Read Online On Mother Brown's Doorstep by Mary Jane Staples - Free Book Online Page B

Susie may have been twenty-one and adult, but she was still a virgin.

CHAPTER SIX
    MR SAMMY ADAMS , managing director of Adams Enterprises, Adams Fashions and Adams Scrap Metal, had a handsome office above his established shop on the Denmark Hill side of Camberwell Green. Its old-style furniture was handsome, especially his large desk that sat on part of the square brown carpet.
    Mr Brown knocked.
    ‘Come in,’ said Sammy, a tall young man in his twenty-fourth year and the energetic engine of the business.
    Mr Brown entered.
    ‘You wanted to see me, guv?’ he said. It was a bit of an awkward relationship in a way, with his elder daughter Susie engaged to his young boss, and he’d settled for calling him guv. He’d tried Mister Sammy and Mister Adams, but come the engagement and he’d fixed on guv. Sammy didn’t mind. Most of his employees called him Mister Sammy, distinguishing him from his eldest brother Boots, general manager of the business, whom they called Mister Adams. Sammy questioned whether this was right or not, seeing he’d founded the business. Boots said it was right all right, he was the eldest of the family and Sammy was still a lad. Ruddy rhubarb, said Sammy, did I hear you say that? It’s a question of respect for my old age, said Boots. Sometimes, said Sammy, I ain’t sure you’re believable.
    He looked up from his desk.
    ‘Hello, Jim,’ he said. That was how he’d always addressed his hard-working and loyal odd-job man. ‘Take a pew.’
    ‘Nice of yer, guv,’ said Mr Brown and sat down, not without thinking that it meant something serious was about to happen.
    ‘How’s the fam’ly?’ asked Sammy, blue eyes showing, as always, something of his inner energy.
    It’s serious all right, thought Mr Brown.
    ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Well, except we can’t ’ardly believe Will’s got a touch of asthma.’
    ‘Yes, perishin’ hard luck,’ said Sammy, ‘and highly incredulous as well. But he’ll beat it. Young man like him,’ he added, speaking from the position of being as old as nearly twenty-four. ‘I’ve been thinkin’, Jim.’
    ‘You do a lot of that,’ said Mr Brown, frankly admiring.
    ‘Well, if I don’t,’ said Sammy, ‘me competitors’ll start walkin’ all over me, and gettin’ walked over can hurt considerable. Jim, it’s like this. You’re Susie’s dad, which for a start ought to earn you several medals. Now you can appreciate I don’t want you as me dad-in-law mendin’ our shop doors and keepin’ our Olney Road scrap yard consistently tidied up.’
    ‘You can give it to me straight, Sammy.’ Mr Brown spoke as the future dad-in-law. ‘You don’t reckon it’s right me workin’ for yer.’
    ‘You can chuck that notion out of the top window right now,’ said Sammy. ‘It’s not good business, sackin’ anyone who earns his wages as well as you do. But it won’t look right, keepin’ you doin’ odd jobs here and at the scrap yard. Now, I’m about to acquire a new scrap yard in Bermondsey, Jim. You know all about scrap metal from bein’ efficiently acquainted with the Olney Road yard. So I’m puttin’ you in charge of the new yard in Bermondsey. You’re startin’ next Monday. You’ll get a yard manager’s wage , of course. Is that proposition agreeable to you?’
    Jim was gaping.
    ‘Sammy—’
    ‘Good,’ said Sammy briskly, ‘I like a man who makes up his mind quick.’
    ‘I tell yer straight, you just flabbergasted my mind,’ said Mr Brown, ‘but that ain’t goin’ to stop me askin’ if I can shake yer hand.’ They shook hands across the desk.
    ‘That’s it, then, Jim,’ said Sammy, ‘I’m off out now.’
    ‘’Alf a tick,’ said Mr Brown, ‘you givin’ me this job because you think I can do it, or because—’
    ‘You’re gettin’ it because I’ve got trust in yer, Jim.’
    ‘Well,’ said Mr Brown, ‘I’ll say this much, young guv, if there’s any bloke good enough for Susie, it’s you.’
    ‘As the manager of