The Bright One (42 page)

‘Fine. His company is building up again. Insurance took a knock in the war, but he's picking up now.'

It had taken the threat of war to bring her husband back from Canada to her, but their relationship had quickly found itself again.

‘So,' Opal said. ‘Would you like Graham to join us right away?'

‘No,' Henry said. ‘I'd like to hear from you first. I want to know what you think of him – and you can be as frank as you like. It's no secret that he didn't want to come here.'

She picked up a file from her desk and took a chair next to Henry Prince. ‘I have reports from all the different parts of the store he's worked in. I made sure he had as much variety as possible. There isn't one of them which doesn't speak well of him. Aside from being hard-working, which he is, he has the knack of getting on well with people.'

Henry took the file from her and began to read through it. ‘Yes,' he said eventually, ‘it's quite satisfactory.'

‘More than satisfactory,' Opal said. ‘You can be proud of him.'

‘The big question is, is he going to be right for the job I have in mind for him? You know that one day he'll have to take over a big part of the running of Prince and Harper. I don't intend to work until I drop.'

‘Oh, he's capable enough,' Opal said quickly. ‘He's especially interested in the organization and financial side. But whether . . . ' She hesitated.

‘Yes?'

‘Whether he
wants
to do it is another matter. That's something you'll have to ask him yourself. I haven't done so. That's not my province.'

Nor was it her job to tell Henry Prince about his son's engagement to Breda O'Connor. That was Graham's task and she didn't envy him one bit. She liked Henry Prince, and got on well with him, but he was a hard man, a man who liked his own way. He was not a man she would like to cross. And since Graham had shown determination bordering on obstinacy in the matter of Breda, there was going to be a battle.

‘But what do you think? You must have some idea!'

Opal shook her head. She was not to be drawn. ‘If you've finished looking at the reports, why don't I send for Graham?'

When Graham came into the room Henry Prince rose to his feet and the two men shook hands formally. What a pity, Opal thought, that they can't get closer. If Graham were my son and I hadn't seen him for several months I'd put my arms around him. That was the difference between women and men, and the men were the losers, though she felt sure that Graham was of a wanner nature than his father.

‘I'll leave you to it, then,' Opal said. ‘If you want me, give my secretary a buzz. She'll know where to find me.' She was glad to be out of the way for the next half-hour.

‘Unless you and Graham want to lunch alone, Henry,' she added, ‘I hope you'll let me give you lunch. I won't subject you to the canteen. They do a very good meal at the King's Hotel.'

‘Well now,' Henry said when Opal had left them, ‘how have you been getting on?' He pointed to the file on Opal's desk. ‘I've been through that. It all seems quite satisfactory. And Opal's pleased with you.'

‘I'm glad,' Graham said. He had one thing only on his mind, and until he had come out with it he knew he could find no other conversation.

‘So only a week or two before you finish here,' Henry said. ‘Are you ready to start in Prince and Harper?'

‘It's not quite so simple,' Graham said.

‘Why not? It seems simple enough to me. We can discuss where you'd want to start, which department. And if you want a bit of a holiday before you begin, then that's all right. I know that's what your mother has in mind. I can't spare the time, but you could take off with her for a few days.'

He was willing to give and take a bit, but after that he wanted no shilly-shallying.

‘Before we go into that, Father, there's something I have to say to you.'

Henry Prince felt a stab of annoyance, not only at Graham's words, but at the determination in his voice. They were in for another argument. He knew what the boy was going to say. He was going to tell him he still didn't want to go into the business, he still wanted to be a painter.

It was a mad idea, Henry thought, shifting in his chair. He had no time for it, but since Graham had compromised by doing the year's training, he supposed they'd have to discuss it. He sighed. He would appeal to the lad's common sense – if he had any.

‘Speak up, then!' he said trying not to sound irritable. ‘Get it said.'

‘I'm engaged to be married!' Graham announced.

There was a silence which seemed to Graham to go on for ever. He waited for his father to speak.

‘You are
WHAT
?'

‘I'm engaged to be married. Her name is Breda O'Connor. I love her; she loves me. We want to be married as soon as it's possible.'

Graham watched his father's body stiffen, his face go white with anger. ‘Married!' He choked over the word.

‘As soon as we can,' Graham said.

‘Are you telling me you're
forced
to be married? You fool! You idiot! What were you thinking of? Well, we'll soon see to that! I'm not having any son of mine trapped into marriage by a girl with an eye to the main chance! I won't—'

‘SHUT UP!' Graham bellowed. ‘You don't know what you're talking about. It's nothing like that, nothing at all! She's not that kind of a girl!'

‘Oh indeed? And what kind of a girl is she then, to get pregnant?'

‘Will you stop talking, and listen,' Graham shouted. Rage gave him the strength to say whatever he wanted to say to this bully of a man. ‘She is
not
pregnant. Nothing has happened to make her pregnant. She is a lovely, decent, wonderful girl, and I mean to marry her. You can't stop me, Father. I can do what I like now.'

‘And how will you keep a wife?' Henry demanded. ‘Tell me that! What kind of living can an amateur painter earn to keep a wife on?'

Graham gave his father a long, hard stare. When he spoke, it was with more calm; he had himself in control now.

‘You've jumped the gun there, Father,' he said. ‘You've made another of your assumptions.'

‘What do you mean?' Henry barked.

‘I had thought that if you accepted Breda in the way I wanted her to be accepted, welcomed her in the way that's due to her, then I would go into Prince and Harper – I would work hard, I thought, and we'd make a good life. You didn't give me a chance to say any of that, did you?'

‘I didn't know . . . '

‘You didn't wait to find out, did you? You just bulldozed through, hurling insults right and left. Which makes me think the best thing Breda and I can do is to cut loose. Make our own way.'

‘You must be mad! Tying yourself down!' Henry said.

‘And before you decide that,' Graham retorted, ‘you might at least have the decency to meet Breda, see for yourself. However, if that's your attitude, I'll leave you. I'll get back to work.' He started to walk towards the door.

‘Wait a minute!' Henry called after him. ‘Don't be so hasty!'

‘You're the one who's being hasty,' Graham said.

‘I haven't said I won't meet the girl,' Henry blustered. ‘But there's your mother to think of. What will
she
say?'

‘She'll take whatever attitude you push her into.'

‘She'll naturally be upset. We know nothing of the girl, or her family!'

‘But I do,' Graham said. ‘I'm satisfied – and I'm the one who's marrying her. Anyway, you're not likely to find out!'

‘I haven't said I wouldn't meet her.'

‘Unless you can treat her in a decent, civilized manner, I wouldn't let her near you,' Graham said.

‘There's no need for that,' Henry said, flushing. ‘I know how to mind my manners. You can bring her to meet me this afternoon.'

‘Not unless you promise to behave properly.'

‘I've said I will, haven't I? Where we'll meet I don't know. I'll have to ask Opal.'

‘Well, we certainly don't want an unseemly row in some café,' Graham said. ‘And as it's early closing here the store will be closed.'

‘I'll arrange something with Opal,' Henry said.

Graham, still angry – his father was insufferable – strode out of Miss Opal's office and went back to the desk he now occupied in the Accounts section. He badly wanted to see Breda and he knew she would be eagerly waiting to hear how things had gone, but until he had calmed down he would not seek her out. He opened a ledger and tried to rid his mind of everything except the columns of figures in front of him.

Henry Prince sought out Opal's secretary in the adjoining room. ‘Can I do something for you, Mr Prince?' she asked. She had been intrigued by the sounds of battle coming from her boss's office. It made quite a diversion in her well-ordered routine.

‘If you will,' Henry said. ‘Miss Opal said you would know where to contact her. I'd like to see her as soon as it's convenient.'

He returned to Opal's office and stood by the window, looking down at the street far below. But though he looked, he saw nothing. He was angry and confused, but somewhere in the middle of it all there was a chance of keeping his son – his favourite son, though he would never have confessed that.

When Opal entered he swung around sharply. ‘You knew about this!' he accused her. ‘You knew all about it and you chose to say nothing.'

‘Sit down, Henry! And calm down! I suppose you're referring to the fact that Graham's got himself engaged?'

‘What else would I be referring to?' he snapped. ‘Why did you let it happen?'

Opal took the seat behind her desk, distancing herself from him. He might bully everyone else, but she would not allow him to bully her.

‘I did not let it happen,' she objected. ‘Your son is a grown man. Breda O'Connor works for me, and works well. I have no jurisdiction over the private lives of either of them.'

‘When you saw it happening you should have fired her! That would have put a stop to it!' He was pacing up and down the room.

‘I did not know it was happening,' Opal said. ‘I knew they were friendly. Did you expect your son not to make friends, even of the opposite sex, in the time he's been here? I heard of their engagement only yesterday, and in confidence, from Graham himself. He assured me he would tell you as soon as he saw you – and he has.'

‘Then at least you'll fire her now?' Henry demanded. That way, Graham would forget her.

‘I will do no such thing,' Opal said. ‘
I
choose who I will fire. I don't choose to fire Breda O'Connor. She's done nothing to deserve it, and in any case, Graham is due to leave soon.'

‘Which he says he won't do without this girl in tow!'

‘What do you expect?' Opal asked. ‘They're in love. They want to marry. Now Henry, will you for heaven's sake stop pacing up and down. If you want me to do anything at all – if indeed there's anything I can do or would do – then let's sit down and talk sensibly.'

He sat down. ‘You can tell me what she's like,' he said.

‘With pleasure. She's a nice, well-brought-up Irish girl. She's fairly newly over from Ireland, not well off, I imagine. Not well educated but as bright as a button. And she has character.' And however nervous she is, Opal thought, I reckon she won't let you bully her!

‘Irish!' Henry said. ‘So she's a Catholic? He didn't tell me that!'

‘I imagine so. I don't know. That's another thing I don't interfere in, the religion of my employees. Do you, may I ask?'

‘No,' Henry growled. ‘But if Graham has his way, she'll be family. It won't make things easier.'

‘I'm sure they'll work it out – if there's anything to be worked out. Why don't you just meet the girl instead of condemning her unseen?'

‘I've said I will. This afternoon. And that's another thing. Where can we meet? Some hotel lounge, I suppose, but it doesn't seem suitable.'

‘It wouldn't be,' Opal agreed. ‘Especially not with you in this mood. But that's something I
can
solve. As soon as I've given you lunch I'm off to Hebghyll with my brother-in-law, George Soames. You remember meeting him? He's my General Manager. We have a bit of business in Hebghyll.'

If Henry Prince hadn't been in such a pig-headed mood she might have told him what it was, but not now.

‘So the three of you can meet in my house,' she offered. ‘My housekeeper will look after you, give you a meal before you go back this evening – if that's when you're leaving. George and I will drop you there on our way to Hebghyll, introduce you to Mrs Foster. Graham and Breda can join you later.'

‘Very well then,' Henry agreed, though reluctantly. ‘And thank you. I'll see if I can't talk some sense into the young man.'

Opal sighed. ‘You're going the wrong way about it. If I were you, Henry, I'd try meeting them with an open mind. You might even think, if you let yourself get to know her, that Breda O'Connor is a very good thing to have happened to Graham. You might be quite surprised. Now shall we just let Graham know the arrangements and then I'll take you off to lunch?'

A little later Graham found Breda and told her what was to happen. ‘I'll call for you at Waterloo Terrace at half-past three. We'll get the bus to Miss Opal's.'

‘Oh Graham, do you think 'tis going to be all right?' Breda asked anxiously.