Chapter 11

KELLY poked her head around Gill’s office door, “Hey, Gill, a little birdie tells me Jake’s back in the print room, talking with the new girl Tina.”

“So?” Gill asked listlessly, now heartily sick of the Jake affair. It had been a whole week since she had seen him, almost as long since she heard from him, when he seemed to be distracted, only going through the motions.

“So, ... I thought you two might have had a tiff, because you’ve been all business, business, business this last week. Look, this is a chance to go clear the air. Give him what for, you know, for messing you about, and then tell him you’re still crazy in love with him.”

“Well, I suppose it was fun while it lasted, but no, he’s far too immature for me. I think I’ve had it with all men and their moody silences.”

“Tosh, boss! Anyone can see the both of you are mad about each other, and I know he must be upset over your little spat. Why else would he have a holiday to get over this row with you? Everybody knows he never takes any holiday!” Kelly was exasperated, she thought Gill was a great boss and a great banker, but now she was just being silly. “My source says Tina’s only giving him a briefing of how the last week has gone, he hasn’t even taken his jacket off, so we don’t think he’s staying long.”

Gill sat thinking, undecided for a moment.

“Go on Gill, try and make it up or go finish it, what have you got to lose? He can only tell you to get lost and, quite frankly, since he went away you’ve been completely lost.”

Gill stood up, “Cancel my appointments for the rest of the day, would you Kelly? ... And thanks, by the way, you’re a sweetheart.”

“Go get him, hon!” Kelly hugged her boss before she left the office.

Gill rushed off to have one last talk with Jake.

Jake was deep in conversation with the pretty girl labelled ‘Christina’ when Gill stopped at the doorway, but all of the things she had prepared to say to the man she loved evaporated, as she witnessed the girl let out a squeal before throwing her arms around Jake and giving him a joyous hug. Hardly appropriate boss-employee behaviour, especially considering their age difference. Gill blinked back tears and started to backtrack, but bumped into Sir Gerald, her boss, who gently dragged her into the print room with one hand pressed into her back.

“Ahh, Gill, you are just the person I needed to see, Kelly said you were heading this way,” Sir Gerald said to her, then calling out, “Jake! Aunt Gertie’s in hospital, Sir Michael’s been trying to get you all morning -”

“Oh gosh, Gerry, what ward? -”

“I’ll tell you what I know on the way over, Jimmy’s moving the car out front.”

“I’ll let everyone on my side of the family know though Sally, Uncle Gerry,” Christina volunteered.

“By all means, Chrissie, dear,” Gerry replied, “do please let them know, but you know how Aunt Gertie would hate any fuss.”

The young girl nodded in acknowledgement and pulled out her mobile.

Gill stood there, ‘Aunt Gertie, Uncle Gerry, Chrissie, family, Sir Michael?’ She was bewildered with what was going on.

Jake collected his coat from the back of a chair and moved towards her.

“Hi, Gill,” Jake said, squeezing her shoulder, and kissing her forehead, “you’re a sight for sore eyes. I was just coming up to see you after I’d caught up with Chrissie. Just telling her she was officially in charge of running this print room from now on and that the next trainee would be her assistant. Come on, if Gran is asking for you, well, then you need to come too.”

“Yes, Gill,” Gerry insisted, “she was particularly insistent that you come with us.”

Down the corridor and into the lift, Jake held onto Gill’s hand, while Gerry explained that the doctor, Sir Michael, had said she was undergoing tests and they were not to be too alarmed at this stage, but she had been insistent in calling the three of them to her bedside immediately. Gill thought that Sir Michael was just Jake’s skin doctor or plastic surgeon, but it appeared he was Gertie’s general practitioner, too.

When they reached the car, Gerry introduced Gill to his driver, Jimmy, which she thought odd. Jimmy explained with a grin that Chrissie or Tina was his youngest daughter, which didn’t do any more to explain to Gill what their relationship to anyone else meant at all.

Gill felt too intimidated by Sir Gerald’s presence to discuss her personal life in the car, with Sir Gerald concentrating on briefing Jake on various bank events over the past week. Even Jimmy chipped in from the front seat, saying he had sorted out the Istanbul end with the perfect man and assistant for the job. Gill was only grateful that Jake maintained a firm grip on her hand throughout and occasionally patted the back of her hand with the other, and twice, during breaks in the conversation, leaned in to ask her solicitously if she was all right, to which she could only wordlessly nod her affirmation.

Jimmy dropped them off at a quiet side door at the hospital, where a distinguished and smartly dressed man in a pinstriped suit stood to meet them, holding a fire door open for the new arrivals to pass through into the building. No introductions were clearly necessary towards the other two, but he extended his hand to Gill.

“Miss Gillian Moorhouse, I’m Sir Michael Rahn, welcome to my hospital, I would hope that your next and future visits would be on less grave occasions. Now, please follow me.”

He led them along a number of corridors through to Gertie’s private room. Gerry strode in front next to the good doctor, asking about what tests were involved.

Jake whispered to Gill, “Michael is my skin doctor that I told you about and he has to check me over a couple of times a year. He’s itching to get his hands on me but he is honest enough to admit that there is nothing pressing that needs doing.”

“That’s good,” Gill replied, “and he’s also Gertie’s doctor?”

“Yes, of course, he’s our family doctor.”

It was a small, plain room they were directed into, and Gertie was sitting up, propped by numerous pillows. A monitor registered her heartbeat and another her temperature, but there were no drips in view, Gill noted. A nurse removed herself from the room on the faintest of nods from Sir Michael. A short, fat bald man, however, stood patiently in the corner, an old fashioned portfolio folder in his hands, its ribbon fasteners hanging loose.

“I am all right, there’s really nothing to worry about, just in for tests hopefully, but the vultures,” Gertie looked pointedly at Sir Michael, “insist I stay in bed for a few days. That’ll be all, Michael, we have things to discuss.”

“I think I’d rather stay and keep an eye on you, ma’am,” he replied, staring down her glare, “if you don’t mind of course, and taking doctor patient confidence into account.”

She nodded to him with a smile and turned to Sir Gerald.

“OK, Gerry, what have we got?”

“It depends on what Jake has managed to do, really, we haven’t even broached the subject yet. With Jake’s 18, your 13 and my three percent, we are presently 17 percent short of a majority. The hostile bid is led as expected by Winstone’s and they appear to believe they have the upper hand. I have spoken on the quiet to several of the underwriters involved this morning but their blood is up. Jake, what have you managed to arrange in the last week?”

“Oh, I bought the whole bundle of the South American family branch holdings, so end of problem, really. I had to sell all the Bolivian mining interests and the Argentinean ranches, as we had discussed, plus the Andes ski resort, which I was a little reluctant about, but used as a tipping bargaining chip it really couldn’t be helped.”

“You have all 100% of Winstone’s?” Gerry asked, rubbing his hands together.

“Yes,” Jake replied, “and Winstone’s holds 18% of Standhope Winter so we now have a 52% winning position. I doubt if the board meeting on Wednesday will be anything other than a formality, the actual bid will be withdrawn today. Jarvis may have already heard rumours of the bad news by now as notification of proxy withdrawals will start coming through.”

‘Winstone’s? Jarvis? My ex Wayne Jarvis presumably? Board Meeting?’ Gill thought, ‘what’s going on? And now Jake’s let go of my hand!’

“Capital!” Gerry exclaimed, “I’ll get back to work then! Aunt Gertie, I’m so glad to see you looking so well, but then I always assumed you would be.” He reached over and kissed his aunt on the cheek. “I’ll send Jimmy back to pick you both up,” he declared to Gill and Jake, “while I go and move my office. See you later, and my heartiest congratulations, my dear.” He kissed Gill on both cheeks, which he had never done before, and departed.