bank and I have to plough through three ledgers before I know if it’s OK to buy myself a sandwich.’
‘Well, I can always tell you that,’ said Susan briskly. ‘I understand all the financial systems perfectly well. And buying anything, even sandwiches, is my job, not yours. So there really isn’t any problem.’
‘Absolutely not,’ said Letitia. ‘Susan’s quite right, Julian, you just stick to your part of the operation and let us worry about ours. If Susan can cope with my systems, then it doesn’t matter if you can’t.’
‘Well thanks a lot,’ said Julian tetchily, pouring himself a large whisky. ‘I had no idea I played such a small part in this organization. You two seem to have something of a conspiracy going. Do let me know when I’m to be allowed to do something more challenging than planning the salesmen’s journeys.’
‘Oh, don’t be childish,’ said Letitia, ‘you’re obviously hungry. It always makes him fractious,’ she added to Susan. ‘Why don’t you take both of us out to dinner? Then we can try and explain whatever it is you don’t understand, and I can put in my request for a new accounts clerk at the same time.’
‘Dear God,’ said Julian, ‘your department will be the biggest in the company soon, Mother. What on earth do you need a clerk for?’
‘To do a lot of tedious repetitive work, so that I can get on with something more constructive.’
‘I think you’re just empire building,’ said Julian, laughing suddenly. ‘It’s a conspiracy between you and Susan to get more and more people employed in the company, and keep my wages bill so high I never make a profit. Isn’t that right, Susan?’
‘Well, people are the best investment,’ said Susan, very serious as always when her political beliefs were called into a conversation. ‘And there’s no virtue in profit for its own sake.’
‘Rubbish,’ said Julian. ‘Come out to dinner with Mother and me and I’ll show you the virtue of spending a bit of it.’
‘No, honestly I can’t,’ said Susan, ‘I must go home. It’s getting late.’
‘Well at least can I give you a lift?’
‘No, it’s all right, thanks.’
‘Well, let me get you a taxi.’
‘No. Really. It doesn’t take that long from here by bus.’
‘Susan, it takes hours,’ said Letitia. ‘For heaven’s sake, let Julian take you home.’
‘Oh, all right. I would be grateful.’
Julian looked at her. She seemed terribly tired. She was basically in far better health than she had been, and was altogether strikingly changed; she had filled out from her painful thinness, she had been able to buy herself a few nice clothes, she had had her hair cut properly, the cheap perm was gone and so was the peroxide rinse, and she wore it swinging straight and shining, a beautiful nut brown, just clear of her shoulders; her skin looked clear and creamy instead of pasty and grey. But the biggest change in her was the air of confidence she carried about with her. He could see it in her clear blue eyes, hear it in her voice, watch it as she walked, taller, more purposefully.
‘That girl,’ Letitia had said, looking at her across the factory one day, ‘is turning out to be something of a beauty.’
‘Yes,’ said Julian, ‘I know.’
She had looked at him sharply, but his face was blank, his attention totally fixed apparently on some orders. Thank God, she thought, that would never, ever do.
‘Tell you what,’ said Julian as the car pulled out into the Brompton Road and headed for Hammersmith Broadway, ‘how would you like a car to use? You could have one of the vans, we’ve got a spare, and it would make such a difference to you.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly,’ said Susan. ‘Company car? Not my sort of thing, Mr Morell.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, why not?’ said Julian irritably. ‘I’d like it even if you didn’t. I’m always either worrying or feeling guilty about you, or having to drive you home.’
‘Good,’
‘Well, I can always tell you that,’ said Susan briskly. ‘I understand all the financial systems perfectly well. And buying anything, even sandwiches, is my job, not yours. So there really isn’t any problem.’
‘Absolutely not,’ said Letitia. ‘Susan’s quite right, Julian, you just stick to your part of the operation and let us worry about ours. If Susan can cope with my systems, then it doesn’t matter if you can’t.’
‘Well thanks a lot,’ said Julian tetchily, pouring himself a large whisky. ‘I had no idea I played such a small part in this organization. You two seem to have something of a conspiracy going. Do let me know when I’m to be allowed to do something more challenging than planning the salesmen’s journeys.’
‘Oh, don’t be childish,’ said Letitia, ‘you’re obviously hungry. It always makes him fractious,’ she added to Susan. ‘Why don’t you take both of us out to dinner? Then we can try and explain whatever it is you don’t understand, and I can put in my request for a new accounts clerk at the same time.’
‘Dear God,’ said Julian, ‘your department will be the biggest in the company soon, Mother. What on earth do you need a clerk for?’
‘To do a lot of tedious repetitive work, so that I can get on with something more constructive.’
‘I think you’re just empire building,’ said Julian, laughing suddenly. ‘It’s a conspiracy between you and Susan to get more and more people employed in the company, and keep my wages bill so high I never make a profit. Isn’t that right, Susan?’
‘Well, people are the best investment,’ said Susan, very serious as always when her political beliefs were called into a conversation. ‘And there’s no virtue in profit for its own sake.’
‘Rubbish,’ said Julian. ‘Come out to dinner with Mother and me and I’ll show you the virtue of spending a bit of it.’
‘No, honestly I can’t,’ said Susan, ‘I must go home. It’s getting late.’
‘Well at least can I give you a lift?’
‘No, it’s all right, thanks.’
‘Well, let me get you a taxi.’
‘No. Really. It doesn’t take that long from here by bus.’
‘Susan, it takes hours,’ said Letitia. ‘For heaven’s sake, let Julian take you home.’
‘Oh, all right. I would be grateful.’
Julian looked at her. She seemed terribly tired. She was basically in far better health than she had been, and was altogether strikingly changed; she had filled out from her painful thinness, she had been able to buy herself a few nice clothes, she had had her hair cut properly, the cheap perm was gone and so was the peroxide rinse, and she wore it swinging straight and shining, a beautiful nut brown, just clear of her shoulders; her skin looked clear and creamy instead of pasty and grey. But the biggest change in her was the air of confidence she carried about with her. He could see it in her clear blue eyes, hear it in her voice, watch it as she walked, taller, more purposefully.
‘That girl,’ Letitia had said, looking at her across the factory one day, ‘is turning out to be something of a beauty.’
‘Yes,’ said Julian, ‘I know.’
She had looked at him sharply, but his face was blank, his attention totally fixed apparently on some orders. Thank God, she thought, that would never, ever do.
‘Tell you what,’ said Julian as the car pulled out into the Brompton Road and headed for Hammersmith Broadway, ‘how would you like a car to use? You could have one of the vans, we’ve got a spare, and it would make such a difference to you.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly,’ said Susan. ‘Company car? Not my sort of thing, Mr Morell.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, why not?’ said Julian irritably. ‘I’d like it even if you didn’t. I’m always either worrying or feeling guilty about you, or having to drive you home.’
‘Good,’
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