Read Online The Lie of You: I Will Have What Is Mine by Jane Lythell - Free Book Online

stunning pictures. Some pictures can be commissioned and we’ll get the rest from existing sources. We’ll put in key information on the history of the sites and the style of architecture. The guides can run as pull-outs in the magazine for a year. I would like them to have a reference quality to them, so that people will want to collect them and keep them.’
    He looked at my display board for several minutes.
    ‘Nice idea, Kathy, but this would cost a lot. Think of the travel and hotel bills,’ he said. ‘We’d have to pay a photographer and a writer to go to all these sites.’
    I had known he would raise the subject of cost.
    ‘Yes, there are costs entailed. We can use local photographers. I have contacts all over Europe, some very good names. The team here would do all the writing as part of their core work. I’ve done a draft budget and I think the advertising sales will exceed the costs.’
    I handed him a spreadsheet with my calculations and I gave a copy to Victoria too, as I wanted to keep her onside. Philip examined the sheet for several long minutes. When he’s thinking his whole face tightens and he purses his mouth in an unpleasant way. I’ve never really liked him. He’s one of those men that people describe as ‘political’, and by political they mean devious and into power. As the silence stretched out I started to feel angry with myself. I try too hard; I know I try too hard. I wished I didn’t care so much. I wished I could be cooler about things.
    Finally, he put the spreadsheet down on his desk and he kept me waiting while he said, ‘What do you think, Victoria?’
    ‘I think it’s got a lot of potential. There are some very glamorous sites on the list. I’m sure we could sell a lot of travel advertising. And it will have a long shelf life too. I might be able to do a tie-in with one of the Sunday supplements, a competition – you know, win a trip to the historic city of Siena.’
    ‘We wouldn’t need to send writers to every site,’ I said, hoping to clinch the deal. ‘We could get a lot of material from other sources.’
    ‘OK; I like the idea. I want to check these figures. In principle, it’s a yes. I’ll need you to do a presentation to the board. They like to be kept informed and they’ll need persuading on the costs.’
    ‘Of course; delighted to do that. Thank you, Philip.’
    He’s famously hard-headed so this was quite a victory. Victoria and I left the office together.
    ‘Well done!’ she said. ‘Your team just lucked out.’
    ‘We all did, and there are more than enough great sites to keep everyone happy. Thanks for your support today, I really appreciate it.’
    My euphoria lasted all afternoon. I couldn’t tell the team about it just yet because Philip had said ‘in principle’ and I didn’t want any idle chatter about it to derail the project. I was feeling so cheerful, though, so I treated them all to coffees and a box of home-made cupcakes from the local patisserie. I chose vanilla and strawberry cakes and bought one for Victoria too. Aisha and I sat in my office and we ate the deliciously soft cakes, which were topped with sweet buttercream. I told Aisha in confidence about what Philip had said.
    Then I sat and wrote notes for most of the afternoon. Ideas for what should be included in the guide came thick and fast. I planned to cover the Portuguese sites myself. It would mean that Markus and I could make that long-promised trip to my parents in Lisbon and I could show him all my special places there.
     
    I was home before Markus and as soon as I heard his key in the lock I rushed up to him in the hall. I’d been looking forward to telling him my news.
    ‘Philip agreed,’ I said. ‘It’s on.’
    ‘That’s really good news.’
    I wanted a hug and stood in front of him. He didn’t reach for me so I initiated the hug and we stood in the hall holding each other.
    ‘Do you want some wine?’ I said. ‘To celebrate...’
    ‘Better not, I’ve got