Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection

Suddenly, a cloak of silence fell over the room as all eyes turned to look at him. Nervous and unsure, he nodded, his confident smile belying the turmoil inside.

‘Very well, gentlemen.’ Justin Lovatt took the chair. ‘We’re all here now, so we may as well get started.’

Everyone present made their way to the large oval table in the centre of the room. When they were seated, Leonard noted that some men were softly talking, while others sat in silence, looking angry and morose. All had but one purpose in mind: to get their money back.

When he had first entered the room, his eyes were instinctively drawn to a large, bespectacled man who, seeming to keep his distance from the others, was staring out of the window. It was he who now voiced what everyone else was thinking. ‘Mr Lovatt, before you begin proceedings, can I just tell you this. All we want is to get back what we lent in good faith.’ His voice was surprisingly calm and soft. ‘We all have businesses to run, so let’s get on with it.’

Two hours later, they were still ‘getting on with it’.

An hour into the meeting, the men were on their feet, declaring with raised voices that they wanted every cent back and would not settle for half measures. No amount of persuasion from Justin Lovatt could convince them of any other way forward.

Deeply frustrated and losing hope, Leonard asked permission to speak. He was initially greeted with a hubbub of noise from enraged men who would not be pacified, but then the big, bespectacled man called for order. ‘Let Farley Kemp’s grandson speak,’ he said firmly. ‘He is not to blame for his grandfather’s mismanagement, so give him a chance. We’re getting nowhere like this.’

Standing up amongst them, Leonard looked round the table at the faces of these men whom his grandfather had known well; men who had trusted him to repay what they lent in good faith – and he felt ashamed.

Clearing his throat, he began to speak. ‘Firstly, I want to say how I understand your anger. You trusted my grandfather and he let you down badly, and I apologise for that. I know that, despite the Crash, some of you could well afford to lose the money if you had to …’ when they began loudly protesting, he put up his hand … ‘please, if you will just let me have my say.’ When they were again attentive, he went on, ‘I’m not saying that you will or should lose any money. Of course you want your money back and rightly so. And there are those amongst you who cannot afford to lose what you lent. I know that and I’m here today to try and settle matters one way or another.’

He looked at the documents lying on the table before him, and a great sense of bitterness overwhelmed him. His grandfather’s reputation was shattered forever; there was family honour at stake, and a debt to pay, and it was up to him to pacify these men who had put their trust in a man who had betrayed them and reneged on his debts.

What could he say to appease them? How could he put things right?

He was so deep in his reverie that he had not realised how long his lapse of concentration was; until he heard them shifting impatiently in their seats, and their exchanged whispers as they grew restless.

‘See here, Mr Maitland: have you got our money or not – that’s all we need to know.’ That was the sallow-faced, grey-suited man on the far end.

‘That’s right!’ another voice joined in. ‘Have you brought our money from England?’

‘No!’ he answered truthfully. Strong and clear, his stark words echoed across the room, effectively silencing everyone. ‘I have money for you, yes, but it isn’t what you might have hoped.’

‘What in hell does that mean?’

The voices began to rise. ‘If you’re here to waste our time, we might as well leave now.’

‘All we want is our money back, God dammit.’

‘Gentlemen, this is the situation,’ Leonard quickly explained. ‘I have a farm in England, which I can sell tomorrow – and I will. But it won’t make enough to clear all the debts. Since I’ve been here I’ve raised as much money as I can, but even with the sale of my own farm, it still isn’t sufficient to cover the total sums owed.’ Before they could start protesting again, he went swiftly on. ‘I’ve gone through everything with Mr Lovatt here, and we’ve calculated that you will get back seventy per cent of what’s owed—’

‘Seventy per cent!’ The voices began again. ‘What the hell use is that?’

‘We won’t settle for less than what we’re owed! Plus interest!’

‘So, this is all a waste of our time? You got us here under false pretences. Jesus! You’re no better than your grandfather!’

The rage threatened to erupt.

At this point Justin Lovatt stood up and called for quiet. ‘Mr Maitland has come a long way, and gone to a lot of trouble to try and sort out his family’s debts, which are not – I repeat not – of his making. I believe you are all men enough to appreciate what he’s been trying to do. The least you can do now is give him a fair hearing.’

Something in his words seemed to calm them and with all eyes on Leonard they listened to what he had to say.

He told them how he could do no more than he had already done, and that, ‘If you wait for the Kemp estate to go to action, you may well end up with even less than I’m offering you now. You have copies in front of you, showing the proof that I am in a position to deliver seventy per cent of what you lent out. It’s signed, sealed and can be delivered. With an auction, you can never be sure; it all depends on the day and how many people want the property, or can afford it. As you know to your cost, the value of the property has been badly affected by the slump in the world economy.’

‘He’s right.’ One man who so far had remained silent spoke out. ‘The farmstead is still a valuable asset, and sold to the right buyer, we may get lucky. But if there aren’t enough buyers to force up the price …’ He raised his palms in a gesture of surrender. ‘Like the man said – we could end up worse off.’

Seeing how the tide might turn in their favour, Justin Lovatt intervened. ‘Mr Maitland and I will leave the room for a while. You all have copies of the documents in front of you, which will verify what’s been put forward: seventy per cent of what you are owed, without uncertainty, and without prejudice. Read the documents, and if you’re in favour of accepting, we’ll make it watertight in your favour.’

He paused, before going on in sombre voice, ‘If, however, you decide to take your chances at auction, then so be it. The meeting will end right there.’ With that he summoned Leonard to go with him, and together they departed the room.

In the outer hall, Leonard voiced his concern. ‘There are a few in there who would rather wait and see what happens at the auction,’ he said. ‘And who knows, maybe the estate will bring in more than enough to pay them off.’

‘All we can do is wait and see. The decision is in their hands and we have no choice but to abide by it.’ As a lawyer Justin was philosophical. He had seen it all before and there was no telling which way it would go.

They had been waiting an hour and a half before the nondescript man in the grey suit came out to tell them, ‘We’ve come to a decision … of sorts.’

As they followed him to the boardroom, Leonard looked at Justin and mouthed the words, ‘ “Of sorts”?’ Justin shook his head, meaning that he didn’t quite know what that meant either.

When they entered the room, it was instantly apparent that the men were more at ease; the big man actually smiled at them as they walked to their places. ‘We’ve looked through all the documents,’ he began, and it was obvious they had elected him to be spokesman, ‘and I’m afraid we still want our pound of flesh.’

Leonard’s heart sank, then rose again at his next words. ‘We accept your offer – but with certain conditions.’ He looked around the room, making sure everyone was still of the same mind. When he received the nods, he went on, ‘No one here is prepared to accept any less than the full figure they are owed.’

Leonard’s heart sank again.

The big man continued, ‘To that end, we will accept the offer, but with a legal proviso that the remaining thirty per cent is paid within a period of two years. So there you have it. That is our unanimous decision. Accept it, or we’ll take our chances at the auction.’

Realising it had come as a shock to Leonard, Justin spoke on his behalf. ‘You all know my part in this,’ he reminded them. ‘The decision does not rest with me. I can’t say whether Mr Maitland can or cannot comply with what you ask. All I can say is, he and I need to talk. I request that you give us twenty-four hours to consider.’

A hush came over the room and all eyes turned to Leonard.

Head bent and heart heavy, he was lost. He frantically sought a way out and could see none. He had been prepared to sell his farm in England and borrow money on top of that, in order to keep his beloved grandfather’s homestead in the family, where it belonged, but now he saw it all slipping away. To consent to this would cripple him financially.

A sense of urgency galvanised his thoughts. You only get one precious moment which can change the course of your life forever. This was his moment. If he let it go now, he knew there would never be another.

Looking up, he saw them all anxiously waiting for his response.

A kind of madness took hold of him. Straightening his shoulders, he thanked Justin then turned to sweep his gaze across the sea of faces all intent on him; his eyes falling on the big man last. ‘I accept your offer,’ he said simply. ‘One way or another, you will all get your money.’

There was a brief silence, then a cheer went up. The relief in the air was palpable.

The big man came over to Leonard and asked if he could shake him by the hand. ‘Farley would have been proud of you,’ he said quietly. ‘Good luck.’

The next day, as he boarded the liner which would take him home to England, Leonard wondered if he had done the right thing. Even now he wasn’t sure how he might repay the debt he had inherited from his grandfather. Yet he had given his word. The money was pledged and somehow, he would find a way.

Once upon a time, the Farley Kemp holdings had been a thriving, lucrative business – and it could become so again. Especially if he was to bring Barney across the Atlantic. They worked well together, he and his Farm Manager. If anyone could help him rebuild the estate and restore the place to its former glory, it was Barney Davidson. And the thought of having Vicky close at hand was wonderful. He had dreaded saying goodbye to her.

With that in mind, Leonard locked his cabin door and made his way to the nearest bar, where he ordered a large whisky. ‘I’ve earned it,’ he told the barman. ‘I’ve just taken the biggest gamble of my life!’

Chapter 13 (#ulink_0abf6f06-a58f-5cb0-85e4-8c57685198f1)

HAVING INFORMED PATRICIA of the date he would return, Leonard half-expected her to be waiting for him when he disembarked at Liverpool. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen, even though he lingered for almost an hour, walking up and down searching every avenue in case he should miss her.