Dreams to Sell (7 page)

‘Would you like a hot drink, Ma?' asked Roz desperately. ‘Some cocoa, maybe?'

‘That'd be good,' Chrissie hurried to agree. ‘I'll make it. I'll put some milk on now. Then you could go to bed, Ma, and Dougal will come in to see you, like he said.'

‘If he wants to,' sighed Flo.

‘Of course he wants to!' cried Roz. ‘You know he does!'

‘Aye, well, I think I will away to my bed, then. But in the morning, I'm going to be up to see him off. Whatever he said, that'd be only right, eh?'

‘We'll all be up,' Roz told her, glancing round to see Dougal in the doorway, his small case in his hand.

‘All done!' he cried cheerfully, going to his mother. He drew her to her feet, kissed her on her cheek and held her close.

‘Shan't be long, Ma. I'll just say cheerio to the lads, and then I'll be back. But you go to bed if you want to and I'll come in to say goodnight.'

‘All right, son,' she murmured. ‘That'll be grand. I won't be asleep, that's for sure.'

Will any of us sleep tonight? Roz asked herself.

And it did seem as though there was hardly any night at all before they heard Dougal getting up, and then they were up and kissing him goodbye and watching him stride away into the morning, his hand giving a last wave as he went for an early tram.

‘How d'you feel, Ma?' Roz asked softly. ‘You going back to bed?'

‘No, might as well stay up now.' Flo's voice was weak, her face a mask, but it seemed as though she had made up her mind to go to work.

‘It'd be good if you could go to work, Ma, if you feel up to it.'

‘I'll feel no better if I stay at home, that's the truth of it.'

Roz and Chrissie exchanged glances.

‘Mrs Abbot'll be pleased, anyway,' Chrissie remarked, trying to sound cheerful.

Flo's only reply was, ‘Oh, well, nice to know I can please somebody, then.'

And as the sisters looked at each other again, they knew that whatever they did, however things worked out for them or Dougal, the way ahead would have its problems.

The days lengthened, grew truly spring-like, as hopes strengthened that this post-war time would lead to lasting peace. Even the long-standing civil war in far-away China looked like coming to an end, with the Communists poised to defeat the Nationalists and create a republic, while southern Ireland had already quietly declared itself a republic with the name of Eire. All very interesting, if you liked to read the newspapers, but all that mattered to the Raineys left at home was that nowhere did it seem likely that a Scottish regiment might be called upon to fight somewhere foreign – which was exactly what Dougal had said.

‘You see, Ma, it's true,' Roz told Flo. ‘He's in a peacetime army; he won't be going to war, and look at the postcards he's sent – he's enjoying himself, eh?'

‘I'm sure,' muttered Flo. ‘We're out o' sight, out o' mind, seemingly. Are we enjoying ourselves, then?'

‘I am!' cried Chrissie. ‘I've got Richard.'

At that, Flo's expression softened and she even smiled. ‘Well, that's true, Chrissie. And he does seem a nice lad.'

‘A perfect gentleman?' asked Roz, also smiling to see her mother for once forgetting Dougal. ‘When am I going to meet him, then?'

‘Oh, not just yet,' Chrissie answered. ‘But you will meet him, Roz, I promise, and then you'll understand why I think he's so nice. Meantime, what's happening with you? When's your new boss starting?'

‘Next week,' Roz said swiftly. ‘I'm already collecting for Mr MacKenna's leaving present. We're going to get him a new briefcase.'

‘And then he'll be away?' asked Flo. ‘Shame, eh? When you got on so well?'

‘He'll have a day to show Mr Shield the routine and then he'll be off to Aberdeen.' Roz sighed. ‘Sold his own house here, you know, in no time at all. Some friend wanted it and Mr MacKenna let him have it without it going to sealed bids, which is just the sort of thing he would do.'

‘You'll just have to hope that this new chap is as nice,' Chrissie told her comfortingly. ‘He's younger, anyway.'

‘As though that matters,' said Flo, looking into space. ‘I wonder when Dougal's coming home for that weekend he mentioned? I hope he won't be wearing his uniform.'

Oh, dear, thought Roz, catching Chrissie's eye. There they were – back to Dougal again. She supposed it was only to be expected.

The big day came at last – Mr Shield's first and Mr MacKenna's last. Roz, who had spent half the previous night worrying what to wear, eventually wore what she usually wore to work – white blouse, dark jacket, dark skirt – and arrived at the office hoping to be first there. Mr MacKenna, however, was already at his desk, with Mr Shield in his formal suit with hair well flattened sitting next to him, surrounded by files and papers.

‘Ah, here's Miss Rainey,' Mr MacKenna said cheerfully, as both men rose to their feet. ‘She'll soon sort us out.'

‘I'm not late, am I?' she asked, as Mr Shield favoured her with his smile. Mr MacKenna smiled too.

‘Haven't we had this conversation before? No, it's just that we came in early, to get on with the handover.'

‘Is there anything I can do?' asked Roz.

‘I don't think so, thanks. I'm just going through my notes and the legal stuff with Mr Shield here.'

Roz hesitated, her thoughts concerned with the presentation of the briefcase that was to take place in the afternoon.

‘Will you be going out to lunch at the usual time, Mr MacKenna?'

‘Oh, yes, Mr Banks is taking us both out, with the partners.' Mr MacKenna looked apologetic. ‘Sorry we couldn't all have gone.'

‘That's quite all right.'

She smiled, aware of a sympathetic look in the new lawyer's eyes. As though she'd expect to go out to lunch with Mr Banks and the partners! From the door, she asked if they would excuse her as she must just check something with Miss Ward, and as they returned to their files she sped along the hall to Norma at Reception.

‘The briefcase,' she said to Norma urgently. ‘It's still there under the counter, eh?'

‘Sure it is. Why wouldn't it be?'

‘I don't know, I'm just worried because I had to collect the money and help Mr Newman choose it, then wrap it up and all that. If anything happens to it, I'm responsible.'

‘Honestly, anybody'd think it was the royal regalia!' Norma cried, laughing. ‘Look, here it is, and our farewell card as well, with all our signatures.'

‘Oh, thanks, that's grand.' Roz studied the large parcel wrapped in red paper and tied with a bow. ‘Just as long as we know where it is when it's time for the presentation.'

‘That's not till this afternoon.'

‘I know.' Roz laughed. ‘Should be back from their lunch by then, I suppose.'

‘Oh, yes, they're all going out to lunch, eh?' Norma's brow had darkened. ‘No question of anybody inviting us, you'll notice.'

‘Did you think they would?'

‘Well, you should've been asked, Roz. You've worked with Mr MacKenna for a long time.'

‘I think he would have liked to invite me, but he's the one being taken, you see. It wasn't his place to tag me along.'

‘Well, maybe the new chap will have different ideas.' Norma's eyes gleamed. ‘If you ask me, I think he'll be different altogether from the guys we've got now.'

As Miss Calder came tapping along the hall, Roz shook her head warningly, and Norma, colouring up, rapidly began to sort a sheaf of papers on the reception desk.

‘Everything ready for the presentation, Miss Rainey?' Miss Calder asked. ‘Mustn't mislay the briefcase, must we?'

‘No, Miss Calder. It's safe here in Reception.'

‘That's good. Now, when Mr Banks and the lawyers have gone to lunch, I'd like you both to help me put out some glasses in Mr Banks's room. There's going to be wine and sherry provided, so that we can all drink Mr MacKenna's health and wish him luck.'

‘Ooh, nice!' cried Norma.

‘What a lovely idea,' said Roz.

‘Yes, Mr Banks is always thoughtful like that, of course. Don't forget to put out a glass for Mrs MacKenna. She's coming in to say goodbye, too.' Miss Calder gave a brief smile. ‘We didn't see her often, but she was always very pleasant when she looked in.'

‘Very pleasant,' agreed Roz, who'd always found her so on the rare occasions when they'd met.

‘Now, our new Mr Shield isn't married,' Miss Calder went on, rather unusually staying a moment to chat. ‘But then he is very young.'

Catching Norma's look, she laughed a little. ‘Perhaps you don't think so, Miss Ward, but to me he seems that. Not of course that I mean he is too youthful,' she added hastily, yet giving the distinct impression she did mean exactly that. ‘Well, I must go – I have things to do. You too, girls. Don't forget to put out the glasses and some small plates for potato crisps. I'll leave out some packets.'

As she tapped away, Roz said yes, she must get back to the property department, but the irrepressible Norma couldn't resist a last word or two.

‘Fancy her going on about Mr Shield's age,' she whispered. ‘Bet I know what's bothering her.'

‘What?' asked Roz, mystified.

‘Well, what she probably thinks is that he's too young to be working with you. Now don't look like that – you know what I mean.'

‘I do not!' cried Roz. ‘What's it matter how old we are?'

‘Well, Mr MacKenna was old enough to be your father, eh? And Mr Shield isn't. So, if the two of you are always together …'

‘Oh, Norma, you're hopeless! Mr Shield's only just started and you're talking like that? He's here to do a job, and so am I, and that's all there is to it!'

‘OK, OK, I'm just joking. No offence, Roz.'

‘All right, but let's just cut out all that stuff, eh?'

‘Sure.' Norma drew her finger across her throat and laughed. ‘I promise never to say another word!'

‘That'll be the day,' said Roz, hurrying back to the property department and, without meeting the eyes of either Mr MacKenna or Mr Shield, made for her own office and closed the door.

In fact, the lawyers were not late back from their lunch, Mr MacKenna having said that he needed to be back in good time to complete his handover to Mr Shield before the end of the day. Even so, the men were all looking remarkably cheerful when they came into the office, with even the usually gloomy Mr Wray seeming animated and Mr Newman, not one who normally troubled to pay compliments, actually telling Mr MacKenna he would be much missed.

‘Yes, indeed, Ronnie,' he said solemnly, ‘Aberdeen's gain is definitely our loss, as you might say.'

‘I certainly do say,' chimed Mr Banks, the senior partner, now in his fifties and a little overweight, his once-dark hair grey and receding, but his formidable manner unchanged, even though his smile was affable. ‘You've been a tower of strength to Tarrel and Thom's.'

‘Please,' groaned Mr MacKenna, bowing his head, ‘I've had enough kind words for today. Don't forget you have Mr Shield here and he'll do a splendid job – as long as we finish our handover!'

‘Too right,' agreed the newcomer, who had been standing modestly by. ‘I still have plenty to learn.'

‘Well, you have until four o'clock to learn it,' Mr Banks told him. ‘Then, I'd like us all to meet in my office.'

‘Very nice,' said Mr MacKenna, very deadpan. ‘We'll look forward to it.'

Back in the property department, while the two lawyers continued with their work, all there was for Roz to do was to wait on edge in her own office until it was time to join Norma and Miss Calder in Reception, where they were already greeting Mrs MacKenna, who'd just walked in through the door.

So like her husband, Roz thought, smiling and shaking her hand. So easy-going, so pleasant – what lucky lives their children must lead! No anxiety, no stress. Did they know how well they'd done in life's lottery? Today, Mrs MacKenna, who was not normally interested in clothes, had made a special effort to look smart in a neat blue suit and matching hat, with a touch of make-up on her broad, good-natured face.

‘All set?' she whispered at the reception desk. ‘Ronnie doesn't know a thing about this, you know.'

‘I'm sure he'll have an idea,' said Miss Calder. ‘We don't usually have a cup of tea in Mr Banks's office.' She leaned forward. ‘Actually, we're not even having tea. Mr Banks is providing wine or sherry – must have managed to find some somewhere. It's a little early, but why not?'

‘Why not indeed?' cried Mrs MacKenna. ‘Oh, we're going to miss you all so much! What are we doing, going up to Aberdeen?'

‘Come along to see Mr Banks,' Miss Calder told her. ‘Girls, you too – to help with the drinks.'

‘As long as we get a drink ourselves,' Norma muttered to Roz, who knocked her in the ribs, for the lawyers were joining them and their little celebration was about to begin.

First, Mr Banks with great panache opened his wines, which were then served by Roz and Norma to everyone except Miss Calder, who chose sherry. Crisps were handed, more wine was accepted, and as the noise level rose, it seemed amazing that such a small crowd could appear to be so many.

‘I feel I'm at a proper party, don't you?' Norma whispered to Roz. ‘Who'd have thought old Banks could put on such a do, then?'

‘One of these days someone's going to hear you, Norma, and then there'll be trouble,' Roz whispered back, but she was feeling wonderfully mellow after the one glass of wine she'd allowed herself, not being used to it and not wanting to feel tipsy when it came to saying goodbye to Mr MacKenna. Or even to look flushed in the face, as Joan MacKenna was looking now, or strangely bright-eyed like Miss Calder after her small sherry.