Be Careful What You Wish For: The Clifton Chronicles 4 by Jeffrey Archer Page B

Barrington’s?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Fisher without hesitation. ‘I know someone who detests Emma Clifton even more than you do, and she’s recently been awarded a large divorce
settlement.’

12
    ‘G OOD MORNING ,’ said Ross Buchanan, ‘and welcome to this extraordinary general meeting. There is only one item on today’s
agenda, namely to appoint a new chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company. I would like to open by saying what a privilege it’s been to serve as your chairman for the past five years, and
how sad I am to relinquish that post. However, for reasons I do not need to rake over again, I feel this is an appropriate time to stand down and allow someone else to take my place.
    ‘My first responsibility,’ he continued, ‘is to introduce those shareholders who have joined us today and who are entitled to vote at an EGM, as set out in the statutes of the
company’s constitution. One or two of those seated around this table will be familiar to the board, while others may not be quite as well known. On my right is Mr David Dixon, the
company’s chief executive, and on my left is Mr Philip Webster, the company secretary. To his left is our finance director, Mr Michael Carrick. Seated next to him is Rear Admiral Summers,
then Mrs Clifton, Mr Anscott, Mr Knowles, Major Fisher and Mr Dobbs, all of whom are non-executive directors. They are joined today by individuals or representatives of companies who have a large
shareholding in Barrington’s, including Mr Peter Maynard and Mrs Alex Fisher, both of whom are Major Fisher’s nominees, as he now represents twenty-two point five per cent of the
company.’ Maynard beamed, while Susan Fisher bowed her head and blushed when everyone turned to look at her.
    ‘Representing the Barrington family and their twenty-two per cent holding are Sir Giles Barrington MC MP and his sister, Dr Grace Barrington. The other two individuals present who have
also met the legal requirement to vote on this occasion are the Lady Virginia Fenwick’ – Virginia patted Fisher on the back, leaving no one in any doubt where her support lay,
‘and –’ the chairman checked his notes – ‘Mr Cedric Hardcastle, who represents Farthings Bank, which currently holds seven point five per cent of the company’s
stock.’
    Everyone around the table turned to look at the one person none of them had come across before. He was dressed in a three-piece grey suit, white shirt and well-worn blue silk tie. He
couldn’t have been more than an inch over five foot, and he was almost completely bald except for a thin semi-circle of grey hair that barely reached his ears. Because he wore thick,
horn-rimmed glasses, it was almost impossible to guess his age. Fifty? Sixty? Possibly even seventy? Mr Hardcastle removed his glasses to reveal steel-grey eyes, and Emma felt certain that she had
seen him before, but couldn’t remember where.
    ‘Good morning, Mr Chairman,’ was all he said, although those four words revealed which county he hailed from.
    ‘Let us move on to the business at hand,’ said Buchanan. ‘By the deadline of six o’clock yesterday evening, two candidates had allowed their names to be put forward as
prospective chairmen: Mrs Emma Clifton, who is proposed by Sir Giles Barrington MC MP, and seconded by Dr Grace Barrington, and Major Alex Fisher, proposed by Mr Anscott and seconded by Mr Knowles.
Both candidates will now address the board on how they see the future of the company. I call upon Major Fisher to open proceedings.’
    Fisher didn’t move from his place. ‘I feel it would be courteous to allow the lady to speak first,’ he said, giving Emma a warm smile.
    ‘How kind of you, major,’ replied Emma, ‘but I’m quite happy to abide by the chairman’s decision and allow you to go first.’
    Fisher appeared to be a little flustered, but quickly recovered. He shuffled his notes, rose from his place and took a long look around the table, before he began