Читать книгу Watching - Jeff Edwards - Страница 12

Jade always considered her adult life began the day she, and Dr Rani Smith, moved into their new house.

It was her first truly adult purchase. The one thing that now defined her as an independent, adult, woman of means. Therefore, Jade decided that a suitable celebration was necessary, to mark the auspicious occasion.

Rani and Jade’s friends from university, plus some of their more reputable friends from the Golden Stag were invited. Drinks were supplied courtesy of the landlord of the Golden Stag, who, for an additional sum, also organised for one of Jade’s favourite jazz bands to play.

Jade also invited her new tenants the Rafters, who looked dubious, but promised to look in, saying they could not stay long, because of their children.

As with most parties, it began slowly, with the hosts standing around, looking at one another politely, hoping that there would be guests to entertain.

Fashionably late, the first guests began to arrive. These were the dedicated drinkers, present more so for the free alcohol than for the entertainment, and they set to their tasks with a grim determination. At the rate they were going, no doubt there would be a great many sore heads in the morning.

The sound of the jazz band wafted from the backyard, through the house and out the front door, attracting the invited guests, as well as a few people who were strangers to both hostesses.

Walter Groom finally arrived, giving Jade a warm kiss of welcome.

‘I didn’t think you were coming.’

‘I’m sorry, I was delayed. My father organised a perfectly boring dinner with one of our clients, and I’ve only just been able to drag myself away. You don’t seem to have needed me anyway. It looks as though everyone is enjoying themselves.’

Jade took his arm, and led him around the room, introducing him to many of her friends from university; people whom he had never previously met.

Rani and her friend, tended to discuss matters medical, in such obscure terminology, that none but a doctor could understand. The rest of the partygoers tended to avoid them, settling instead for discussions of politics, sport, and the opposite sex; the topics argued with great verve, especially when the arguments were lubricated with plenty of drink.

Having made the necessary introductions, Jade was distracted by the arrival of the Rafters, who looked extremely embarrassed, and out of place.

Jade kissed Walter’s cheek, and released him to mingle, while she made her way to her new guests.

‘Wonderful! I’m glad you could come,’ Jade said, shaking his hand and kissing his wife on the cheek.

‘We’ve just gotten the children down to sleep,’ apologised the father. ‘I’m sorry we can’t stay too long; we’ll have to get back to them.’

‘It’s probably my fault they can’t sleep. The noise of the party, and all.’

‘Oh no! They’re quite used to noise. Especially when you consider where we lived before; it was on a main road, with traffic all night. I wanted to thank you, Miss Green, and your grandfather, for doing what you did for us. There’s no way we could have possibly been able to afford to live in such a beautiful house.’

‘Oh no! You were the ones to do us a favour. In fact, without you, I probably wouldn’t have such a nice house to live in as well. Now, Mr Rafter, with your permission I will now call you and Mrs Rafter by your given names, and I insist that you call me Jade.’

‘Thank you, Miss Jade,’ said Mrs Rafter.

‘Just Jade,’ insisted Jade, ‘and I’ll call you Lucy and Samson.’

‘If that’s what you want, Miss Jade,’ agreed Samson Rafter.

Realising that she would probably never be able to overcome her tenants’ reluctance to fully consider themselves her equal, she did not insist that they drop the ‘Miss’, and satisfied herself that at least they had come to visit.

Jade made small talk with them, while leading them to the bar, and getting them each a drink. Lucy insisting on something non-alcoholic, while Samson accepted a beer. Greeting more arriving couples, Jade left them to sip at their drinks, and listen to the music.

Later in the evening, she returned, and insisted on having a dance with Samson, which he agreed to reluctantly, even though she found him to be a more than capable dancer. Walter had taken Jade’s lead, and had appeared from among a group of men by the bar, to lead Lucy Rafter onto the dance floor.

Two songs later, the pairs swapped partners, and, as Walter danced her around the floor, Jade was delighted to see how happy the Rafters were, dancing together.

‘Who is Millicent Lloyd-Jones?’ asked Walter.

‘What?’ asked Jade, distracted from her reverie. ‘Millicent? Rani and I were in the room next to her at Staunton College, and I shared a few classes with her at university. Why do you ask?’

‘I’ve just been talking to her. It seems she would like someone to look after a trust account for her. I’m just interested to see if she’s all talk or not.’

‘Well I don’t know how big she told you the trust account is, but I don’t think she would lie to you. I don’t think she has a sneaky bone in her whole body. At school, she loved horses, and field hockey, and didn’t seem to have any trouble finding money. I believe she is an only child, and her parents are quite elderly. She’d be quite a catch if she didn’t resemble her equine friends.’

‘Yes. She is quite plain,’ conceded Walter as the music came to a halt.

They separated again, and the Rafters approached.

‘Thank you very much for inviting us.’

‘It was wonderful. I loved the music,’ added Lucy Rafter, ‘but we have to get back and make sure the children are still asleep.’

‘I was glad you could come.’

‘If you like, I can come by tomorrow to help you clear up,’ offered Lucy.

‘Oh you don’t have to do that!’

‘I insist. Especially after you’ve been so nice to us.’

‘Well, just as long as it’s not too early,’ smiled Jade, ‘I think a long sleep-in will be called for after this.’

The party continued, and Jade was asked to dance by several very good-looking young men, most of whom she knew from university, and with whom she was able to talk freely.

One young man, who, unlike most of those present, was dressed in an expensive, pinstriped suit, was a complete stranger to her.

‘Are you from the medical school?’ asked Jade, assuming he had been invited by Rani.

‘Which medical school?’

‘You’re not from medical school then.’

‘I suppose not,’ he replied as they danced.

Jade looked up, into his clear, blue eyes, ‘Well, if you’re not from medical school, and, as I don’t know you, then I must assume that you were not invited to this party.’

‘Are you, by any chance, the hostess of this party?’ he asked.

‘Yes. I am.’

The young man smiled back down at her, ‘Then your powers of deductive reasoning are quite accurate. I was simply walking by, when I heard the wonderful music, and I couldn’t resist, especially when I saw how beautiful the women were.’

Intrigued by his honesty, and lack of fear for the consequences of his action, Jade asked, ‘And what do you intend to do, now that you have been found out?’

He released Jade from their dancing embrace, bowed mockingly to her, and said, ‘Well, I’ve listened to your music, danced with the most beautiful woman here, and had a wonderful time, but I do have a previous appointment to keep. So I’ll bid you good night.’ Whereupon he kissed her hand like a Spanish gigolo, and disappeared into the crowded house.

Jade tried to catch up to him, but was sidetracked by her guests, and, by the time she reached the front door, he had vanished. Mystified, and frustrated, she returned to the party.

It was nearly noon the next day before Jade awoke.

She could hear sounds coming from the kitchen, and assumed that Rani had started the mammoth task of cleaning up, without her. Feeling guilty, she climbed from her bed, and slipped into a dressing gown, before making her way into the kitchen.

As Jade was walking down the hallway, Rani’s door opened, and she too emerged in her dressing gown. ‘You’ve started without me,’ accused Rani.

‘I’ve only just gotten out of bed myself,’ said Jade, as they both walked into the kitchen.

At the sink, they found the oldest of the Rafter’s children, hard at work, washing the dishes, with her brother drying. A pile of already cleaned crockery was growing on the kitchen table, while the pile of dirty dishes on the sink top was gradually being reduced.

While they stood watching in amazement, Lucy Rafter came through the back door, with another pile of dishes in her hands, and deposited them on the sink. Lucy smiled at the two girls. ‘I told the children that we were helping to clean up. They just couldn’t wait to get started. I’m sorry.’

Jade laughed, ‘Don’t be sorry. Just give us a second to get some clothes on, and we’ll be right back to help.’

By the time the two girls had dressed, and returned, most of the work had been done. Samson had looked after the heavy lifting, placing the empty keg and boxes of empty bottles in the front yard for later removal, while Lucy had helped him. All the while, she was also organising her children with the smaller tasks.

In no time at all, the house was spic and span again, with the Rafter clan and the two girls sitting around the kitchen table sipping cups of tea, and glasses of milk.

‘I don’t know what we would have done without you,’ said Rani. ‘If it had been left to just the two of us, we’d have still been at it at midnight.’

‘I agree,’ said Jade, raising her cup in salute.

‘It was our pleasure after the way your grandfather made the house available to us for six months.’

Jade sipped at her tea, and regarded the Rafters. ‘What will you do when the lease runs out?’

Lucy and Samson exchanged glances. ‘I suppose we’ll have to find another place to rent,’ said Samson.

‘You couldn’t stay?’ asked Rani.

Samson nodded. ‘I have a good job on the buses, but it doesn’t pay anywhere near enough to rent somewhere in this neighbourhood.’

Jade sipped at her tea, and reached a decision. ‘What if you could stay, and didn’t have to worry about rent?’

‘No, we couldn’t do that. I know your grandfather paid in advance for us, as a favour, but we couldn’t impose on him any further.’

‘Actually, it was you who performed the favour, and it wasn’t for my grandfather. It was for me — I was the one who wanted to get back at the old goat who owned the houses, not the Commodore, and I’m not talking about you being able to stay here for nothing.’

The Rafters were confused, but Jade continued. ‘I’ve been thinking — Rani and I are far too busy to run a house. Rani will be doing her medicine, and I intend to find work as well. I’d like Lucy, if she will, to look after the house here for us.’

‘You mean, a housekeeper?’ asked Lucy.

‘Would you do it?’ asked Jade.

‘I’d love to!’ exclaimed Lucy. ‘Is it alright with you, Samson?’

Samson took his wife’s hand, and looked at her. ‘It’ll be up to you. Are you sure you want to?’

‘I was going to have to find work anyway, wasn’t I? Besides, I won’t have to leave the children unattended. I’ll be able to do the work, and still be here to look after them.’

Samson nodded in agreement. ‘I wasn’t looking forward to moving out again. We’d love to stay.’

‘Then it’s settled,’ agreed Jade. ‘I know I wasn’t looking forward to cleaning the windows. It wasn’t something that they taught us at school. You’ll be doing us a big favour.’

‘Don’t you worry,’ smiled Samson, ‘I’ll do the windows myself.’

Later that afternoon, there was a knock on the door.

Jade was preparing dinner, and Rani answered it, returning to the kitchen with a large bunch of roses in her arms. ‘Looks like someone’s showing their appreciation for a great party. There’s a card.’

Jade was peeling potatoes, and had wet, dirty hands, ‘Put them in a vase, and open the card for me. They’re probably from Walter. He knows I love roses.’

Rani arranged the blooms in a vase on the table, and then opened the card, ‘It’s from a Captain Robert Symes, thanking you for a lovely dance last night. Who’s he?’

‘I don’t know the name, but I did dance with someone last night. He didn’t introduce himself, but did admit that he wasn’t invited.’

‘He just walked in?’

‘Yes. He said he heard the music as he was passing.’

‘Was he good looking?’

‘Very.’

‘Well the message doesn’t say anything else. I wonder if he’ll be back?’

‘I’ve got no idea.’ Jade was thinking of the dashing Captain Robert Symes on the dance floor, she hoped he would.

When Robert Symes did not contact Jade in the next week, she realised that he never would, and reluctantly pushed his memory to the back of her mind. For her own part, she was busy launching herself into the world of business.

With her education, she envisioned herself finding work in any one of the galleries throughout the city, or in some other prestigious endeavour.

Weeks later, and thoroughly disillusioned, she lowered her sights somewhat, and began applying for less glamorous positions in the same organisations, with the same negative results.

‘It’s a good thing I don’t have to rely on a regular income. I would have starved by now,’ grumbled Jade into her beer at the Golden Stag. A new, female, Negro singer was warbling jazz in tune with a trembling solo trumpet from the leader of the band. Normally Jade would have been giving the performance her rapt attention, but it all meant nothing, as she stared into the distance, wondering in what direction her future lay.

‘Don’t worry. Something will come up,’ offered Rani.

‘Easy for you to say; your whole life is laid out before you.

You’ve known what you were going to do since the day I first met you.’

‘Well you’ve certainly had a lot to do with that, and I’ll start paying you back as soon as I can.’

‘There’s no rush. You know that.’

‘I know, but it’s something that I really need to do. For my own self esteem.’ Rani saw a movement at the door. ‘Here comes Walter. I haven’t seen much of him lately.’

‘Neither have I. I rang him to let him know that we now had the telephone connected, and that was the first I’d spoken to him in weeks. I thought he was supposed to be courting me.’

‘Perhaps he’s taken your rejection to heart.’

‘He hasn’t even been around for more sex. I’m beginning to think I did something wrong.’

‘Are you sure you didn’t snap it off?’ Laughed Rani.

Jade laughed at the thought of it. ‘No. I’m sure it was still in fine fettle, the last time he put it away in his trousers.’

Walter joined them with a beer in his hand. ‘You’re both looking at me strangely. What’s going on?’

‘Oh, we’re just been doing some imagining. Girly things. Don’t you worry your handsome little head,’ said Rani, giggling.

Jade laughed as well. ‘We were wondering where you’ve been hiding. Rani thought you might have been scared off.’

‘I’ve had business to attend to. Now I’m here for pleasure.’

‘Oh goody! Pleasure. I like pleasure.’ Jade winked.

Walter tried to ignore Jade’s brazen looks, but blushed, recalling a naked Jade, in all her glory. ‘How is your job-hunting going?’ he asked, trying to change the subject.

Jade made a face. ‘I was trying to drink myself into oblivion, to forget all about that subject. It’s not going well at all. I’ve got all the qualifications an employer could possibly want, but no one wants anything to do with me.’

Walter regarded her over the rim of his glass. Licking his lips, he placed it down. ‘Sometimes it’s not what you know, so much as who you know.’

‘Well thank you very much for those very wise words, but unfortunately I don’t know anyone. Now I feel even worse than before.’

Walter grinned. ‘Perhaps you know more people than you think you know.’

Jade turned to him, waiting for him to elaborate. ‘Well, I’m listening.’

Walter took his time. Sipping at his beer, he looked around the room, studying the clientele, which consisted of the usual sprinkling of pimps, attended occasionally by their girls, with an increasing amount of the well-to-do jazz lovers.

‘Well, Jade. I know you talk to a lot of people in here, but if you know some of them then who knows all of them?’

‘I give up. Who?’

‘Someone who talks to everyone in here, from the lowest to the highest. Come on.’

They made their way between the tables, with Walter stopping at the bar.

‘That new singer is absolutely superb,’ commented Walter to the barman, as he ordered more drinks. The barman had been listening to the music while polishing glasses. As he placed the drinks down, Walter said to him, ‘Unfortunately, my friend Jade here has a problem, and she can’t concentrate on the music because of it.’

‘And what sort of problem would cause someone to ignore such a fine singer?’

Jade explained her problem, and the barman asked many penetrating questions about her education and plans for the future before rubbing his chin. ‘I’ll give it some thought. Now, if you’ll leave me to my work and the music, I’ll make some calls, and let you know what I can find out.’

‘Are you sure he’ll be able to help?’ asked Jade as they returned to their table.

‘You’re looking at one of the most famous people in the country. Without a caring and attentive barman, most of the world’s problems would never be solved.’

‘He doesn’t show off his knowledge.’

‘Actually, that’s the sign of a truly wise man; to be able to listen, and then guide without letting the person know.’

‘Well, I’ll just wait and see,’ commented Jade. ‘Anyway, I’m going to the toilet.’

‘Give my regards to the Ladies Club.’

‘I’ll send some of them over to keep you company.’ The Ladies Club was the name given to the women’s toilet, located down a dark and smelly hallway from the main bar.

With no facilities on the street, the girls used the toilet to clean up, and reapply their makeup, after first depositing the money earned, with their pimps. It became their only sanctuary on cold or wet evenings. A place to dry out, and warm up, away from the prying eyes of the men in the bar. Here they were out of the reach of their pimps, and could exchange a few words of mutual support. It was a mean, dirty place, but it offered the only comfort they had.

Jade had come to know a few of the girls, and they accepted her readily, especially when they found out that she could be free with her money. She had been known to lend them money from time to time, especially when their pimps refused to hand over the girl’s share, and their rent was due.

As Jade walked down the hall, a small, blond girl, lounging against the wall, held out her hand. ‘Thanks, love,’ she said, holding out some crumpled notes.

‘Are you sure you don’t still need it?’

‘No. I managed to get some money out of that bastard out there,’ she said, indicating one of the pimps, swilling beer at the bar.

Jade took the notes. Thrust them into her pocket, not bothering to count the money. She knew it would be the correct amount.

‘Perhaps you can put some aside, so it doesn’t happen again.’

‘I can’t afford to, and even if I could, he’d probably find it, and cut me for holding out on him.’

Jade could think of many things that she would like to say to the girl. Arguments against living the life she was living, but knew it was useless. Jade came from a world where people had things, while the girl came from a completely different planet. A place where a few crumpled notes meant all the difference in life.

As she entered the toilet, Jade found two of the girls comforting a third, who was sobbing into their shoulders. Not wanting to interfere, Jade quietly entered a cubicle. Finished, she opened the door, and moved to the sinks to wash her hands.

The girl continued to sob uncontrollably.

One of her friends broke away from the small group and came to stand beside Jade, looking at Jade’s image in the mirror, above the sink. ‘Can you help us?’

Jade regarded the girl’s image in the mirror. Like most of the streetwalkers, her makeup was thick, and appeared garish under the bare light globe that was the only illumination in the room. But her look was direct, and honest.

‘What’s the problem?’

‘Her mother is dying, but her ‘boyfriend’ won’t let her take the night off. He insists on his money first.’

Jade looked at the girl. Her eyes were raw from crying. ‘Which one is your ‘boyfriend’?’

‘His name is Tony. He’s the handsome one, wearing a red tie, at the bar.’

‘What’s your name?’ Jade asked the girl.

‘Colleen,’ replied the sobbing girl.

Jade nodded, and left the toilet, making her way toward the bar. The girls followed her out, but maintained their distance, not wanting to incur the wrath of their pimp.

Among the pimps lounging against the bar, she noted one who matched the girl’s description. He was tall, with dark curly hair, with the face of a Hollywood actor. Around his neck, he wore the brightest of red silk ties. Jade had seen him many times before, and had pointedly ignored the self-satisfied grins he often aimed in Jade’s direction. Despite his good looks, the man’s reptilian smile made her skin crawl.

Tony looked up as Jade approached, calculating how much he could earn from her, if she could be persuaded to work for him. Mentally he undressed her.

Jade stood before the man, looking him in the eye. Tony tried to meet her gaze but failed before her stony resolve.

‘I want to hire Colleen for the night.’

A cruel sneer crossed his face, as he looked at his fellow pimps beside him. He gave them a wink. ‘You’re a dyke, are you? I wouldn’t have thought it, to look at you, but I suppose they come in all shapes. Don’t know if Colleen will want to turn herself upside down for you. It’ll cost extra.’

‘How much?’

Tony looked at her well-made clothes, and calculated. ‘A hundred.’

‘Rubbish! Ten.’

‘No chance! Eighty.’

‘Fifteen.’

‘Seventy. Nothing less.’

‘Twenty,’ replied Jade taking the notes out of her pocket, and holding them out to him.

The pimp looked at the notes. It was as much as Colleen usually made on a good night, and, with the cold weather, tonight was going to be slow anyway. Licking his lips, he grabbed the notes out of Jade’s hand.

‘Thank you,’ said Jade sarcastically, ‘it was a pleasure doing business with you.’ She turned, and waved to Colleen, who had been waiting near the far wall. Colleen waved back, and made her way toward the front door, moving quickly, and trying to avoid looking in her pimp’s direction.

Jade returned to her seat.

‘What was that all about?’ asked Walter.

‘I just bought myself a girl for the night,’ said Jade proudly.

‘Well you’re not going to get much use out of her,’ said Rani, ‘she just disappeared out the front door.’

‘Oh well,’ shrugged Jade, ‘I’ll just have to make do with you instead.’ She smiled at Walter.

Walter blushed deeply again.

The band took a break, and Jade noticed the barman leave his place at the bar, and make his way to the public telephone. He spoke on the telephone for a time, before returning to the bar. He waved to Jade.

At the bar, he passed Jade a small piece of paper with a name and address on it.

‘The job you will be offered will be far below where you believe you should be, but, if you wish to be taken seriously, you must, first and foremost, learn the basics of art recognition. That job will help you do just that.’

‘What gallery is this? I thought I’d seen them all,’ asked Jade.

‘It’s not a gallery. It’s an auction house run by a friend of one of the band members. Not the most well known auction house, and, for that reason, it will be good for you. You’ll see objects of art, mixed liberally with a great deal of rubbish. It will be up to you to learn to separate the two. Then, when you have learned the secrets of the trade, you will be of far greater value to the great art studios and galleries. Learn first, work second.’

Jade regarded the barman, and saw him in a new light. Ignoring his job, Jade realised that he possessed a keen mind, and had solved her problem with speed and efficiency.

‘Thank you very much. I’ll contact them first thing in the morning.’

‘See that you do; I’ve spoken highly of your talents, and I’d hate for them to be disappointed.

‘I won’t let you down,’ she promised him.

‘Good. Now go back to Walter, and let me get back to work, and listen to the music.’

Jade awoke the following morning, luxuriating in the feeling of goodwill that a night of animated sex had induced.

Walter had, for some reason, been almost reluctant to return to their home. But once they were alone in Jade’s bedroom, with her naked body before him, he had overcome whatever his initial misgivings had been, and set to, with a will.

It was fun, and that was all Jade wanted from Walter.

Sated, he insisted on returning home, even though Jade would have loved for him to stay the evening.

‘Perhaps next time.’

Rani joined her at the breakfast table. ‘You two certainly enjoyed yourselves last night. I felt the walls shake.’

‘We weren’t that loud, besides the walls are thick. They don’t shake.’

‘Says you! I must have a go at this sex thing some time.’

‘Wait until you finish your studies. Then I’ll help you let your hair down.’

‘I think I’ll wait for marriage. I’m not like you; I don’t have a big dowry.’

Jade looked at her watch. ‘Well, I’d better get ready to go. I don’t want to let the barman down after all the trouble he went to for me.’

* * *

Jade located the premises of Haskins and Green, Auctioneers, in a great barn of a building, tucked off the main road, in a dusty alley.

The area had, at one time, been the hub of the city, but now consisted of small manufacturing firms, sharing the streets with shops, that fought for a few customers, with cheap office space on the floors above.

At a small, cluttered office, located just inside giant metal roller doors of the warehouse, Jade found Mr Peter Haskins.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a cheap suit, his tie askew and badly scuffed shoes. Welcoming Jade with a cheery grin and a firm shake of the hand, he led her into the heart of the vast space.

‘It will be good to have a woman work here for a change. It might raise the tone of the place,’ he laughed. ‘Our friend says you’re well qualified. What can you do?’

Jade looked around at the piles of goods, stacked nearly to the ceiling of the factory. She felt totally intimidated by what she saw around her, it was like nothing she had ever seen before, an Aladdin’s Cave of seemingly decrepit goods.

‘I have a degree in accountancy, and a degree in art history.’

‘Shit! Oh! Excuse me!’ exclaimed Peter Haskins. He took a deep breath, and continued, ‘Well, let’s go for a wander, and I’ll explain some things to you.’

He led her between the towering stacks of goods of all description. ‘This is the receiving, and storage area of our operation. On the main street, we have our rooms where the goods can be viewed prior to auction, and where the actual auctions take place. My partner Doug Green takes care of that side of the operation. He also looks after the company’s books, so I don’t think you’ll be needing your accountancy degree.’

‘What would you want me to do then?’

Peter Haskins turned to Jade, and spread his arms wide.

‘What I need, is someone to help me go through all this.’

‘All of it?’

‘All this and more. What we have here is the result of bargain buying, by my partner, over the past few years. Much of it came to us as bulk lots of goods, either from deceased or bankrupt estates. I spend all my day sifting through, sorting the dross from the treasures. Most of the time Doug picks his product well. He makes sure the family were well-connected, or wealthy, so the chances of picking up something worthwhile are better than even money.’

‘I don’t know if even my art education will be of help. I could probably recognise a work of art, but most of the items I see around me don’t come under that heading.’

‘Excellent! You pass the test!’

‘What?’

‘You’re not expected to know; I’m going to teach you. If you stay here as long as I have, you might be able to call yourself mildly able. Even I get it wrong sometimes. I’ve thrown out things that have turned out to be precious, and put things up for auction that proved to be worthless, or worse — fake. I’ll teach you what to look out for, your education in art will help you develop an eye for quality, and when you find something, you’ll bring it to me for a second opinion, and gradually, we’ll work our way through the clutter.’

Jade looked around. ‘It looks like I’ve got a job for life.’

‘So you’ll help me? You won’t mind the dust and dirt?’

‘I’d like to give it a try. It could be interesting.’

‘Good girl. Let’s get started.’

Peter Haskins explained that when Doug Green called on estate sales, he made a habit of dealing directly with the executors, sometimes offering them a reasonable sum for the entire contents of the estate. Buying that way, he was often able to obtain a sizable reduction in price for the purchase of the entire estate, because they were able to get rid of items that would normally not be worthy of sale, and by selling it in a single sale, they were saving themselves the time, and effort, of selling the items individually. Once purchased, it was up to Peter Haskins to assess the contents of their purchase.

Jade was shown a large formal dining setting.

‘What do you make of this?’ asked Peter.

Jade regarded the setting. The chairs had stuffing hanging out of the worn covering of their seats, the polish showed many scratches, and scrapes. It looked old, and tired.

‘It looks old enough to be antique, but no one will buy it in that condition.’

‘And what about this one over here?’ he indicated another setting.

‘It looks the same as the other one. They’re both in bad condition.’

‘Yes they are. The first one is oak, and we may be able to sell the wood to a wood yard. The second is mahogany, and, with a little loving care, will be able to be restored. Not as good as new, but better, as an antique, and therefore, much more expensive than new.’

‘How will I know?’

‘First, I’ll teach you the different woods, and then second, I’ll show you what to look for in the way it’s constructed. That will give you a hint to its age, and maker, and once we know who made it, and when, then we can set a possible price to it. Once we know what it should be worth, we’ll be able decide if it’s worth spending the money to restore it. There’s no point in spending money on an object if we can’t recover our costs at the time of sale.’

‘Do you do the restorations?’

‘No. We send it away to be done by experts. A bad restoration is worse than no restoration at all. And when you go over a piece of furniture, make sure you do it thoroughly, I’ll show you how to look for secret drawers in desks, wardrobes, and all sorts of things. Grandfather clocks are a particularly good place to find hidden goods.’

‘What sort of things are we looking for?’

‘It could be anything from a coin, to a piece of jewellery, to a letter. Whatever someone thought was worth hiding.’

And so, Jade’s education moved into its third stage.

Walter and Jade had dined well, spent a delightful evening listening to the jazz at the Golden Stag, and finally retired to Jade’s bedroom for leisurely sex.

Sated, the pair lay naked, wrapped in each other’s arms, enjoying the afterglow of the physical exercise. Jade’s head rested on Walter’s chest, as she leisurely ran her fingers through the hair on his chest, and circled his nipples. She enjoyed watching them react to her touch, not unlike her own.

Slowly, Jade filled the silence between them, talking about her new job, and the things that Peter Haskins had been teaching her. She spoke of how to tell a good piece from an ordinary piece, and what to look for. ‘Would you like to know what I found in a secret compartment today?’

Jade waited, expecting a reply. When none came, she thought Walter had fallen asleep, and raised her head from his chest. She was surprised that Walter lay there, his eyes open, his mind elsewhere.

‘A penny for your thoughts.’

Walter turned his head, slowly, in Jade’s direction. ‘I was just enjoying the moment, savouring it.’

Jade gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘Why thank you. That’s a lovely compliment. I enjoyed it too.’

‘No. You don’t understand. I’m savouring it because, in the future, there won’t be any more times like this for us,’ he said, as he raised himself on one elbow, and looked Jade in the eye. ‘You see, I’m getting married.’

Jade studied Walter’s face, trying to detect some sign that he may just be playing games with her, but she could see that he was serious. Strangely, she felt the sudden loss, and was unsure of her emotions.

All that came to her mind was to ask, who.

‘You know her; Millicent Lloyd-Jones.’

Somehow, the name explained it all to Jade. ‘You don’t love her,’ she said flatly.

‘I think you’re the only person I’ve come close to loving.’

‘But you don’t love me either. You just love the idea of my money.’

‘True. It should be you that I’m marrying.’

‘That would be impossible. I like you, but, if we were to marry, you would spend the rest of your life plotting to get your hands on my money, and I’d have to spend my life keeping you away from it. We’d destroy each other.’

Walter nodded in agreement. ‘Millicent’s parents are very happy for me to take over the family fortune, especially if Millicent and I can produce lots of healthy offspring. They’re most anxious to ensure they have someone to pass it all down to, especially as they are getting to be rather elderly.’

‘So you’re going to become a stud bull.’

Walter grinned. ‘A very wealthy stud bull.’

‘It doesn’t trouble your conscience?’

‘Not in the least. They’ll have the grandchildren, and I’ll have the money. We all win.’

‘What about Millicent?’

‘I dare say she’ll do whatever her parents want her to. She such a devoted daughter. Then, when she’s done her duty by the family, she’ll be able to go off and pursue whatever interests her. In Millicent’s case, I believe that will be horse shows, and shopping.’

‘What does your father think about this?’

‘He’s pleased to think that the Lloyd-Jones’ will now be dealing with his firm. Lots of fat commissions for him. However, he’s not going to be too pleased when he finds out that I’ll be leaving the company to go out on my own. I have no intention of sharing the Lloyd-Jones wealth with anyone.’

‘You’ve got this worked out already.’

‘I certainly have. In fact, I’ve just purchased a small company that is on the brink of bankruptcy, and I’ll be using it as my trading name. You may not have heard of the Briscoe Corporation, but just you wait. I might even let you invest in some shares.’

‘So, my darling Walter, this is the end of us.’

‘I’m afraid so, as far as this goes. I’ll need all of my energy to keep Millicent pregnant for the next few years, as well as looking after her money.’

Jade saw that Walter looked very contented. Deep down, she had expected little else from him, and knew that it was time to turn him loose. Regretfully, she rose from the bed, leaving him for the last time as a lover.

‘Will I be getting an invitation to the wedding?’

‘I don’t think that would be appropriate. Do you?’

Jade nodded, as she wrapped a dressing gown around her naked body, and made her way to the kitchen for a cup of tea, leaving Walter to dress, and let himself out the front door ...