Page 86

‘Despite the fact your close friend, Dr Warwick, warned us that if she were to continue as director, it might well happen again, rather indicatingshedid know who it was?’

‘Let me assure you, Mrs Amhurst, that if I am fortunate enough to be appointed chair of this great institution, I will not make decisions based on speculation, but on advice from experts I respect, backed up with facts. Otherwise, we will all end up as victims, continually looking over our shoulders, frightened of making any serious decisions in case some malevolent outside force disapproves.’

Hear, hear! erupted from one side of the table.

‘Thank you, Christina,’ said the chair, ‘for handling such a plethora of demanding questions so graciously, while at the same time displaying the resolution required to be a good chair.’

Smiles and blank looks greeted the chair’s closing remarks in equal measure.

‘Thank you, Sir Nicholas,’ said Christina. ‘Allow me to say before I leave, whatever the board decides, serving the Fitzmolean has been a privilege I will always treasure.’

One of the waverers managed a smile as Christina got up and left the room.

‘The board will now go into closed session,’ said Sir Nicholas, ‘but first I would suggest we take a short break before returning to decide who will be the next chair of the Fitzmolean.’

•••

When the phone rang later that evening, Christina continued to read her magazine as if it wasn’t ringing.

‘That’s the third time you haven’t answered it,’ said Wilbur,looking up from his copy of theNew York Times. ‘But you’ll have to eventually, as Sir Nicholas is a persistent sort of guy at the best of times.’

‘But this could be the worst of times,’ said Christina as she put down her magazine, got up, and walked slowly across the room in the hope it would stop ringing before she reached it.

But as Wilbur had predicted, the caller was persistent.

She reluctantly picked the phone up but didn’t speak.

‘Are you there, Christina?’ said a voice she recognized.

‘Yes, I am, Chairman,’ Christina replied.

‘No longer,’ said Sir Nicholas.

‘Why not?’

‘I’m no longer the chairman and, according to the minutes, at 6.34 this evening, you were elected to take my place. I was calling to congratulate you.’

Christina dropped the phone, but quickly picked it back up again. ‘By how many votes?’

‘One,’ said Sir Nicholas.

‘Your casting vote?’ asked Christina.

This time it was Nicholas’s turn to hesitate. ‘Yes,’ he admitted, ‘but I have some good news. Ms Bates and Mrs Amhurst have both resigned from the board, so that’s two of your problems in the out-tray. So I do hope you’re not, like Beth, going to change your mind at the last minute.’

‘No way,’ said Christina. ‘I agree with Sir Winston Churchill – one vote is more than enough.’

‘That’s a relief,’ said Sir Nicholas, accompanied by a long sigh. ‘We ought to get together, as soon as it’s convenient, so I can arrange an orderly changeover. But for now, I’ll leave you and Wilbur to celebrate, and I’ll call you again in the morning. Many congratulations. I couldn’t be more pleased,’ he added, before putting down the phone.

‘I’m the new chair,’ announced Christina, jumping up and down as if she’d just been appointed head girl.

‘I’m well aware of that,’ said Wilbur, putting down his paper before giving his wife a round of applause.

‘You knew all the time?’ said Christina, staring at her husband in disbelief.

‘Yes,’ admitted Wilbur, ‘but I confess I enjoyed watching you suffer.’

Christina picked the phone back up and began dialling. ‘Don’t you want to know who I’m calling?’ she asked.