Read Online To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Lee Guhrke
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answered. As she said the words, a dull ache began in her heart.
He wrote out a bank draft and handed it to the solicitor. "I've added an extra two hundred pounds to be deposited in Elliot's account. You'll see that everything is handled?"
Mr. Finch took the slip of paper from his hand. "Of course."
"Good. You'll investigate that other matter as well?"
When Finch nodded, Mr. Chase set aside the bank book, and turned back to her. "I'll also want to go over operating procedures with you, Mrs. Elliot."
Mara was too upset to wonder what "other matter" Finch was investigating for Mr. Chase. She rose to her feet.
"We start at eight o'clock," she told her new partner, wanting to escape. Now that this partnership was a reality, the ache in her heart was almost unbearable, and she wanted desperately to leave before his perceptive eyes could see it. "We'll meet in my office."
"Excellent. We can begin modifying production procedures right away."
"Modifying production procedures?" Mara frowned at him. "Our system of production doesn't need modification. It works very well as it is."
"I'm sure it does," he answered, "but it won't work at all once we've made changes to the product line. When I was there, I noticed—"
"Wait!" Alarmed, Mara held up one gloved hand to halt his flow of words. "What do you mean? What changes to our product line?"
Mr. Chase lowered his feet to the floor and rose. "Let me show you."
He came around to the sofa and took her by the elbow, pulling her toward the table near the door. As she watched in bewilderment, he fastened a wire to the track of the toy train. The locomotive began to move, gathering speed as it pulled away from the miniature station.
He straightened and walked around to the other side of the table, watching the train move along the track. "See how it takes the curves? Rather marvelous, isn't it?"
Mara folded her arms beneath her breasts, uninterested in his toys. "What changes do you want to make in our product line?"
"You and I are embarking on a grand adventure, Mrs. Elliot." His eyes sparkled with the excitement of a boy as they met hers across the table. "We shall make dreams come true."
She shook her head impatiently. Did the man always have to speak in riddles? "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Toys, Mrs. Elliot. We shall make toys."
Mara stared at him, stupefied. She looked down at the locomotive moving around the miniature track and swallowed hard as the sick feeling of dread returned to settle in her stomach like a stone. She had just signed over control of Elliot's to a madman. She groaned and pressed a gloved hand to her aching head. Elliot's was doomed.
Chapter Five
Percy looked worried. Mara studied his troubled face, and she couldn't help the tiny, secret satisfaction she felt at his lack of enthusiasm.
"Toys?" he repeated.
She nodded, and he groaned as he fell into the chair opposite her desk.
"I'm afraid so. The man wants to completely change our manufacturing to toys. Trains, mostly."
"But, Mrs. Elliot, we don't know anything about manufacturing toys."
"I know. But Mr. Chase is determined to do this."
"Does he know anything about making toys?"
She thought about the train and all the other gadgets in his flat. "I think so," she answered doubtfully.
Percy straightened in his chair, struck by a sudden realization. "Mr. Chase? He's the man who came to see Mr. Elliot. I made an appointment for you to meet with him. Remember? Yesterday, eleven o'clock."
Mara realized what Mr. Chase had been rambling on about with all his talk of important meetings. She'd been the important meeting he'd mentioned.
"Why didn't you tell me who he really was?"
Percy's question startled her out of her reverie and she gave him a blank look. "What do you mean?"
He gave his mustache another tug. "Chase Toy Company. Owned by Viscount Leyland, it is the largest toy maker in England. Surely you've heard of it."
Mara, who knew little about toys
He wrote out a bank draft and handed it to the solicitor. "I've added an extra two hundred pounds to be deposited in Elliot's account. You'll see that everything is handled?"
Mr. Finch took the slip of paper from his hand. "Of course."
"Good. You'll investigate that other matter as well?"
When Finch nodded, Mr. Chase set aside the bank book, and turned back to her. "I'll also want to go over operating procedures with you, Mrs. Elliot."
Mara was too upset to wonder what "other matter" Finch was investigating for Mr. Chase. She rose to her feet.
"We start at eight o'clock," she told her new partner, wanting to escape. Now that this partnership was a reality, the ache in her heart was almost unbearable, and she wanted desperately to leave before his perceptive eyes could see it. "We'll meet in my office."
"Excellent. We can begin modifying production procedures right away."
"Modifying production procedures?" Mara frowned at him. "Our system of production doesn't need modification. It works very well as it is."
"I'm sure it does," he answered, "but it won't work at all once we've made changes to the product line. When I was there, I noticed—"
"Wait!" Alarmed, Mara held up one gloved hand to halt his flow of words. "What do you mean? What changes to our product line?"
Mr. Chase lowered his feet to the floor and rose. "Let me show you."
He came around to the sofa and took her by the elbow, pulling her toward the table near the door. As she watched in bewilderment, he fastened a wire to the track of the toy train. The locomotive began to move, gathering speed as it pulled away from the miniature station.
He straightened and walked around to the other side of the table, watching the train move along the track. "See how it takes the curves? Rather marvelous, isn't it?"
Mara folded her arms beneath her breasts, uninterested in his toys. "What changes do you want to make in our product line?"
"You and I are embarking on a grand adventure, Mrs. Elliot." His eyes sparkled with the excitement of a boy as they met hers across the table. "We shall make dreams come true."
She shook her head impatiently. Did the man always have to speak in riddles? "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Toys, Mrs. Elliot. We shall make toys."
Mara stared at him, stupefied. She looked down at the locomotive moving around the miniature track and swallowed hard as the sick feeling of dread returned to settle in her stomach like a stone. She had just signed over control of Elliot's to a madman. She groaned and pressed a gloved hand to her aching head. Elliot's was doomed.
Chapter Five
Percy looked worried. Mara studied his troubled face, and she couldn't help the tiny, secret satisfaction she felt at his lack of enthusiasm.
"Toys?" he repeated.
She nodded, and he groaned as he fell into the chair opposite her desk.
"I'm afraid so. The man wants to completely change our manufacturing to toys. Trains, mostly."
"But, Mrs. Elliot, we don't know anything about manufacturing toys."
"I know. But Mr. Chase is determined to do this."
"Does he know anything about making toys?"
She thought about the train and all the other gadgets in his flat. "I think so," she answered doubtfully.
Percy straightened in his chair, struck by a sudden realization. "Mr. Chase? He's the man who came to see Mr. Elliot. I made an appointment for you to meet with him. Remember? Yesterday, eleven o'clock."
Mara realized what Mr. Chase had been rambling on about with all his talk of important meetings. She'd been the important meeting he'd mentioned.
"Why didn't you tell me who he really was?"
Percy's question startled her out of her reverie and she gave him a blank look. "What do you mean?"
He gave his mustache another tug. "Chase Toy Company. Owned by Viscount Leyland, it is the largest toy maker in England. Surely you've heard of it."
Mara, who knew little about toys
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