‘And see where that’s led them,’ said Walter, nastily.
‘You aren’t the only one who will lose everything, if the company collapses through underfunding,’ Khan said stubbornly. ‘It nearly went under before, remember? If I hadn’t brought you that new communications technology … But the market has moved on and threatens to leave us behind. We need fresh investment to support our research labs, so we can come up with a new cash cow.’
‘I don’t have that kind of money any more,’ said Walter. He looked quickly around, to make sure no one was listening, and lowered his voice till Khan had to lean forward to hear him. ‘I have the house and the land, and the money they bring in, and that’s it! More than enough to see me out in comfort and leave a nice nest egg for Melanie and Penny, but that’s all. I won’t risk that, to prop up your dreams of what’s best for the company!’
‘You own things, Walter,’ said Khan, entirely unmoved. ‘Art; antiques; land. All worth a great deal of money. Sell something.’
Walter smiled at him mirthlessly. ‘Are things really so bad, you think you can pressure me? All I have to do is wait, and the Board will recognize how worthless you’ve become. And then with any luck they’ll have a rush of sense to the head and throw you out.’
‘I will remove you as Chairman of the Board, if I have to,’ Khan said flatly. ‘By force, if necessary.’
Walter looked at him sharply; when he finally spoke, his voice was calm and controlled and icy cold. ‘You’d have to persuade every single member of the Board to vote together, to outnumber the shares I still command. And there’s no way in hell you’ll ever manage that. Too many of those people owe me.’
‘You are talking about the past, while I am talking about the future,’ said Khan. ‘You are talking sentiment, and I am talking business. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for those people in the past; they will vote to back me because it is in their best interests to do so. Money trumps friendship, or loyalty, or guilt.’
Walter grinned at him unpleasantly. ‘If I do go down, I’ll take every single one of you with me. I know where all the bodies are buried, because I helped bury most of them. You tell those treacherous little shits on my Board to behave; or I will bury them. And what I will do to you, Alexander Khan … I would hate to see done to a dead dog.’ He scowled heavily. ‘Now see what you’ve done! Completely spoiled my holiday mood! Mel; where are you, girl …?’
Melanie came quickly over to stand with him, and Khan gave up. He strode away, while Melanie fussed over Walter, making sure he had a fresh glass of champagne, and cheering him up again with happy inconsequential chatter. I couldn’t help noticing that while Melanie was always ready to be instantly protective of her husband, she left Penny strictly alone. As though Melanie expected her daughter to be able to look after herself.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was still busy being the life and soul of the party. I watched her make a point of talking to everyone, individually and in groups; they were always glad to see her. Laughter followed her round the room, and there wasn’t a man present who didn’t look at her in a thoughtful sort of way, if only for a moment. And yet she didn’t seem to want to talk with me any more. Perhaps because she could tell she’d be wasting her time. I think I puzzled her, a little. She was used to being able to con people, and you know what they say … one predator can always recognize another.
Roger finally got Penny all to himself by backing her into a corner and not letting her get past him.
‘You can’t keep avoiding me like this, Penny!’
‘I think you’ll find I can, darling. I’m actually getting pretty good at it.’
‘You said that if I agreed to come all the way down here, to this horrible old haunt in the back of beyond, and spend Christmas with you and your ghastly family, then you’d talk about us getting back together again!’
‘I said nothing of the sort!’ Penny said sharply. ‘You insisted on being invited down here, even though I told you it was a bad idea. I said that we would talk about this one last time, and we have. I don’t want to be engaged to you any longer. How many times do I have to say it?’
Roger scowled at her, like a little boy being told something he didn’t want to hear. ‘Why don’t you want to be engaged to me? We had good times! We were happy together!’
‘You were happy,’ said Penny, not unkindly. ‘I just went along, I think, because it made Daddy happy. He so wanted to see his little girl safely married and off his hands. Someone else’s responsibility. But in the end I decided that my being happy was more important than his being happy. You’re not a bad sort, Roger, but you’re not what I’m looking for. Sorry.’
Roger stared at his shoes, because he couldn’t face Penny’s terribly understanding gaze. ‘I suppose you’re about to say: It’s not you, it’s me.’
‘No, I’m pretty sure it’s you, Roger,’ Penny said firmly. ‘You’re sweet enough, I suppose, when you’re not thinking about yourself. And yes, I suppose we did have some good times together. But that’s no basis for a marriage! You’re not what I want, and you’re very definitely not what I need. Just put it down to experience, Roger, and move on. I have.’
‘What is it you want?’ Roger said desperately. ‘Whatever it is, I’ll get it for you! I promise I will. Just … tell me what you want me to do.’
‘And that’s your problem right there, Roger. I don’t want someone who wants me to tell them what to do. Especially when I don’t know what it is I want. Only that I’ll know it when I see it. Or him.’
She turned and looked right at me, and caught me studying her. Roger looked at both of us, and seemed more tired and hurt than angry.
I carefully looked away. I didn’t want to get involved with these people. I was here for the Colonel … and there was still no sign of him.
I turned away, for something to distract myself with, and saw Diana standing alone for a moment, looking thoughtfully at Sylvia as she charmed and sparkled her way round the room. Perhaps Diana wasn’t sure that bringing her new friend and companion with her had been such a good idea, after all, because there had been a time when Diana herself would have been the one sparkling and charming and catching everyone’s eye. I remembered her doing it, in the days of her beauty. And perhaps Diana was realizing there was only one real prize in this gathering for Sylvia to go after, and that was Walter. Diana might be divorced from the man, but that didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to see him thrown to the sharks. But even as I thought that, Sylvia turned away from Walter and went back to talk with Diana. And within moments the two of them were chatting and laughing together, happy as two teenage chums. Sometimes, I really don’t understand people.
Melanie and Khan were standing close together, with their backs to the fire, talking quietly, as though they’d just happened to end up in the same place. But there was something in the way they stood together, in they way they held themselves, that caught my eye. I listened carefully.
‘Have you talked any sense into him yet?’ said Melanie.
‘I’m trying,’ said Khan. ‘It’s not easy. Your husband can be very stubborn.’
‘I know,’ said Melanie. ‘Trust me, Alex; I know. Do whatever you have to. I am not losing Belcourt Manor, and all that goes with it, just because Walter won’t see sense. It’s well past time he retired fully and left the company in more proficient hands. Your hands.’
‘Will I see you later?’ said Khan, still staring carefully straight ahead of him.
‘We’ll see,’ said Melanie. ‘We’re going to have to be very careful, Alex. We can’t risk—’
‘No,’ said Khan. ‘We can’t. So we will just have to be careful.’
They moved off, in different directions, to talk with other people.
Sylvia made a beeline for Roger, who’d been left standing on his own again. I nodded to myself. People like Roger would always be easy prey to people like Sylvia. He didn’t want to talk to her, because he didn’t want to talk to anyone but Penny, but Sylvia flutte
red before him, hanging on his every word and laughing happily at anything that might have been humorous. And Roger started smiling, and even laughing, in return. He seemed a lot more likeable when he lightened up. Every now and again, Roger would shoot a glance at Penny, just to see if she was noticing him being happy without her, but on the few occasions when she did notice, she actually seemed happy for him. Which wasn’t what he wanted at all.
Jeeves the butler entered the drawing room, moving so quietly and smoothly that he hardly seemed to be there at all, bearing a fresh set of drinks on a silver platter. He moved around the room in a most professional way, his dark face calm and impassive, offering drinks to the guests. No one seemed particularly interested, but Jeeves didn’t leave.
‘Coffee and hot chocolate are also available,’ he announced his deep rich voice, breaking effortlessly through the general chatter. ‘I can always send down to the kitchens …’
‘Ah! Yes,’ said Walter. ‘Are you sure dinner will be on time, Jeeves? I mean, given that Cook is down there on her own …’ He looked around him apologetically. ‘No staff, you see. Couldn’t get any of them to come in over Christmas, no matter how big a bonus I offered. We’re lucky to have Mrs Bridges. First class cook. Jeeves found her for me. Didn’t you, Jeeves?’
‘Indeed sir,’ said Jeeves. ‘Cook has assured me dinner will be served exactly on time, sir. With the approved Christmas menu. The lady is a treasure.’
‘She’d better be,’ growled Walter. ‘She’s costing me enough …’
‘Now, Walter, I’m sure she’s worth every penny we’re paying her,’ Melanie said firmly. ‘Everybody else wanted to be with their family over the holiday season.’ She stopped and fixed me with a speculative gaze. ‘Won’t your family be missing you at Christmas, Ishmael?’
‘I have no family,’ I said. ‘They’re all gone. There’s just me, now.’
Penny stepped forward, immediately touched. ‘Oh; that’s so sad! Well, for this Christmas, you must regard us as your family! Isn’t that right, Daddy?’
‘What? Oh, yes! Of course! Glad to have you with us, young man,’ said Walter. ‘Any friend of James …’
I decided I’d been a polite and patient guest long enough. ‘Where is the Colonel? I haven’t seen him.’
I still couldn’t bring myself to call him James; not after he’d been the Colonel to me for so many years.
‘Yes …’ said Penny. ‘Where is my dear stepbrother, who I’ve been so looking forward to meeting at long last?’
She looked at the others, and they all looked blankly back at her. And then they all looked at each other, before offering different ideas as to where the Colonel might be. In the Library, in the Study, in the Billiards Room … Even resting upstairs, in his own room. Eventually Jeeves cleared his throat meaningfully, and everyone fell silent to look at him.
‘If I might take the liberty … Thank you. I have made my rounds of the entire house, checking that all the shutters are properly closed and securely locked. I have been in and out of every room, on every floor, and I haven’t seen Mister James anywhere.’
There was a long, awkward pause as everyone looked at everyone else. In the sudden hush, we could all hear the wind howling and rattling the heavy shutters outside the drawing room windows. It was a cold, ugly, threatening sound. One by one, everyone turned to look at the shuttered windows, thinking about the conditions outside Belcourt Manor, and they all shuddered, just a little. There was a general feeling of he couldn’t be outside; not in that …
‘He’ll turn up!’ Walter said briskly. ‘I mean; come on! He won’t want to miss dinner. We’re having his favourite dessert. He won’t want to miss out on his first dinner at home, not after so many years away.’ He looked around, almost pleadingly. ‘His job keeps him out of the country a lot of the time. Isn’t that right, Ishmael?’
‘Something like that,’ I said. ‘Have none of you seen the Colonel today?’
No one had anything to say. I was liking the situation less and less.
‘He’s got to be around here somewhere!’ said Walter. ‘He wouldn’t just leave. It’s a big house, Jeeves! You must have missed him. Look again.’
‘Of course, sir,’ said the butler. He didn’t sound convinced.
Walter looked slowly round the huge drawing room, as though suddenly aware of how the size of the room dwarfed the small number of people present.
‘There used to be so many of us,’ he said slowly. ‘There’s something about Christmas, out of all the holidays, that makes you aware of how many people you’ve lost. Mum and Dad, of course. Gone almost twenty years now, but there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think about them. And my brothers; Paul and Eamon. Both of them so much younger than me … I never thought I’d have to go to their funerals. All the aunts and uncles, the cousins, the wives and husbands and children … I stopped going to the funerals. I couldn’t stand it. And now … This is all that’s left of us. No one ever tells you that the hardest part of growing old is to go on living, when everyone else just goes …’
Melanie and Diana closed in on him from both sides, holding his hands and patting him on the shoulder. They murmured comforting words to him, but he didn’t want to be comforted.
‘Where’s James?’ he said loudly, close to tears. ‘I want my son!’
‘I’m sure he’ll turn up for dinner,’ said Penny, just a bit desperately. Not knowing what to say or do for the best. ‘He can’t have gone anywhere; not in this weather.’
Walter glared at her. ‘I always thought James would be the one to provide me with grandchildren and continue the family line. But now, I don’t see that happening. So it’s down to you, Penny girl. Stop being so damned fussy, and do your duty to the family!’
‘Yes, Daddy,’ said Penny. Not because she meant it, but because she didn’t want the old man more upset than he already was.
‘Could James have gone outside?’ said Sylvia. ‘Maybe for a walk, in the grounds, before dinner?’
‘In this weather?’ I said. ‘Have any of you seen how bad it’s getting out there?’
‘Well, no,’ said Melanie. ‘The shutters are closed.’
‘I will search every room in the house,’ said Jeeves.
‘James will turn up,’ said Walter, nodding vigorously. His eyes had gone vague again. And then he looked at me sharply. ‘Perhaps you’d like to freshen up, young man. Change your clothes, before dinner?’
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘I’ll see you all later. Lead the way, Jeeves.’
I followed the butler out of the drawing room. There were some things I needed to ask him, in private.
Three
Memories Are Made of This
I followed Jeeves up the wide curving stairway to the next floor. It was a steep climb, and Jeeves kindly slowed his pace to allow me to keep up. It was all very well for him to go bounding up the steps like a gazelle on steroids; he hadn’t been fighting a car through a blizzard for hours on end. Even I have limits. I took a good look around me as I slogged up the stairs, pretending I was interested in my surroundings to excuse my slow pace. More old-fashioned carpeting, so thick and deep that my feet barely made a sound. Heavy wooden banisters, the top worn smooth by generations of hands sliding up and down them. And yet more portraits, of more sullen-faced ancestors. Did no one in this family ever smile? I finally reached the top of the stairs, where Jeeves was waiting patiently for me to join him. I stood there a moment, quietly getting my breath back, and then looked him squarely in the eye.
‘Where do you think the Colonel is, Jeeves?’
‘I really couldn’t say, sir. He’s not in any of the places I would expect him to be. It’s a mystery. And I really don’t like mysteries.’
‘You’re not really going to search the house again, are you?’
‘No, sir,’ Jeeves said steadily. ‘There isn’t any point. I checked every room, on every floor. That’s what I’m here for. There isn’t another living soul in this house, apart from Cook, of
course, down in the kitchen. I suppose it is always possible Mister James could be concealing himself in one of the outbuildings. The tithe barn, or one of the cottages …’
I looked sternly at Jeeves. ‘What would he be doing, hiding out there? In this weather?’
He met my gaze unflinchingly. ‘I really couldn’t say, sir. Unless, perhaps, he’s waiting for you.’
‘But he has to know I’m here, by now.’
‘I would have said so; yes, sir.’
‘Then why hasn’t he shown himself?’
‘You would know that better than I, sir.’
Some conversations, you just know aren’t going to go anywhere useful. So I looked away, taking in the first floor of Belcourt Manor. Also designed on the grand scale, the long corridor stretched away into the distance, punctuated with yet more antique furnishings, along with displays of old-time weaponry, mounted with great care on ceremonial wall plaques. Reminders of old family martial history, no doubt; before the Belcourts settled down and became civilized. Scratch any old established family, and you’ll find robber barons staring back at you. Tall, broad doors led off from the landing on both sides, standing quietly, firmly, closed.
‘All the guests are staying on the first floor, sir,’ said Jeeves. ‘The upper two floors have been sealed off. No one lives in those rooms. Apparently, the upper floors became too expensive to maintain. These days, Belcourt Manor is effectively a house of just two floors.’
‘But you did check all the rooms on the upper floors?’ I said.
‘Of course, sir. I had be sure all the shutters were securely locked, to keep the storm from breaking in. The house has enough problems with damp as it is. I had to get a special set of keys from Mister Belcourt. After Mrs Belcourt reminded him where they were. The rooms themselves … I’ve never seen so many cobwebs in my life. The dust was thick and entirely undisturbed. No one has entered those rooms in years, sir. Least of all Mister James.’
‘Very good, Jeeves,’ I said. ‘Carry on.’