Chapter 22 — The Cost of a Name
Kit’s shares were worth less each morning.
The valuation arrived at seven from an independent merchant bank. His personal holding in Harcourt say nothing unless asked a factual shareholder question.
Kit followed the instruction.
At the meeting, his mother argued that separating production would weaken the brand. A factory representative answered with years of bearing cancellation risk without ownership. The proposal passed narrowly after the independent trusts supported it.
Kit cast his smaller personal vote in favour. He held no proxy and made no speech.
After the meeting, his mother asked him to dinner. Kit went because refusing family contact was not the same as relinquishing family control. She served the food herself after dismissing staff for the evening.
“You have made yourself employable as a penitent,” she said.
“I have an operations contract.”
“And no house, no board and perhaps no wife.”
Kit didn’t ask Ottilie to disprove the last item. “Those are not assets you can restore for me.”
His mother wanted him to challenge the employee vote on procedural grounds. Kit gave her the contact for the independent company secretary and would not assess the claim privately. She called that cowardice. He finished dinner and left her with the route available to every shareholder.
When the new production company registered, its first board contained four employee directors, two independent manufacturing specialists and one Harcourt & Bell customer representative. Kit’s name appeared nowhere.
The family house continued without his decision. That was part of the cost, not a defect in the arrangement.