outside, madame. If you will give me a few minutes,” then snapping his fingers at a waiting porter, he walked away.
“Chris, darling,” Helga said. “Please, Hinkle is very special. Do be nice to him.”
Realizing he had made a faux pas, Grenville said hurriedly, “Sorry. Of course.”
They went together from the airport lobby to where the Camargue Rolls stood waiting.
“Some car,” Grenville said, impressed.
Helga walked around the Rolls and then clapped her hands.
“It’s really marvellous!” She got in the rear seat and as Grenville joined her, she took his hand. “Oh, Chris! This is rally when I appreciate the power of money! I’m so lucky! And now, you and I. I know you will love the villa.”
Within a few minutes, Hinkle slid under the driving wheel, the luggage in the boot.
“Is all well at Paradise City, Hinkle?” Helga asked.
“Yes, madame. The garden is looking very well.”
“I told Transel to prepare the villa.”
“So I understand, madame. Whilst waiting for your arrival, I telephoned him. All is in order.”
Helga patted Grenville’s hand.
“You see how Hinkle takes care of me.”
“And madame,” Hinkle went on, “as it is so late, I have booked rooms at the Trois Couronnes Hotel at Vevey for tonight.”
“Thank you.” Helga turned to Grenville. “It is a five hour drive from Vevey to Castagnola. We shall arrive tomorrow in time for lunch. Hinkle, what about food?”
“I have given Transel instructions, madame. He will stock the deep freeze.”
Helga sighed and rested her head on Grenville’s shoulder. She relaxed as the Rolls took them along the lakeside and towards Vevey.
At the Trois Couronnes, Helga said good night to Grenville, pressed his hand, her eyes alight with promises, and then was escorted to her room. As soon as he was in his room, Grenville put through a call to Archer at the Hotel de Suisse in Lugano.
“It’s all arranged,” Archer told him. “There is nothing for you to worry about. In three days, the operation will begin.”
“I’m not so sure there is nothing to worry about,” Grenville said, uneasily. “This man of hers, Hinkle, worries me.
“Hinkle?” Archer’s voice shot up. “Is he here?”
“He’s very much here, and very much in charge. He took one look at me and hated me. I know the signs. These ghastly old family retainers can be deadly.”
“Yes.” Archer, in his turn, became worried. “Hinkle, like Helga, is nobody’s fool.”
“Well, it’s your funeral. You work it out.”
“It’ll work out. Love her, Chris. That’s your job. She will override Hinkle once she is sure you want to marry her. I’ll look after the rest.”
“Just as long as you do,” said Grenville, who was now in a surly mood.
“Be careful how you handle Hinkle,” Archer went on. “Be nice to him: flatter him. Don’t overdo it, Chris, but pour oil.”
So the following morning, Grenville came from the hotel to where Hinkle was dusting the Rolls.
“Hello, Hinkle,” Grenville said in his smoothest manner. “That’s really a beautiful car. Tell me about it.”
“I would say, sir, it is the best car in the world,” Hinkle said coldly. “An entirely new line. The Silver Shadow doesn’t compare with it. I always prefer a two-door job.”
“The body work is of the master stylist, Pininfarina. This model is the first to use the latest Lucas Opus electronic ignition.”
Not knowing what Hinkle was talking about, Grenville wandered around the car.
“I suppose it eats petrol?”
“When one is fortunate to own a car like this, sir, one must expect it to use petrol,” Hinkle said, still cold and aloof.
“Yes.” Grenville turned on all his charm. “Madame Rolfe tells me how well you look after her, Hinkle. I too want to look after her.”
Hinkle regarded him, his fat face expressionless.
“Yes, Mr. Grenville.”
Trying again, Grenville said, “I want to make her happy as I know you make her happy.”
That didn’t get him
“Chris, darling,” Helga said. “Please, Hinkle is very special. Do be nice to him.”
Realizing he had made a faux pas, Grenville said hurriedly, “Sorry. Of course.”
They went together from the airport lobby to where the Camargue Rolls stood waiting.
“Some car,” Grenville said, impressed.
Helga walked around the Rolls and then clapped her hands.
“It’s really marvellous!” She got in the rear seat and as Grenville joined her, she took his hand. “Oh, Chris! This is rally when I appreciate the power of money! I’m so lucky! And now, you and I. I know you will love the villa.”
Within a few minutes, Hinkle slid under the driving wheel, the luggage in the boot.
“Is all well at Paradise City, Hinkle?” Helga asked.
“Yes, madame. The garden is looking very well.”
“I told Transel to prepare the villa.”
“So I understand, madame. Whilst waiting for your arrival, I telephoned him. All is in order.”
Helga patted Grenville’s hand.
“You see how Hinkle takes care of me.”
“And madame,” Hinkle went on, “as it is so late, I have booked rooms at the Trois Couronnes Hotel at Vevey for tonight.”
“Thank you.” Helga turned to Grenville. “It is a five hour drive from Vevey to Castagnola. We shall arrive tomorrow in time for lunch. Hinkle, what about food?”
“I have given Transel instructions, madame. He will stock the deep freeze.”
Helga sighed and rested her head on Grenville’s shoulder. She relaxed as the Rolls took them along the lakeside and towards Vevey.
At the Trois Couronnes, Helga said good night to Grenville, pressed his hand, her eyes alight with promises, and then was escorted to her room. As soon as he was in his room, Grenville put through a call to Archer at the Hotel de Suisse in Lugano.
“It’s all arranged,” Archer told him. “There is nothing for you to worry about. In three days, the operation will begin.”
“I’m not so sure there is nothing to worry about,” Grenville said, uneasily. “This man of hers, Hinkle, worries me.
“Hinkle?” Archer’s voice shot up. “Is he here?”
“He’s very much here, and very much in charge. He took one look at me and hated me. I know the signs. These ghastly old family retainers can be deadly.”
“Yes.” Archer, in his turn, became worried. “Hinkle, like Helga, is nobody’s fool.”
“Well, it’s your funeral. You work it out.”
“It’ll work out. Love her, Chris. That’s your job. She will override Hinkle once she is sure you want to marry her. I’ll look after the rest.”
“Just as long as you do,” said Grenville, who was now in a surly mood.
“Be careful how you handle Hinkle,” Archer went on. “Be nice to him: flatter him. Don’t overdo it, Chris, but pour oil.”
So the following morning, Grenville came from the hotel to where Hinkle was dusting the Rolls.
“Hello, Hinkle,” Grenville said in his smoothest manner. “That’s really a beautiful car. Tell me about it.”
“I would say, sir, it is the best car in the world,” Hinkle said coldly. “An entirely new line. The Silver Shadow doesn’t compare with it. I always prefer a two-door job.”
“The body work is of the master stylist, Pininfarina. This model is the first to use the latest Lucas Opus electronic ignition.”
Not knowing what Hinkle was talking about, Grenville wandered around the car.
“I suppose it eats petrol?”
“When one is fortunate to own a car like this, sir, one must expect it to use petrol,” Hinkle said, still cold and aloof.
“Yes.” Grenville turned on all his charm. “Madame Rolfe tells me how well you look after her, Hinkle. I too want to look after her.”
Hinkle regarded him, his fat face expressionless.
“Yes, Mr. Grenville.”
Trying again, Grenville said, “I want to make her happy as I know you make her happy.”
That didn’t get him
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