Page 23 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘Begging your pardon, sir.’

‘We’re all fools under God, Mr Tullamore, but each in his own way, and your pa’s way is not mine. You seem to me a likely sort of young man and I’ve a mind to make use of you.’

‘I’d be very grateful, sir.’

‘Aye, you would, I’ve no doubt. Now, here’s the thing: I’ve a lot of different businesses, and it’s getting to the point where keeping an eye on all of them at once is difficult. So I’m minded to set up an office in London to pull all the threads together. There’s my boots and shoes, which is where I started, and my art-silk stockings, and my share in the jam company. And there’s a glove manufacturer in Nottingham I’m thinking about buying – they make leather gloves as well as fabric, and it wants shaking up, because the end result may be a glove either way, but the processes are different.’

‘I imagine working in leather presents different problems,’ Angus said, interested.

‘It does, and working in leather is a thing I know a bit about! And I’ve a good supplier for the fine-grade hides, and I wouldn’t mind putting a bit more business their way.’

‘Luxury leather gloves ought to export well.’

‘You’ve touched on it, lad. I want to get into export. I’ve seen it with the jam business – that’s where the big money lies. You piqued my interest when you said the Russkies can’t get enough of English soap.’

‘English leather goods are very highly thought of, too. And paper goods – books and stationery and so on.’

‘Paper, eh?’ Cowling looked thoughtful, then shook himself. ‘One thing at a time! Fine leather gloves and shoes are in my sights – and while I’m at it, what about leather pocket books and briefcases and portmanteaux? Factory space is easy enough to come by, hides I can get hold of. It’s just a matter of tooling up.’

‘And setting up the export lines,’ Angus said. ‘That takes a bit of time.’

‘Time I’ve got, and money I’ve got. You have to invest to get it back, that’s my motto, and I’ve a mind to invest in a shipping line of my own – why pay someone else to carry your goods if you can put ’em on your own ship? Now, there’s a small shipping line I know of, working out of London Pool, a neat enough business but ready to expand if they can get the capital—’

‘You wouldn’t mean Mayer and Frank, would you, sir?’

‘You know it?’

‘I’ve heard the gossip,’ he said. ‘They’ve a good reputation, but these days if you don’t expand you decline.’

‘I knew I was right about you. I’ve a good eye, and I don’t like to see something being wasted that can be put to good use – glove manufacturers or shipping lines or young men with a lot of their father’s stubbornness about them. Aye, I’ve got your measure!’ He smiled. ‘Now, would you like to join me?’

‘If you were to give me a chance, sir,’ Angus said fervently, ‘I promise you’d never regret it. What would you want me to do?’

‘Set up my London office and, if you do it right, run it for me. It’s a proper career I’m offering you.’

Angus’s heart could get no higher now without exiting his body. He was almost beyond speech. ‘Sir! Oh, sir!’

‘Aye, that’s me all right,’ Cowling said humorously. ‘I like to encourage ability – and reward it. Show me what you’re made of, and I’ll stick by you. You’ll have to find me office premises. Furnish ’em. I’ll need telephone and telegraph laid in. Set up communications with my other places. Find good staff.That’s to start with. Then when it’s all running smoothly, you’ll look at the export and shipping side.’

Angus swallowed. ‘My father’s office was already running when I joined it. I’ve never had to set one up from scratch. I’ve never done anything like this before, sir – not on my own.’

‘You won’t be on your own, you noddy!’ Cowling said pleasantly. ‘I’m going to give you my secretary, Decius Blake, to begin with, till you find your way around. And I’ll bring old Parkinson from my Northampton factory to help you as well for a few months. He’s under-manager there, started at the bottom, and there’s nothing much he doesn’t know about – well, everything! I’ll take you on on a three-month trial, and if you don’t shape up, it’s out you go with no hard feelings, eh? But if I’m any judge of character, you’ll turn out to be just what I’m looking for.’

‘I won’t let you down, sir.’

‘Right, then. I’ll start you on five pounds a week—’

‘Sir!’ Angus gasped. It was very generous.

Cowling waved a hand. ‘I’ll need you to look smart if you’re representing me, and you can’t do that on a pittance. Where are you living?’ Angus told him. ‘Find yourself some decent lodgings somewhere around Eastcheap for a start. Once things are up and running you’ll know better where to take a little place for yourself. Well, well, I think we’ve made a good start today.’ He stood up and offered his hand. ‘Next thing is to have a meeting with Decius and Parkinson and put a few things down on paper. I’ll get them here next week. You see,’ he added, ‘if I had a London office we’d have somewhere proper to do the business!’

CHAPTER FIVE

It amused Richard to contrive a meeting between Rachel and Angus, though it had to be kept secret from Aunt Caroline – she would never go behind her sister’s back. He suggested, quite truthfully, that Alice might like a visit from her sister, and Aunt Caroline obligingly wrote inviting Rachel to stay for a few days.

Richard offered to amuse Rachel on the Friday while Alice was at school. Aunt Caroline was surprised that he proposed taking her to the Victoria and Albert Museum. ‘I don’t think she’s interested in old things, dear,’ she said.

‘It’s not that sort of museum,’ Richard said. ‘There are some pretty things to look at. And a tea-room she’ll certainly enjoy.’