The Rich Are Different (71 page)

I cabled Luke and told him to ditch all the speculative stock in the Van Zale Participations portfolio.

I cabled my partners and told them to cable back immediately with a prognosis.

MORE THAN A MERE TECHNICAL CORRECTION, Lewis cabled back, BUT THURSDAY’S FORECAST IS FOR MARKET TO STABILIZE AGAIN AS ON TUESDAY STOP RETURN TO NORMAL ANTICIPATED BY END OF MONTH
.

I drank half a bottle of Scotch and waited for the night to end.

I remember the dawn, the great bloodshot clouded dawn of Black Thursday, 24 October 1929.

‘There’s going to be a crash,’ I said to Dinah. ‘I think it might be a big one.’

Even then I was so busy standing on the beach watching the angry breakers that I never saw the dimensions of the tidal wave beyond.

The Crash came. People who lived through it on Wall Street said it was like the end of the world. Stone-faced crowds packed the Street from end to end, men had hysterics in front of the ticker, wailing women keened on subway cars. But I wasn’t there so I never saw the greatest gambling machine of all time crack up to strip the people of their money and the bankers of
their reputation. I just saw the cables, the stark reports, the unbelievable figures of a market gone mad.

Black Thursday was followed by a lull while the market staggered around like a chicken with its head cut off, but five days later on the so-called Tragic Tuesday the market was brutally drowned beneath a tidal wave of sixteen and a half million dumped shares.

My telephone rang. It rang continuously. I sat beside it all day. I didn’t eat. After a while I even forgot to drink.

The appalling cables began to stream across the Atlantic.

STEVE WE ARE HURTING BADLY PLEASE COME HOME SITUATION DESPERATE RE VAN ZALE PARTICIPATIONS
…

But neither of my brothers had the nerve to cable me full details of the gory disaster which had overtaken the investment trust.

The blood streamed all the way down Willow Street into the bank on the corner of Wall.

CRISIS OF GRAVEST PROPORTIONS, cabled Lewis. FOR THE GOOD OF THE FIRM WE MUST ALL UNITE
…

HOW SOON CAN YOU BE HOME? cabled Martin. IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERESTIMATE MAGNITUDE OF CRASH.

… SO MUST REQUEST YOUR IMMEDIATE RETURN
… Even Clay wanted me back.

The phone rang. New York was on the wire. Above the gasps of the static I could hear Matt sobbing.

‘Please come, Steve,’ I heard him beg, and Luke, grabbing the receiver from him, shouted: ‘You’ve got to come, for Christ’s sake come—’ We were cut off.

The last cable arrived directly afterwards. It said:
SINCE YOU APPOINTED YOUR BROTHERS TO THEIR POSITIONS WE FEEL YOU SHOULD NOW ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS STOP IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO IMAGINE THE SORDIDNESS OF THEIR SITUATION BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO EXAGGERATE IT STOP KINDLY CABLE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE STOP MAY I SUGGEST YOU TAKE THE NEXT SHIP STOP CORNELIUS

I tried to get hold of my brothers but the lines were out. I booked the call but when nothing happened I shot off a cable asking them just what the hell they’d been playing at when the Crash had caught them with their pants down. Eventually, hours later, I did manage to speak to them again on the phone and they did try to tell me what had been going on.

I thought I’d have a heart attack. Men have died from less provocation, but fortunately for my brothers I have an iron constitution.

‘All right, boys,’ I said, cutting off the conversation as soon as I realized it was quite unsuitable for the telephone. ‘Keep your mouths shut, get out of sight and if you’re arrested hire the best criminal lawyers in town. I’m on my way.’

I finished a bottle of Scotch and opened another as I thought about what the disaster meant. It wasn’t just that my brothers could end up in jail. The
partners would need a scapegoat, and as Cornelius had already implied, the role was tailor-made for me. I didn’t just have to return to New York to bail out my brothers. I had to rush back to save my neck.

Very slowly I levered myself to my feet, abandoned the bottle of Scotch and trudged off to Belgravia to talk to Dinah.

[3]

‘… so you see,’ I said heavily to her, ‘there’s no choice. I’ve got to go.’

I thought she’d say: ‘Yes, of course. I understand.’ But she didn’t. Without a word she retreated upstairs to her room.

Following I found her sitting on the edge of her bed and staring at the floor.

My heart went out to her. I’d never felt more miserable in my life. ‘Dinah … honey …’ I slumped down beside her. ‘History’s not going to repeat itself, I swear it. I’m not going to disappear into America and occasionally send you a cute letter to keep you amused. I’ll come back. And I’ll marry you.’

She still said nothing. The silence closed in upon us.

‘Come with me,’ I urged in desperation.

‘They wouldn’t let me on the ship.’

‘But you’re only six months pregnant!’

‘And big as a house. It’s not just one baby, Steve. There are two.’

‘WHAT!’ For the second time in a couple of hours I felt close to heart failure. ‘You mean—’

‘Twins. I’ve known for two months. I was saving the news as a Christmas present for you.’

‘Oh my God! Jesus Christ, I can’t possibly leave you!’ I was distraught. I began to pace feverishly up and down the room. ‘Look, you’ve got to come with me. I’ll fix the ship – we’ll hire a doctor to come with us – and when we reach New York I’ll find you an apartment—’

‘Oh no,’ she said dryly. ‘That’s one road I’m never going to travel again.’

‘But I’m not Paul!’ I shouted. ‘My God, you don’t think I’d sleep with Caroline while you were looking the other way, do you?’

‘I underestimated Sylvia and went through hell. I’ve no intention of underestimating Caroline.’

I was enraged by her implication that Caroline could twist me round her little finger. ‘Well, what the hell do you expect me to do?’ I bawled at her. ‘God damn it, Dinah, can’t you understand that I love you and want to marry you? What the hell else do you expect of me now, for God’s sake?’

‘Common sense.’ She rose to her feet and impulsively slid her arms around my neck. ‘Don’t go back to New York, Steve.’

‘Christ, as if I had any choice!’

‘I mean it. Don’t go back. Don’t get drawn into your brothers’ mess. They’ll drag you down with them.’

‘But I’m responsible!’

‘Rubbish,’ said Dinah. ‘Your
partners are just as responsible as you are – more so because you haven’t been in New York since March – but they’re hitting you as hard as they can to draw a veil over their own negligence! Let
them
cope! Let
them
clean up the mess! Good God, Steve, can’t you see that someone back there at Willow and Wall is making a grab for power by using your brothers to jockey you against the rails?’

I stared at her. I felt exhausted. I was dimly aware that I didn’t like her telling me what was going on. Wiping the sweat from my forehead I tried to keep a clear head.

‘My brothers—’

‘Oh, fuck your brothers!’ said Dinah. I was never so shocked in my life. Not even Caroline had ever used that kind of language. For one horrible moment I was reminded of the scene in my New York office when Cornelius had jettisoned his polite well-mannered mid-western upbringing to reveal himself as the toughest kid on the block.

I backed away.

‘Steve, it’s so damned obvious that those brothers of yours have been sponging on you ever since they shared a cradle. Why can’t you see they’re just a couple of petty failures?’

My temper erupted. ‘Don’t you call my brothers failures!’ I shouted.

‘Failures!’ she shouted right back. ‘Your trouble, Steven Sullivan, is that you’re too damned sentimental!’

I walked out.

‘Steve!’ She ran after me. ‘Steve, wait!’

‘Go to hell.’ I was crossing the living-room to the front door.

‘Steve—’ She tripped at the top of the stairs and only just managed to grab the rail. She didn’t scream – there wasn’t time – but I saw the colour drain from her face as I raced back to her.

‘My God, are you all right? Here – let me carry you,’ I said, and lifted her to the bed.

The shock sobered us both. We started to apologize, she saying she found it hard to understand my attachment to my brothers because her brother and sister had meant so little to her, I mumbling that I didn’t know how I was ever going to leave her. I forgot that chilling moment when she had reminded me of Cornelius.

But not for long. For it was unmasking time at the masquerade ball, and I was just about to find out that the Lady of Mystery, Miss Dinah Slade, was no ordinary protégée of that goddamned best friend of mine but a made-to-measure replica of Cornelius Van Zale in drag.

‘I’ve got to go back to New York,’ I was saying. ‘My mind’s made up and there’s no altering it. I’ll sort out the mess, see Caroline, wangle a divorce, come back, marry you – and we’ll go to Paris again in the spring!’ I added, pouncing on a way to cheer her up. ‘Ah honey, remember what a wonderful help you were to me there! What a way you have with the clients! Maybe I should take you into Van Zale’s and train you for a partnership!’

‘Steve!’ She sat bolt upright on the bed, eyes shining, cheeks glowing, all
our problems forgotten. ‘Oh Steve, I’d like that better than anything – I’ve been thinking of it for such a long time! I suppose it really all began when I first saw the great hall at One Willow Street, but of course I never dreamt then that I’d ever get the chance to—’ She stopped. Her expression changed. ‘But you don’t mean it, do you,’ she said. ‘You just said that as a joke. How stupid of me. I’m sorry.’

‘Why, don’t be sorry,’ I said. ‘Tell me more.’ A small hard knot was forming in the pit of my stomach.

‘It’s nothing. You know how I enjoy my work, but you must have suspected that I was getting tired of cosmetics and wanted something more challenging. However, it’s not important. Let’s forget it.’

‘Did Paul know about this?’

‘I wasn’t consciously aware of it myself when he was alive, but yes, I think he always knew. If he were alive now—’

‘What does his death matter?’ I said. ‘I’m here, aren’t I? Your second chance for a slice of the Van Zale pie!’

She smiled nervously. ‘I know it’s odd for a woman to want to go into banking. But I know I could do it, Steve, I know I could! If I could only have the opportunity—’

‘Forget it, Dinah,’ I said thickly. ‘Women don’t become investment bankers. I’m sorry.’

‘But I’m intelligent, hard-working and able. I’ve proved I can start with nothing and build up a hugely successful business in less than seven years. Why should I be disqualified from a banking career just because I’m a woman?’

‘The clients would never accept you and neither would the partners. Sorry, honey, but there’s no way you can sleep yourself into this particular saddle.’

She flushed and stood up. ‘That was a horrible thing to say!’

‘Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do ever since I set foot in this country last March?’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Jesus Christ, you’re so goddamned smart – don’t tell me you don’t understand! Why, after the very first night we spent together you got me to guarantee Alan’s future at Van Zale’s! I was the key that was going to open the Van Zale door for you, wasn’t I, so you made a big fuss of me and gave me the time of my life – although it was kind of tedious for you because at heart you’d rather be debating classical literature or moseying around old churches—’

‘Steve, for God’s sake – you’re twisting everything around—’

‘—and no wonder you got pregnant! You got what you wanted then, didn’t you – another Van Zale partner in your hip pocket and the red carpet rolled out to welcome you to investment banking!’

‘I got pregnant because I wanted another child and I wanted it to be yours!’

That was more than I could take. ‘Ah come, Dinah, let’s not be so
“damned sentimental” about this!’ I shouted. ‘You think I’m dumb about women, don’t you? Well, I’m not! I know when I’m being taken! I know when I’m being had! You may have wrecked Paul’s life but by God you’re not going to wreck mine!’

‘Shut up!’ she screamed. ‘Don’t you dare fling Paul’s name in my face, don’t you
dare
! I loved Paul – loved him – and he was ten times the man you’ll ever be both in bed and out of it—’

‘Christ!’ I was on my feet. The room swam. ‘You goddamned bitch!’

‘Do I think you’re dumb about women? Yes, I do – you’ve no idea how to make love properly! I tried to give hints, tried to tell you what I liked and all you cared about was rolling into bed with me when you were drunk and slamming away for a few minutes before you passed out!’

‘You liked it! You always acted as if—’

‘It was boring, God damn you! Boring, disappointing and unsatisfying, and if I hadn’t cared for you so much – yes, I did love you – I would have told you so long ago and to hell with your precious masculine vanity! My God, if you knew all the times I’d lain in bed and tried to pretend you were Paul!’

‘Jesus,’ I said. ‘I could tell you a thing or two about Paul. Why, he didn’t even like women all that much – he only used them to prove to himself he was no Oscar Wilde!’

‘That’s a filthy lie – the filthiest I’ve ever heard!’ She flew at me. Her nails raked my cheeks. Her swollen body was torn with sobs. ‘Get out!’ she screamed. ‘Get out, get out, get out! I never want to see you again!’

‘Forget it – seeing you again is the one mistake I’ll never make!’ I yelled back at her. ‘Go and find some other sucker to take for a ride!’

She was still screaming abuse at me as I slammed the door.

[4]

In bed two hours later I reached for the phone and called her.

‘I don’t want to talk to you,’ she said steadily.

‘I wanted to tell you it wasn’t true about Paul. Caroline used to say that kind of thing after she’d heard the latest cheap psychology theories being peddled at parties, but I think it’s crazy, don’t you? I never did believe in all that psychological garbage.’

‘Steve—’

‘I was just jealous of Paul, I guess. It really hurt when you said you kept thinking of him when we were together. Dinah, you didn’t mean that, did you, about the sex?’