The Man in Possession (3 page)

CHAPTER TWO

It cost Julia a great deal to write out her notice and place it before her new boss the following morning. She did not want to leave here. David, and the place where he had once lived and worked, meant a great deal to her. She loved the work, she loved the county and liked its people. But she simply could not see
Mr.
Leighton and herself working amicably together. Indeed, she felt working
together
would not be the relationship he would have in mind. He had left her in no doubt whatever that he was the boss. This she could have accepted, even though she had wanted to manage the business herself, but she did not want a job where she had no responsibility and could never act on her own initiative. Moreover, she had a strong suspicion that
she
was going to be given notice, so she had forestalled him. But she felt far from happy and she couldn
’
t help feeling that there were difficult days ahead in either case.

He looked up at her keenly as he picked up the envelope she had placed before him. He opened it and barely glanced at its contents.

‘
Sit down, Miss Barclay, and let
’
s talk
,’
he said in the courteous, half friendly, half businesslike tone a managing director might use towards one of his senior staff.

Julia hesitated, but as she would have to work out her notice in any case, she supposed some talk was necessary. She sat down. He offered her a cigarette, but she declined.

‘
I don
’
t, thanks, except on very odd occasions, and I prefer not to at this hour.
’

He put the case back in his pocket, and she noticed that he did not light one for himself. He sat back in his chair looking relaxed, yet entirely in command.

Julia eyed him warily and guarded herself against his undoubted masculine attractiveness. She could well imagine the beautiful, efficient, impeccably and fashionably dressed private secretary pandering to his every whim and dancing attendance upon him; the little typists scurrying around, half worshipping him, half afraid of him. By some means or another this man would bend everyone
’
s will to suit his own. But she determined he was not going to bend hers. If she changed her mind about staying on, it would be because she wanted to herself.

‘
How long have you been working for this firm, Miss Barclay?
’
was his first question.

‘
About nine months.
’

He nodded, as though she had merely confirmed what he already knew.
‘I
spent some time last night going through the files and the account books. This office has been very efficiently run for just about that time, from the look of the dates on some of the copies of letters. This, I take it, is your work.
’

‘
I did a great deal more than just office work,
Mr.
Leighton,
’
she answered.

‘
So I believe. John Hargreaves had a son who used to manage the business. You more or less took over when the son died. A road accident, I understand.
’

Julia kept her face impassive.
‘
That
’
s right. I was on holiday here at the time. I stayed for a while to help out, then became—interested.
’

His expression altered.
‘
Interested enough to want to own it? Or were you, in fact, bidding for someone else?
’

She gave him an icy look.
‘I
told you last night that I wanted to buy it. I
’
m not used to having my word doubted. I consider lying to be both cowardly and undignified. Perhaps you would like a month
’
s salary from me in lieu of notice? I have no wish to work a single day longer for someone who can
’
t trust me nor tell when a person is telling the truth.
’

She rose to her feet. He eyed her calmly, then stood up himself and indicated the chair.

‘I apologise. Do sit down again. I had to be sure, you see. It seemed to me from where I was standing in the auction room that your friend was urging you on to raise the bidding, and when I found out later that he was the son of a boat-owner who had taken over several other firms, I thought—
’

‘
You
’
re right in a way. But he was urging me to keep bidding because he knew how much I
’
d set my heart on having the business. I would have stopped long before I did, having reached my ceiling price.
’

‘
Then why did you go on?
’

‘
For the very simple reason that he offered to lend me the extra money. But I knew I would have to pay him back, so—
’

‘
You
’
ve no intention of marrying him, then?
’

She looked puzzled. ‘Why do you ask
?’

But it was evident that he wanted to ask all the questions and was not prepared to answer any. He brushed her query aside.

‘It doesn
’
t matter. I—take it his attentions were—unwelcome yesterday evening?
’

Her chin lifted. ‘That incident was totally unexpected
and
unusual, I can assure you. Such a thing isn
’
t likely to happen again.
’

‘
I
’
m glad to hear it. Now. Having cleared up a few preliminary matters, perhaps we can get down to business. I never believe in breaking up a good working team. Frank Willis seems to know what he
’
s doing with regard to maintenance and general boatbuilding, and you certainly have the office work and stores at your finger-tips. The workmen are willing to carry on. I spoke to them last night. Now, I
’
m asking
you
if you
’
ll carry on as before.
’

Julia eyed him uncertainly.
‘
You mean you
’
re—not going to be here most of the time
?’

His eyes widened. ‘Oh, I
’
m going to be here all right. What made you think otherwise?
’

She shrugged.
‘
I simply thought you might regard a business like this as a sort of sideline and be here only at week-ends and during holiday periods.
’

‘
Oh, no,
’
he said emphatically. ‘That
’
s not the way I do things at all. I mean to settle down here, believe me, and I mean to make a success of this business.
’

Julia felt some very definite misgivings. Would he try to bring the methods of big business into the boatyard? Streamline everything and expect the men to account for every screw or fathom of rope?

‘I
’
m sure you will,
Mr.
Leighton,
’
she answered stiffly.
‘Though this is already quite a paying business.
’

‘
I daresay. But tell me honestly, Miss Barclay. If you had been successful in buying the boatyard, wouldn
’
t you have made some changes—changes that you couldn
’
t very well have made before? In the past you might have taken quite a bit of responsibility—efficient people generally have plenty thrust upon them, too much sometimes—but
Mr.
Hargreaves made the major decisions, I
’
m sure.
’

‘Of course.
’

He nodded.
‘
And so will I, naturally. But you must have made some plans—had some changes in mind, and surely agree that there
’
s room for improvement?
’

‘In some respects, yes. But what had
you
in mind,
Mr.
Leighton?
’

‘
This office, to begin with,
’
he said, indicating the shabby counter, the hardboard, colour-washed walls which needed redecorating, the worn lino on the floor and the old-fashioned electric fire.

Julia
’
s lips twitched in sudden humour. ‘I admit it
’
s not exactly an executive suite.
’

He gave her a sharp, enquiring glance. ‘Why do you make that particular comparison, may I ask?
’

She realised she had spoken without thinking, and that it would have been more diplomatic to have waited until he chose to tell her about himself. Nevertheless, she stood her ground.

‘
I
’
ve been finding out things, too. My particular grapevine tells me you
’
re an—ex-director of Melloid Oil. Or have I been misinformed?
’

A hard look came into his eyes, then he closed them momentarily as if recollections were also painful.

‘No, you haven
’
t been misinformed
.’
He picked up a pencil and began to doodle.

She waited for him to continue, but he appeared deep in thought. Then suddenly, as if emerging from a bad dream, he ripped off the sheet of paper from the pad and screwing it into a ball threw it into the waste-paper basket impatiently.

‘
Now where were we? Oh, yes, this office. You admit that something needs doing to it?
’

‘
As a matter of fact, it was going to be my next job,
’
she told him.

He stared at her.
‘
Your
next job? What on earth do you mean by that? What were you going to do, for heaven
’
s sake?
’

She shrugged.
‘
Well, re-paint the walls for a start. No
w
that I
’
ve finished taking stock of the cabin equipment, I
’
ll have some spare time in the afternoons. The mail doesn
’
t take long at this time of the year, and—
’

‘
You mean you
’
d actually buy a tin of paint and start working on the walls yourself? I never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life! The whole place wants knocking down and building afresh.
’

‘
But—
’
She stopped suddenly.

Again, that direct look from the man
’
s blue-grey eyes.
‘
Well? But what? Out with it.
’

‘
I
’
m not sure that I should,
Mr.
Leighton.
’

‘
Oh, really
!’
he said on a note of exasperation.
‘
I
’
ve had enough of polite secretaries who only give an opinion when asked for. I thought you
’
d be more honest. That
’
s why I—
’

‘
You forget,
Mr.
Leighton, I am
not
your private secretary. I haven
’
t even said whether I
’
m prepared to go on working for you or not yet.
’

Haven
’
t you? I thought you had. Well, for goodness
’
sake let
’
s get it settled. Do you want to discuss salary? Whatever you
’
re getting I feel sure it isn
’
t enough.
’

‘It
’
s not a question of money,
’
she told him.

No? What then?
’

She could hardly say she was not sure whether she wanted to work for him on personal grounds, though she was certainly going contrary to what she had said to Max over the telephone. Indeed, she was beginning to have quite a sneaking respect for the new owner of Wingcraft. His manner was direct and straightforward. She felt he was a man whose word one could always trust.

‘
If you don
’
t mind,
Mr.
Leighton,
’
she answered,
‘
I think I
’
d prefer to talk further, then go away and think the matter over for a little while.
’

‘Very well,
’
he said, looking a little surprised.
‘
Let
’
s start again. We can discuss the question of salary later—that is, if you de
c
ide to stay on. And I hope you do. You were about to comment on the office.
’

She inclined her head. ‘If you insist. I was about to say that, in general, the building itself is quite adequate—and in keeping—for a boatyard office. The inside needs smartening up, that
’
s all. If I were going to do it thoroughly, I
’
d also have a new counter. In fact, new furniture altogether and—
’
she gave an amused smile—
’
a new electric fire or something.
’

‘
I should hope so. But wouldn
’
t you have a carpet—on this side of the counter, at least?
’

She shook her head.
‘
I don
’
t think so. One is continually tramping in and out, and in wet weather—
’
she broke off, then went on, ‘though some rush matting on this side might be a compromise, and I think now that you
’
ve come, it might be a good idea to have an inner office. We can find another place for the radio and television sets. I suppose that was what the other room was intended for originally. An office, I mean. But
Mr.
Hargreaves spent most of his time in the repair
and boatbuilding sheds.
’

‘Point taken
,’
he said, and it was hard to tell whether he was smiling or not. ‘But your idea
’
s a good one. And I couldn
’
t agree more about this office furniture. I
’
ll attend to it myself. By the way, there seems to be one piece of essential equipment missing—which rather surprises me.
’

‘
Yes?
’
she queried, wondering what on earth it could be. ‘A computer, perhaps?
’
She couldn
’
t resist the dig.

She could see by the look he gave her that her sarcasm had not been lost on him. He made no comment, however, and she began to think she would enjoy working with this man, after all.

‘
A kettle,
’
he told her. ‘And all the wherewithal to make tea or coffee.
’

‘
It somehow never seemed necessary, and at present there
’
s only one power point. I
’
m afraid I often had a cup of tea with the workmen—
I
hope that doesn
’
t offend your sense of propriety. And of course, my own place is quite near.
’

Another look from him. She seemed to be continually surprising him. ‘Oh yes, Frank Willis mentioned that you were living in one of the houseboats. I noticed your light on last night and asked him if it was let or something. I don
’
t know that I like the idea.
’

‘
For what reason?
’
she queried, hoping he was not going to object.

‘Well, surely it
’
s not very comfortable, especially in weather like this?
’

She smiled and assured him that it was, and was on the point of explaining that her parents lived in Kent, otherwise she would not need the houseboat, but she stopped herself. That piece of information would almost inevitably bring the query:
Why did you come to Norfolk?
and she did not want to talk about David. In an effort to check any questions of that nature she asked one of her own.

‘
I take it you
’
ll be living in the house,
Mr.
Leighton?
’

He nodded.
‘
I
’
m already in. I hate hotels. But that needs refurnishing and redecorating too. The decor is something awful.
’

She felt a swift resentment on behalf of David and his father. Their furniture was not new. Some of it was old-fashioned and some of it was a little conventional, but it was good. Naturally most of the rooms needed redecorating, and man-like they had tended not to notice when things like carpets and curtains were looking sha
b
by. But she put an end to these thoughts.

‘
May I ask if your wife is here with you yet
?’
she asked, with a view to offering to make him some coffee.

‘
That grapevine of yours isn
’
t very good,
’
he answered.
‘
I
’
m a bachelor. Now is there anything else you
’
d like to know about me or that we have to settle immediately? If not—
’

She stood up.
‘
I
’
m sorry. I didn
’
t mean to—
’

He rose too.
‘
For goodness
’
sake, don
’
t feel obliged to keep apologizing. I can assure you, I shan
’
t. There was one other thing. Quite important. If you do decide to stay on, and I
’
d like you to, you
’
d carry on pretty much as you did before, of course. As my assistant rather than my secretary. That suit you?
’

‘
Why yes—In that case, I
’
ll go through the mail. But I
’
ll leave any important ones for you to see and sign, and if there are any queries—
’

‘
Yes, yes,
’
he said briskly, going to the door.

‘
Mr.
Leighton—
’
she called out,
‘I
usually make coffee in the houseboat about eleven. Will you—join me?
’