They were feeling their way as he was, but it was he who held the map. He knew where he was going; no doubt they would follow him when they saw his plans clearly. Jason Knight said cautiously, ‘It’s a logical development. His land would consolidate our control of the area.’
‘I knew you’d see that. It would make future planning much easier if we got rid of the hedges and allowed our machinery full scope over the whole area.’
It was Gerry Davies who said, ‘Has Tom Ogden accepted your proposal?’
Martin smiled as if they were discussing the best way to deal with a recalcitrant child. ‘Ogden’s a pig-headed soul. He doesn’t see the realities of the situation. I’ve made him a very good offer. He hasn’t yet accepted it, but I’m sure he will, before the summer’s out.’
‘His family’s farmed that land for a long time.’
‘So he keeps telling me. That doesn’t alter the realities of economic life, Gerry. Times change, and Ogden must be made to recognize that.’
Jason Knight knew Ogden because he was a member of Ross Golf Club. He was well aware of the farmer’s bitter resentment of his more powerful neighbour. He said, ‘Tom’s a stubborn old bugger, as you say. Is there any way you could offer him some sort of junior partnership in Abbey Vineyards, rather than just money? That would allow him to continue an association with the land he feels he cannot relinquish.’
Martin frowned. ‘I wouldn’t want Ogden anywhere near this firm. He’s looking backwards, not forwards. We don’t need people like that.’
Gerry Davies said, ‘He’s capable of taking new ideas on board. Look how he’s converted his land from mixed farming to a specialization in strawberries and hooked on to the pick-your-own market.’
Martin frowned. He had only introduced the subject to sound out the thinking of these two. Ogden and his strawberry fields were not really up for discussion. ‘You can leave Ogden to me. I’m confident I can make him see sense.’ He certainly wasn’t going to tell them exactly how he proposed to do that.
This time Jason Knight did glance sideways at the man next to him before he spoke. It was instinctive, but significant. With the autocrat’s paranoid sensitivity to any sign of dissent, Beaumont divined in that instant that these two had been plotting against him. ‘This is, as you indicated at the outset, a policy matter, Martin. And Gerry and I have been thinking for some time that we — that is to say the five of us who are most involved in forward planning in the firm — should have a greater say in policy.’
It was out at last. But this was exactly the situation that Jason had been trying to avoid when he spoke to Gerry about a united front. He had wanted to come here with Vanda North and Sarah Vaughan and Alistair Morton and present a unified group, instead of being anticipated by Beaumont and pinned down like this. At least he had Gerry Davies to support him, but he would have preferred that they and not Beaumont had taken the initiative and chosen the moment.
The silence seemed to the two men in the easy chairs to stretch for a long time, though it was probably no more than a few seconds. Martin Beaumont finally said with ominous calm, ‘I built this firm up from nothing. I brought us to where we are at the moment. Neither of you would hold the jobs you have without my efforts.’
Gerry felt that he must support his friend, though neither words nor resistance came easily to him. ‘I don’t think any of us would dispute that, Martin. We are well aware of what you have done for the firm, and indirectly for us. It’s just that as it gets bigger and bigger, Jason feels — well I feel as well, and I think we all feel, really — that the senior people should have a greater say in policy matters.’
Martin stared hard at him whilst he thought furiously. They weren’t organized yet, but they were moving against him: he had been right to suspect that. And the man behind it was Jason Knight, as he had known it would be. He said firmly and with ominous calm, ‘This firm is a one-man band. It has been from the outset and that is the secret of its success. If you don’t like that, you should think seriously about other employment.’
Jason smiled and tried to simulate a relaxation he could not feel. ‘There’s room for manoeuvre here, surely, Martin. I don’t mean — none of us means — to challenge your leadership. It’s just that as things move on and development becomes more complex, a different sort of organization might benefit us all.’
‘You’ve taken everyone’s opinion, have you, Jason? Gone behind my back without saying a word to me in order to organize opinion against me, have you? I don’t like what I’m hearing, Jason.’
Gerry Davies tried desperately to mitigate a confrontation he had never envisaged. ‘We haven’t talked to anyone else, Martin. All we’ve done is exchange a few ideas on the best way to go forward. Jason was able to convince me that we should look at new ways of running things. Surely it’s in everyone’s interest that we should keep open minds as-’
‘So you two have been making your little plans to take over, have you? Without even having the decency to take me into your confidence. How long would it have been before you came out with these ideas if I hadn’t brought you in here today?’
Gerry said miserably, ‘It isn’t like that. There isn’t a plot against you.’
Martin Beaumont had the knowledge he wanted now. The others weren’t in on this, but only because he’d nipped it in the bud at this stage. And the man behind the challenge to his authority was Knight, as he had suspected it would be. He’d intervened at the right time, though, before Jason had been able to unite the others against him. Divide and rule was the answer. That maxim had always served him well in the past. Leave Knight isolated, then attack him. He didn’t want to lose him, if it could be avoided. He was a brilliant chef, and the restaurant was a healthy profit-maker on the back of the reputation he had built there. Send him away chastened, but still prepared to work as hard as ever.
He shook his head sadly at Gerry Davies. ‘I’m sorry to find this disloyalty coming from you, Gerry. You’ve done well here, so far, very well. I’ve had no complaints about your work or your attitude, until today. I have to say I’m disappointed, after the chance I took in giving you a key job.’
Jason Knight said, ‘You shouldn’t take it like this, Martin. And you shouldn’t blame Gerry. He simply listened to what he saw as reasonable arguments. We’d all benefit if there were greater inputs, from Vanda North and Sarah Vaughan and Alistair Morton, as well as from Gerry and me.’
‘These arguments came from you, I suppose, Jason. Well, you’re a good chef, but not irreplaceable. Perhaps you should look for work in a different environment, where the organization might suit you better.’
‘It shouldn’t come to that, Martin. All we wanted to do was to bounce around a few ideas, with you involved in the discussion. I thought it might benefit us all to debate whether power-sharing might be possible, even desirable, from the company’s point of view.’
‘Did you, indeed? Well, as I say, my initial reaction is that it might be better for all of us to have a chef in our restaurant who doesn’t get too big for his boots.’
‘You won’t get a better chef than Jason,’ said Gerry Davies, desperately trying to support his friend as the situation rocketed away from them.
‘That’s hardly the issue, is it, Gerry? I might get one who is perfectly efficient, without spreading dissent among hitherto loyal staff.’ Divide and rule, that was the answer. Jason was now isolated and he knew it. Martin felt elation coursing like a drug through his veins. ‘Whether Jason would find it easy to secure a similar post with a reference which questioned his loyalty is another matter entirely. But a matter for him alone to consider, not any of the rest of us.’