?’  He blinked rapidly for a few moments.

‘Och aye.’  I started looking round again.  ‘So can you help us?’

‘What is it you needed?’ 

Sam explained the problem. 

‘A suit for General Pearson’s party.’  He shook his head.  ‘I am sorry, but I only really cater for the older gentlemen these days Lady Samantha.’

‘But daddy told me you had lots of your own designs and ideas, you showed them to him once.’

‘That was a long time ago, in the days when I had great aspirations.’

‘Do you still have them?’  I interrupted.

‘Why yes.’

‘May I see them?’

‘If you wish, but I warn you there very old fashioned.’

‘What was old in yesterday’s world of fashion is always new in tomorrows,’ I quoted.  He guided us through to an old room in the back.

‘You surprise me, Mr. Murison; you don’t strike me as a man who’s interested in the world of fashion.’

‘Probably more interested in ogling the half-naked models.’  Sam put her finger right on the spot.

‘Nag, nag, nag, oh for a moments peace.’  I was the recipient of a thump on the shoulder.

‘You’re terrible, I don’t nag.’

‘Of course not dear.’

‘Don’t call me dear, I’m not an animal.’

‘Oh that should compare thee to one of those beautiful doe eyed creatures form the forests.’  I received another belting for that one.

‘Children, Children.’  He fired up an old computer and he wasn’t wrong about the designs being old.  We went through a couple of discs without finding anything.

‘Anymore?’

‘Yes a few.’

‘Damn it!’  Samantha suddenly exclaimed.

‘Lady Samantha!’

‘Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Gordon; I just remembered I need mascara, if you’ll excuse me.’  She rushed out. 

He put the next disc in.

‘This looks better.’

‘I had an idea to design matching costumes for partners, but the idea never caught on.’  He clicked through them.

‘Stop, now, I quite like that, a bit too flamboyant though.’

‘My attempt at a James Bond look.’

‘Those bands make it look teddy boyish, could you take them off just leaving the lapels with the shiny material and maybe a thin stripe down the trouser leg?’

‘Certainly.’  He put it onto edit and clicked away.  ‘Anything else?’

‘Aye, far too baggy.’

‘OK?’

‘I like that.’

‘My goodness it is smart isn’t it?’

‘Could you give the dress the same treatment?’  He did so without question.  ‘Short sleeves, more cleavage,’ I prompted.  He complied.

When he finished we admired his handiwork for a moment.  ‘I’ll take them.’

‘When do you need them?’

‘Tonight, by eight o’clock.’

‘That’s impossible; you’d need fittings, at least two.’

‘What if I stayed here the rest of the day would it be possible?’

‘Yes, but there’s still the dress, I don’t even have the material for it.’

‘Do you know anyone that does?’

‘Possibly, may I enquire who’s paying?’

I took out a shiny gold card and handed it over.  ‘I am, and if you can do it for tonight I’ll add a thousand pounds to your personal account.’

He didn’t seem to like that very much.  ‘Are you trying to bribe me?’

‘No I’m trying to impress upon you the importance of this evening.’

It may have been the tone of my voice that alerted him.  His head came up.  ‘May I ask in what capacity your taking Miss Samantha to this function tonight?’

I searched his face before answering.  He knew what was going on; I decided I could trust him.  ‘Officially we’re going as a couple; unofficially I’m going as her escort.’

‘I see, so you’re trying to create an impression, too, shall we say, dissuade certain parties from getting to close?’

I sat forward.  ‘You seem to know an awful lot about what’s going on Mr. Gordon?’

‘I deal almost exclusively with these families Mr. Murison.  There’s very little gossip that isn’t told to me or at least said in front of me.’

‘So, you’ll help me?’

‘Yes.’

He stood and went through to the till.  I followed.  ‘Do you mind if I check this?’

I laughed.  ‘Be my guest.’

He popped it into the machine and I typed in my personal number.  His eyes flew wide.  ‘No credit limit.’

‘While you’re at it you can check these two if you want.’  I threw down another two and we repeated the procedure.

‘Goodness, I never realised, I am sorry sir.’

‘Forget it; let’s just get down to businesses.’

By the time Sam came back, we had done a fair bit of scheming.  I bundled her into a taxi under protest and sent her to Rosemary’s boutique where they were waiting to get her measurements and give her the full works.  The taxi came back for me at half seven and guided me to where he dropped her off.  He left peeping his horn with a fifty-pound note warming his pocket.  The doorman from the boutique opened the door for her.  She had on a Royal Blue cloak with the hood up to stop her hair getting spoiled by the drizzle.

‘How do you feel?’  I asked.

‘I can describe that with one word, wonderful.’

We spent the journey swapping stories of our day.  She had been stuck in a mud bath, a Jacuzzi, massaged, facial, manicured, then had her hair done.  She had a good laugh at my description of a frustrated Tim banging on the tiny bathroom door trying to give me a towel.  I hadn’t noticed the absence of one and ended up drying myself with my tea shirt, much to his disgust.  Then there was my argument with Mr. Gordon on protocol.  I’d seen an old poster of a young Sean Connery with a ponytail wearing a soft-collared shirt.  That was the look I wanted.  He’d insisted on a starched collar and bow tie.  In the end, I won.

We arrived late in fine style.  ‘Have you still got my invitation?’  I asked in sudden panic.

‘Yes, I picked it up off the floor, just in case.’

I took it and looked at it.  It said Lt J Murison and partner.  ‘Have you got yours with you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Leave it in the glove box, my one’s got partner on it.’

She threw it into the cubbyhole with a flourish and a smile.  ‘I’m ready.’

‘Then let’s go knock them dead.’  I jumped out and opened her door.  She took the wrong arm and I pointed it out to her.

‘But that’s old fashioned,’ she protested.

‘I like my sword arm free,’ I explained.

‘To defend my honour Sir, Knight?’

‘Correct.’

There were three sets of glass doors; behind the second was a cloakroom.  I took off the long Macintosh supplied by Mr. Gordon and she the boat cloak and handed them over.  We got our first good look at each other.  God she was beautiful, I thought my heart was going to stop.

‘Hello,’ she said sweetly.  ‘Have we ever met before?’

‘I don’t think so, I’m sure I would have remembered a woman as beautiful as you.’  Colour rushed up her cheeks.  We stood in front of a big mirror for a moment to straighten ourselves out.  The effect we created was stunning, we flowed together she even made me look handsome.

Slipping her hand into mine, she turned those big brown eyes on me.  ‘Let’s go knock them dead Jim.’

‘Good grief, James, Samantha, I never recognized you for a moment,’ Andrew blurted.

The woman by his side gave her a hug.  ‘Ooh Samantha, you look so lovely.’

I eyed the elderly lady at his side, ‘you never told me you were married, Andrew.’

‘This is my hostess for the evening, Lady Flora Macdonald and this is Lt Murison the chap I was telling you about.’

She was as tall and thin as Andrew, dressed in a shimmering black dress.  A youthful eminence radiated from her.  ‘It’s nice to be able to meet you at last,’ she offered her hand but I turned it over and kissed the back of it

‘Enchanted Lady Macdonald, I can see Samantha’s got a lot of competition tonight.’

She liked that.  ‘I think you’re a rogue sir.’

Sam grabbed my arm protectively.  ‘I think I’m going to have to keep you two apart tonight.’

I handed over the invitation.  Andrew had enjoyed the by play and we were grinning wickedly at one another.

‘Didn’t you receive yours Samantha?’

He received a dig in the ribs from Lady Macdonald.  ‘Andrew for someone in intelligence you can be so blind.’

‘Ah, oh, I’m so sorry.’

‘If you’ll hold the fort here Andrew, I have a little rearranging to do.  If you’ll excuse me.’

I gave her a tiny bow; I was elated it had worked.

‘Go in and make yourselves at home, I will catch up with you later.’

The usher announced us, Lt Murison and partner, Lady Samantha Bryce.’  Not a head had turned at the mention of my name, but when Sam’s was mentioned alongside, the volume of noise in the hall dropped considerably.  ‘Oops,’ she whispered.

‘This should make them think.’  I replied looking into her eyes. 

There was a flash then another.  ‘What the fuck was that?’  I blinked.

‘Society magazine people.’  A small sharp-faced young woman was scribbling in to a notebook with a fancy camera slung over her shoulder.  Samantha guided me into the crowd, and began introducing me round, but I was well out of my depth and acted with restraint.  Being polite, but avoiding questions as best I could.  I was also acting with as much warmth as I could towards Samantha, which wasn’t very hard.

After half an hour, I was heartily sick of it.  Snide remarks were being made all round; men as well as women.  Despite that, Samantha looked radiant and stood head and shoulders above most there.  Her genuine friends made a lovely fuss over her, but there were few of them. 

‘How exquisite,’ guffed an ugly old bitch who grabbed Samantha’s neckless  , ‘I saw these in Miss Rosemary’s boutique yesterday, she offered them to me but I thought a £1000.00 for a day’s hire just a little too extravagant.’

Sam flushed scarlet and I stepped in.  I pinched her wrist gently and removed the offending hand.  ‘They aren’t rented, and sweaty hands can cause a lot of damage to the delicate bindings.  So I would appreciate it if you didn’t.’  I nodded politely.  ‘Guess who I just saw Samantha, you coming.’  I slid a hand round her waist and moved her away.

‘Sweaty hands indeed,’ the bitch retorted at my back.

I guided her over to a dumb waiter where I poured myself iced water.  Sam was now fingering the jewellery herself.  ‘You weren’t joking about it not being rented were you?’

‘Nope.’

‘I’ll take good care of it and make sure you get it back with the rest, first thing in the morning.’