– but when it comes to women,
he’s made very different choices.
Brandon Ryan was born in Glasgow towards the end of the Second World War. He never spoke much about his childhood, at least not in public, but from what I’ve picked up from the articles
and occasional hints dropped by Morgan, it was a pretty brutal upbringing. As a boy, Brandon was beaten by his father and regularly went hungry. He cut all ties with his family at the age of
eighteen and travelled to London in the early 1960s, determined to make his fortune. He was a born entrepreneur – a millionaire within five years and a billionaire before he died. He fathered
three children – Morgan and her two younger brothers – with his wife, a beautiful socialite called Fay Langham. I’ve never met Fay. She and Art don’t exactly get along.
Brandon and Fay moved to Edinburgh when the children were little, but Brandon still spent much of his working week in London, which is where he met Anna, Art’s mum. Brandon was, as far as
I can gather, as ruthless about the affair as he was in his business dealings. At the time, Morgan was not yet two and the first of her younger brothers had just been born, and – I’m
guessing here, obviously – maybe he felt like he wasn’t getting enough attention at home. He met Anna at some fancy club where she was working as a waitress. At the time, Anna
apparently had ambitions to be an actress and, according to Art, Brandon hinted he would help with her career. He was in his prime then – a good-looking man with piercing eyes. Even in the
photos you can see he exuded power. Fragile, naive Anna didn’t stand a chance. When I met her, over twenty years later, she still had ‘victim’ stamped on her forehead.
Anyway, Fay found out about the affair after Anna became pregnant with Art. Brandon gave Anna money for the abortion, but Anna refused to have one – about the only moment in her life when
she stood up to anyone. I suspect Anna could have got quite a lot of money out of Brandon if she’d handled the situation more cannily but, in the end, Brandon gave her nothing and the whole
story was hushed up. Fay stood by her man, on condition that Brandon cut all ties with both mother and child.
When Art tracked him down, aged eighteen, Brandon was cold and uninterested. Art hates talking about their meeting. In fact it’s only thanks to Morgan that I heard about it at all.
Apparently when Art arrived on the doorstep Brandon refused to let him into the house. There was a big scene, which Morgan witnessed from the landing. Art left, having been completely humiliated.
Morgan ran out of the house after him and they talked on the street. I’ve asked Art about this showdown with his father several times but he’s only ever talked about it once –
shortly before our wedding – saying it was the worst moment of his life.
When Brandon died soon after their only meeting, Art was, unsurprisingly, left out of his will. Fay refused to entertain the idea that Art was entitled to any money, despite Morgan’s
pleadings. However, Art has told me, often, that even if he’d been offered an inheritance, he wouldn’t have taken a penny; that he ‘wouldn’t give the cold-blooded bastard
the satisfaction’. It doesn’t take a psychiatrist to see the root of Art’s drive and ambition in Brandon’s rejection, but Art always dismisses such notions. He doesn’t
like to feel his father has had any influence over him whatsoever.
‘Gen?’ Art calls from upstairs. ‘Gen, have you seen my black shirt?’
With a sigh, I turn away from the mirror as the doorbell rings with the first guest. What with Morgan all brittle and exasperated and Art exhausted from work, it feels like it’s going to
be a long night.
CHAPTER SIX
The Prodigy followed by an old Basement Jaxx song followed by my favourite disco track of all time: ‘Disco Inferno’. I smile to myself, watching the party’s
hardcore dancers – Tris and Boris
he’s made very different choices.
Brandon Ryan was born in Glasgow towards the end of the Second World War. He never spoke much about his childhood, at least not in public, but from what I’ve picked up from the articles
and occasional hints dropped by Morgan, it was a pretty brutal upbringing. As a boy, Brandon was beaten by his father and regularly went hungry. He cut all ties with his family at the age of
eighteen and travelled to London in the early 1960s, determined to make his fortune. He was a born entrepreneur – a millionaire within five years and a billionaire before he died. He fathered
three children – Morgan and her two younger brothers – with his wife, a beautiful socialite called Fay Langham. I’ve never met Fay. She and Art don’t exactly get along.
Brandon and Fay moved to Edinburgh when the children were little, but Brandon still spent much of his working week in London, which is where he met Anna, Art’s mum. Brandon was, as far as
I can gather, as ruthless about the affair as he was in his business dealings. At the time, Morgan was not yet two and the first of her younger brothers had just been born, and – I’m
guessing here, obviously – maybe he felt like he wasn’t getting enough attention at home. He met Anna at some fancy club where she was working as a waitress. At the time, Anna
apparently had ambitions to be an actress and, according to Art, Brandon hinted he would help with her career. He was in his prime then – a good-looking man with piercing eyes. Even in the
photos you can see he exuded power. Fragile, naive Anna didn’t stand a chance. When I met her, over twenty years later, she still had ‘victim’ stamped on her forehead.
Anyway, Fay found out about the affair after Anna became pregnant with Art. Brandon gave Anna money for the abortion, but Anna refused to have one – about the only moment in her life when
she stood up to anyone. I suspect Anna could have got quite a lot of money out of Brandon if she’d handled the situation more cannily but, in the end, Brandon gave her nothing and the whole
story was hushed up. Fay stood by her man, on condition that Brandon cut all ties with both mother and child.
When Art tracked him down, aged eighteen, Brandon was cold and uninterested. Art hates talking about their meeting. In fact it’s only thanks to Morgan that I heard about it at all.
Apparently when Art arrived on the doorstep Brandon refused to let him into the house. There was a big scene, which Morgan witnessed from the landing. Art left, having been completely humiliated.
Morgan ran out of the house after him and they talked on the street. I’ve asked Art about this showdown with his father several times but he’s only ever talked about it once –
shortly before our wedding – saying it was the worst moment of his life.
When Brandon died soon after their only meeting, Art was, unsurprisingly, left out of his will. Fay refused to entertain the idea that Art was entitled to any money, despite Morgan’s
pleadings. However, Art has told me, often, that even if he’d been offered an inheritance, he wouldn’t have taken a penny; that he ‘wouldn’t give the cold-blooded bastard
the satisfaction’. It doesn’t take a psychiatrist to see the root of Art’s drive and ambition in Brandon’s rejection, but Art always dismisses such notions. He doesn’t
like to feel his father has had any influence over him whatsoever.
‘Gen?’ Art calls from upstairs. ‘Gen, have you seen my black shirt?’
With a sigh, I turn away from the mirror as the doorbell rings with the first guest. What with Morgan all brittle and exasperated and Art exhausted from work, it feels like it’s going to
be a long night.
CHAPTER SIX
The Prodigy followed by an old Basement Jaxx song followed by my favourite disco track of all time: ‘Disco Inferno’. I smile to myself, watching the party’s
hardcore dancers – Tris and Boris
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