Page 13 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘Then we shall meet again when you begin my classes. à bientot, mesdemoiselles .’ He gave a theatrical bow, and continued on his way, walking with rapid steps towards the back of the house where an enormous glazed structure – originally the orangery – was now known as the Studio.

So far, they hadn’t used it – their lessons had been in the two classrooms upstairs.

‘Who was that?’ Alice asked, in an urgent undertone, as they trod up the stairs.

‘Ivor Wentworth. He teaches figure studies. We’re not allowed to do those yet.’

‘Ivor Wentworth?’ Alice said. ‘But he’s famous! I’ve seen pictures in the magazines. He does those wonderful paintings of Egyptian and Roman scenes. I can’t believe he’s so young!’

‘Why not?’ said Bron.

‘I don’t know. You always think famous people must be really old, don’t you? Like Mr Ffolliot.’

‘ He ’s not famous. Not properly. Isn’t Mr Wentworth handsome ?’

‘He is. Very,’ said Alice. She remembered his words, We all desire talent . He was just making a joke about her name, wasn’t he? But when he said it he had looked at her in a certain way . . . ‘Like a Greek god.’

‘I don’t think there was ever a Greek god called Ivor, was there?’ Bron said. ‘But he’s like an angel. Glorious English angel.’

Angus presented himself at Mr Cowling’s house on the other side of the square, telling himself not to hope for too much.

The servant seemed to be expecting him, and conducted him straight to the business-room, where Mr Cowling, behind his desk, rose to his feet and invited Angus to sit.

He looked him over for a nerve-racking age and, placing both his hands flat on the desk in front of him, he said, ‘Now then, young man, let’s have your story.

What’s this trouble you’ve got yourself into?

And don’t bother denying it, because I wasn’t born yesterday. ’

Angus was not sure how much detail he ought to give, but Mr Cowling had a very absorbent way of listening, alert, attentive and silent, which seemed to draw him out.

When he finally stopped, Mr Cowling sat in silence for a few moments, as though reviewing the story in his head, and Angus made himself sit still and not fidget.

Finally Mr Cowling said, ‘Well, I’m sorry to hear of such a falling-out between father and son. It’s a puzzle. It’s not as if you wanted to make a low marriage. An earl’s daughter ought to be good enough for anyone, I’d have thought. What d’you think minded your father to take such a position?’

‘He’s my father, sir, and I don’t wish to speak disrespectfully,’ Angus began.

‘Quite right. Honour thy father and thy mother, the Good Book says. But you may be open without being disrespectful, as long as what you say is the truth.’

‘Well, then,’ Angus said, a little awkwardly, ‘the truth is that when my father gives an order he won’t brook dissent.’

Mr Cowling frowned, the fingers of one hand drumming on the desk-top to aid thought.

‘I don’t know your father, but I know he’s a successful man in his field.

I admire that. I don’t have a son.’ For an instant he stopped, and a shadow briefly crossed his face.

He resumed: ‘But if I had, I should expect him to obey me.’

Angus’s heart sank. Of course he would be on Father’s side! ‘Yes, sir,’ he said.

‘However.’

Angus’s heart stopped sinking and hovered uncertainly.

‘Would I force my son to marry when he’d a strong inclination another way? If that other way was not disgraceful in itself ?’

The fingers drummed.

‘I’ve no experience of buying influence that road – through ties of blood. I know high-up folk do it – aye, I know that well enough! And maybe it answers. I suppose it must, or they wouldn’t do it, and it’s been going on long enough.’

The heart began sinking again.

‘Nine times out of ten it must pay. But then comes the tenth time.’ Mr Cowling was looking at him now, searching his face for information. ‘Are you sure your father won’t budge?’

‘Quite sure, sir. As far as he’s concerned, I no longer exist. Even if I went now and said I’d seen the error of my ways and would marry as he chose, he wouldn’t take me back, because that would be to show weakness.’

‘Well, it passes me!’ Mr Cowling muttered. ‘If I only had a son, I’d make good sure to keep him by me, whatever it took.’

Angus’s heart now didn’t know which way to go, but on the whole it was looking upwards, sensing a peep of daylight.

‘Now, I want to be sure if I help you I won’t be treading on anyone’s toes. I don’t like to make enemies in the world of business. And to come between father and son . . .’ He shook his head. ‘Tell me honestly, will your pa think I’m interfering in his family’s private matters?’

‘I’m sure he won’t, sir. He won’t care what happens to me. If he ever even hears about it, which I doubt, he’ll only shrug and think you a fool for helping me.’

‘Will he, by God!’

‘Begging your pardon, sir.’

‘We’re all fools under God, Mr Tullamore, but each in his own way, and your pa’s way is not mine. You seem to me a likely sort of young man and I’ve a mind to make use of you.’

‘I’d be very grateful, sir.’

‘Aye, you would, I’ve no doubt. Now, here’s the thing: I’ve a lot of different businesses, and it’s getting to the point where keeping an eye on all of them at once is difficult.

So I’m minded to set up an office in London to pull all the threads together.

There’s my boots and shoes, which is where I started, and my art-silk stockings, and my share in the jam company.

And there’s a glove manufacturer in Nottingham I’m thinking about buying – they make leather gloves as well as fabric, and it wants shaking up, because the end result may be a glove either way, but the processes are different. ’

‘I imagine working in leather presents different problems,’ Angus said, interested.

‘It does, and working in leather is a thing I know a bit about! And I’ve a good supplier for the fine-grade hides, and I wouldn’t mind putting a bit more business their way.’

‘Luxury leather gloves ought to export well.’

‘You’ve touched on it, lad. I want to get into export. I’ve seen it with the jam business – that’s where the big money lies. You piqued my interest when you said the Russkies can’t get enough of English soap.’

‘English leather goods are very highly thought of, too. And paper goods – books and stationery and so on.’

‘Paper, eh?’ Cowling looked thoughtful, then shook himself.

‘One thing at a time! Fine leather gloves and shoes are in my sights – and while I’m at it, what about leather pocket books and briefcases and portmanteaux?

Factory space is easy enough to come by, hides I can get hold of. It’s just a matter of tooling up.’

‘And setting up the export lines,’ Angus said. ‘That takes a bit of time.’

‘Time I’ve got, and money I’ve got. You have to invest to get it back, that’s my motto, and I’ve a mind to invest in a shipping line of my own – why pay someone else to carry your goods if you can put ’em on your own ship?

Now, there’s a small shipping line I know of, working out of London Pool, a neat enough business but ready to expand if they can get the capital—’

‘You wouldn’t mean Mayer and Frank, would you, sir?’

‘You know it?’

‘I’ve heard the gossip,’ he said. ‘They’ve a good reputation, but these days if you don’t expand you decline.’

‘I knew I was right about you. I’ve a good eye, and I don’t like to see something being wasted that can be put to good use – glove manufacturers or shipping lines or young men with a lot of their father’s stubbornness about them.

Aye, I’ve got your measure!’ He smiled. ‘Now, would you like to join me?’

‘If you were to give me a chance, sir,’ Angus said fervently, ‘I promise you’d never regret it. What would you want me to do?’

‘Set up my London office and, if you do it right, run it for me. It’s a proper career I’m offering you.’

Angus’s heart could get no higher now without exiting his body. He was almost beyond speech. ‘Sir! Oh, sir!’

‘Aye, that’s me all right,’ Cowling said humorously.

‘I like to encourage ability – and reward it. Show me what you’re made of, and I’ll stick by you.

You’ll have to find me office premises. Furnish ’em.

I’ll need telephone and telegraph laid in.

Set up communications with my other places.

Find good staff.That’s to start with. Then when it’s all running smoothly, you’ll look at the export and shipping side. ’

Angus swallowed. ‘My father’s office was already running when I joined it. I’ve never had to set one up from scratch. I’ve never done anything like this before, sir – not on my own.’

‘You won’t be on your own, you noddy!’ Cowling said pleasantly.

‘I’m going to give you my secretary, Decius Blake, to begin with, till you find your way around.

And I’ll bring old Parkinson from my Northampton factory to help you as well for a few months.

He’s under-manager there, started at the bottom, and there’s nothing much he doesn’t know about – well, everything!

I’ll take you on on a three-month trial, and if you don’t shape up, it’s out you go with no hard feelings, eh?

But if I’m any judge of character, you’ll turn out to be just what I’m looking for. ’

‘I won’t let you down, sir.’

‘Right, then. I’ll start you on five pounds a week—’

‘Sir!’ Angus gasped. It was very generous.

Cowling waved a hand. ‘I’ll need you to look smart if you’re representing me, and you can’t do that on a pittance.

Where are you living?’ Angus told him. ‘Find yourself some decent lodgings somewhere around Eastcheap for a start. Once things are up and running you’ll know better where to take a little place for yourself.

Well, well, I think we’ve made a good start today.

’ He stood up and offered his hand. ‘Next thing is to have a meeting with Decius and Parkinson and put a few things down on paper. I’ll get them here next week.

You see,’ he added, ‘if I had a London office we’d have somewhere proper to do the business! ’