‘My accountant is—’
‘I have already had a word with your accountant. He’s managing your company’s death rites, from what I gather.’
Laura gave a sharp intake of breath and felt her body tremble. ‘Look, who are you? You have no right to make phone calls to my accountant behind my back! How did you get hold of his number? I could take you to court for that!’
‘I think not. And I have every right to contact your accountant. The demise of your company is now public knowledge.’
‘What do you want?’
‘I am proposing a rescue package, Miss Jackson...’
‘What do you mean by a ‘rescue package’? Look, I really don’t know a great deal about finances. Perhaps it would be better if you contact Phillip again and then he can explain to me...’
‘On behalf of a very wealthy client, who wants to meet with you personally to discuss what he has in mind.’
‘M-meet with me?’ Laura stammered in confusion. ‘Phillip has all the books. It would be extremely unorthodox to—’
‘The sooner you are able to arrange a meeting with my ...ah ...client, the quicker your problems will be resolved. Miss Jackson, so could I propose...’ he paused and down the end of the line she could hear the soil rustle of paper ‘...tomorrow? Lunchtime?’
‘Tomorrow? Lunchtime? Look, is this some kind of joke? Who exactly is this so-called client of yours?’
‘You will have to travel to London for the preliminary meeting, I’m afraid. My client is an exceptionally busy man. If the deal shows promise, then, naturally, he will want to see the stables for himself. Now, there’s a small French restaurant called the Cache d’Or just off the Gloucester Road in Kensington. Could you be there by one?’
‘I...’
‘And if you have any doubt as to my client’s financial worthiness or, for that matter, the reliability of this proposed deal, then I suggest you call Phillip Carr, your accountant, and he should be able to set your mind at rest.’
At rest was the last place her mind was one hour later, after she had called Phillip and plied him with questions about the identity of the apparent knight in shining armour who wanted to buy one desperately ailing riding stables in the middle of nowhere. ‘He can’t be serious. Phillip. You’ve seen the place! Once glorious, now a destitute shambles. Not even a good reputation left to trade on! Just an empty, sad shell.’ Laura felt the prickle of tears welling up when she said this. She could hardly bear to remember the place when it had been in its heyday, when her mother had still been alive and everything had been all right with the world. When everything had been all light in her world, a lifetime ago it seemed.
‘He’s certainly serious at this point in time, Laura, and, face it, what harm is there in checking it out?’
‘Did you manage to find out who exactly this man is?’
‘I have simply been told that his estimated wealth runs into several million, if not more, and I’ve been given a succinct list of his various companies.’ Phillip sounded unnaturally sheepish and Laura clicked her tongue in frustration. She and Phillip went back a long way. He was now about the only person she could trust and the last thing she felt she needed was his reticence.#p#分页标题#e#
‘Why the secrecy?’
‘Because he is considerably powerful and he says that it’s essential that no one knows of this possible deal.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Phillip sighed, and she could imagine him rubbing his eyes behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. ‘Look, meet the man, Laura. He might just save the day and you have nothing to lose. The fact is, without some kind of outside help you’ll lose everything. The lot. House, contents, your precious horses, any land you have left. It’s far worse than I originally thought. You’re standing on quicksand, Laura.’
Laura felt a shiver of fear trickle down her spine. Thank heavens her father had not lived to see this day. However much he had squandered everything, she refused to hate him for it. He had been caught up in one long vortex of grief after her mother had died, and what had followed, the gambling that had been exposed, the addiction to alcohol that he had always been able to hide beneath his impossibly cheerful veneer, all of it had been his own sad response to emotional turmoil.
She became aware that Phillip was talking to her and she just managed to catch the tail-end of his sentence.
‘...and the worse is yet to come.’
‘What do you mean? How could things get any worse?’
‘You could be held liable for some of his debts. The banks could descend on you, Laura, claim your earnings. If this man seems genuine, then be more than open-minded about his offer. Entice him into it. It could be your last chance. I frankly don’t see anyone else taking it on.’