Chapter Nine
~~MARK~~
By the time Thursday came, I was in a state of indecision about my meeting with Emma. Should I raise the subject of Friday night — or stay absolutely work focused and give advice on managing Elton? Bloody difficult, when I’d overstepped the same line.
And in that case, should I be mentoring her at all?
I arrived at Highbury Foods just before one o’clock, parked the car and rang her mobile.
‘Hello, Emma Woodhouse speaking.’
Didn’t she recognise my number — or was she just winding me up?
‘I’m outside, I thought we’d go to—’
‘You know, I don’t think we need this meeting any more.’ Her tone was cool and brisk. ‘The matter I wanted to discuss seems to have resolved itself, and anyway I can’t spare the time.’
I frowned. ‘I’m glad the Elton situation’s improved.
But your excuse about being too busy won’t wash — because that’s what mentoring’s about, helping you use your time more effectively.
’ I paused, then went on, ‘I don’t think Henry would be very pleased if you cancelled.
At this short notice, I can’t really waive my fee. ’
Silence, followed by the tap of high heels on stone steps.
‘You’re on your way down, then?’ I said, with a complacent smile.
‘No, Mark, I’m just finding somewhere more private to talk. You see, I don’t think Dad would be very pleased if I told him what you did on Friday night.’
She really should have known better than to go down that route. ‘You mean what we did on Friday night, I seem to remember that you gave as good as you got—’
‘Don’t play games with me, you acted unprofessionally and you know it.’ Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. ‘The mentoring’s over, can’t you see that?’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ I hesitated, then decided to go for it. ‘But I’d still like to take you out for lunch. We need to discuss what happened — properly, where we won’t be disturbed.’
‘Some things are better not discussed.’
‘Believe me, Emma, this isn’t one of them.’
Silence again.
‘It’s not as if we can avoid each other,’ I said softly. ‘There’s the Board meetings, your company Christmas do, then mine. And whenever John and Izzy bring the kids over, they like to see both of us. It’ll look strange if we—’
‘All right, all right,’ she said, sounding flustered. ‘Only not at the moment, I need some space.’
A result, of sorts; I didn’t want to push my luck. ‘Fair enough, just say the word when you’re ready to talk. ’Bye for now.’
She said goodbye and hung up. Instead of returning to the office, I stayed where I was and made a couple of phone calls.
Ten minutes later, I was just leaving the car park when I had to swerve to avoid a maniac in a black Alfa Romeo, apparently in a big hurry to get to Highbury Foods.
The driver had red hair, rather shorter than when I’d last seen him.
So she needed space, did she? A Churchill-filled one, by the look of it.
My father’s return couldn’t come soon enough. Then I’d go straight back to India, giving Emma Woodhouse more space than she could possibly imagine.
* * *
~~EMMA~~
Immediately after cancelling my mentoring meeting with Mark, I rang Flynn to say I was ready for lunch whenever he was. I almost skipped up the stairs when he said he’d be straight over. It was all working out very well indeed.
There was a slight setback, however, as I went past the Finance office.
Philip rushed out, ignored my protests about an urgent appointment and launched into a sales pitch about the tremendous value Gusty would add to Highbury Foods.
As I’d told Mark, this particular problem seemed to be resolved; now that he had Gusty to go home to, Philip was being much more civil.
At last I reached my room. Flynn was already there, playing solitaire on my PC, while Jane was hunched over the table, engrossed in a report.
Flynn jumped up and said dramatically, ‘I’ve come to take you away from this beastly place, my darling, let me carry you off to Forbury Manor.’
‘Yes, please,’ I said with a giggle. ‘I’ve been meaning to check it out ever since it was refurbished. We’re having our Christmas party there, as usual.’
‘I know, Kate told me, so I thought it’d be the perfect place for the meal I promised you last Saturday.’
My face fell. ‘I see.’
‘Would you prefer to go somewhere else?’
How to tell him that I’d been hoping my prize would involve a long romantic evening rather than a brief lunch break?
‘Not at all,’ I said, as cheerfully as I could.
On the way to Forbury, Flynn fired off a constant stream of questions about the party.
I couldn’t answer most of them and suggested that he ask Kate instead, as she’d organised it for the past few years.
All I knew was that we put on a dinner and a disco for all our employees and their partners, with overnight accommodation thrown in.
Naturally, Dad and Batty and a few others preferred to go home to their own beds, but we usually ended up taking over all the rooms in the hotel.
The Manor, a tastefully modernised Georgian pile, was impressive at the best of times; after its recent facelift, it looked positively amazing.
The Corporate Events Manager gave us a quick tour; then we discussed the menu and other arrangements for the party, with Flynn contributing some useful ideas.
Finally, we sat down to lunch at a table overlooking the gardens.
The view was breathtaking: distant woods still ablaze with autumn colour, rolling green-velvet lawns and in front of us, fringed with weeping willows, an ornamental lake, where swans and ducks bickered over pieces of bread.
There was a perfectly adequate fixed-price menu, but Flynn insisted on going à la carte. ‘I said there’d be no expense spared, remember?’ He gave a wicked grin. ‘It’s also bribery — to make sure I get an invitation to this party.’
My heart started to thud. It looked like I’d get my romantic evening with him after all; with a couple of hundred other people around, unfortunately, but there’d be plenty of opportunity later for some privacy . . .
Then I remembered. ‘I’m afraid Dad’s being very strict on numbers this year — only current employees and their partners, if they’ve got them. He’s made a special exception for Kate because she’s only just left the company.’
Those dancing green eyes met mine. ‘I’ll go as your partner, then.’
I raised one eyebrow. ‘What if I’ve already got one?’
He laughed. ‘But you haven’t. Kate told me.’
‘She would,’ I said, pleased that he’d bothered to find out. ‘Trouble is, Dad knows I’m not dating anyone so he hasn’t allowed for a partner in the numbers. Same goes for some of the others, like Harriet and Jane and Mark—’
‘Mark?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘How come he’s invited?’
‘He’s temporarily joined our Board as a non-exec, in place of his father. Not exactly an employee, I know, but in any case our families go way back.’
Another wicked grin. ‘If anyone can wheedle something out of Henry, you can. Tell him I’ll pay my own way—’
‘It’s not the money,’ I put in. ‘It’s just Dad and his funny little rules.’ Out of the corner of my eye I saw the waiter hovering. ‘Look, I’ll ask him as soon as I can find the right moment, but don’t get your hopes up.’
‘I can’t help it.’ He gave a deep sigh. ‘You don’t understand how awful my life’s been in Australia since I became a celebrity.
And it’s only a matter of time before the press over here get onto me, especially if I do a deal with the BBC.
But Kate says the local paper never bothers with the Highbury Foods Christmas party, so this is a chance for me to relax and enjoy myself.
I love socializing, you see, just like my father.
’ He pulled a face. ‘I suppose I’m just being selfish. ’
‘You’re not being selfish at all,’ I said indignantly. ‘It’s perfectly natural to want to party, especially at our age. Don’t worry, I’ll get you an invitation.’
‘You’re a star, Em. And there’s something else . . . God, this whole situation is so difficult sometimes, I keep wanting to tell you all about it but—’
‘Are you ready to order, sir?’ It was the waiter, unable to contain himself any longer.
I could have throttled him because, by the time he’d finished, Flynn seemed to have completely forgotten what he wanted to tell me.
Instead, he started describing Tom’s extension plans for Randalls in the style of a gay interior designer, until I was helpless with laughter.
Heads turned, but I couldn’t have cared less.
* * *
~~MARK~~
I wasn’t surprised to get a phone call from Henry about the mentoring. He’d paid a considerable amount of money up front, after all.
‘How’s it going?’ he said.
I hesitated, wondering how best to break the news that it wasn’t. ‘Slowly. So far we’ve only had one proper meeting. I can’t count Ashridge and we had to cancel the one scheduled for last Thursday.’
‘And I’ve paid you for six sessions?’
‘You have.’
‘This isn’t like you, Mark, you’re normally so focused. There’s a problem, isn’t there?’
‘Yes.’ I braced myself for a showdown.
‘And the problem, of course, is Jane. You feel she’d benefit from your expertise as much as Emma, if not more so.’ He paused, and I decided not to correct him. He went on, ‘I don’t suppose you’d mentor them together for the same price?’
‘That would never work,’ I said firmly. ‘It’ll have to be just one of them for the remaining five sessions.’
‘Hmmm. Naturally I’d prefer you to continue with Emma, but Jane might never have such a marvellous opportunity again, it would do wonders for her personal development. Hard to choose between them, isn’t it?’
‘Very,’ I lied. ‘But it’d better be Jane. As you say, it’s a great opportunity and should make her even more effective while she’s at Highbury Foods.’
‘Excellent! I’m sure Emma will understand, when I get round to telling her. In the meantime you can start mentoring Jane — let me know how it goes.’