Being Elizabeth

Elizabeth nodded her understanding. ‘You’ve done a marvellous job, Blanche. Thank you so much. I wouldn’t have managed to do this myself.’

‘No, you wouldn’t. You’re not ruthless enough about clothing, but then very few women are. They like to hang onto things in case they lose weight, or put it on, or because they might have a special occasion coming up … etcetera, etcetera.’

Elizabeth murmured, ‘I suppose you now want me to try on some of these things?’

‘It would help, don’t you think?’

‘Yes. And I need to pick out a suit for my first day back at Deravenels. I think I should wear something smart but low key. One of those trouser suits, perhaps?’

‘Yes, with a crisp white shirt.’ Blanche walked over to the closets. ‘Let’s go through these, and maybe we can select things for the entire week, to save your time.’

Thomas Parrell sat in Elizabeth’s study watching television, except that he wasn’t really watching or listening. He merely had the set turned on. Picking up the remote, he zapped it off.

The room was instantly quiet, the only noise the crackling of the fire in the grate and the faint ticking of the carriage clock on the mantlepiece. Settling back in the comfortable armchair and stretching out his legs, he glanced around.

He had always liked this handsome yet cosy room with moss-green silk fabric on the walls, a carpet of the same colour, and dark-rose brocade draperies which matched the big comfortable sofa and armchairs. The mahogany bookshelves along the back wall were filled to overflowing with every kind of book. He smiled to himself. When Elizabeth had been a young girl he had called her ‘the bookworm’, and she had laughed with glee, tickled by the name. Never had a more appropriate name been given to anyone. It fitted her perfectly; she never had her nose out of a book, not even today. Elizabeth had always been very learned, a favourite of all the private tutors she had ever had, and he would never forget how awed Harry Turner had been by her precociousness, her intelligence, and knowledge of so many subjects.

The thing Thomas admired most was her toughness of mind. He had come to realize that she thought with her head and not her heart. This, in fact, had been imperative; how well he knew that it was her toughness of mind and swift thinking that had kept her out of trouble – especially with her sister Mary.

Mary was dead and buried and Elizabeth was about to come into her own and he for one was not only relieved but thrilled. He had worked for Elizabeth for years, keeping her books and accounts, and serving as a kind of business manager for her. Harry Turner had appointed him, and he had always been grateful and happy in his job. His sister Blanche and he were usually depicted as members of the Welsh mafia, employees who were as Welsh as the Turners and favoured by them. Once he had told Elizabeth how they were characterized, and she had loved the idea, had burst into gales of laughter. ‘How perfect! And you’re all mine!’

He stood up at the sound of footsteps in the front hall, and when Elizabeth came in he went to greet her with affection.

‘I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting, Thomas. Your sister has been helping to put together my clothes for the entire week. Saves time. Would you like a drink?’

‘That would be nice. Sherry, please.’

A moment later she handed him the glass, poured sparkling water for herself, and then the two of them sat down near the fire.

‘I needed to see you this evening, Thomas, because next week is going to be extremely busy –’

‘I’m sure it will be,’ he agreed, cutting in.

‘As I told you on the phone,’ Elizabeth went on, ‘Kat is going to look after my properties, for the time being anyway, acting as steward. I’ve also asked her to check out all my bank vaults, and I want to explain that situation. Those vaults at Coutts, the Westminster and Lloyds are stuffed with valuables, from silver and gold objects to extraordinary jewels, according to Cecil. Would you be willing to help her take an inventory of everything?’

‘I would indeed. My pleasure, very much my pleasure, and she will need help by the sound of it.’ He nodded, sipped his sherry, and pointed out, ‘We must have a proper and true assessment made of the value of every item, and I can arrange for that as well.’

‘Do it, please. I want you to move as quickly as possible on the vaults.’ Elizabeth looked across at the door as Blanche suddenly appeared. ‘Come in, join us, Blanche. It’s about time you took a moment to relax. You haven’t stopped all day.’

Blanche came over to the fire, explaining, ‘I’ve finished selecting your clothing for the week. And tomorrow I’ll start choosing for the week after.’

‘You’re a glutton for punishment,’ Elizabeth exclaimed.

‘I always have been, you know that.’

SIX

She stood outside on the Strand, staring up at the building. Her building. Centuries old, it was imposing, a landmark, and it was about to become her permament abode as her place of work. DERAVENELS.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth Deravenel Turner pushed open the door and stepped inside. The commissionaire on duty straightened when he saw her. ‘Good morning, Miss Turner.’

She nodded, flashed him her brightest smile. ‘Good morning Sam.’ Moving across the gargantuan marble lobby, she took the stairs slowly, filled with a mixture of emotions: excitement, awe, anticipation, a sense of jubilation because it was now hers, but also a hint of trepidation, mixed with anxiety. That’s normal, she thought, absolutely normal. I’m starting on a great adventure.

Entering her office, she hung up her coat and walked into the centre of the room, looking around, and she couldn’t help thinking about those three men who had occupied this office before her … Her great-grandfather Edward Deravenel, her grandfather Henry Turner, and her father, Harry Turner, from whom she had learned so much. Men of honour, integrity and brilliance. She felt as if they were here in this room with her, felt their presence, their spirit … they were wishing her well …

Walking across the floor, she sat down at the desk. This was the beginning of a new life.

I was born for this. To be here at Deravenels on this very day.Monday, November twenty-fifth, 1996. To take over. To run itproperly, to bring it through its current crisis, to bring it backto life. I must not be afraid. Not of anyone or anything. I mustbe determined, disciplined, dedicated, diligent, and devoted. Imust think of nothing else but Deravenels. It is mine now andI must make it strong again. And I will.

I have two men on whom I know I can rely, whom I trustwith my life – Cecil Williams and Robin Dunley. We will bethe triumvirate that runs Deravenels and we will bring it backto its former glory, as it was in my father’s day. I know that Ihave enemies within this company, those who were devoted tomy half-sister Mary and who will want to continue with herpolicies. But this cannot be. She damaged the company, and herideas have taken their toll. Those people will have to go. Therewill have to be a clean sweep. That is what Kat said to me lastnight: she called me the new broom that sweeps clean. She lovesthese quaint old sayings, and they’re never far from her tongue.She manages to make me laugh when I’m gloomy or not feelingwell, those times when no one else can get through to me. Mydevoted Kat, so special to me.

There was a knock on the door, and it opened immediately to admit Cecil Williams, who strode in saying, ‘Good morning, Elizabeth. You’re here early.’

‘To catch the worms,’ Elizabeth said, using one of Kat’s old-fashioned sayings. ‘And it’s certainly a memorable day, isn’t it, Cecil?’

‘Indeed it is.’ He sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk, glancing at the old map hanging on the wall behind her. ‘I’m happy to see that back in its proper place. Do you know, I remember it from my childhood, when my father worked for Henry Turner, your grandfather.’

‘I’ll never know why Mary had it removed,’ Elizabeth remarked. ‘But then I’ll never understand some of the other things she did when she sat in this office. Here’s the bank transfer.’ She took the piece of paper out of her briefcase. ‘Robin wants me to show it to you, then take it home.’ She handed it to him.

‘Good idea,’ Cecil remarked, and looked down at the transfer, pursing his lips. He lifted his head, stared at her. ‘I can’t be sure until I look into it, but I think these might have been funds she transferred from her personal bank account.’

‘It’s still my money, whichever account it came from,’ Elizabeth announced, her tone brisk. ‘Anything and everything she had was inherited from our father and therefore it was mine as well as hers. And she had no right to give it away.’ Leaning forward over the desk, her expression intent, purposeful, she asked, ‘Can we get the fifty million euros back?’

‘To be honest, I don’t know, Elizabeth. I have to go through every single file Mary kept, and the books, and hopefully I will find the relative documents –’

‘If there are any,’ she interrupted peremptorily.

‘Only too true. I’m afraid there might not be. After the meeting I’ll start digging. And by the way, I’ve decided to bring in an outside firm of auditors. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is absolutely necessary.’

‘It certainly is. I think we should get as much information as we can, and as quickly as possible, in order to make the right moves.’

Cecil nodded. ‘And which particular moves are you thinking about?’

‘Sweeping clean, Cecil. I’ve been considering that for days, and I believe we have to let five hundred people go, globally.’

‘Five hundred. In one fell swoop?’

‘Not necessarily all at once, no, but there’s a lot of dead wood at Deravenels. I knew that when I was working here and Robin has confirmed it. It’s people who should be retired. Mostly.’ She frowned. ‘You seem surprised. Don’t you like the idea?’

‘I feel the same as you do, Elizabeth, but we must be careful. I don’t want to create a stir in the City. There are those who might think we’re in great trouble. Sacking a lot of employees all at once tends to make people nervous, and they end up thinking the worst.’

‘I realize that we should do it in the best way, the nicest way. We don’t want to provoke gossip. Early retirement will appeal to many.’ Elizabeth paused, and there was a momentary hesitation before she added, ‘We have to cull the offices around the world as well, don’t you think?’

‘I do,’ Cecil replied without hesitation. ‘We only touched on it briefly last week, but I’m well aware we’re top-heavy with staff. Maybe I’ll put Sydney Payne to work on that particular problem. He’s such a marvellous diplomat, and it’s a situation that’s going to need careful handling. As I just said, Deravenels cannot look weak, at risk, in danger of going under.’

‘Yes, I understand. Last Thursday, when we were driving back to town, you said Deravenels needs an infusion of money. Where do you plan to get it from, Cecil? Or haven’t you thought that through yet?’

‘I have. Partially, at least. I think we should attempt to get all those euros back from Philip Alvarez. And I would like to sell off certain parcels of our real estate, but we can go over those points this afternoon in more detail, if you wish.’