Jonah refused to let him in.
He woke on the chaise, shivering, but self-conscious heat burned his cheeks as he remembered what he’d done. After cleaning himself as best he could in the dark, he burrowed into the now-cold bed and slept on, waking well past six. He rose disoriented, knowing only that he could not be late for work again, especially with the directors meeting at three. Mr. Grandborough might come in, and Jonah desperately wanted to talk to him.
Dressed in minutes, Jonah forewent breakfast, and instead of waiting on a streetcar, hired a cab.
The snow that had fallen during the night was already melting under a pale sun. With barely a moment to spare, Jonah walked into the bank lobby and, conscious of curious stares, crossed to the corridor and shut himself in his office. He was disheveled, he supposed, having dressed so hastily. He’d remembered his scarf but not his gloves, so stood warming wind-bitten hands at the radiator when Reid came in without even a tap at the door.
“Good morning….” Reid stared at him for an instant, then gestured offhandedly at Jonah’s waistcoat. “Someone misbuttoned you this morning.”
Embarrassed despite Reid’s attempt to make a joke of it, Jonah hastily put himself in order. Reid sat and picked up one of the trade papers on the desk. “I’ve been reading over the credit books, and I see you’ve done the necessary investigation into the business affairs of your more frequent borrowers. I have some questions—”
“Regarding our decisions on past loans?” Jonah smoothed the front of his waistcoat, brushing fingers over the buttons once more, just in case. “We’ve had no unusual losses, I assure you. No more than any other bank.”
Reid folded the newspaper and tossed it aside. “Is there reason to hope we may see the day when you’ll no longer take everything I say as an attack on the bank… or you?”
Though there was not the least rancor in the question, the frankness of it took Jonah aback. “You exaggerate.”
“Do I?”
“I’m in no position to argue with you—”
“Yet you do, without fail.” Reid rose. “Assistant cashiers generally assist, Mr. Woolner. At least they have at all the banks I’ve worked in before. You resist all down the line and assert your concern is for the bank. You may understand why I’m not convinced that’s the case.”
Jonah broke from Reid’s expectant gaze and half turned, briefly startled by the sight of dripping icicles on the building across the way. The room was so warm. “I cannot apologize for being protective of the bank. However,” he went on before Reid could interrupt, “I’m sorry I’ve not been fulfilling my duties to your satisfaction. Henceforth, I’ll do my best to take your suggestions in the spirit you intend.” Reminding himself of his own intention to preserve dignity and integrity in the most businesslike manner, he faced Reid with chin lifted, shoulders squared. “If there’s nothing else, shall I take the correspondence or exchanges?”
Reid watched him for an unending minute and seemed to conclude that retreat on both sides was best for the time being. “Whichever you like. We’ll talk about the credit books later.”
Ready to escape the room’s confines, Jonah chose the exchanges. At noon, Reid went to dinner, inviting Simon along; almost immediately on their return, he brought up the credit books again, apparently determined to test Jonah’s promise of cooperation. Jonah wanted to take in the proposals without a murmur, but he could not keep still when Reid suggested they start making special inquiries into the business of the bank’s borrowers.
“We’ve never considered that worth the risk of losing customers.”
“If the inquiries are made discreetly, no borrower will have reason for alarm.”
“I know I said I would consider your suggestions fairly, but I cannot condone this. In
He woke on the chaise, shivering, but self-conscious heat burned his cheeks as he remembered what he’d done. After cleaning himself as best he could in the dark, he burrowed into the now-cold bed and slept on, waking well past six. He rose disoriented, knowing only that he could not be late for work again, especially with the directors meeting at three. Mr. Grandborough might come in, and Jonah desperately wanted to talk to him.
Dressed in minutes, Jonah forewent breakfast, and instead of waiting on a streetcar, hired a cab.
The snow that had fallen during the night was already melting under a pale sun. With barely a moment to spare, Jonah walked into the bank lobby and, conscious of curious stares, crossed to the corridor and shut himself in his office. He was disheveled, he supposed, having dressed so hastily. He’d remembered his scarf but not his gloves, so stood warming wind-bitten hands at the radiator when Reid came in without even a tap at the door.
“Good morning….” Reid stared at him for an instant, then gestured offhandedly at Jonah’s waistcoat. “Someone misbuttoned you this morning.”
Embarrassed despite Reid’s attempt to make a joke of it, Jonah hastily put himself in order. Reid sat and picked up one of the trade papers on the desk. “I’ve been reading over the credit books, and I see you’ve done the necessary investigation into the business affairs of your more frequent borrowers. I have some questions—”
“Regarding our decisions on past loans?” Jonah smoothed the front of his waistcoat, brushing fingers over the buttons once more, just in case. “We’ve had no unusual losses, I assure you. No more than any other bank.”
Reid folded the newspaper and tossed it aside. “Is there reason to hope we may see the day when you’ll no longer take everything I say as an attack on the bank… or you?”
Though there was not the least rancor in the question, the frankness of it took Jonah aback. “You exaggerate.”
“Do I?”
“I’m in no position to argue with you—”
“Yet you do, without fail.” Reid rose. “Assistant cashiers generally assist, Mr. Woolner. At least they have at all the banks I’ve worked in before. You resist all down the line and assert your concern is for the bank. You may understand why I’m not convinced that’s the case.”
Jonah broke from Reid’s expectant gaze and half turned, briefly startled by the sight of dripping icicles on the building across the way. The room was so warm. “I cannot apologize for being protective of the bank. However,” he went on before Reid could interrupt, “I’m sorry I’ve not been fulfilling my duties to your satisfaction. Henceforth, I’ll do my best to take your suggestions in the spirit you intend.” Reminding himself of his own intention to preserve dignity and integrity in the most businesslike manner, he faced Reid with chin lifted, shoulders squared. “If there’s nothing else, shall I take the correspondence or exchanges?”
Reid watched him for an unending minute and seemed to conclude that retreat on both sides was best for the time being. “Whichever you like. We’ll talk about the credit books later.”
Ready to escape the room’s confines, Jonah chose the exchanges. At noon, Reid went to dinner, inviting Simon along; almost immediately on their return, he brought up the credit books again, apparently determined to test Jonah’s promise of cooperation. Jonah wanted to take in the proposals without a murmur, but he could not keep still when Reid suggested they start making special inquiries into the business of the bank’s borrowers.
“We’ve never considered that worth the risk of losing customers.”
“If the inquiries are made discreetly, no borrower will have reason for alarm.”
“I know I said I would consider your suggestions fairly, but I cannot condone this. In
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