Chapter 18

Ruth

On Wednesday afternoon we met with the Luccinis, their accountant and their Lawyer. After a fair amount of discussion our lawyer and accountant and theirs failed to agree a figure on the valuation of the Restaurant business by some two hundred thousand pounds. Our side had valued it at around three hundred thousand pounds while theirs valued it at five hundred thousand pounds. The difference meant that if our offer was accepted we would hold one third of the shares in the company as opposed to one fifth if their valuation held sway. David had been sitting quietly through all the discussions and still seemed reluctant to intervene even though we faced this impasse.

It was Rory who finally spoke.

"In our earlier discussions we were informed that should the loan be written off then the company would be showing a profit. Perhaps the accountants could tell us what that profit is likely to be?"

Their accountant said the figure was likely to be around ten thousand pounds if we extrapolated present trends.

"Then if we assume this is the case we are saying that the figures show that on our estimate of the company's value, we would receive a return in the year of around three thousand pounds, whereas on your valuation it would be around two thousand pounds." Rory told them. "Either way the figure the company would be paying is either one fifth of the interest or one third interest it is currently being charged.

"Again, Rory Went on, "Whatever valuation we put on the company, once it feels it is in the position to buy back its shares the sum to be repaid will remain at one hundred and twenty thousand pounds. It seems to me that we are arguing about a technicality here which will cost the company a maximum of around one thousand three hundred pounds more per annum at its current rate of profitability if our valuation was accepted. Would you agree that this is roughly the case?"

Their accountant agreed but pointed out that as the profits increased so would our share of them thus making it more difficult or at least stretch the period of time before the company could repay what was needed.

"We could of course go to arbitration, but I am reluctant to take any longer than we need to in order to process the loan." Rory told them. "We are not talking great sums here and as it is our aim to be of assistance to the company and not necessarily to make money would you agree to the figure being split so that we both give a little?" Rory asked. "At a profit of ten thousand the company would be paying two thousand five hundred to its shareholders. That is a lot less than they are currently paying to the bank in interest. This seems to me a good bargain in the current economic climate."

The accountant looked as if he was about to argue when Sophie cut in and said,

"Rory is correct, we are arguing technicalities here. It is not even a matter of trust. McFarlane Enterprises are bending over backwards to bail us out of our difficulties and making it easy for us to buy them out whenever we feel so inclined. If my husband agrees I am inclined to go with what Rory is offering."

Carl came in at this point. He turned to his accountant and said,

"I can see that you are a bit disgruntled to be negotiating with a sixteen year old school boy, but do not be deceived, Rory is the bright young man behind this whole scheme. It is as they say, his baby. So we will be going along with his suggestion."

Soon after this, we were able to leave the accountants and lawyers to draft the legal framework of the loan and both parties said they would sign it when it was finally prepared. David said he would authorise the repayment of the loan as soon as the documents were signed. Both sets of negotiators agreed they would have it ready for signature within twenty four hours. The bank had already been informed that the loan would be paid off by the end of the week. When we had finished, David smiled and said to Rory that he was very pleased with the way he had handled things and looked forward to him being involved with other firms when and if they sought our help.

At this stage I also told them that I was meeting with government officials to seek help with our scheme on Friday and that they had indicated we would have a sympathetic hearing. Unfortunately I went on to say that as it was a school day neither Rebecca nor Rory would be present. Rory said he would be quite happy to take the afternoon off if I wanted him to be present. He also indicated that there was something serious that he wanted to talk to us about. He indicated that he wanted to discuss it with Rebecca first and then if she agreed he would float and idea before us.

Rory

For some time now, I have been growing impatient with the Psychiatrist's advice that I should keep in step academically with the rate of progress of my contemporaries. I felt that as I would be sixteen in June, I should skip standard grades and go straight to the A level exams and I had been secretly studying to this end. If I entered privately and passed them I could take a year out and get some hands on work experience in the business itself. This would mean that I would go to university a year earlier that Rebecca. If I plumped for Lancaster that would not be too far away and by the time I started I could be taking driving lessons off road so that when the time came I was able to apply for my provisional licence I would be ready to take my test. If I passed it this would mean from the start of the second term I would be able to drive and get home more frequently than otherwise would be the case.

When we returned from the meeting I took Rebecca by the hand and led her into the office den we shared in her house.

"I want you to sit down and listen to me," I told her. "Please hear me out before you make any comment and then you can tell me what you think."

I looked at her and she nodded in agreement though she looked slightly worried because I was not usually this forceful with her. I outlined my plans for the future as I saw it and finished by asking what she thought about them.

Rebecca sat for a while thinking about what I had said. Then she asked,

"You are certain that you can pass the A levels without taking the standard grades?"

"Yes I am confident I could do that, but now that you mention it, unless the A level clashes with the time of a standard grade there is probably no reason why I could not sit both. I would be sitting the standard grades through the school and the others by registering at the local college saying that I have done a home study correspondence course. There may be something that disallows this though. I will have to check the regulations."

"The only thing that worries me," Rebecca told me, "Is the fact that you will be going to university a year ahead of me. Well maybe worry is not the word I am looking for, perhaps I should just say, that I don't want a year away from you, even if you come home as often as you can."

"I am not too keen on that myself," I told her, "But I don't see any way round it unless I spend two years acclimatising to your Father's business and perhaps that would be too long away from my studies"

Rebecca sat lost in thought before she turned to me and said,

"There is a compromise. You could sit your standard grades this year and your A levels next year by taking them at the local college as you planned to do this year. If you continue to help me with my studies you can do your work for the school without doing any studying yourself and use the time you save to do the things dad may want you to do. You will also be able to help mum with the work that is going to come from running our credit union when it takes off. Then you would only have one year out before resuming your studies and that would mean we started the same time and would give us a wider choice of universities."

I could see from her expression that my lady desperately did not want to us to be separated for the year that I had anticipated. I knew this was not due to any insecurity about the strength of our relationship. It was rather due to the strength of it. Living as closely as we did, she would find the pain of that separation hard to bear. It struck me forcibly as I thought about it that I would feel it as much as she would.

"You have a point," I said. "Now that you mention it we would both feel the pain of separation terribly. I think I will have to reconsider that part of my plan and exercise a bit more patience. We will discuss it with your father and see what he has to say."

"Does that mean that the plan won't have the year of separation in it?" She asked.

I smiled and said,

"It means we will go to him with what you have suggested," I told her.

Rebecca gave a little scream of delight and rushed across the room and threw herself into my arms and smothered me with kisses. I was amazed at her reaction and it suddenly dawned on me that this was a revelation of how deeply she loved me and how much she wanted and needed to be with me. It was in a way a humbling experience. How could I even have thought of being parted from this woman I had so desperately fantasized about and had now come to love so deeply in return.

When I looked into her eyes I could see they were glistening with tears. She asked with a sob in her voice,

"Am I being too clingy and selfish because I don't want to be apart from you?"

"No you are not, you are just reminding me of how much we love and need each other. I would have been as miserable as you if we had been apart and all you have done is reveal that to me."

"I love you so much Rory that it scares me sometimes. We are so young to feel like this that I sometimes wonder if it can last."

"There is no if about it my darling," I said. "What we have just done is to talk about the best way to proceed in our relationship and we have reached agreement easily because we love one another. We will continue to work on it and if we don't take it for granted then there is little chance that we will ever break up".

She smiled through the tears and said,

"I am so glad you feel like that."

Then as I kissed her she put her arms round my neck and drew me into a passionate kiss that had my cock springing to attention almost instantly. She must have felt my erection pressing into her since she reached down and began to stroke it. It was clear that she was aroused and wanted me to make love to her. I pulled myself apart from her and said.

"I am not sure we have the time for this,"

She gave me a look that was filled with passion and desire.

"We have time enough for what I want," She said as she stood up.