Finders and Keepers (44 page)

‘They'll love you for that, Uncle Joey.' Guessing that the carriage was well ahead of them by now, Harry drove out of the barn.

‘As if Rhian will let him do anything of the kind.' Lloyd returned his lighter to his pocket. ‘Do you know that your mother invited Toby to stay with us?'

‘Yes. But Toby is hardly likely to do anything untoward with you and Mam in the house.'

‘If he comes, I'll warn your mother not to leave him alone with Bella.'

‘Don't you think you're over-reacting, Lloyd?' Victor asked. ‘Bella's a sensible girl and well able to put any boy in his place, if she's a mind to.'

‘It's the “if she's a mind to” that bothers me. She wouldn't be the first sensible girl to accept the attentions of a man not worth bothering with,' Lloyd answered tersely.

‘I know three sensible women in our family who prove that point, Lloyd,' Joey laughed.

Harry dropped his speed when he saw the carriage on the road ahead of them. ‘None of you have said anything about Granddad.'

‘You see Dad most days, so you know his condition better than us.' Victor flicked the ash from his cigarette outside the car. ‘Although I'm surprised how much weaker he's become in seven days.'

‘He wasn't cut out for an invalid's life,' Lloyd said seriously.

‘He's certainly not making it easy for the nurses to look after him,' Joey chipped in.

‘Despite the banter, they're fond of him and they don't take his grumblings any more seriously than he takes theirs. After I've visited him tomorrow, I'll telephone to let you know how he is.' Harry parked alongside the carriage in the station yard.

‘Please telephone every day from now on, Harry.' Joey left the car and held the door open for Victor. They went to the carriage to help their wives but Lloyd stayed behind.

‘You should know that Dad told us he doesn't expect to see us again. He also repeated what he said he's already told you.'

‘That he has nothing to say to any of us that he hasn't already?' Harry guessed.

‘You took on a man's load, Harry, and you've carried it well. You'll telephone?'

‘Every day, and the moment I've any news, I promise.'

‘It's going to be odd without him.' Lloyd ground out his cigarette in the ashtray. ‘He's been part of mine and your uncles' lives ever since we can remember. And unlike most men with their fathers, we've remained close. I can't imagine making a decision without discussing it with him first.'

‘Neither can I.'

‘There's no point in facing tragedy until we have to, or railing against what can't be changed.' Lloyd moved the conversation on. ‘When you're no longer needed here, you'll go to Paris?'

‘I don't know.' Harry took a last puff of his cigarette. ‘I have to do some serious thinking about my future.'

‘I know I've been nagging you to work in your businesses, but I took a good long look at that painting you did today. It's very good, as are your sketches. So, if you're serious about becoming an artist, perhaps you should follow your dream. And that, by the way, is as close to an apology as you'll get for all the pep talks I've given you over the years.'

Harry thought of the plans he'd made only the night before to marry Mary Ellis. The domestic bliss he'd imagined and the problem of finding the ideal profession for himself. ‘I don't know what I want to do.'

‘It is time to make a choice, Harry.' Lloyd didn't raise his voice but Harry knew he was irritated by his indecisiveness. ‘Like it or not, they are your businesses and hundreds of people depend on them to pay their wages.'

‘The trustees run everything perfectly well.'

‘To the best of their ability – yes, they do. But the people appointed by the bank and the solicitor's office hardly have a personal interest,' Lloyd observed. ‘And you can't expect the board to look after your affairs for ever. In nine years it will be disbanded, and some of the members appointed by your mother's Great-aunt Edyth may not live that long. Apart from your mother and Joey, most of them are well over seventy. I doubt you'll find anyone with the same sense of dedication to replace them if you do try to keep the board going.'

‘I wasn't thinking of doing that.'

‘Nine years can go very quickly,' Lloyd advised. ‘Especially when you are learning how to manage something you're not familiar with. I hate to keep lecturing you, but it's time to face your responsibilities, and as I see it, you can do one of two things. Either call a meeting of the board of trustees, tell them that you aren't interested in running the companies and ask them to sell them to someone who is.'

‘Sell
them?' It was the first time Lloyd had suggested he sell Gwilym James and the subsidiary companies he owned, and Harry was shocked by the idea.

‘Or you can go into the office and make an effort to get to know the people you employ and learn enough to take control.'

‘I promise you, I will begin to think seriously about my future.' Harry was still reeling at Lloyd's proposal that he sell the businesses.

‘Thank you. And I'll thank you even more if you don't tell your mother how much I have badgered you and keep on badgering you about this. You know how protective she is of all you children.'

‘Yes.' Harry smiled. ‘Which I why I appreciate you giving me a kick in the right direction now and again.'

‘No hard feelings?'

‘None,' Harry said sincerely.

‘I trust you to make the right decision.'

‘Really?' Harry eyed Lloyd sceptically.

‘Put it this way, I'll tell you if you don't.'

‘I'm sure you will.'

‘And if I don't get a move on, I'll miss the train.'

They left the car and followed the rest of the family into the station and on to the platform. To Lloyd's annoyance, Toby was holding Bella's hand and gazing into her eyes.

‘Let me,' Harry whispered, ‘Checking the colour of Bella's eyes, Toby?' he asked slyly.

‘It's going to be difficult to capture that exact shade of ripe mulberry,' Toby replied implausibly.

‘I could mix it for you.'

‘Bella, the train's coming,' Lloyd called out, when it rounded the curve in the tracks and steamed into view.

The next few moments passed in a blur of kisses, handshakes and goodbyes. The stationmaster had finished closing all the doors to the carriages and was lifting his whistle to his lips when Lloyd leaned out of the window.

‘Don't forget to telephone, Harry.'

‘Every day,' Harry called back.

‘We'll see you next week.'

If he's still alive.
It remained unspoken but Harry sensed that every one of them was thinking the same thing. He lifted his hat. ‘Give my love to Glyn, the girls and my cousins.'

‘Take care of him, Harry.' Bella stuck her head out alongside Lloyd's. ‘Promise me that you will take care of him.'

‘So, my mother invited you to visit us?' Harry waved to Alf, who had picked up two passengers for the village and was turning his carriage in the yard.

‘Yes,' Toby confirmed smugly. ‘It was kind of her. She did say “anytime I can make it.” But I told her it wouldn't be until after I finish all the illustrations. And then I can't really leave Frank, although if I visit him early in the morning, say eight o'clock, I should be able to catch the nine o'clock train to Swansea. Supposing there's a train within half an hour or so, what time will I reach Pontypridd?'

‘With luck you'll be there by half past eleven or twelve.'

‘So maybe I could visit for just a day and a night, and provided I came back early enough the following morning to visit Frank, I wouldn't miss seeing him.'

‘Did Bella comment on the invitation?' Harry probed.

‘She said any Wednesday or Thursday would suit her.'

‘Did she?'

‘Why the all-knowing smirk?' Toby questioned suspiciously.

‘I knew she wouldn't invite you at the weekend. Saturday night is
the
night in Pontypridd for concerts, dances and parties. Bella's been booked months ahead since she turned fifteen. And take a tip: if you ever want to paint her again don't make it quite so obvious that you're mooning over her.'

‘It was noticeable?'

‘My father asked if you were always like that. And if so, what I thought he should do about it. Bella is only -'

‘Sixteen,' Toby chimed in irritably. ‘But hell, a fellow can make friends with a girl, can't he?'

‘He can, but he can't blame her family for being wary when he's already told her brother that he's in love with her.' Harry opened the car.

‘All right, I got a bit ahead of myself, but supposing that friendship turns to something more -'

‘I agree with my father. The “something more” can wait five years until Bella is twenty-one.'

‘That's ridiculous!' Toby exclaimed.

‘I warned you that my father will never give his consent to Bella marrying anyone until she reaches her majority.'

‘When he gets to know me and discovers what a thoroughly nice and charming chap I am, he'll change his mind.'

‘Or lock Bella up.' Tired of the conversation Harry changed it. ‘I'm going up to see the Ellises. Do you want me to drop you back at the inn?'

‘More reading and writing lessons, and on a Saturday night too, when Doctor and Mrs Adams will be in Swansea,' Toby mocked. ‘I thought you'd be haunting the bar, waiting for a telephone call from the love of your life.'

‘If you're talking about Diana Adams, she's going back to London soon and we've agreed not to see one another again.'

‘You quarrelled?'

‘On the contrary.'

‘Yet you stayed out all night. And Enfys noticed that your bed hadn't been slept in and you weren't at breakfast this morning.'

‘Enfys wouldn't notice if a crocodile came down for breakfast instead of me.'

‘Perhaps we should go to Bristol Zoo and steal one just to find out. So, tell Uncle Toby all about the problems between you and the Snow Queen.'

‘There are absolutely none,' Harry replied airily.

‘Then you lied and you will be seeing the gorgeous Diana again.'

‘Tomorrow morning at the sanatorium.'

‘That's not what I mean, and you know it.'

‘Then what did you mean?' Harry changed up a gear.

‘I meant privately – the two of you alone, in the romantic sense.'

‘I told you, she's going back to London.'

‘What about my Guinevere?' Toby sounded alarmed.

‘You have a few days left to persuade Diana to sit – or stand – for you, depending on how you want to paint her.'

‘You could -'

‘Do absolutely nothing,' Harry interrupted. ‘You're the one who wants her to model for you.'

‘I was about to say, if you'd let a fellow get a word in edgewise, that you're footloose and fancy-free. Why don't you follow her up to the Smoke? You could see the sights, study at the Slade -'

‘One, I haven't applied to the Slade. Two, I don't want to follow Diana Adams anywhere.'

‘Tetchy, aren't we.' Realizing that Harry was probably on edge because of the deterioration in his grandfather's condition, Toby said, ‘All right, you've talked me into it. I've done enough work for one day to earn a reward and a walk down to my Arthurian lake would probably do me good.'

‘I thought you'd finished both lake paintings.' Harry turned right and drove up the valley towards the hills. ‘I have, but there's something about the archway into the farmyard.'

‘I love it,' Harry enthused. ‘It's as if it's part of a time warp. Step through it and you're back in -'

‘Sixteen twenty-four, when the first David Ellis built it.'

‘I doubt he was the first, given the number of Ellis graves in the churchyard.'

‘I want to take another look at it. I'm not at all sure where it would fit into Camelot, or even if it will, but given time I might think of something or someone relevant that I could put in the foreground.' Toby took a threepenny bar of chocolate from his pocket. ‘If you are going to give the children lessons, you can reward them with this.'

‘Chocolate from the man who warned me about distributing largesse?' Harry couldn't resist sticking a pin.

‘It is only chocolate and a very small bar for five children at that.'

‘I might give them a lesson, but I'm going there because I told Mary that I would call in after I had taken my parents to the station.'

‘First Diana Adams, now Mary Ellis. And you told me you were no good at seducing women.'

‘If I thought it would have the slightest effect, I'd ask you to stop talking about Diana and Mary. Instead, I'll draw your attention to the afternoon. Glorious, isn't it?' Harry gazed at the hill that rose steeply on their right.

‘Yes, it is.' Toby looked up and fell in with his mood. ‘It really is. Have you ever seen such a pale-washed sky? It could have been painted by a water colourist.' He slid down in the seat and studied the expanse of blue. ‘What would you call those wisps of water vapour? They're too thin and gauzelike to be graced by the name of clouds.'

‘I have no idea.'

‘Don't you just
know
that it was on an early evening exactly like this that Guinevere first rode into Camelot with Lancelot at her side? You can just see King Arthur standing on the battlements as the first delicate red-gold fingers of the dying sun smudged the western horizon behind them, touching the -'

‘You've overdosed on
Le Morte d'Arthur.'

‘Philistine!' Toby bit back before falling serious. ‘Do you think more about your grandfather at this time of day than any other?'

‘How do you know?'