THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (9 page)

She
stared down at the letter she had been reading and realised that she
had torn it into tiny shreds. This wouldn't do. She must pull herself
together.

She
picked up the production manager's report that she had tossed aside
the previous afternoon and willed herself to concentrate.

Half
an hour later she laid the report down with a sigh. Ironically, in
the three years Rod had been with Englands his success in regaining
old customers and getting new orders had only aggravated their
production problems. It was becoming more and more difficult to get
the goods out on time. Frank Fuller's report was a catalogue of
customer complaints but he made no suggestions for improvement.

She
wandered to the window and gazed out over the car park. Some of the
younger men from the factory were kicking a football around in the
loading area. That meant one of the machines had broken down again
and the production line was held up. So much of their machinery was
old, worn out.

A
car, not one she recognised, turned into the car park. She wondered
idly who was visiting.

She
was dictating replies to the morning's letters when Jenny slipped
into her office, closing the door behind her.

Mr
Werner's here,” she whispered. “From Kassels.”

Gabriella
frowned. “Werner? We weren't expecting him, were we?”

“
No.
He's awfully angry. Especially about the lads playing football!”

“
Oh
dear. Bad timing. Well, phone Rod. Mr Werner's his problem.”

“
Rod's
gone out. Sue doesn't know when he'll be back.”

Dismayed,
Gabriella realised that she would have to see Werner herself and
immediately. Kassels were Englands' main distributors in Europe and
it wouldn't do to keep their senior partner waiting, surprise visit
or not. But she didn't relish the meeting. Karl Werner was more than
displeased with the firm's deliveries and had been threatening for
some months to find alternative suppliers.

“
I
suppose you'd better bring him in,” she said, “but get
Frank up here first.” The production manager was not a diplomat
but at least he might have the answers to the German's questions.
“And
ask
Sue to send Rod here at once if and when he comes back. Oh, and bring
coffee in about ten minutes – with some of those chocolate
wafers,” she added, remembering Werner's sweet tooth.

“
Herr
Werner!” she said, putting on her best smile when Jenny showed
him in. “What a pleasant surprise. Do sit down.”

It
was ominous that the German did not take her outstretched hand but
nodded curtly. “Good morning, Fraulein Stevens.” His
square, usually smiling, face was grim. He spent some time removing
and folding his brown leather coat, laying it carefully across a
chair, smoothing the sides of his grey-blond hair, brushing an
imaginary speck of dust from his well cut suit. She guessed that the
delay was intended to put her at an early disadvantage.

“
You
know Mr Fuller, of course,” she said when at last he had
accepted a seat at the table.

“
Mr
Fuller.” Werner nodded again. “I notice your men are
again busily at work. In Germany our workers practise their national
sports in their own time!”

Gabriella
winced. The German was definitely on the attack. Wishing she had had
more sleep, she struggled to counter his accusations but it soon
became apparent that Werner had already made the decision to change
suppliers.

“
Promises,”
he said, dismissing all her arguments. “Promises and excuses.
But still we do not have deliveries. Frankly, Fraulein Stevens, Herr
Fuller, this will not do. Our buyers in Germany are accustomed to
receive their goods within the month.” He began to replace his
papers in his briefcase. “No, Fraulein, your products are
excellent but unless we have prompt fulfilment we must look for other
suppliers.”

“
Herr
Werner, I'm sure we can improve on our delivery dates. We've recently
moved to two shift working and Mr Fuller will be giving your orders
absolute priority.” Gabriella knew she was pleading. “We
expect to complete at least ninety per cent of your outstanding
orders within the month.”

Werner
waved an impatient hand. “Even if you accomplish this miracle –
and I am not convinced that you can do this – what of the
future? Your past record gives us no confidence. No, Fraulein
Stevens, I must tell you that we have – how do you say it here?
- we have
had
it. I regret that our long association must come to an end but we are
businessmen and must put our business and our customers in Europe
first.”

He
was slipping through her fingers. Where, where was Rod? Back to the
wall, she would for once have welcomed him with open arms. Frank was
no help. He opened his mouth only to aggravate the German even more.

Well,
if Herr Werner was tired of excuses, and she couldn't blame him, she
would have to switch tactics.

“
Please
sit down again, Herr Werner.” She waited until he reluctantly
resumed his seat, then leaned forward, holding his gaze.

“
Herr
Werner, you are right in everything you say. Our record has been
atrocious. We've prevaricated, made excuses, let you down on one
delivery after another. Frankly, in your shoes I wouldn't have had
your patience.” She certainly had his attention now. She moved
in swiftly. “But in one way we've never let you down. The
quality of our products. We know – and so do you – that
they're unbeatable, here or in Europe. If that were not so, Englands
would have gone out of business long ago.”

Suddenly
over Werner's shoulder she saw Rod standing in the doorway. He was
nodding approval and she felt an unexpected warm glow of pleasure.

“
We
have Ben Englands to thank for that insistence on quality,” she
went on, “and although Ben has gone we've no intention of
lowering the standards we set. But we must satisfy our customers'
other requirements as well. That means an efficient production line
and speedy reliable deliveries.”

“
You
are saying that Englands is at last to recognise the importance of
the time factor?” Werner asked drily.

“
Some
of us have already recognised it.” She felt a twinge of
disloyalty to Ben, but Ben was gone and Englands could lose a large
slice of its business if Kassels looked elsewhere.

“
And
how, Fraulein Stevens, do you intend to put these fine new aims into
effect?”

She
hesitated. She and Rod had met with machine manufacturers, talked to
bank managers and produced sheets of figures to justify new
investment. Ben had resisted to the end, and with his death their
plans had been shelved. She was not at all sure if they were ready
yet to put these plans into operation. Or even if they should. She
sent a look of appeal at Rod and saw that he was already coming
forward.

“
Karl!
Good to see you. Sorry I wasn't here to meet you – another
appointment. Frank, I believe your shift supervisor is looking for
you, but thanks for filling in for me. Now then, Karl, why don't we
continue this discussion over lunch? I've found an interesting new
restaurant, I think you'll enjoy it.” While he talked he was
expertly shepherding Werner out of the office. “Gabriella,
you'll join us, won't you?”

Gabriella
would. Having borne the brunt of Werner's displeasure she was quite
happy now to relax, enjoy a good lunch and watch Rod put his own
special skills to work.

The
restaurant he had chosen, The Exchange, had once been a merchant
bank. The new owners had retained the superb mahogany counter, caged
in heavy Edwardian brass, as a bar and notices of old foreign
exchange rates decorated the walls. The menus were handwritten in
oldfashioned bank passbooks. It was a popular place, crowded on this
Friday lunchtime but Rod managed to find an empty table by one of the
huge Gothic windows.

“
Well,
Karl,” he said when they had ordered. “We've been
planning some radical changes and I'm sure you'd like to hear how
they will improve your deliveries.”

“
I
would indeed,” said Werner.

“
I
think you will have realised that in the past there has been a
certain opposition to change. Ben had great talent, great business
acumen, but it was, I'm afraid, difficult to convince him that
policies have to change with the times. We shall all miss him very
much but at the same time we are now able to press ahead with
improvements and investment.”

The
German took a long swallow of his lager and replaced the glass
deliberately on the table. “Go on, Roderic.”

Rod
leaned forward. His eyes, holding the other man's, glowed with
enthusiasm. There was an aura of confidence about him that must
surely, Gabriella thought, be irresistible. “We're already
running two shifts and that's increased production nearly one hundred
per cent. Incidentally, it's brought our unit costs down quite
noticeably. Our prices are already competitivwe so we'll be putting
the savings made there towards more machinery and possibly additional
workers. Several of our machines are old, slow and inefficient. We'll
be replacing them with new computer-aided machines.” He smiled
at Werner. “I don't have to tell you the effect that such
investment will have.”

“
No,”
said Werner, “you don't. It is a pity, my friend, that the
English have never seen the importance of investing in new machinery,
new technology.”

“
Some
of us have,” said Rod. “But you're right, we're a
shortsighted nation on the whole.”

“
All
this will take time,” said Werner. “In the meantime, how
will you ensure our orders are ready when agreed?”