Page 51 of Scandalous Heiress
Proof.She had no idea what that might be.
“Mr.MacIntyre got your message early this morning, milord.He’s happy to receive you.This way.”The youth who’d greeted Victor led the way down a corridor toward the main office of Victor’s company and his London manager.
He nodded, his teeth clenched at his difficulty to walk.Leaning heavily on his cane this morning, he winced at the pressure on his left knee.The blasted rain always gave him trouble with this old injury.No amount of meditative breathing earlier had relieved the pain.
“Good afternoon, my lord.”Frederick MacIntyre welcomed him with a grin.A tall, dark-haired, good looking chap, a few years older than Victor, his manager had the sharp-eyed look of a hawk that pleased Victor as much as his excellent services.“Please, sir, do sit down.May I offer you tea, perhaps?”
“No, thank you, MacIntyre.”He sank into the wooden chair with a grunt and rubbed his thigh through his woolen trousers.Recommended to him by his father’s solicitor five years ago, the Scotsman came from a family of reputable accountants.He’d initiated and run the European trading operations of Cole and Company to expert efficiency and increasing profits.Furthermore, MacIntyre had done so from day one with only cursory instruction from Victor who had been rabid to leave London quickly.He was that rare employee, thorough, caring and wise.
MacIntyre focused on Victor’s massage of his leg.“Whisky then?”
Five years ago, the morning following the attack, Macintyre had witnessed how incapacitated Victor had been by the blows to his legs.Alicia, in her anger at his announcement they would go to China, had attacked him with a poker.He’d seized it from her but not before she’d caused him major bruising.That she might’ve killed him or at the least broken his leg was a miracle.In any case, a month later—before Victor and his wife and two daughters left for Shanghai—MacIntyre had commented on his apparent recovery.Victor had not dissuaded him from his incorrect diagnosis.Last week when Victor had come here to meet with him, MacIntyre had commented on his improvement.But his man had never known what hell he’d endured to recover.The condition Victor dealt with had improved.But it had taken him three years to rid himself of the need for heroin.
“The rain can be the devil with an old wound, sir.”
His Scots brogue and his kindness soothed Victor’s discomfort.“I will have a jigger.Thank you.”Better that than the tincture that works only if I return to it as a slave.
MacIntyre beckoned his assistant, then pressed coins into his palm.“Glasses and the bottle, Ian.But get us a bit of cheddar and bread from the pub next door to go with it.”
The lanky red-head bobbed and turned on his heel.
“I appreciate you receiving me on short notice this morning.”
“Never an imposition, sir.”MacIntyre pulled up a chair.“I’ve already sent off the proposal to the LeGere Foundry in Grasse about the perfumes.As yet, I’ve nothing in return, but I didn’t expect a response for a few weeks.T’is their busy time, ye know.”MacIntyre was curious about the reason for Victor’s appearance so soon after their recent visit and he assumed Victor wished to hear about his hope to begin supplying LeGere with the flowers for development of new perfumes.
“Excellent.Keep me abreast of negotiations.”Victor had recently added flowers of China and Japan to his imports to Europe.Since the perfume trade centered in the south of France, he sought an alliance with one of the companies developing new scents.Sales ofeau de toiletteand cologne in Europe doubled each year.The more expensive perfumes as well.He wanted a piece of that profit—and the potential growth of the industry.“If they are at all interested, those two new shipments of camellias can be diverted from Portsmouth and easily off-loaded in Bordeaux.”
“And at great savings to us.I’ve emphasized that savings toMonsieurLeGere and his wife.”
“They’d benefit from having this new variety of camellia,” Victor added.“And if LeGere isn’t interested in our flowers, we can approach Fontenaque.But I’ve come this morning not to discuss that but to ask you to do something else for me.”
“Whatever you require, sir, t’is yours.”
“When we met week before last, I expected to remain in England only until the autumn.Now, for many reasons, I may stay longer.”
“That would be superb, my lord.You and I would have more time to learn each other’s intentions.”
“I think we are of like mind, MacIntyre.Always have been.And I am honored and very fortunate to have you.”
“Thank you, sir.Just tell me what you need and it’s yours.”
“I know you did your usual annual review for me in December.When I received it in January, I thought it thorough and detailed.”
His man drew back, concern lining his brow.“If you found anythin’ lacking, milord, I’ll gladly provide you with whate’re you need.”
“Nothing lacking in there, MacIntyre.Nothing at all.”He offered his manager a broad grin.“What I need is an analysis of our current status.A review to-date, if you will.”
“Of the current year?”
“Precisely,” Victor said, though MacIntyre still looked alarmed and he sought to allay any of his fears.“You see my objectives have changed since we met week before last.I’m forced to think a few years ahead.I hope this analysis will not try the staff.If you need to hire another bookkeeper to help you, I can—?”
“Oh, no, sir.Not at all.This is not a burden, milord.I’m happy to help you.I promise you we’ll compile all the current receipts and invoices to date for the year in order of country and get them ready for your perusal.”
“How long do you think it will take you to finish?”
“We’re current, my lord, with billings and collections.The accounts payable from France come in, usually when due.We have no one in arrears.But it takes us a day or so to get Rothschilds’ to convert the francs to pounds.Tomorrow might be possible, but we’d have a more viable tally if ye might wait a day or two.”
“Excellent.Why don’t I return next Monday?Tell me if that’s not enough time.I don’t wish to rush you.”
