Chapter 13

At Managers' Nick introduced the two newcomers to everyone, welcomed them and said what they would be doing. He let everyone chat for a few minutes which made Cliff and Helen feel more at ease. After that it was a routine meeting with each project manager giving an update.

"It's a refreshing relief to have some decent money coming in again," said Norman, "although there's nowhere near enough yet. Nick, I think you should know that Eric's innovative methods with the tender and subsequent contract negotiations were very well received by the council and the port."

"Well done, Eric, and thank you very much," said Nick. "That's just the sort of initiative I want to see."

Eric smiled delightedly but also looked somewhat bashful.

Afterwards Nick took Helen and Cliff to meet Sally. She was still on the crest of the wave and greeted them with a cheerful smile.

"Sally's got a couple of suggestions on the Browning job that I think you'll find useful, Cliff," said Nick.

Sally blushed with pleasure, something which Helen did not miss.

"Great," said Cliff. "Do you want to tell me about them now or would you prefer I came back later."

"Whenever you like."

"No time like the present."

"We'll get out of your hair then," said Nick. "Come on, Helen, let's leave them to it."

"Actually," said Helen, "if you don't mind, Cliff, I'd like to hear them too. They might have an application to Dowgate."

Sally nodded excitedly.

"Fine by me. They're not patented are they, Sally?"

Sally chuckled. "Afraid not," she said. "Think of the money I'm losing."

"No," said Nick with a grin, "what Marshall's losing."

He left them to it.

Both Helen and Cliff were impressed with Sally's suggestions.

"I hadn't heard of this insulator," said Helen.

"Nor had I," confessed Cliff. "Where did you find it, Sally?"

"In some magazine. I then looked it up on the internet. It's been used on a number of projects in Germany and very successfully too. It is a bit more expensive than what Bowring has specified but over time it'll pay for itself. I'll give you the web address and you can judge for yourselves."

She did so. Both project managers thanked her and left. Sally was thrilled. At long last since Heatherbrow she had managed to make a contribution.

The next day Nick, Sally and all the managers and their other halves received an invitation from Helen to a house-warming party the following Saturday at seven.

"It's going to be pretty intimate," observed Melanie, "fifteen people in about the same square footage."

It was nowhere near as crowded as that but it was still quite tight. Nick enjoyed it. It gave him a chance to find out more about his team. The slightly taciturn Jerry had a vivacious and giggly wife. They had two small children and Trish was thrilled to be able to get away from them for a couple of hours.

"Don't get me wrong," she said. "I love them to bits but it's a bit like when school starts. I've got time to draw breath."

Harry was a potter in his spare time. He had not got the space at home but there was a club to which he belonged. He went to it two or three evenings a week and would spend several hours there at the weekend. Nick said that he would like to see some examples of his work.

"Come to my office again," smiled Harry. "Last time you were too concentrated to notice the bits I've got there."

"I will indeed," promised Nick.

David and Jenny Steel were into amateur dramatics. Both also played hockey. They had only been married six months and had not started a family. They had met through hockey.

"Mixed hockey is the most dangerous sport in the world," said David. "The girls forget the sticks rule, will catch your shirt and swing you off course."

"Big tough guy like you?"

"You should see some of the girls! Anyway, what about you? Do you play something?"

"Cricket."

"Do you bat or bowl?"

"A bit of both. I bowl outswingers and get some to come back in off the seam. I bat at about number seven if I'm lucky."

"Have you found a club up here?"

"Do be honest I haven't looked," said Nick ruefully, "but I can't believe I'll have any trouble even if it's just the village side."

"Where are you living?"

Nick told them.

"Oh that's a pretty village," exclaimed Jenny, "and they've got a cricket ground so there'll be no excuses."

"No, ma'am," said Nick.

"We'll come and barrack, provided they do good teas."

"Oh Lord!" said Nick. "I'm in deep trouble. Actually, being Yorkshire born I'm not sure they'd have me."

"Nonsense!" said David. "They'd take you on for the trans-Pennine matches alone."

The three laughed.

As Nick thought he might be, he was charmed by Norman's wife, Annelise. She was blonde and large but by no means brassy. She appeared quite shy but, as Nick soon discovered, shared Norman's dry wit. He took to her immediately and she to him.

"You've got a goody there," she said later to Norman.

Norman smiled and nodded. "I reckon so."

Cliff was attracted by both single girls. Helen was more his size and she had an open engaging personality. She was, however, busy being hostess so Cliff spent more time with Sally than he might have. He was quite taken with her nevertheless. She was a bit small but she had a neat figure and when her brown eyes lit up she was very pretty if not attractive. She was a puzzle. In the office, talking about the parking and the insulator, she had been lively and assured. Here she was diffident, shy almost and he found her difficult to make conversation with. She did not give.

Sally could have told him why. She found his size intimidating even though he appeared a warm, gentle sort of man. She also wanted to talk with Nick. He was not small but he was not as huge as Cliff and, fought them as she had, her feelings of warmth and affection for him were as strong as ever.

At last she found herself with him, alone without a gaggle of people with them. Nick smiled at her.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Sort of."

"Why only sort of?"

"I'm not a very flockish person."

"So what do you like to do in your free time?"

"Music chiefly." She smiled. "I'm waiting for the complaints from my neighbours but in the evening I play music loudly."

"What sort of music?" He was expecting to be regaled with a list of modern music about which he knew nothing.

"Orchestral, choral but above all the violin."

Nick's eyes lit up. This was the sort of music he knew something about and loved.

"Don't tell me you play the violin."

She nodded shyly. "With the Liverpool Philharmonic."

"Wow! You must be good. They're one of the leading orchestras in the country."

She nodded.

"Tell me more," he said excitedly.

"I heard Yehudi Menuhin on the radio when I was ten. It was an old recording, pre-digital but it got to me. I can't even remember what it was but I was captivated and I saved my pocket money to buy a record of him."

"What did you get?"

She grinned. "Not one of him but of Heifetz playing the Brahms Concerto. Brilliant!"

"And then?"

"I persuaded my father to let me have lessons and to buy me a violin."

"They don't come cheap."

"No but my father was friends with lots of the Irish in Scotland Road and found one that a fiddler's widow let him have for a tenner."

"Was it all right?"

"It wasn't a Strad but it was good enough to learn on and I joined the LPO Youth Section."

"And never looked back. Do you do solo performances?"