Read Online Heirs of Ravenscar by Barbara Taylor Bradford - Free Book Online Page B

since then.’
    â€˜And neither have I.’ Will Hasling rose, walked towards the door, explaining, ‘I must get off, Amos, my wife is waiting for me at the Savoy Hotel. We’re going to the Savoy Theatre tonight.’
    â€˜I understand. Have a pleasant evening, Mr H.’
    Will swung around when he reached the door, and stared hard at Amos. ‘I will have to speak to Mr Edward as soon as possible. I must inform him about everything, prepare him. And please do a bit of digging, won’t you? Who knows what you’ll turn up.’
    â€˜You can depend on me. If there’s anything to find, I’ll find it.’

    There was going to be trouble . He could smell it in the air already. And he knew it in his bones for sure. For as long ashe could remember, Amos had relied on his intuition, coupled with his insight into people. He also had a knack of knowing what made people tick, understood why they did the things they did, recognized their motivation. All of these gifts, because that’s how Amos thought of them, had helped him when he was a copper on the beat, policing the streets of Whitechapel, Limehouse, and other areas of London’s East End.
    And they had continued to work for him during his years with Neville Watkins; nor had they disappeared when he had joined Deravenels, to head up the Security Division. A wry smile touched his mouth. No such thing as a Security Division until he had been hired to ‘watch my back’, as Edward Deravenel had so succinctly put it at the time.
    These days this was no longer necessary. Most of Edward’s enemies were dead; some were
     living abroad but had been rendered powerless by Edward Deravenel’s success as head of the
     company. Deravenels had always been a huge global corporation; he had turned it into an
     operation which was bigger than ever and made more money than it had in its entire history.
    His was a household name, not only in England but around the world, and he was considered to be one of the most influential tycoons in the City. Some said he was even more important than his late cousin Neville Watkins, who had been the greatest magnate at one time.
    Amos now remembered that once he had told Mr Edward he wanted to retire. Edward had thrown a fit. Or something tantamount to one. He had gone berserk. That was the only word for it.
    â€˜I want you here by my side for the rest of your life, and mine!’ Edward had declared heatedly. ‘I will not countenance talk of your retirement, and that’s that. Don’t bring it up again, Amos. And besides, always remember that men who retire invariably fall apart and die.’
    Amos had been a little stunned by these words at the time, words so emphatically uttered, and yet he had also been immensely flattered. He realized then that he had a most special place in Edward Deravenel’s life and in his heart, just as his boss did in his.
    Loyal, devoted, discreet and protective, Amos Finnister was also calm and cool under any circumstances. And he was so extraordinarily trustworthy that Edward Deravenel had never bothered to hide any aspects of his extremely complicated life from the former private investigator, who was usually at his side.
    It was quite common knowledge at Deravenels that Amos Finnister was very close to the managing director, but no one knew just how close. Except for Will Hasling, who was even closer to Ned, being his longest and dearest friend.
    These three men worked in harmony together, and had for years. They trusted each other implicitly, and were totally discreet about each other, revealing nothing to colleagues or family. Once, rather laughingly, Edward had said that they were like The Three Musketeers, and in a certain sense that was true.
    The relationship between them worked for a number of reasons. Edward and Will, though aristocrats, were not snobs; they were affable, accessible, natural, and democratic in their attitudes. Amos Finnister