Fay smiled at him a bit mischievously. “Kinder, most likely. What if I have two Jasons, or two Michelles? I’m getting awfully big, you know. Could they handle that in England?”
Barney waved the question away majestically. “Lydy, us’ns can ‘andle anythin’ in ol’ Lunnon Town! Bybies er men folk. Er women folk, fer all o’ that.” He dropped the atrocious and nearly forgotten accent and grinned at Fay. “We’ll be able to see Harry and his family again, and my folks who are still alive, thank God, and I’ll show Leah the King of Prussia where her uncle Harry was a bouncer and her daddy used to do his first juggling act, and I’ll stand her a ginger beer and you a regular beer just for putting up with me all these years — if the King is still there, of course. How would you like that?”
“If that’s what you want, darling—” She saw some of the joy leave his face and added swiftly, softly, “It’s what I want, too, darling. When I say I want what you want, it isn’t just to make a concession to you. It’s because what pleases you pleases me. And going to England again will please both of us. Besides,” she added, as if to put a touch of logic into the discussion, “Leah Primrose should meet her cousins, get to know her family. I love the idea. When do we leave?”
“In a month. I’ve booked us passage on the Scott; it’s an all-steam ship,” Barney said, spirits restored. God, after all the years one word from Fay could still raise him to heaven or devastate him! “We can stop on the way to the Cape and spend a few days in Kimberley, see old friends, look in on the Paris Hotel, drop by Dutoitspan, remember when and where we first met.” He looked at Fay, serious now. “D’you remember those days?”
She reached for him, taking his hand, squeezing it tightly.
“They’re rather hard to forget, darling. I sat in that tent with my pa, cutting cloth for miners’ pants, basting for Pa to sew, wondering what on earth I’d done on the trail to keep you away from me, to make you forget me so soon, or to want to forget me.”
“And I went from sorting shed to sorting shed with old Rhodes, wondering how on earth I could get up the nerve to tell you that a nobody like me was in love with a beautiful girl like you—”
Fay smiled. “You mean, in love with a beautiful, rich, well-dressed” — her smile faltered a bit at the memory — “shy, silly, terribly frightened girl like me, with ugly hands.” She looked down at her hands and then pulled Barney to her, holding him tightly. “Oh, Barney, we’ve been so lucky!”
“We’ll always be lucky,” Barney said, and meant it. He paused as there was a discreet tap on the open door; a servant was there, waiting for their attention. “Yes?”
“Your nephew is here.”
Fay looked at him questioningly. “Solly? For dinner?”
“No, just for a few minutes. I asked him to drop in before dinner. He’ll be coming to England with us.” He turned to the servant. “In the living room.”
“Oh?” Fay said. “That’s nice. I’ll have some tea made.”
“I think he may prefer whiskey tonight,” Barney said enigmatically, and walked into the living room, forming the words in his mind he intended to use, although he had considered them in detail for some time. When Solly appeared, debonair as usual, Barney nodded to him pleasantly and walked over, shutting the door. Solly sat down in an easy chair and brought out a large cigar, lighting it, leaning back comfortably.
“You wanted to see me, Barney?”
“Yes.” Barney sat down opposite him. “I’m going to England, taking Fay and Leah Primrose with me. I thought it would be good for Fay to have the baby there with decent care and everything. And it’s about time for Leah to meet her family, anyway.”
Solly nodded. “It’s a good idea. Everything here will be handled. Not to worry.”
“I’m not worried,” Barney said, and smiled. “I’m sure, in your usual manner, you have everything organized quite well. So well, in fact, that I’m suggesting you come with me.”
“I’m afraid that would be rather difficult at the moment, Barney. There are so many things going on—”
“I’m sure. Still,” Barney said smoothly, “I want you to come with me. I’m positive the stockholders in the Barnato Investment Company would like to have a firsthand report from the man who has practically been running the company for the past few years.”
“I’d like to come,” Solly said with as much sincerity as he could muster. “I honestly would. But with the investment business in the state it’s in, especially after the Jameson affair and the trial and all, I think it would be far better for me to stay here and keep an eye on things. Once things settle down,” he added, making a concession, “I’ll be very happy to join you in London and give as many reports as you wish.”
Barney sighed. He looked at his nephew almost pityingly.
“I don’t believe you understand, Solly,” he said gently. “I’m not asking you. I’m ordering you to come with me.”
Solly looked up, his surprise genuine. “Ordering me?” He laughed. “Barney, slavery has been abolished in South Africa for a long, long time. You should read your history books.” He puffed on his cigar a moment and then set it down in an ashtray, sitting a bit more erect, frowning at his uncle. “Now, just what brought all this on?”
“Many things,” Barney said, and shrugged. “I’ll admit I’ve been derelict in my duty to our clients in that I left many decisions in your hands, allowed you a free hand, as a matter of fact, while I played around with other things that interested me. But lately I’ve been taking a greater interest in the business, checking things out for myself.”
“And?”
“And I ran into a company called the Reef Investment Company.”
“What about the Reef Investment Company?” Solly asked, and now his tone was wary.
“You own it,” Barney said calmly. “Under a dummy, but you own it nevertheless. And you’ve been using it to hurt Barnato Investment. Turning customers from Barnato to Reef. I can only assume you sold your shares in Barnato without informing the company before you started Reef. Very clever.”
Solly sighed and leaned over, crushing out his cigar. He came to his feet, looking down at Barney. When he spoke there was a touch of regret in his voice, but it was not regret for anything he had done to his uncle.
“I suppose it had to come to an end sometime, but I’m just sorry it had to come out before I’d finished the job I was doing on Barnato Investment. I imagine for the sake of your precious stockholders you’ll want my resignation in writing. You’ll have it in the morning.”
Barney looked up at the standing man. Solly was considering him with a glint of humor on his dark, handsome face. Barney returned the look imperturbably. “Sit down, Solly.”
“Why? Is there more?”
“A little more. Sit down.” There was something in Barney’s tone that Solly could not understand. He hesitated a moment and then with a shrug reseated himself. Barney smiled at him, a cold, humorless smile. “Sometimes, Solly, you have a tendency to underestimate people. Now, you know as well as I do that what you did with the Reef Investment Company was immoral, if not actually illegal. I’m sure you’re smart enough to have covered your tracks in that direction. But the fact is that to all intents and purposes you took money from the Barnato Investment Company’s stockholders. In effect, you robbed them. I think it’s only right that you come to London with me and explain to these same stockholders at a board meeting — which I’ve already asked Harry to call — exactly how and when you plan on returning that money to them.”