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“I don’t know the full story myself,” admitted Ross, “but what Emma Clifton told me is worthy of a Harry Clifton novel.”
“That many twists?” said Cedric, who sat back in his chair and didn’t interrupt again until Ross had told him everything he knew about an auction at Sotheby’s, a Rodin statue that had contained £8 million of counterfeit money and a car crash on the A1 that had never been sati
sfactorily explained. “Martinez may well have beaten a tactical retreat,” Ross concluded, “but I’m not convinced he’s left the battlefield.”
“Perhaps if you and I were to work together,” suggested Cedric, “we might be able to cover Mrs. Clifton’s back and allow her to get on with restoring the company’s fortunes as well as its reputation.”
“What do you have in mind?” asked Buchanan.
“Well, to start with, I was hoping you might agree to join the board of Farthings as a non-executive director.”
“I’m flattered.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’d bring the bank considerable experience and expertise in many fields, not least shipping, and there’s certainly no one better qualified to keep an eye on our investment in Barrington’s. Why don’t you give it some thought, and let me know when you’ve come to a decision?”
“I don’t have to think about it,” said Buchanan. “I’d be honored to join your board. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Farthings. ‘Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves’ is a philosophy several other establishments I won’t name could benefit from.” Cedric smiled. “And in any case,” added Buchanan, “I consider Barrington’s unfinished business.”
“So do I,” said Cedric as he stood up, walked across the room and pressed a button under his desk. “Would you care to join me for lunch at Rules? Then you can explain why you changed your mind at the last moment and gave Mrs. Clifton your casting vote, when you had clearly originally intended to back Fisher.”
Buchanan was stunned into a silence that was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked up to see the young man who had met him in the front hall.
“Ross, I don’t think you’ve met my personal assistant.”
14
EVERYONE STOOD WHEN Mr. Hardcastle entered the room. It had taken Sebastian some time to get used to the esteem in which those who worked at Farthings clearly held their chairman. But when you’ve slept in the next bed to a man for months on end, and seen him unshaven, in his pajamas, peeing into a bottle and snoring, it’s quite difficult to be in awe of him, although within days of their first meeting, Sebastian had come to respect the banker from Huddersfield.
Mr. Hardcastle waved them down and took his seat at the head of the table.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he began, looking around at his colleagues. “I’ve called this meeting because the bank has been offered an extraordinary opportunity that, if handled correctly, might open up a whole new stream of income that could benefit Farthings for many years to come.”
He had caught the team’s attention.
“The bank has recently been approached by the founder and chairman of the Japanese engineering company Sony International, who are hoping to arrange a short-term, pre-fixed coupon loan of ten million pounds.”
Cedric paused so he could study the expressions on the faces of the fourteen top executives seated around the table. They ranged from unconcealed disgust to what an exciting opportunity and almost everything in between. However, Cedric had prepared the next section of his presentation most carefully.
“The war has been over for fourteen years. Nevertheless, some of you may still feel, as expressed so vividly by the Daily Mirror’s leader this morning, that we should never consider dealing with that ‘war-mongering bunch of Nip bastards.’ However, one or two of you may also have noticed the success the Westminster had when they signed a partnership deal with Deutsche Bank to build a new Mercedes plant in Dortmund. We are being offered a similar opportunity. I want to pause for a moment, and ask every one of you to consider what business will be like in fifteen years’ time. Not today, and certainly not fifteen years ago. Will we continue to display the same old prejudices, or will we have moved on and embraced a new order that accepts that there is a new generation of Japanese who should not be condemned by the past. If anyone in this room feels unable to deal with even the idea of doing business with the Japanese because it will reopen painful wounds, now is the time to make your position clear, because without your wholehearted support, this venture cannot hope to succeed. The last time I uttered those words, through clenched teeth, was in 1947, when I finally allowed a Lancastrian to open an account at Farthings.”
The ripple of laughter that followed helped to break the tension, although Cedric didn’t doubt that he would still face opposition from some of his senior staff, and that a few of his more conservative customers might even consider moving their accounts to another bank.
“Now, all I am able to tell you,” he continued, “is that the chairman of Sony International and two of his company directors plan to visit London in about six weeks. They have made it clear that we are not the only bank they are approaching, but at the same time they have let me know that we are at present their favored choice.”
“Why would Sony even consider us, chairman, when there are several larger banks which specialize in this field?” asked Adrian Sloane, head of the currency exchange desk.
“You may not believe it, Adrian, but last year I was interviewed by the Economist, and in the photograph taken at my home in Huddersfield, a Sony transistor radio is visible in the background. On such whims are fortunes made.”
“John Kenneth Galbraith,” said Sebastian.
A ripple of applause followed from one or two staff who would not normally have considered interrupting the chairman, which caused Sebastian to do something he rarely did, blush.
“It’s good to know we have at least one educated person in the room,” said the chairman. “On that note, let’s get back to work. If anyone wants to discuss this matter privately, you don’t have to make an appointment, just come and see me.”
When Cedric returned to his office, Sebastian quickly followed him, and immediately apologized for his off-the-cuff remark.
“No need, Seb. In fact, you helped clear the air, at the same time as raising your status among the senior staff. Let’s hope it will encourage one or two others to stand up to me in the future. But on to more important matters. I have a job I need you to do.”
“At last,” said Sebastian, who was sick of escorting valued customers up and down in the lift, only to see the door closed in his face the moment they entered the chairman’s office.
