The Buffer Girls (40 page)

‘But Arthur seems to have forgotten that legally I own half the business.’

‘Really, Mother?’ Trip was surprised. ‘I didn’t know that.’

‘It was one of the provisions my own father insisted upon when we married and he gave Arthur a very generous dowry, as they liked to call it. As the years have gone by, I think Arthur has
completely forgotten that my name is still on the deeds. I wondered if, by some means, he had had it removed, but I have checked with our solicitors and no, I am still an equal partner in
Trippets’.’

Trip blinked and glanced from one to the other. ‘I still don’t know how that might affect me.’

Nathan chuckled. ‘If I’m right, your mother has the power to reinstate you as heir to her
half of the business. Is that correct, Mrs Trippet?’

Constance smiled and nodded, pleased that the shrewd man had understood at once and had saved her the uncomfortable task of explanation. ‘It is, Mr Hawke, but before I put matters in
motion, I had, of course, to find out if Thomas is willing for me to do that and also to give you fair warning that, if he does agree, you will be losing
your assistant. You have been so good to
both Thomas and Emily that I feel guilty—’

Nathan held up his hand. ‘Please don’t, Mrs Trippet, I beg you. Thomas has been a great help and it’s been good to have his company, but, to be honest, there is not really
enough work to keep us both going full time for very long. And besides, his rightful place is in his family’s business.’

‘Thank
you, Mr Hawke,’ Constance said and Nathan knew that her thanks were not only for employing her son, but also for all the help he had given Emily too. She turned back to
Thomas. ‘I had to be certain you are agreeable.’ She pulled a wry face. ‘I’m not going to force you into something you don’t want to do.’ And the unspoken words
lay between them – ‘like your father’.

‘Well, I wouldn’t have
wanted to leave Mr Hawke in the lurch.’ He glanced at Nathan. ‘But since he seems to approve, then yes, if you can manage it, I’ll gladly go
back. But – but what about Richard?’

Constance laughed. ‘I’m on my way to see his mother now.’

At this, both men stared at her, glanced at each other and then burst out laughing. ‘Now I’ve heard everything,’ Trip said.

Kirkland parked outside the terraced house where Belle Beauman lived, where he’d parked the Rolls-Royce several times recently, but this time he had a different car, a
different passenger.

‘Will you be all right, ma’am? Do you want me to come with you?’

‘No, I’ll be fine. I’ll try not to be too long.’

‘No problem. I’ll just sit here and read my newspaper.’ He glanced
around him. ‘It’s a nice little car, this. I’ve never driven it before.’

‘It suits me,’ Constance said as she climbed out and approached the front door.

‘Good morning, Mrs Beauman,’ she said, when a startled Belle opened the door. ‘May I come in? There’s something I would like to discuss with you.’

‘Oh – er – yes. Please do.’

Belle was trembling. She feared that Constance had brought
more bad news about Arthur. Of course, she knew about his recent serious illness; Richard had brought the news home from the factory.
She had lived on tenterhooks ever since, daily expecting to hear the worst. And now his wife, of all people, was sitting in her front room, drinking tea and making polite conversation by admiring
Belle’s home. It was ironic, Belle thought, quelling the desire
to laugh out loud, that everything had been paid for by the woman’s husband.

Constance placed her cup and saucer back on the tray. ‘You will have heard about Arthur’s illness, I presume.’

Belle nodded, twisting her fingers anxiously.

‘His life is not in danger, but this second stroke has left him paralysed and unable to speak. He will never be fit enough to run his business again.’

Or to come here any more, Belle thought. I shall never see him again. Tears prickled the back of her eyelids, but the actress in her came to the rescue. She lifted her head and met
Constance’s gaze with outward equanimity, as another thought came into her mind: She’s come to turn me out of my home.

‘Your son, Richard, has been placed in charge of the factory, I understand.’

Belle
nodded, not trusting herself to speak and Constance went on, ‘But he’s not coping very well, is he?’

Belle shook her head and said huskily, ‘It’s hardly fair. He’s only sixteen. Mr Bayes should be in charge.’

‘I quite agree, but I have a suggestion to make and I hope you will agree.’

Constance then went on to explain that she would like her son, Thomas, to return to the works and that
the two half-brothers should be made joint owners and run the factory together.

‘I have discussed this at length with my solicitor and this is possible.’

‘What will Arthur say?’ Belle ventured hesitantly.

‘My dear, Arthur can say nothing. I think he understands everything that’s said to him, but he cannot voice his opinion.’

‘But you can do it legally – without his permission?
Won’t he be required to sign things?’

‘Our solicitor has said there is a way round all that since he is now incapable. We need the doctor’s agreement, of course, that he is no longer “of sound mind”, but
because I am already a partner, there should be no problem.’

‘Do you think Arthur will – would – agree?’

‘I really don’t know. I shall tell him, of course, and I think I shall know
if he understands.’

‘I hope the shock won’t bring on another stroke.’ Belle bit her lip and now she could not stem the tears filling her eyes.

Constance was thoughtful for a moment. The woman sitting opposite her obviously cared about Arthur. ‘Would you like to come and see him?’

Belle gaped at her. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Belle – may I call you Belle? – I’ve known about you for years
and, in a way, I have reason to be grateful to you. Ours was not a love match, but a marriage of
convenience.’ She went on to tell Belle something of her life with Arthur. ‘So you see he gave me what I wanted most – a son – and I lead a comfortable life. I have no
bitterness or resentment against him – or you, which, had I been in love with him, no doubt I would have had. I will always care
for him and do my best for him and I suppose that is a love of
sorts, but it is not the kind that promotes jealousy.’

‘I feel sorry for you.’

Constance shrugged. ‘Don’t be. I am content.’ She put her head on one side as she observed the woman, who was still pretty even though she was now in her middle age. ‘If
anything, I should feel sorry for you. I have stood in the way of him marrying
you.’

Now Belle laughed with genuine amusement. ‘That would never have happened, Constance. Arthur would never have
married
the likes of me. I was a music-hall singer and dancer at the
Hippodrome. He used to come every week on a Saturday night and I remember I was singing “The Boy in the Gallery”. It’s Marie Lloyd’s signature tune. Do you know it?’
Belle hummed the music and Constance
nodded.

‘Well, when it got to the bit about waving a handkerchief, there was a flurry of them in the audience, but it was Arthur I noticed because he stood up and waved vigorously. I
couldn’t fail to see him. And after that . . .’ She needed to say no more. Constance could guess that Arthur had become an ardent ‘stage-door Johnny’ and had showered Belle
with chocolates, champagne and flowers.

By the time Constance took her leave, the two women were surprised to find that they actually liked each other. Hesitantly, Belle said, ‘If you can find out if Arthur would like me to
visit him, I would love to see him, but—’

‘I will,’ Constance promised. ‘If he does, then I will write to you and have Kirkland fetch you in the car.’

‘You’re very kind.’ Belle was overwhelmed by Constance’s
attitude, but after meeting her and hearing about their married life, she understood why Arthur’s wife had
no animosity towards her.

‘And now, I’m on my way to visit the factory and to meet your son. I hope he will be agreeable to my suggestion. I already have Thomas’s approval.’

‘Really!’ It was another surprise for Belle as she added, ‘I think Richard will feel very relieved. He’s
been having sleepless nights.’

‘I don’t wonder. It was very unfair to put him in such a position, but we’ll sort it out.’

With a nod and a wave towards her unlikely newfound friend, Constance climbed back into the motorcar, leaving a bemused Belle watching the vehicle until it turned the corner out of sight.

‘My dear, how are you?’ was George Bayes’s greeting as he took Constance’s
hands into his. ‘I’ve been thinking of you and wondering how
you’ve been coping. How is he?’

Again, Constance explained Arthur’s condition, the reason for her visit and her proposal. When she had finished, George was beaming. ‘That’s a very sensible solution,
Constance. I can’t tell you how pleased I will be to have Master Thomas back here. Richard Beauman is a nice lad, willing and in
many ways capable – or he will be, given time –
but he’s only sixteen. It’s too much to expect of him.’

‘You won’t feel slighted because you’re not to be made manager?’

‘Heavens, no!’ George said with asperity. ‘I’m quite happy doing what I do. I’ve enough responsibility as it is, and Mr Trippet has always paid me generously. I
have no complaints.’

‘That’s a relief to me,’ Constance
murmured. ‘I wouldn’t want you, of all people, to be unhappy. So,’ she said after a slight pause, ‘may I now meet
Thomas’s half-brother?’

Having been told who was waiting to see him, Richard came into the office a little hesitantly, a worried look in his brown eyes, but Constance held out her hand, smiled and said, without
preamble, ‘I have a suggestion to make, though I have to have your
father’s approval first – if, indeed, he is able to give it.’

She paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of the young man. He was so like Thomas, it was uncanny. There was no mistaking that he was Arthur’s son. Then she explained to Richard
everything that had happened that morning and as she did so, the anxiety seemed to fall away from him. When she had finished speaking, he was smiling.

‘This is amazing –
you
’re amazing.’ He glanced at George Bayes. ‘Am I dreaming, Mr Bayes? Because if I am, please don’t wake me up.’

The three of them laughed and Constance left the office well satisfied with her day’s work.

‘And now, Kirkland, you and I are going to find a nice little hotel where I will treat you to a late luncheon.’

‘Oh ma’am, I don’t think—’ he began but she
waved his protestations aside.

‘Nonsense, Kirkland. It’s the least I can do.’

‘Nurse Adams, how is he this evening?’

‘A little better, I think. He seems calmer.’

Constance grimaced. ‘Oh dear, I rather think I could be about to alter that. Will you stay with me, please? I have something to tell him which may upset him.’

‘Of course, if you wish me to.’

‘I think it best.’

They entered Arthur’s bedroom together and Constance sat down by the bed whilst Nurse Adams stood at a discreet distance, though she was able to keep watch on her patient.

As she looked at him, Constance was moved to feel real pity for the man who now lay inert with his face twisted to one side. Only his eyes showed any life and they were watching her now with a
mixture of wariness and
defiance.

‘Arthur,’ Constance began gently, ‘you do understand, don’t you, that you will never be able to run the works again?’

The man blinked and then slowly, he nodded. Thank goodness, Constance thought, he did understand what she was saying to him.

‘Richard has been doing his best, but he really is too young and inexperienced to cope and business is falling off already. And so,
I have come up with an idea to solve the
problem.’

Arthur could not speak, but it was as if his eyes were saying, ‘Go on.’

‘But it concerns Thomas.’ She hesitated, expecting an agitated reaction, but none came so she pressed on.

‘You may recall that legally I still own half the business.’ She paused, waiting for this to sink in, for him to remember. After a moment or two, he nodded.

‘To save the business, I intend to have Thomas take up his place – his rightful place – and to work alongside his half-brother. Richard is a nice boy. I’ve met him today
and I think they will get on very well together.’

She waited again and then, at last, said softly, ‘Arthur, I don’t
need
your approval to do this, but I do want it.’

Slowly, Arthur nodded and then reached out with
the arm that he could still move. She took hold of his hand. ‘What is it? Is it about Thomas?’

A nod.

‘Do you agree to him going back?’

Another nod.

‘So, what is it?’ She couldn’t guess and glanced up at the nurse, who came forward.

‘I think perhaps, Mrs Trippet, he would like to see Thomas.’

Constance turned back to him. ‘Is that it, Arthur? Do you want Thomas to come
to see you?’

He nodded again.

‘You – you want to make it up with him?’ Her question was hesitant, but his answer was firm as he nodded quite vigorously.

‘And Richard – would you like to see Richard too? And what about Belle? I am happy for Belle to come here, if you would like to see her.’

This time it was Arthur who hesitated, but Constance could see the pleading in his eyes.

It was all the answer she needed.

‘Oh Trip, it’s such wonderful news.’

Trip put his arms around Emily. ‘It’s all working out for us now, isn’t it? I’m back in the business. Richard and I are getting along very well together. I rather like
having a brother, though it’s a bit of a strange situation. And best of all, I’ve been accepted back home.
We
’ve been accepted back home.’

On the day that Trip had
journeyed to Ashford to see his father, Emily had gone with him. She had thought she would stay with her own family whilst he went to Riversdale House but he wanted her
at his side.