Chapter 37

Nick and Megan went back to fine tuning the programme for Sir Edwin's visit. Megan did the donkey work with the secretaries and then Nick rang round all the chiefs and invited them to be present at each visit. All said that they would be pleased to do so. Even though the City Council jobs were finished Nick thought it expedient for the future for Sir Edwin to meet Charles Murdoch and Bob Ainscough. He managed to persuade Bernard Cashell and Craig Miller, Chief Executive and Chief Engineer respectively of Lancashire County Council, to meet them at David's road widening project. Nick also prepared personality briefs on all his managers. Between them they managed to get the brief off to Sir Edwin by the Thursday of the preceding week.

Before that Nick had said to Sally one evening as they drove home that he wondered whether just revamping Trevor's programme was adequate.

"What else are you thinking of?"

"Doing away with the in house buffet supper and having a slap up dinner somewhere for all our people but for our major clients as well."

Sally pondered that for a minute or so.

"I can see where you're coming from but I think not, my man. OK he's a very important guy but on the other hand at the famous Board Meeting I found him very pleasant and easy without any sort of pretensions or grand behaviour."

"Go on."

"He's going to meet all the important clients anyway and they can accept that as an honour or not. He can say all the nice things he needs to on site. You want him to be able to get to know your team and to boost their morale. He knows that too. He also wants to learn from them what makes them tick and what you have done to turn this area into what you have. The site visits, the office tour and most of all the buffet supper are just what he needs to fulfil his aims and yours. You'd be in Norman's bad books too."

Nick put his hand on her knee. "You are a very special girl. Thank you, Puss. You're absolutely right on each factor and you're a great comfort and encouragement to me."

She covered his hand with hers and squeezed it gently. "I do my best," she said softly. "I love you too much not to. I'd also guess that Lady Marshall would prefer something informal as well."

"Right again. You are going to get a very special hug and kiss when we get home."

"Faster!"

Nick also started work on his paper. The title was a problem in itself. Diversification? No, it was not really. Expansion? Better. The Future? Too vague. New Horizons? Too clever. It would probably come to him and in any case he did not want to restrict himself right at the start. He decided to use the method he had learned in the army to make an appreciation of the situation. It was complicated enough to start with factors affecting the choice of aim. He worked on it on and off for two days before arriving at the aim: to recommend means by which Marshall UK can maintain its income in an adverse financial climate.

He emailed it all to Norman and invited him to come and discuss it when he had had time to think it through and consider all the ramifications himself. Norman appeared two days later.

"I can really find little fault with it," he said, "but wonder whether you should not be considering more than just income. That might appeal to the Board and to shareholders. What you said to me a few weeks ago was that you didn't want to have to contract having just built this area up again."

"You're right. The only way areas would benefit is from landing contracts for national or parts of national projects. However, design engineers, if they were prepared to go to Europe on a two or three year basis, could be found from area offices. In fact, with IT many of them could continue to work over here and we could maintain small liaison sections in Europe."

"Good point but I think you need to include it in your aim. Why not 'income and employment' instead of 'its income'?"

Nick considered for a moment whether that would be committing the crime of having a double aim. He decided it did not. "I like it," he said. "Thanks, Norman."

"Something else that's just occurred to me, we don't really employ many manual workers apart from a few fitters in the plant yard. I'd have thought that we could continue to use our present foremen in Europe and I'd be prepared to bet that most of your ex-sappers have a smattering of German."

Nick smiled. "If not we stick to Cliff's dictum: speak English slowly and loudly."

Norman laughed. "Got it in one!"

"Well that's all been a great help, Norman. I think I'm going to have to let it lie fallow until after The Visit."

"Don't rush it, Nick. It's important and it won't do any harm to let it churn round in the back of your mind for a few days. On that note how about a pub lunch?"

"I think not, Norman, if you don't mind. Sally will have prepared a picnic."

"Bring her."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"Great. Let's go and ask her."

Norman chuckled. "You're learning the politics of married life fast," he said.

"Puss, Norman's suggested that the three of us have a pub lunch."

Sally sucked her teeth. "I don't know," she said. "I'm up to my eyes in this plan. You've still got The Visit (she used the same emphasis as Nick had which amused Norman) and that paper you're supposed to be writing." She shook her head slowly and disapprovingly. She clapped her hands. "Let's do it," she exclaimed, "and then we can wallow in guilty consciences later."

There was a stifled squeak from Megan next door.

A smiling Nick wagged a finger at Sally and she laughed happily.

Norman stuck his head back round the door. "Are they always like this?" he asked Megan.

"I'm afraid so."

The lunch went well. Sally was a little shy at first, not wanting to interfere with the mutual respect and friendship that these two men had developed before she came on the scene. Both, particularly her Nick soon dispelled that reserve and she joined in. Norman had always known Sally to be a first class engineer. He had also seen her change from what he had viewed as a little vixen with a chip on her shoulder into a friendly, smiling and pretty young woman. She had been that at the wedding. Now he could see what Nick saw in her. She had a quick incisive mind. She knew about a lot more than engineering and music. She stunned him with her reasoned views on the Middle East and Islamic terrorism and yet her views on Muslims in Britain were rational and sympathetic to those who wished to embrace the culture of the country they had chosen to live in. Her humour and sense of fun appealed to him too and he could not miss her adoration of Nick. In an hour she had captivated him.

The Marshalls duly arrived. Charlie had again offered hospitality to the visiting driver. Nick and Sally took to Diana immediately. She was beautiful and must have been quite stunning as a young woman. She was friendly and natural. She also had an infectious sense of fun which matched Sally's.

Sally had produced avocado vinaigrette for starters using Geraldine's salad dressing as a base. She was rather more nervous about her oxtail stew but everyone said how good it was and she was pretty pleased with it herself. Pudding was simplicity itself, ice cream and chocolate sauce. Again everyone enjoyed it. She could not get cheese and biscuits wrong. All three complimented her on the meal and it was a very happy Sally who led them into the sitting room for coffee and liqueurs.

The following day Nick and Sir Edwin's tour went faultlessly. The latter not only dealt with the big-wigs charmingly but went down well with the project and site managers, their foremen and all the artisans, hired or sub-contracted. He was a natural with people. He also learnt from the foremen a lot about Nick. They had a loyalty to him that impressed Sir Edwin. One of them, not an ex-sapper, summed it up. "He's ready to talk to any of us and is genuinely concerned about us as individuals as well as the job we're doing." Then he grinned. "Mind you, sir, if we do cock up we always know he's got Miss Sally up his sleeve."

Diana had a wonderful day. She and Sally picked Gemma up from home at half past nine and were taken to three decorating jobs. Gemma would introduce them to the leader and one or two of the other girls and then leave them to wander. Sally was very impressed by the quality of the work. The girls shrugged it off. As one of them said, "If a job's worth doing it's worth doing properly." Gemma did add to that later. "We impress on them right from the start that quality comes first. I'll let Becca tell you about that though."