The Chainmakers (24 page)

‘But we are running our business very successfully...’ she protested.

‘Yes,’ Clancy agreed, ‘But as much by luck as good judgement. The bank has been very helpful but the more I learn the more I realise how ignorant I am, so I do.’

Anna was quiet now, she could always tell when Clancy had something on his mind. He smiled sheepishly and then continued, ‘I was going to talk to you about this anyway, but now, if you insist on these plans, it’s even more urgent...’

‘What is?’

‘Anna, I want to go to College.’

‘College? Whatever for?’ She looked dumbfounded.

‘A Commercial degree. I don’t think I could get into Colombia but there are other...’

‘But whatever for?’ Anna asked again.

‘Because Anna, if we are going to have a really successful business we must know what we are doing! You understand the practical side, the meals and training our staff on the sites. You always were a born organiser. But I have to deal with the business accounts, and there is so much to know! Not only the ookkeeping and profit and loss account, but the various taxes and the regulations and...’

‘But surely we can employ an accountant?’

‘Yes, and then we have to believe everything he says! When I had that meeting at the bank last week I didn’t understand half of what was going on!’ Clancy said vehemently. ‘Anna, if anyone wanted to cheat us we would be fair game.’

She frowned. ‘I never thought of it like that. I see what you mean, but... does it have to be you?’

‘Yes. I have to be involved, understand the business side in the same way that you understand the kitchens. You know instantly if someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes.’

She looked at him intently, he was getting through. He pressed his point. ‘At the moment they could tell us anything.’

‘Yes, I see.’

Clancy remained quiet, letting the idea sink in. At length she looked up. ‘If you went to College, would it mean a delay in opening the restaurants?’

‘Yes, but we can go on expanding in the business we already have, we know what we are doing by now. The new delicatessen is going well...’

‘Yes, with Joe Kowalski’s help.’ Anna smiled. ‘That was a good move. I’m glad he agreed to work for us. But what I dream of is a chain of really top class restaurants...’

‘I understand that, and I want it to happen one day. But that kind of venture will involve much more risk. It will cost a fortune to launch each restaurant, that is if you want to attract real society people.’ He leaned forward in the big chair. ‘We have to be much more financially secure before we do it, darlin’. And we need to know more. If some cheapskate gangster tries to move in on us I want to know more than he does...’

‘What do you mean? We’ve never had any trouble’

‘Not so far, most of the canteen sites are out of town. But things could change, and the delicatessens may be different,’ Clancy said grimly.

‘But what could they do?’,

‘Bribe our accountant to hive off some of our profits, that’s what! ‘

‘Oh!’

‘That’s only one of the reasons I need to learn more.’ Clancy said. ‘I don’t want to alarm you, but we are not in Sandley Heath now. Most of the small businesses in town pay protection money to the mob. I didn’t tell you but it was the main reason Joe Kowalski agreed to join us. He was frightened and didn’t want the responsibility of being the boss any longer.’

‘Oh Clancy, poor Joe!’ Anna was upset. ‘But the newspapers said last year that Johnny Torrio had moved to Chicago.’

‘He has, but he has left someone to run his rackets here. A man called Capone.’

‘I’ve never heard of him,’ Anna said doubtfully.

‘Perhaps not,’ Clancy replied. ‘He may not be so well known but he has been a friend of Torrio’s for years. Things will not get any better, you can be sure of that. We need to be big Anna, really big, to stand a chance.’

Anna sighed. ‘I know you’re right Clancy. But how long? How long before we have our chain of restaurants?’

Clancy laughed. ‘How can I know? It will take as long as it takes. Three years perhaps for me to be qualified. By then James will be old enough for school, and with luck we shall have a larger chain of canteens, which Lee Sung can continue to run, with Joe running the chain of delicatessens. You will have extra time to train Jenny for the restaurants, and we should be in a very healthy position.’

‘Yes.’ He sensed her disappointment, but her eyes were bright as she began to laugh. ‘Have you thought Clancy, we are still making chains?’

‘Yes,’ he smiled, ‘But these kind pay better. And talking of chains, that reminds me. I increased the monthly bank order to Will and the family, as you wanted.’ He finished his whisky. ‘What’s for dinner? I suppose it’s something exotic again?’

‘Of course. You are my recipe tester.’

Anna crossed to Clancy and kissed him gently. ‘I shall enjoy having a top businessman for a husband,’ she said.

He put his arm around her. ‘And I enjoy having a good cook for a wife,’ he rejoined. ‘Mind you, I do have one complaint about the food.’

Her eyes widened. ‘A complaint?’

‘Yes. I wish, just once in a while, you would make us a good bread pudding.’

~

The Chef from the Plaza had handed over the recipe like a lamb, Anna reflected happily. She had been right about the ingredients, but it was good of him to give her the tip about the bouillon. It had been a good evening, and for all his misgivings Clancy had enjoyed it as much as she had. She glanced across to where her husband lay, deep in slumber. I'm not surprised you can sleep like that, Anna thought, you surpassed yourself tonight. She turned into him and gazed closely at his face. He looked very young and vulnerable when he was asleep, and for some unaccountable reason she suddenly felt like weeping. She drew in her breath and considered him, still a handsome man, a little more flesh on the bones perhaps. His features had a chiselled look, and the thick dark eyelashes which had inspired so many comments from the girls at the chainshop were still long against his cheeks. Not fair for a man to have such eyes, Anna thought. Irish eyes, her mother had called them, and the look she had seen in those eyes tonight had told her how much he still loved her. He was a passionate man, she thought tenderly, so passionate and so gentle. She had stopped feeling guilty about making love with Clancy long ago. You couldn't help yourself, she thought tenderly, there was something about Clancy that made it easy to make love, and she had enjoyed it tonight as much as he had.

Then why couldn't she sleep? Why was her mind going around in circles? She suddenly realised she had felt uneasy for days, since Lottie had made that remark about James being just like his Pa.

James was not like his Pa. Anna had searched the boy's features for a look of Robert, but apart from the blonde hair there was nothing. James was more like her family, and if anything looked rather like Billy when he was small.

Just like his Pa. A sudden image of Robert came to her, fair and smiling, as he flicked the hair from his eyes with a quick shake of the head. In an instant they were in the hayloft at La Maison Blanche, making love with wild abandon in the sweet scented hay. She remembered with a pang of delicious pain the little hollow on the cliffs above the beach at Locquirec, and suddenly it all was back, the feeling of freedom, the generous liberality of France, the exuberant joy and the terrible anguish. The rushing remembrance enveloped her, and rolled back the last three years as if they had never been.

Anna turned over and buried her face in the pillow. Why? her mind demanded bitterly. Why did she still feel so much for someone who had tossed her aside like a plaything, like a summer toy which had served its purpose once the season faded? How could she still yearn for Robert, long for news of him, when he had treated her so badly? Because, her heart answered simply, because of what he meant to you. Because of how he made you feel, how he was, how you thought he was. Because you were young and he was the first, at the time you thought the only one.

Anna got out of bed quietly, and went downstairs. She found her reticule and read again the last letter from Therese, written out in Jacques's steady hand. She skimmed through the items of local news until she came to the part she sought.

Robert was not here this summer. We heard he had spent the Spring with his mother in England, but then went straight to Cannes. He spends most of the year there now, at his wife's home. They have a little boy, one year old now. Did you know? Jacques says he thinks Robert is not painting much these days.

Why had Jacques sent that message? Did he think she was interested in Robert's painting? At least she had news. In the two letters she had received from Florence there had been hardly a mention of Robert and Delphine. Of all who were there in France, Anna felt that only Jacques had perhaps understood anything of the passion of that summer...

A slight noise made her start. Clancy stood in the doorway in his dressing gown. 'What are you doing down here darlin'? I woke up and missed you, so I did.'

Anna dashed away a tear which she only now realised was running down her cheek. 'I... I couldn't sleep,' she said lightly. 'I didn't mean to wake you...'

Clancy was looking at the letter in her hand. 'What are you reading?' he asked.

'It's nothing important... just a letter...'

He nodded slowly. 'Yes, I can guess which letter it is.' He came across to her, took the letter and glanced briefly at the signature. He folded it and replaced it in her reticule.

'The past is over Anna,' he said quietly.

'Of course it is. I was only thinking of Therese...'

Clancy took her arm. 'I know what you were thinking of. Come back to bed.'

As they reached their room Anna saw the dejected droop of Clancy's shoulders and guilt overwhelmed her.

Clancy asked, 'Would you like me to make a cup of tea?'

Exactly three months to the day after Clancy qualified, the first Sullivans restaurant opened. It was an immediate success, and from the outset was heavily booked. Anna felt they should have chosen larger premises.

'Most certainly not,' Clancy assured her, as they locked up after a hectic evening. 'Part of the attraction of Sullivans is the special atmosphere you have created. If the restaurant was larger we should lose that.'

'But we are turning away so many customers...' Anna complained.

‘And the answer to that, my dear, is to open another Sullivans as soon as possible, but not too near this one.'

'Fifth Avenue?' Anna asked hopefully.

Clancy sighed. 'You know my views about Fifth Avenue, it is far too expensive...'

'Even now? Now you know how successful we can be?'