His Lordships Daughter (17 page)

Pressing
her foot d
own on the gas,
she took the road to the motorway, rearranging her speed to conform with the matrix for warnings. The arterial was almost deserted allowing her car to pick up pace. Suddenly turning off, she swept down a slip road and five minutes later parked her car in the company car park. Walking into her office, she found a message on her answering machine from Maisie to ring her. Picking up the telephone and dialling a number she waited. Then, her financial advisor came on the line. “Locotrend!” she told Phyllipa after the usual greetings. “We got lucky! Some years ago your family helped them out. It’s going back a bit but the help we gave is still logged.” Phyllipa smiled as she listened.

“The guy you want is their chief accountant, Leslie Shaw!”

“Do we know anything about him?” Phyllipa asked.

“Only one thing, he is big into charity work!”

“Which one?”

“All of them.”

“Bravo! A
million thanks Maisie.” she
shouted as she broke the connection. Walking into the print section, she saw most of the machines were either being set up or working. Quickly checking on the Kristex contract, she nodded her head in satisfaction
and rubbed her hands together in glee. It wasn’t going to be such a bad Monday after all!

Calling on June, who greete
d her with the usual smile, and
waved her hand “Hi! Any problems?”

Phyllipa shook he head. “Not one.”

“Do you fancy a quick one after lights out?” June asked going through the motions of drinking with a shaky
hand. Phyllipa nodded. “Sure, why not ....
Could I ask you to do something for me?”

June’s head shot up in alarm. “It’s official.” Her visitor said hastily, giggling at her friends misgivings.

Steven’s secretary held the palms of her hands up
in mock horror. “As long as it s
not wheeling and dealing
,
or messing with large amounts of money.” She said alluding to the recent overdraft events, “I don’t mind. But I’ve got to be ho
nest
, your ideas of business still gives me the bloody nightmares.” Phyllipa laughed. “You worry too much! You’ll be old before your time!”

June shrugged her shoulders “Yes but at least I won’t be tired!”

“Clive would have put your mind at ease. He knew what was going on.”

“We only talked about it the once and we finished up arguing.” June smiled “He doesn’t like talking “shop”.” She gave Phyllipa a suspicious look. “Anyway, what is it you wish me to do for you?”

“I want you to set me up an appointment with a Leslie Shaw from a company call
ed Locotrend!”
. June wrote the information on her pad, then her eyes narrowed. “You normally make your own appointments.” She queried. “Are you sure this isn’t dodgy?”

Phyllipa frowned. “I don’t know these people. If they were friends of mine, I wouldn’t be asking you
.”

“Sorry!” her friend apologised. “Just checking, is that all?”

“No. Just one other thing, would you please use my full title!”

“Oh?”

“I want a big favour from these people. So, I need all the help I can get.”

June
threw her pencil on the desk. “T
he other day you gave me the impression that titles weren’t quite the thing anymore.”

A look of pride crossed Phyllipa’s face. “The family title isn’t a political one. My forebears fought on battlefields for it. It’s full of blood and guts and determination and that’s what runs through my veins, and I would like to think they would turn in their graves if I didn’t use some of that hard won valour to assist me in my life.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps it won’t mean a damn thing to this “Shaw” guy, but there is no harm including it, is there?”

June nodded he head. “No!
course
not. Give everything a go, I say!”

Phyllipa thanked her and walked through to the Managing Director’s office where she found Steven studying a huge blueprint which covered his desk.

“Do you know what this is?” he pointed to the drawing.

“No!” she
answered, kissing his cheek. “I haven’t a clue!”

“
It's
my dream machine!” he explained, absentmindedly, returning her kiss.

“Does it work?”

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t.”

“What’s it supposed to do?”

“Everything! That’s the trouble.” Phyllipa saw the excited light in his eyes as he turned to her. “All that cardboard we use in packaging comes from wood pulp which comes from trees which comes from forests, ad infinitum. Millions of which are wiped off the face of the earth every year.” He tapped the drawing with the point of his pencil. “This could be the ultimate carton. Man’s final package!” he sighed again. “But, as I said before, unfortunately it doesn’t work!”

“What has that to do with trees?”

“We wouldn’t need them!”

Phyllipa put an arm around his waist, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “If I were to ask you why? Would you plunge into a huge technological explanation?”

“Yes!”

“In that case I’m not going to ask.”

Steven rolled up the drawing and put it away. “I’ll have to modify it. Obviously, I’m asking too much
.”

“Yesterday you told my father you had asked me to marry you.”

He ran a hand through his rough black hair. “So?”

“Why?” she asked him “Why did you tell him?”

Her boss sat down behind his desk again. Drumming his finger son the desk, he looked into her eyes. “I need all th
e back-up I can muster,
. Apparently you can’t seem to make your mind up about me. You like my company, you like talking to me and you like making love to me, but…”

“But what?” Phyllipa interrupted

“But nothing.” He protested “That’s the problem.”

“What makes you think I haven’t made up my mind about you?”

“Well if you have your keeping it very quiet, aren’t you?”

She
shook her head angrily. “That is my prerogative.”

Steven sighed “This is not auction love I am offering, Phyllipa. My feelings for you are total with a total commitment. They are yours! They belong to you and they always will, even if you decide I am not the man you wish to spend the rest of your life with. I have always been honest about them and now I have told your father and he is on my side.
”

“Oh dear! My father’s idea of Utopia is the marriage of his daughter. Of course he is on your side. He was on Clive’s side until I finally managed to dissuade him…” she broke off, aware that she had said too much. Biting her lip with frustration, she silently swore.

Steven’s head jerked up as an enquiring look crossed his face. “Clive eh? One of your many boyfriends? Do I know him?”

“He was nothing of the sort!” she retorted, angry she had been pushed into mentioning him. “I was making the point that father’s sometimes get the wrong ideas about people.”

“What people?”

She
swore again, exasperated by the way the di
alogue was going. “Look, do
you think we could restart this conversation?”

Her boss stared at her with a curious look in his eyes. “Of cours
e. What you did before we met
, belongs to you. I wouldn’t dream of asking you seriously about it. It has nothing to do with me!”

“Absolutely! And outside this company, what I do today has nothing to do with you, either. You an
d I are just good friends ,..
remember that!”

He chuckled. “Of course, if you say so!”

“I do say so!”

“Yes! I thought you would!”

Phyllipa glared at him, he was playing her at her own game and she didn’t like it.

“I don’t want my father or anyone else interfering in my affairs.” She spoke softly, as if talking to herself. “Even if he does do it for all the right reasons, wherever my life takes me I wish to get there on my own, and if I run into trouble or find the going a bit rough then I shall welcome the cavalry.” She looked at her boss, spreading her palms outwards. “I suppose you think I am being unreasonable or perhaps too pedantic about things which are strictly my business? Or that I am mistaken in thinking that my destiny is my own affair?” a pleading look en
tered her eyes. “Please
,
..
please let me do things my way!”

He
listened to her with astonishment. He had never heard her
in this vain before. She obviously felt very deeply about being left to work things out for herself.

“It sounds reasonable.” He said, not quite sure if he had said the right thing.

“Thank
you!” she looked at her wrist watch
. “Do you fancy a spot
of lunch? My treat, I’m hungry
!”

“Me too
”
well aware that he had been put correctly and firmly in his place, picked up his car keys. “At your service , ma-am!”

“I should think so.” Phyllipa glared into his face. “Someone has to keep you guys in order!”

“I missed you in the canteen.” June commented, drinking her gin and tonic.

“Steven and I went out.” Phyllipa swirled her water around in her glass. They were having their “After Hours” drink in the pub around the corner.

June kicked her shoes off. “Anywhere interesting?”

“Martino’s!”

“I like that place.” June massaged her toes with her hand. “Clive and I were there three times last week.”

Phyllipa turned to her companion. “Talking of Clive I think I dropped a clanger earlier on.”

June’s eyebrows went up. “Oh?”

“It was so silly. We were talking about my father and I inadvertently mentioned Clive’s name.”

“In what context?”
, A
n enquiring look in her eyes.

“I was explaining that parents are sometimes at cross purposes with what is really going on. You know; sons and daughters and what they get up to. All that sort of thing, I didn’t mention him in any connection with the bank.

“Well, I can’t see any harm in that. After all, there are thousands of Clive’s around.”

Phyllipa pulled a wry face “Too close to home though.” She spoke with regret, shaking her head in exasperation. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I know that! And now, Steven has asked my father if he can have my hand in marriage! Would you believe it?”

“Heck! And what did you say?”

“Indirectly, I’ve told them both to mind their own business.”

“Of course, he is nuts about you.” June confirmed. “How do you feel about him?”

Phyllipa looked alarmed.  “What do you mean, how do I feel about him?”

“Do you love him?”

Maybe.”
! I admit we have a lot of fun together and I do like him
, but all that “Until death do us part” stuff leaves me cold. Swearing vows that will never be kept doesn’t interest me either.”

” June was taken aback a little at her
friend’s
vehemence.
*
“You don’t think much of marriage do you?”

“I’m not against it, don’t think that. I just don’t envisage it being right for me. Not at the moment!” her eyes glistened. “It’s the thought of belonging to one person that scares the hell out of me.”

“Free range, eh?” June giggled. “Poor little rich girl!”

Phyllipa scowled “Now that is not fair. It isn’t like that. I’ve had lots of friends and countless marriage offers, but as soon as someone gets close to me I back off.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why but I do!” bringing a small handkerchief from her handbag, she snuffled and touched her damp eyes with it. “I must have some sort of cold coming on.”

Her friend smiled knowingly “According to you if you lose the bet, the
n
up the
aisle you go!”

*
  Vehemence (meaning) emotion passion

“Yes! But I am not going to lose the bet, am I?”

June chuckled. “Well, from where I am sitting it doesn’t look like it, but fate works to a peculiar sort of programme
.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“This “Overdraft” situation could erupt and spoil everything. Then, bang! Would go your chance of walking alone and winning the necklace.”

Phyllipa nodded. “I know, don’t think I haven’t thought about it because I have. It would just be a token payment for me sticking things out for twelve months..” she laughed. “Something for my father and I to argue about. And, of course, I could never wear it because it is kept in the bank. So as I said it is not that vital.” She finished the last of her soda water. “But what is of consequence is the wager itself. Lose that, and obviously, I have lost my job, and I wouldn’t want that to happen. I’ve grown quite fond of it, I like the people and I like the hours.”