Be Careful What You Wish For: The Clifton Chronicles 4 (13 page)

Fisher didn’t move from his place. ‘I feel it would be courteous to allow the lady to speak first,’ he said, giving Emma a warm smile.

‘How kind of you, major,’ replied Emma, ‘but I’m quite happy to abide by the chairman’s decision and allow you to go first.’

Fisher appeared to be a little flustered, but quickly recovered. He shuffled his notes, rose from his place and took a long look around the table, before he began to speak.

‘Mr Chairman, members of the board. I consider it a great privilege even to be considered as a candidate for chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company. As a Bristol man born and bred, I
have been aware of this great company all my life, its history, its tradition, as well as its reputation, which has become part of Bristol’s great sea-going heritage. Sir Joshua Barrington
was a legendary figure, and Sir Walter, whom I had the privilege of knowing’ – Emma looked surprised, unless ‘knowing’ her grandfather meant bumping into him at a school
speech day some thirty years ago – ‘was responsible for taking this company public and building its reputation as one of the leading shipping institutions, not only in this country, but
around the world. But sadly that is no longer the case, partly because Sir Walter’s son, Sir Hugo, was simply not up to the job, and although our present chairman has done a great deal to
restore the firm’s reputation, a series of recent events, not of his making, have led to a lack of confidence among some of our shareholders. What you, my fellow directors, have to decide
today,’ said Fisher, once again looking around the table, ‘is who is best equipped to deal with that crisis of confidence. Given the circumstances, I feel I should mention my
credentials when it comes to fighting battles. I served my country as a young lieutenant at Tobruk, described by Montgomery as one of the bloodiest battles in history. I was lucky enough to survive
that onslaught, when I was decorated in the field.’

Giles put his head in his hands. He would have liked to tell the board what had really happened when the enemy had appeared over the North African horizon, but he knew it wouldn’t help his
sister’s cause.

‘My next battle was when I stood against Sir Giles Barrington as the Conservative candidate at the last general election,’ said Fisher, emphasizing the word
Conservative
, as
he felt it was unlikely that, with the exception of Giles, anyone else around that table had ever voted Labour, ‘for the safe Labour seat of Bristol Docklands, losing by a mere handful of
votes, and then only after three recounts.’ This time he graced Giles with a smile.

Giles wanted to leap up and wipe the smile off Fisher’s face, but somehow managed to restrain himself.

‘So I think I can say with some conviction that I have experienced both triumph and disaster, and, to quote Kipling, have treated those two imposters just the same.

‘And now,’ he continued, ‘allow me to touch on some of the problems facing our distinguished company at the present time. And I stress at the present time. Just over a year ago
we made an important decision, and may I remind the board that at that time I fully supported the chairman’s proposal to build the MV
Buckingham
. However, since then, there has been
a succession of calamities, some unexpected, others that we should have foreseen, which have caused us to fall behind on our timetable. As a result, for the first time in the company’s
history, we have had to consider going to the banks for a loan to assist us through these troubled times.

‘If I were elected chairman, allow me to tell you the three changes I would instigate immediately. First, I would invite Mrs Clifton to be my deputy chairman, so that the City would be in
no doubt that the Barrington family remains fully committed to the company’s future, as it has been for over a century.’

Several ‘Hear, hears’ emanated from around the table, and Fisher smiled at Emma for the second time since he’d joined the board. Giles had to admire the man’s gall,
because he must have known that Emma wouldn’t consider returning the compliment, as she believed that Fisher was responsible for the company’s present troubles, and she certainly would
never agree to serve as his deputy.

‘Secondly,’ continued Fisher, ‘I would fly to Belfast tomorrow morning, sit down with Sir Frederick Rebbeck, chairman of Harland and Wolff, and set about re-negotiating our
contract, pointing out that his company has persistently declined to take responsibility for any of the unfortunate setbacks that have taken place during the construction of the
Buckingham.
And thirdly, I would employ a top security company to guard any equipment that is sent to Belfast on Barrington’s behalf, so that an act of sabotage like the one that
took place on the Heysham ferry could never happen again. At the same time, I would take out new insurance policies that didn’t have pages of penalty clauses in very small print. Finally, I
would add that if I am fortunate enough to become your chairman, I will start work this afternoon and not rest until the MV
Buckingham
has been launched on the high seas, and is showing
the company a profitable return on its investment.’

Fisher sat down to warm applause, smiles and nods of approval. Even before the clapping had died away, Emma realized she’d made a tactical mistake by allowing her opponent to go first. He
had covered most of the points she had intended to make, and it would now look as if she was, at best, agreeing with him and, at worst, as if she had no ideas of her own. How well she recalled
Giles humiliating the same man at Colston Hall during the recent election campaign. But it was a different man who had turned up at Barrington House that morning, and one look at her brother
confirmed that he also had been taken by surprise.

‘Mrs Clifton,’ said the chairman. ‘Perhaps you’d like to share your ideas with the board?’

Emma rose unsteadily to her feet as Grace gave her a thumbs-up sign, making her feel like a Christian slave about to be thrown to the lions.

‘Mr Chairman, let me begin by saying that you see a reluctant candidate standing before you today, because if I had a choice you would remain as chairman of this company. It was only when
you decided that you had no alternative but to stand down that I even considered taking your place and continuing the tradition of my family’s long association with this company. Let me begin
by confronting what some board members may well consider my biggest disadvantage, my sex.’

This remark caused an outburst of laughter, some of it nervous, although Susan Fisher looked sympathetic.

‘I suffer,’ Emma continued, ‘from being a woman in a man’s world, and frankly there is nothing I can do about it. I appreciate that it will take a brave board to appoint
a woman as chairman of Barrington’s, especially in the difficult circumstances we are currently facing. But then, courage and innovation are precisely what this company needs at the present
time. Barrington’s stands at a crossroads, and whoever you select today will have to choose which signpost to follow. As you know, when the board decided last year that we should go ahead
with the building of the
Buckingham
, I opposed the idea, and voted accordingly. So it is only fair that I should let the board know where I currently stand on that issue. In my opinion, we
cannot consider turning back, because that would spell humiliation, and possibly even oblivion, for the company. The board took its decision in good faith, and we owe it to our shareholders not to
walk away and blame others, but instead to do everything in our power to make up any lost time, and to ensure that we succeed in the long term.’

Emma looked down at a page of notes that repeated almost everything her rival had already said. She ploughed on, hoping her natural enthusiasm and energy would overcome the fact that her
colleagues were hearing the same ideas and opinions voiced for a second time.

But by the time she reached the last line of her speech, she could feel the board’s interest slipping away. Giles had warned her that something unexpected would happen on the day, and it
had. Fisher had raised his game.

‘May I close my remarks, Mr Chairman, by saying that it would be a great privilege for this Barrington to be allowed to join her illustrious forebears and chair the board, especially at a
time when the company faces such real difficulties. I know that with your help I can overcome those difficulties and win back Barrington’s good name, and its reputation for excellence and
financial probity.’

Emma sat down with a feeling that her report card would have read
Could have done better
. She just hoped that Giles was right about another of his pronouncements. Almost all of the
people around that table would have already decided how they were going to vote long before the meeting had been called to order.

Once the two candidates had pleaded their case, it was the board members’ turn to offer their opinion. Most of them wanted to have their say, but not a great deal of insight or originality
was evident during the next hour, and despite refusing to answer the question ‘Would you appoint Major Fisher as your deputy’, Emma still felt the outcome was in the balance. That was
until Lady Virginia spoke.

‘I only want to make one observation, chairman,’ she cooed, accompanied by the fluttering of eyelashes. ‘I don’t believe that women were put on earth to chair boards,
take on trade union leaders, build luxury liners or have to raise vast sums of money from bankers in the City of London. Much as I admire Mrs Clifton and all she has achieved, I shall be supporting
Major Fisher, and I only hope that she will accept the major’s generous offer to serve as his deputy. I came here with an open mind, willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but sadly
she has not lived up to my expectations.’

Emma had to admire Virginia’s nerve. She had clearly memorized every word of her script long before she’d entered the room, rehearsing even the dramatic pauses, yet somehow she
managed to give the impression that she’d never intended to intervene until the last moment when she had been left with no choice but to deliver a few off-the-cuff remarks. Emma could only
wonder how many of those seated around the boardroom table had been fooled. Certainly not Giles, who looked as if he could have strangled his former wife.

Only two people had not offered an opinion by the time Lady Virginia resumed her seat. The chairman, courteous as ever, said, ‘Before I call for a vote, I wonder if Mrs Fisher or Mr
Hardcastle would like to make a contribution?’

‘No, thank you, Mr Chairman,’ Susan Fisher blurted out, before once again bowing her head. The chairman glanced towards Mr Hardcastle.

‘It’s kind of you to ask, chairman,’ Hardcastle replied, ‘but I only wish to say that I have listened with great interest to all the contributions, and in particular to
those of the two candidates, and that, like Lady Virginia, I have made up my mind who I shall be supporting.’

Fisher smiled at the Yorkshireman.

‘Thank you, Mr Hardcastle,’ said the chairman. ‘Unless anyone else wishes to make a further contribution, the time has come for the members of the board to cast their
votes.’ He paused for a moment, but no one spoke. ‘The company secretary will now call out each name in turn. Please let him know which candidate you support.’

‘I will begin with the executive directors,’ said Webster, ‘before I invite the rest of the board to cast their votes. Mr Buchanan?’

‘I will not be supporting either candidate,’ Buchanan said. ‘However, should the vote result in a tie, I will, as is the chairman’s prerogative, cast my vote in favour of
the person I believe should be the next chairman.’

Ross had spent several sleepless nights wrestling with the question of who should succeed him, and had finally come down in favour of Emma. But Fisher’s resounding speech, and Emma’s
rather feeble response, had caused him to reconsider. He still couldn’t bring himself to vote for Fisher, so he had decided to abstain, and allow his colleagues to make the decision.
Nevertheless, if the vote resulted in a tie, he would have to reluctantly support Fisher.

Emma couldn’t hide her surprise and disappointment at Ross’s decision not to vote. Fisher smiled, and drew a line through the chairman’s name, which had, until then, been in
the Clifton column.

‘Mr Dixon?’

‘Mrs Clifton,’ said the chief executive without hesitation.

‘Mr Carrick?’

‘Major Fisher,’ said the finance director.

‘Mr Anscott?’

‘Major Fisher.’ Emma was disappointed, but not surprised, because she knew that meant Knowles would also vote against her.

‘Sir Giles Barrington?’

‘Mrs Clifton.’

‘Dr Grace Barrington?’

‘Mrs Clifton.’

‘Mrs Emma Clifton?’

‘I shall not be voting, chairman,’ said Emma, ‘and will abstain.’ Fisher nodded his approval.

‘Mr Dobbs?’

‘Mrs Clifton.’

‘Lady Virginia Fenwick?’

‘Major Fisher.’

‘Major Fisher?’

‘I shall vote for myself, as is my right,’ said Fisher, smiling across the table at Emma.

How many times had Sebastian begged his mother not to abstain, as he had been certain that there was absolutely no chance that Fisher would behave like a gentleman.

‘Mrs Fisher?’

Susan looked up at the chairman, hesitated a moment then whispered nervously, ‘Mrs Clifton.’

Alex swung round and stared at his wife in disbelief. But this time Susan didn’t bow her head. Instead, she glanced across at Emma and smiled. Emma, looking equally surprised, put a tick
by Susan’s name.

‘Mr Knowles?’

‘Major Fisher,’ he said without hesitation.

‘Mr Maynard?’

‘Major Fisher.’

Emma checked the ticks and crosses on her pad. Fisher led by six to five.

‘Admiral Summers?’ said the company secretary. There was a silence that felt interminable to Emma, but was in fact only a few seconds.

‘Mrs Clifton,’ he eventually said. Emma gasped. The old man leant across and whispered, ‘I’ve never been sure about Fisher, and when he voted for himself, I knew
I’d been right all along.’