‘The question of compensation,’ she said. ‘Your fee.’
For reasons unknown—but no doubt to do with his lifetime in the halls of academia, where talking about one’s income was considered boorish and salaries were rarely negotiated—he had always found discussing such matters uncomfortable. With his curiosity piqued, now could be an exception, though.
‘I must confess, Jamie, I hadn’t given it much thought.’ The minute the words left his mouth he knew they sounded hollow. ‘Well, that is to say—it wouldn’t necessarily be the deciding factor.’
She said nothing, as if enjoying his momentary and rare lapse of equanimity.
Kingston broke the awkward silence. ‘Perhaps you should tell me what you had in mind.’
To his surprise, Jamie got up from the table and went over to a nearby bureau. She opened the top drawer and withdrew an envelope. Returning to the table, she slid the envelope towards him. ‘I suppose I should have given you this much earlier.’
Kingston opened the envelope, took out the letter, unfolded it and started to read. After a few seconds he looked up at Jamie, astonishment registered on his face. ‘This is—well, what can I say—this is more than generous. Are you sure—?’
‘We don’t have to discuss it now. It will keep overnight, Lawrence.’ Suddenly, her eyes hardened, locking on to his. ‘I would like to say one thing, though, she said. ‘I don’t want the money to influence you unnecessarily. I want you to be well compensated but above all I would want you to accept the assignment only because you believed in it and would put your heart and soul into it. I would like to think of you as a partner, not an employee. The two of us can create something of extraordinary beauty here. I’m certain of it.’Just as quickly, the brown eyes were soft again, still fixed on Kingston but not demanding a reply. She fell silent.
Kingston took a deep breath and placed the letter on the table. The sum she was offering was more than double his former annual salary. He was still struggling to contain his shock. ‘Jamie, it’s far more than is necessary,’ he said softly. ‘And you’re right. If I accept, you have my word for it that it will only be for the reasons you have stated.’ He smiled. ‘Can we sleep on it, then?’
By noon the next day, he and Jamie had reached a handshake agreement. He would return one week hence to further familiarize himself with the estate and start to address the myriad tasks confronting them. During his absence she would start checking with the county and the local borough to find out what permits or special procedures might be required. Equipment and materials would be purchased as needed, starting with two pickup trucks, a small backhoe loader, and a laundry list of items like axes, chainsaws, power and gardening tools.
They said goodbye at the front door portico under gloomy skies. Kingston slipped effortlessly behind the wheel of the TR4—a remarkable feat, considering his size—slammed the door, turned the key in the ignition and with a wave of a kid-gloved hand, drove off round the circular drive and out of sight.
Passing through the two stone pillars, leaving Wickersham, he looked in the rearview mirror at the black wall of the jungle. It had started to drizzle. He flicked the wipers on and headed for the A39 to Bridgwater, wondering whether to put the top up. ‘What am I getting myself into?’ he muttered under his breath.
Chapter Five
On his return to London, Kingston made all the necessary arrangements for the care of his apartment, forwarding of mail and other exigencies required during his extended absence. A friend and neighbour promised to keep an eye on things. Within six days he was back at Wickersham, comfortably lodged in one of the estate cottages that Jamie had decorated in a cheerful country look.
First order of the day had been to hire a foreman for the project who, in turn, would assemble a work crew. Of the dozen or so applicants, Kingston had chosen Jack Harris, as best of a mediocre bunch. Jamie’s impression was not quite as charitable—a little too cocky, she had commented after meeting him. Despite her misgivings she went along with Kingston’s decision.
Jack was single and had lived in the Taunton area for the last several years working in construction and general landscaping but the London accent was still there. Kingston was soon to learn that though Jack might be sparing on words and somewhat lacking in good manners and diplomacy, his energy and drive were Herculean. He claimed the immediate respect of his crew by demonstrating that there was nothing he would ask them to do that he couldn’t do himself. On one occasion, to prove a point, he scrambled up a fifty-foot Chinese cedar tree without the help of ropes or a harness.