Джеффри Арчер - This Was a Man

‘Don’t worry, Victor’s already seeing to that, as Karin will confirm.’

‘I read Mr Kaufman’s report,’ said Grace, ‘and it does great credit both to you and to the bank, Sebastian.’

‘Praise indeed,’ said Emma, making a note before looking across at her sister. ‘As you’re one of the few among us who has a tick by her name every year, Grace, what have you got planned for the next twelve months?’

‘Seven of my young charges are hoping to be offered a place at university this year, and I am determined that all seven of them will achieve it.’

‘What are their chances?’ asked Harry.

‘I’m confident that the four girls will all make it, but I’m not so sure about the boys.’

Everyone laughed except Grace.

‘My turn, my turn!’ demanded Jake.

‘Now, if I remember correctly,’ said Emma, ‘last year you wanted to leave school. Do you still want to?’

‘No,’ said Jake firmly. ‘I want Mom to get that job.’

‘Why?’ asked Samantha.

‘Because then I won’t be late for school every morning.’

‘From out of the mouths of babes and sucklings,’ said Harry, unable to hide a smile.

Samantha reddened, while the rest of the family burst out laughing. ‘Then I’d better have two resolutions this year,’ she managed eventually. ‘One for me, and one for Jake.’

‘As Giles seems unwilling to join in this year,’ said Emma, ‘how about you, Karin? Will you be running another marathon?’

‘Never again. But I have joined the committee of the Marsden charitable trust, and I’m hoping the family will finance a mission. That doesn’t include Sebastian, by the way.’

‘Does that mean I’m off the hook this year?’

‘No,’ said Karin. ‘I’ve convinced Victor that the bank should finance its own mission, the Farthings Kaufman Mission.’

‘What’s that going to cost me?’

‘It will cost the bank twenty-five thousand pounds,’ said Karin, ‘but then I’m expecting you to finance your own mission.’

Sebastian was about to protest when Grace said, ‘And Giles and I would also like to finance a mission, the Barrington Mission.’ Giles smiled at his sister and bowed.

‘As will Emma and I,’ said Harry, which caused the rest of the family to start applauding.

‘I dread to think what your resolution will be next year,’ said Sebastian.

‘I haven’t finished with this year yet,’ said Karin.

‘Sebastian, Jessica, Richard, Lucy and I will be delighted to join you,’ said Samantha, ‘and finance our own mission.’

Sebastian looked to the heavens and said, ‘Joshua Barrington, you’ve got a lot to answer for.’

‘Well done, Karin,’ said Emma as she wrote down the details in her red book. ‘Follow that, Jessica,’ she added, smiling at her granddaughter.

‘I’m hoping to be shortlisted for the Turner Prize.’

‘I can’t imagine why,’ said Grace. ‘Turner would never have won the Turner Prize.’

‘That would be quite an achievement, young lady,’ chipped in Harry.

‘And if she is,’ said Richard, ‘she’ll be the youngest artist ever to have been shortlisted.’

‘Now that is worth achieving,’ said Grace. ‘What are you working on at the moment?’

‘I’ve just begun a series called The Tree of Life .’

‘Oh, I love trees,’ said Emma, ‘and you’ve always been so good at landscapes.’

‘It won’t be that kind of tree, Grandmama.’

‘I don’t understand,’ said Emma, ‘a tree is a tree.’

‘Unless it’s symbolic,’ suggested Harry, smiling at his granddaughter.

‘And what’s your resolution, Grandpops? Is your book going to win the Booker?’

‘Not a hope,’ said Grace. ‘That prize will never be awarded to a storyteller, more’s the pity. But I can tell you all, because I’m the only person in this room who’s read it, that Harry’s latest novel is by far his most accomplished work to date. He’s more than fulfilled his mother’s hopes, so he can take a year off.’

Harry was taken by surprise. He’d planned to tell the family he’d be having a major operation in January, but that there was no need to worry because he’d only be out of action for a few weeks.

‘What about you, Emma?’ said Giles. ‘Are you planning to be PM by this time next year?’

‘I don’t think so,’ said Emma. ‘But I do intend to be even more of an infidel next year than I was last year,’ she added, putting her glass down on the table, and spilling a little wine.

‘What’s an infidel?’ asked Jake.

‘Someone who votes Conservative,’ said Giles.

‘Then I want to be infidel. But only if Freddie’s an infidel too.’

‘I most certainly am,’ said Freddie.

‘Lyricist?’ demanded Grace.

‘W. S. Gilbert.’

‘Which operetta?’

‘ Iolanthe ,’ said Freddie, ‘and as I’m already an infidel, I’ve decided to come up with a new resolution this year.’

‘But you haven’t scored that century at Lord’s yet,’ Giles reminded him.

‘I still intend to, but by this time next year, I will have changed my name.’

Freddie’s unexpected announcement left everyone, even Jake, speechless.

‘But I’ve always liked Freddie,’ Emma eventually managed. ‘I think it rather suits you.’

‘Freddie’s not the name I want to change. From January first, I’d like to be known as Freddie Barrington.’

The round of applause that followed left Freddie in no doubt that the family approved of his New Year’s resolution.

‘It’s a simple enough procedure,’ said Grace, ever practical. ‘You only have to sign a deed poll and Fenwick will be a thing of the past.’

‘I had to sign a lot more forms to achieve that,’ said Giles, shaking hands with his son.

The phone began to ring and a moment later Markham appeared.

‘It’s Lord Waddington on the phone,’ he said.

‘The prince of infidels,’ said Giles. ‘Why don’t you take the call in my study, Emma?’

‘It must be serious for him to call me on New Year’s Eve,’ said Emma.

‘The call is not for you, my lady,’ said Markham. ‘He asked to speak to Lord Barrington.’

‘Are you sure, Markham?’

‘Quite sure, my lady.’

‘Then you’d better go and find out what he wants,’ said Emma.

If Jessica and Freddie had caused silence, a phone call from the leader of the Lords caused the rest of the family to all start talking at once. They didn’t fall silent until the door opened and their host reappeared. They all looked at him in anticipation.

‘Well, that’s sorted out my New Year’s resolution,’ was all Giles had to say.

‘You’re going to have to tell them at some point,’ said Emma, as she and Harry walked back to the Manor House early the next morning.

‘I’d intended to yesterday afternoon, but Grace rather upstaged me, not to mention Freddie and Giles.’

‘Giles couldn’t hide how delighted he was by Freddie’s decision.’

‘Did he tell you why Lord Waddington wanted to speak to him?’

‘Not a word.’

‘You don’t think he could be crossing the floor and joining the infidels?’

‘Never. That’s just not his style. But now you’ve handed in the book, is there anything else you have to do before going into hospital?’

‘I wish I could do that.’

‘Do what?’

‘Change the subject without having to include a link line. You’d never get away with it in a book. In real life, when two people are having a conversation, they switch back and forth without thinking about it, sometimes even in mid-sentence. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story recording a real-life conversation, and it was unreadable.’