Read Online The Courtyard by Marcia Willett - Free Book Online Page B

fire. Perhaps on the way back …’
    â€˜Oh yes.’ Gillian seized on the idea, recovering her good humour. Things had been very dull of late, money being rather tight, and it was simply too good an opportunity to miss. After all, Henry could hardly refuse if she made the suggestion in front of Nell. ‘Brilliant. Gives me time to plan. You could stay for a few nights and we’ll have a bit of a shindig. I’ll get some friends over. Great! Now, when would that be? Let’s fix it before we go down, shall we?’
    Nell drove away from Nethercombe feeling confused and anxious. When they had got back to the study, Gillian announced that Nell would be staying on the way back and that they had planned to have a party. Nell noticed that Henry’s first reaction was one of dismay, although his good manners had instantly covered his lapse and he made it clear that he would be delighted to see Nell again for a longer time. Gussie was obviously thrilled, Gillian looked very pleased with herself and the rest of the visit had gone smoothly and pleasantly. Nell, however, felt as though she’d been manipulated although she couldn’t quite see how. Presently she shook her head. It was no use worrying about it now. She turned on to the A38, pushed her foot down on the accelerator and headed back the way she had come.
    Â 
    JOHN PUT DOWN THE telephone receiver and let out an exclamation of despair.
    â€˜What now?’ Martin coming through from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee looked resigned.
    â€˜That was Mrs Morrison. They won’t be able to proceed with the
purchase of the house in Lansdowne Terrace. Their own sale has just fallen through.’ He put his elbows on the desk and buried his head in his hands. ‘Oh Christ!’
    â€˜That’s a bit of a bummer.’ Martin stood a mug on John’s desk.
    He was getting used to John’s explosive outbursts, his plunges into despair, and deliberately maintained a placid exterior in the hope of keeping him calm. It was both touching and terrifying to see how readily John turned to him for comfort, clinging to Martin’s optimism and positive thinking as a drowning man clings to the wreckage.
    â€˜That’s a bit of an understatement, isn’t it?’ John stared up at him. ‘We needed that commission to pay the rent. And what about the telephone bill?’
    â€˜I know, I know.’ Martin’s tone was deliberately soothing. ‘We’ll just have to stall them a bit longer, that’s all. You can’t lay your hands on anything, I suppose?’
    â€˜You know I can’t.’ John’s face was strained and his jaw moved as though he were chewing something. ‘I’ve told you. We’re broke.’
    â€˜OK.’
    Martin looked away from the desperation in John’s face and wandered over to the window. He stood looking out into the busy street. It had been a mistake to take John into partnership. He had neither the cool head nor the ready wits that were necessary in business when the chips were down. Martin, sipping at his coffee, stuck his free hand in his pocket and jingled his loose change. They shouldn’t have taken over the new premises; that had been a serious error of judgement. The timing was all wrong and things were getting uncomfortable. The bank, the company who leased the photocopier, the landlord, British Telecom, all of them were on his back. He whistled a little tune between his teeth.
    â€˜What are we going to do?’
    John was at his shoulder. Martin smiled at him, considering and rejecting various responses. It was no good panicking him, he’d learned that much.

    â€˜Telephone’s priority. Got to keep them sweet. No phone, no business. Why don’t you pop out for a quick bite while I make a few phone calls? Sort something out?’
    He could see John willing himself to believe that things could be sorted out and continued to smile at him