Джеффри Арчер - The Prodigal Daughter

‘How kind of you,’ said the lady. ‘I shall tell all my friends.’

‘You never gave me any gloves when I shopped at Bloomingdale’s, Miss Kovats,’ said Richard that evening. ‘You’ll be bankrupt by the end of the month if you go on like that.’

But this time his judgment proved wrong. The lady turned out to be president of the Junior League in San Francisco and one word from her was worth more than a full-page advertisement in the San Francisco Chronicle .

For the first few weeks Florentyna seemed to be working an eighteen-hour day, for as soon as the doors closed she would check the inventory while Richard went over the books. As the months passed she began to wonder how the little store could ever hope to make a profit.

At the end of her first year they invited Bella and Claude to join in celebrating the loss of $7,380.

‘We’ve got to achieve better results next year,’ said Florentyna firmly.

‘Why?’ said Richard.

‘Because our grocery bills are going to be larger.’

‘Is Bella coming to live with us?’

‘No, I’m pregnant.’

Richard was overjoyed, and his only anxiety was that he couldn’t stop Florentyna from working right up until the day she went into the hospital. They celebrated the end of their second year with a small profit of $2,000 and a large son of nine pounds three ounces. He had only one nipple. The decision on what they would call their firstborn, if it was a boy, had been made weeks before.

George Novak was both shocked and delighted to be chosen godfather for Florentyna’s son. Although he didn’t admit as much, Abel was also pleased, for he welcomed any opportunity to find out what was happening in his daughter’s life.

The day before the christening, George flew out to Los Angeles to check on the progress of the new Baron. Abel was determined to have the building completed by the middle of September in order that John Kennedy could open it while he was on the campaign trail. George then flew on to San Francisco confident that Abel’s deadline would be met.

By nature George took a long time to like people and even longer to trust them, but not so with Richard Kane. He took to him immediately, and once he was able to see for himself what Florentyna had achieved in such a short time, it became obvious that she could not have done it without her husband’s common sense and cautious approach. George intended to leave Abel in no doubt how he felt about the boy.

After a quiet dinner the two men played backgammon at a dollar a point and discussed the christening. ‘Not at all like Florentyna’s was,’ George confided to Richard, who laughed at the thought of his reluctant father-in-law spending a night in jail.

‘You seem to throw doubles all the time,’ said George, sipping the Rémy Martin that Richard had poured for him.

‘My father...,’ said Richard, and then hesitated for a moment, ‘always accused me of being a bad loser if I made any mention of doubles.’

George laughed. ‘And how is your father?’

‘I’ve no idea. There’s been no contact with him since Jessie and I were married.’ George still couldn’t get used to hearing his goddaughter being called Jessie. When he was told the reason why, he knew it would amuse Abel.

‘I’m sorry your father seems to be reacting the same way as Abel,’ said George.

‘I remain in touch with my mother,’ continued Richard, sipping his brandy, ‘but I can see no end to my father’s attitude, especially while Abel continues to try and increase his holding in Lester’s.’

‘Are you sure of that?’ asked George, sounding surprised.

‘Two years ago every banker on Wall Street knew what he was up to.’

‘Abel is now so set in his ways,’ said George, ‘I can’t make him listen to reason. But I don’t believe he will cause any more trouble at the moment,’ he added, before returning to his brandy. Richard didn’t inquire why: he realized that if George wanted to explain he would.

‘You see, if Kennedy wins the election,’ George continued, once he had put his glass down, ‘Abel has an outside chance of a minor appointment in the new administration. I put it no higher than that.’

‘Our ambassador to Poland, no doubt,’ said Florentyna as she came into the room carrying a tray laden with coffee cups. ‘He would be the first Polish immigrant to be so honored. I’ve known about that ambition ever since our trip to Europe.’

George didn’t reply.

‘Is Henry Osborne behind this?’ asked Florentyna.

‘No, he doesn’t even know about it,’ said George, relaxing back in his chair. ‘Your father no longer places any trust in him. Since Henry lost his seat in Congress he has proved unreliable, to say the least, and your father is even considering removing him from the board.’

‘At last Papa woke up to what a nasty piece of work Henry really is.’

‘I think he’s always known, but there’s no denying Henry was useful to your father when he was in Washington. Personally, I think he’s still dangerous despite being removed from Congress.’

‘Why?’ asked Florentyna.

‘Because I suspect he knows too much about the enmity between Abel and Richard’s father, and if he gets into any more debt, I fear he may trade that information with Mr. Kane direct.’

‘Never,’ said Richard.

‘How can you be so sure?’ asked George.

‘You mean after all these years you don’t know?’ Richard asked.

George stared from one to the other. ‘Know what?’

‘Obviously not,’ said Florentyna.

‘You’ll need a double,’ said Richard, and poured George another large brandy before continuing.

‘Henry Osborne hates my father even more than Abel does.’

‘What? Why?’ said George, leaning forward.

‘Henry was married to my grandmother, after my grandfather died.’ Richard poured himself another coffee before continuing. ‘Many years ago when he was a young man, he tried to part my grandmother from a small family fortune soon after my grandfather had died. Osborne didn’t succeed because my father, aged only seventeen, discovered that Henry’s Harvard and military background was nothing more than a front and proceeded to throw him out of his own home.’

‘ Omój Jezu! ’ said George. ‘I wonder if Abel knows any of this.’ He hadn’t noticed it was his turn to throw the dice.

‘Of course he does,’ said Florentyna. ‘It must have been the deciding factor for employing Henry in the first place. He needed someone on his side who he could be certain would never open his mouth to Kane.’

‘How did you find out?’

‘Pieced it together when Richard discovered I wasn’t Jessie Kovats. Most of the stuff on Henry is in a file locked in the bottom of Papa’s desk.’

‘I thought I was too old to learn so much in one day,’ said George.

‘Your day’s learning hasn’t begun,’ said Richard. ‘Henry Osborne never went to Harvard, never served in the war, and his real name is Vittorio Togna.’

George didn’t speak, just opened his mouth.

‘We also know that Papa has got hold of six percent of Lester’s Bank. Just imagine the problems he could cause if he could lay his hands on another two percent,’ said Florentyna.

‘We suspect he’s trying to buy that two percent from Peter Parfitt, the man who opposed my father when he was proposed for chairman of Lester’s. Abel’s final aim is the removal of my father from his own board,’ Richard added.

‘That may have been right in the past.’

‘Why not now?’ queried Florentyna.

‘Abel won’t become involved with anything as silly as removing your father from the bank while Kennedy has him in mind for Warsaw. So you need have no fear in that direction. And perhaps that might make you consider coming as my guest to see the candidate open the new Baron in Los Angeles?’