Chapter 13: Accelerating

Gertie aims to get Gill up to speed

The fraud problem at Winstone’s Bank had suddenly turned into a major issue affecting both banks, including Standhope Winter.

At the back end of the previous year, Jake’s company, SWN contractors, had detected that Winstone’s assets were being used to speculate on foreign futures markets; when profits were being transferred to other bank accounts and the transactions deleted; where the speculative investments were lost, the losses were made up by transfers from ‘dead accounts’, accounts with assets that had had no transactions for several years. SWN’s computer department within Winstone’s had noticed these unusual transactions but not who the culprit was but as soon as increased monitoring on bank computer users was introduced, the transactions suddenly stopped as the culprit must have suspected the increased investigation.

Somehow, the fraudster at Winstone’s had managed to turn the tables of defence into attack. He or she, Gertie had not been given any specific details, had managed to persuade the directors to call an emergency general meeting of the board of Winstone’s after which the bank launched a takeover bid for Standhope Winter.

At the same time, SWN’s computer, security and print departments were closed by Winstone’s and the equipment left in place was illegally used by the bank. Jake had sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter with regard to use of equipment owned by SWN as well as taken Winstone’s to court over breach of contract, but that would take months to resolve. This meant that Jake no longer had eyes and ears on what was going on in Winstone’s Bank.

As both banks were once a single family-owned business that split in the 1890s to concentrate in separate financial markets, one in London, one in Istanbul, they remained private limited companies. Their owners were mostly wealthy people represented by trust funds belonging to family members, and over the years both banks had also attracted investments from institutions that took little part in decision-making but were happy to leave their funds in the hands of the bank directors which consistently resulted in high levels of returns. Also, the shareholders of both banks, and its sister bank in South America were mostly made up of the same family members who long ago surrendered their proxies to standing board members.

Gertie heard from Jake about this twist in the fraud investigation, which focused attention away from the fraud to defending the independent of the banks, and that only a selected set of Winstone’s directors had been summoned to the EGM who dominated the decision to amalgamate the banks in a hostile takeover were taken. The constitutions of the three banks that broke from the original Weinstein’s bank was that although the shareholders of the private banks were basically the same family members, the directors of each company were completely separate to ensure that each bank operated independently even though they cooperated on many projects.

Jake had never served on the boards of either London-based banks, even though his company SWN contractors were running computer, communications and print departments in both banks as well as all the other banks and financial institutions in the Square Mile. So he embarked on contacting Winstone’s Bank shareholders to provide sufficient proxies to be used by a particular supporter on the Winstone’s board, a Mr Jameson, to halt the proposed takeover. To ensure this majority, Jake had to fly to South America to persuade the Winter-Perez family to support the Winter family’s interests, knowing they would drive a hard bargain, whether it be to sell the shares or even concede proxy votes.

Gill was frustrated by being unable to contact Jake while he was in South America and, when she spoke to the young girl Christina who was looking after the print room at the bank in Jake’s absence she got answers which rocked her faith in Jake’s apparent declaration of love for her.

In her enthusiastic reply to Gill’s enquiry about Jake’s whereabouts, Christina told Gill that Jake was firstly visiting a riding school in Dartmoor, where he was setting up free bonus holidays for all the SWN staff for that summer, and, after sorting that, he was then going to South America on business. When Gill asked about when Jake was due to return, Christina didn’t think he’d return here as she was expecting, “if everything went according to plan”, she would manage this department in future.

Gill was shocked. One of the two female partners in the pony-trekking venture that Jake organised for Gill and her family was indeed a very attractive woman called Isote who immediately focussed her attention on Jake, especially after confirming with Gill’s children that Jake was not romantically attached to Gill.

At that time, early in their relationship, Gill and Jake were not yet a couple and Jake did not seem to be attracted to the woman. Admittedly, during supper the female partners did ask Gill’s advice as a merchant bank manager about their business set-up and both Gill and Jake stressed that they thought their venture was underfunded and would take too long to make a profit that the chances of survival were much reduced.

Maybe Isote had followed up the discussion with Jake about refinancing, but if that was the case, Gill as the banker would have been the logical person to contact, not the print room operator. It looked like Jake had arranged some kind of block booking arrangement that would help out Isote’s company but at what cost and benefit to Jake’s print department at Standhope Winter? And it seemed that Jake had moved on from the print room, Gill thought, and had he moved out to Devon to work for the pony trekking duo?

Gill’s disappointment was starting to turn to anger over Jake’s possible disloyalty, particularly since they had made love only the weekend before and Gill jaded admitted she was falling in lovve with him.

Gertie spent a lively lunch with her dear goddaughter Belinda Wheatier, who was a granddaughter of Gertie’s late best friend Evie.

“I asked you to lunch, Bee,” Gertie began after placing their meal order and pouring their tea, “because I want you to shadow Miss Gillian Moorhouse, over the next month or two to help her get properly integrated into the family.”

“Who’s Miss Moorhouse?” Belinda asked, “and why does she need integrating into your family?”

“She’s a senior manager at Standhope Winter, particularly well thought of, being earmarked for Jerry’s job when he retires,” Gertie said, adding, “and she’s Jake’s girlfriend.”

“Oh my,” Belinda said, her eyebrows raised, “Jake with a girlfriend? Good for him! How long has this been going on?”

“Only a couple of months, Bee, but he’s been carrying a torch for her for years and it now looks serious on both sides, so I’m crossing my fingers for wedding bells in a year or even sooner if possible.”

“Anything’s possible, Aunt G,” Belinda chuckled, “as you well know, I do organise the most fabulous society weddings like no-one else can and, normally, family members get the ‘family rate’ where I only charge a token fee for my part, but for Jake, well, Jake gets the free rate on my part but I will also pull in all the favours owed to me to make his wedding unique. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Oh my god, of course, I remember now! Gran Evie did this for you all those years ago! Damn, this is vintage Standhope Winter history-making stuff. So, Miss Gillian needs introducing to society, getting used to shoulder rubbing with Lords, Ladies and people she will need on her side for the family in years to come as she inherits your role. Oh, Aunt G, yes, you can leave her to me. This wedding will be my magnus opus! So, what have I got to work with?”

“Gill is bright as a button, personable but driven by determination, quite attractive, in her mid-thirties, just a year or two older than you, very recently divorced, has two teenagers she’s concerned about and a pretty useless ex-”

“Right, so source schooling and enthusing kids, one of each?”

“Yes, Jenny is about 15 going on 20, Clay is a couple of years younger and mad on gaming and gadgets. Both bright and full of promise. Gill has always split her time between home and work and little else, with no help at all from the now departed hubby, so she’s a great mum, but feeling the pressure and has few contacts outside a work environment. However, at work she is highly regarded by everyone, except it seems herself. She is interested in getting outdoors, recently with walking, camping, and just returned from pony trekking with her kids plus Jake. Daughter Jenny is hoping to spend the summer school break at the same riding school on Dartmoor.”

“Good, I can get them introduced to horsey people, they’re always great at opening doors, everybody loves horses, even if it’s only seeing them at Ascot or Epsom. I’ll introduce Gill and Jenny into the hacking crowd on Hampstead Heath, I see lots of banker’s wives and daughters up there. I’ll do a bit of research for a day or two before getting in touch with her. I presume you will let her know that I’ll be in contact?”

“I will,” Gertie smiled at her lively god daughter, “just leave it a week or so, a lot happening at the bank at the moment. But mum’s the word on that, Bee, not for general circulation until after the kerfuffle dies down.”

“Of course, Aunt G,” Belinda nodded, “so, Jake is in love and being loved in return? That’s great, he’s such a sweetie, I’m sure he’s a great catch for any girl. I guess she’s something special to get Jake interested, huh?”

“Yes, Bee, I do believe she is. At the moment she can more than hold her own in her career and she will adjust to representing the management on the board of Standhope Winter one day, but she will need her horizons widening a tad for the wider role she is destined for and that’s where you come in.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt G, Gill and I will have a great time and we’ll drag the teenagers into the fun as well. In fact, I’ve got a few ideas open widening Jake’s horizons too; he’s been a very serious boy for too long and he needs to lighten up.”

“Thanks, Bee,” Gertie chuckled, “I thought you’d enjoy this.”

Gill was a little apprehensive when Kelly told her she was booked to have lunch at noon with Gertie Albury again when she arrived at work on Thursday morning.

“And she ‘told’ me, not actually ‘asked’ me, to ensure the rest of your afternoon was free of all appointments!” Kelly spluttered in Gill’s office, “I told her you had urgent meetings late morning and early in the afternoon but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Then two minutes after hanging up Gerald called me and moved your Webster meeting to Monday and said he would take this afternoon’s Amalgamated Industries meeting himself.”

Gill had the same sinking feeling as their first lunch together, weeks earlier, but as she approached the table, in a different but similarly old-established restaurant as before, she was surprised by Gertie’s cheery countenance and warm hug greeting. Gertie didn’t chitchat either, following the usual niceties, she launched straight into the object of her meeting.

“My darling goddaughter Belinda Wheatier is going to shadow you over the next month or two to help you get properly integrated into the family, Gill.”

“But —”

“Just indulge me Gill. Honestly, you have such a head start over what I had when I started, as a chit of a girl from the East End, that I really don’t think you will need anything like that long to get up to speed.”

“When you started as a what?”

“When I first met my future husband John Jacob Winter, I was working as a hat-check girl at a West End Theatre, while living with my dear Mum and Dad in a flat above a cobbler’s shop at Limehouse. I used to go into work for Matinees, then return home on the bus for tea and go back for the evening shows.”

“And your future husband was just a keen theatre goer?”

Gill was bewildered why she was having this meeting; surely Jake was no longer in the picture was he? So why was Gertie trying to help Gill fit into a family that would never be hers?

“Yes,” Gertie laughed, “Johnnie seemed as if he was a real theatre fan, coming in all the time. He was such a sweet man, so much like Jake. He worked his way up to Captain during the war, in the Royal Marines, had quite a few close calls. He stayed in the Regular Army after the war, as he wasn’t ready to take up his role in the bank yet, and moved over to the Royal Tank Regiment. He would stutter when nervous, but he was polite and always nice to me. Some of the young men would try and get a bit fresh and ask you out all the time, even when they had a girl with them out of earshot, but I never did go out with any of them. I was only 17 and was what they’d call at the time a ‘good girl’!”

“I am sure you were, Gertie,” Gill smiled, starting to relax a little. Although she thought Jake was probably out of the picture, Gill admired this feisty old lady and enjoyed her company. And she had never heard her story before and it sounded intriguing.

Gertie laughed, “Then one night, one of the drunks tried it on. Some plays had two intervals, during which drinks were served, but sometimes, if they didn’t like the play or if they stayed at the bar too long, the doors to the stalls would be shut and they wouldn’t be able to get back to their seats. So, some would stay in the bar and continue drinking, but rarely allowed to drink to excess. This particular man did, and tried to corner me in the cloakroom while the theatre was quiet. I had to slap him, but to my complete surprise, he slapped me back, really quite hard —”