‘It’s been a totally crazy morning so far,’ Miranda Phillips said, coming into Elizabeth’s office at Deravenels, hurrying across to the desk. ‘The phone’s been ringing and ringing.’
‘I’ve just started to go through the messages,’ Elizabeth answered, smiling at Robin’s sister. Merry, as she was known, was her personal assistant, and one of the most breathtaking women she had ever seen, with her beautiful features, dark colouring and cornflower-blue eyes. ‘I see there’s one from Grace Rose. Did she say what she was calling about?’
Sitting down in the chair at the other side of Elizabeth’s desk, Merry began to laugh. ‘The usual. To see you, of course. “In the not-too-distant future, because I’m living on borrowed time.” That was the way she put it, and with a lovely chuckle, I might add. I told her you’d get back to her today.’
‘I’m not doing much this weekend. With Robin in Marbella I’m fairly free. Maybe I’ll invite her to Sunday lunch at the Dorchester. She loves that, the whole ritual of it. I’ll phone her now.’ Just as Elizabeth reached for the phone the door burst open and Cecil Williams rushed in, looking worried and distracted.
‘What is it?’ Elizabeth asked, staring at him anxiously. His normal calm demeanour had been ruffled, and there was a strained look in his steady grey-blue eyes which alerted her to trouble. ‘Is there a problem, Cecil?’
‘Yes,’ he said crisply, coming to a standstill near her desk. He sat down and went on, ‘I just hung up on Robert. Now, don’t get upset, they are all right, but he and Ambrose were in a plane crash this morning.’
‘Oh, my God, no!’ Elizabeth gaped at him, her alarm evident, and then she looked at Merry who had stiffened in the chair and turned white. She brought her hand to her mouth.
‘They’re not badly hurt!’ Cecil exclaimed, and added, in a reassuring tone, ‘I promise you, Elizabeth. And you, too, Merry, your brothers are fine, in fact they’re mostly suffering from bruises. Ambrose has dislocated a kneecap and Robert has a broken wrist. They’ve been damned lucky.’
‘Where was the crash? Are they in hospital?’ Elizabeth reached for the telephone, her hand resting on the receiver.
‘First things first. They were treated at the small medical unit we built at the resort, and then taken into Marbella, to a private clinic. They’ve been thoroughly examined, and released. Robert will phone you shortly, Elizabeth. I asked him to wait ten minutes or so. Because I wanted to explain about the oil spill.’
Elizabeth sat back, startled. ‘What oil spill?’ she demanded. ‘Nobody told me about any oil spill.’
‘The Spanish government haven’t released anything official yet, Elizabeth. I just got a few details from Robert several minutes ago. Apparently an oil tanker exploded off the coast of Spain earlier this morning and –’
‘Not one of our tankers! I hope to God not!’ she cried, her chest tightening. All she needed at the moment was trouble with Deravco Oil. Her heart sank at this thought.
‘No, no. But it could cause us problems. If the oil slick drifts down to our shoreline we might have an ecological disaster on our hands.’
‘Damn and blast!’ Elizabeth snapped her eyes shut for a split second, genuine fear running through her. All that money they’d invested could be lost. Then she opened them and gave Cecil a worried look. ‘That’s all we need to scuttle our resort in Marbella. Oily sea, oil-covered birds and fish, ruined marine and plant life. Oh, and what about the beaches? Oh, God! No! This can’t happen to us, Cecil. It just can’t.’
‘Let’s pray the oil slick doesn’t drift with the tides,’ Merry said quietly, understanding only too well what was suddenly at stake for Deravenels. And Elizabeth, as head of the company.
Elizabeth took several deep breaths, steadying herself. ‘What about the tanker, Cecil? In particular, what about that doomed crew? There must be a lot of men dead? No?’ Her dark eyes were filled with sudden pain at the thought of lost lives.
‘As I said, not all of the details are in,’ Cecil replied. ‘But Robert believes there are a lot of injured men. He told me they’re being rescued as we speak. This is what happened earlier. As soon as he and Ambrose heard about the explosion they decided to go out in one of our small planes to view the area, gauge the situation in general. On the way back to Marbella, one of the plane’s engines stalled, then died, and the pilot had to bring it down in a field about five miles away from the resort. Unfortunately, it was rocky, rough terrain, and it was a bad landing. Thankfully, only minor injuries were sustained by the pilot, co-pilot, Robert and Ambrose. As I just told you, we’ve been lucky. All four of them walked away from the crash.’
‘What caused the explosion?’ Elizabeth probed. ‘Do we have any idea?’
‘Robert doesn’t know. He said the Spanish government are on top of it, and an announcement will be made later this morning.’
‘Where was the tanker when it blew up?’ Elizabeth now asked, frowning.
‘In the Straits of Gibraltar –’
‘Oh, no!’ she cried, cutting him off. ‘If the oil spill does start to drift it will contaminate our shoreline –’
The ringing phone interrupted her, and she grabbed it at once. ‘Hello?’
‘It’s me, darling,’ Robert Dunley said. ‘I’m here in Marbella, totally undamaged.’
‘Robin, oh, Robin! Thank God you’re all right, and Ambrose, too. You could have both been killed.’
‘But we weren’t and we’re okay, and I’m sure Cecil’s with you at this moment. Hasn’t he filled you in?’
‘Yes, he has indeed, and Merry is here, too, so she knows everything. Look, I’m going to fly out this afternoon to be with –’
‘No, no, don’t come, Elizabeth! Honestly, it’s not necessary. Please. I am all right, and so is my brother. We want to keep going here, and help in any way we can, if we can. There are rescue teams out there, picking up the injured men, and things are very much in hand. The Spanish government is being very efficient about this, and responsible. And you mustn’t worry.’
‘I can’t help but worry,’ she protested. ‘I want to be with you.’
He laughed. ‘It’s just a broken wrist, sweetheart. I’ll live to shower you with kisses,’ he teased.
‘You’d better.’
‘I’ll call you later. Give Merry my love, and my love to you, too.’
‘When are you coming back?’ Elizabeth asked, anxious now for him to return.
‘Next week, as planned. I must complete what I came here to do, Elizabeth. Bye, darling, and please don’t worry.’
‘I’ll try not to,’ she said, and stared at the receiver. He had hung up.
Looking across at her assistant and raising a brow eloquently, Elizabeth said, ‘He’s gone! Just like that! Typical.’ But she smiled as she spoke, an expression of relief settling on her face. ‘Your brother sends you his love, Merry.’ Turning to Cecil she continued swiftly, ‘How do you clean up an oil spill? Do you know, Cecil?’
‘I know a little bit. The key methods are to use booms, skimmers, and chemical dispersants. Or to do in-situ burning. There are many ways to make a clean-up very effective, but experts must be used. Also, methods do vary. What has to be taken into account are the type and location of the spill, and what’s feasible, of course.’
‘What are booms?’ Elizabeth asked.
‘A type of floating barrier.’ Cecil then explained, ‘They’re placed around the oil and contain the oil so that skimmers can collect it. Skimmers are actually boats, vacuum machines, and oil-absorbing plastic ropes that skim the spilled oil from the surface of the sea. Those companies which use chemical dispersants have to be truly expert at it so as not to cause more damage. The materials break down the oil into its chemical constituents, and this does help to disperse the oil, and make it less harmful when it comes to wildlife, that sort of thing. I’m sure one of the chaps from Deravco can explain a lot better than I can. Shall I call Spencer Thomas? He could fill you in much better.’
‘No, don’t bother, but thanks anyway. And thanks for the information. Just what I needed to know … and let’s hope I never need to know more than that. Do you want to talk about Charles Broakes’s problems now?’
Cecil nodded. ‘I’d like to get that out of the way, yes.’
Merry jumped up. ‘I’ll be in my office if you need me, Elizabeth,’ she said, and hurried out, closing the door behind her.
‘What’s the problem with Charles Broakes? I know you said you need to discuss his plan, but I thought he was all set to go ahead. We okayed it, didn’t we?’
‘Yes, Elizabeth, we did. But we didn’t bargain for John Norfell.’
‘Oh. Don’t tell me he’s shoved a spanner in the works.’
‘Afraid so. Well, sort of. He says the hotel division will not pay for the various remodelling jobs, the construction of an office and spa, and all that, because only the vineyard division benefits, and therefore that division should pay.’
‘I suppose he’s right, in a way, isn’t he?’ Elizabeth sat back, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Finally she glanced at Cecil. ‘On the other hand, I think the wine division doesn’t have any money to spare.’
‘That’s it.’ Cecil stretched his legs, crossed them and looked down at one of the memos in his hand, frowning to himself. ‘I would like us to go ahead, you know, but I don’t have a solution, I really don’t.’
‘The solution is money, Cecil. I’ll have to pull it from somewhere. Let’s have them in for a few minutes, shall we? Listen to their rantings.’ She grinned at him, her good mood of earlier finally restored.
‘The hotel division cannot, will not, pay for these improvements at the vineyards. And that’s my last word on it,’ John Norfell snapped, glaring at Charles Broakes. ‘Furthermore, I want no more discussion about this. The matter is closed.’
Charles Broakes glared back at him.
The two men had been at loggerheads for days, and Charles was frustrated and angry. But he was smart enough to understand he wasn’t going to win with John Norfell, so he ignored his colleague and directed his gaze at Elizabeth.
‘What am I going to do?’ he asked her in an even tone, striving for total composure, having long known that she detested scenes in business, was cool-hearted when it came to her wheeling and dealing. She thought with her head and not her heart, and she was ruthless.
Elizabeth gave him a sympathetic look, and sighed. Lifting her shoulders in a light shrug, she said quietly, ‘I don’t know, Charles, I really don’t know what you can do under the circumstances.’
‘You said the idea of turning the manor houses at the vineyards into boutique hotels was a brilliant idea on my part. Have you changed your mind?’
‘No, I haven’t. But the wine division doesn’t seem to have any money to spare, and the hotel division obviously won’t budge from their position.’ She glanced at Norfell, then back at Broakes. ‘They’re crying poverty, Charles, don’t you see?’ Her mouth twitched and she swallowed a smile.
Charles Broakes was a long-time friend, and a fan, and he caught the hint of amusement in her voice, suddenly understood. She was going to do something to help him, but she obviously wasn’t prepared to say what this was for a moment or two. She wants to play Norfell along, tweak him for a bit, Charles decided, and sat back in his chair, waiting. He was going to enjoy this.
Cecil said, ‘I’d hate to think this idea might fall by the wayside, Charles, just for the lack of a few pennies. That’s all it amounts to, isn’t it?’
‘That’s correct,’ Charles answered. ‘Fifty grand would do it.’
‘Fifty grand, my eye!’ John Norfell interjected angrily. ‘You haven’t included the spas. They will cost a fortune. And why should we pay for spas at the vineyards?’
‘Oh, so the cost of the spas was not included,’ Elizabeth murmured, pursing her lips. ‘Oh, what a pity we can’t do this! I mean, I love the idea of spas … but then didn’t I come up with that idea?’
‘Yes, you did,’ Charles confirmed.
She turned to John Norfell, and asked, ‘You’re definite about not being able to fund these improvements, are you, John?’
‘Yes, I am. And you can’t force me to do it just because you’ve got a bee in your bonnet about bloody spas.’
Elizabeth was taken aback by his churlish tone, and she frowned, exclaimed, ‘I’ve never had a bee in my bonnet, as you call it, about anything, John. And most especially not about business. Business has nothing to do with bees or bonnets. Perhaps honey occasionally, when the money comes pouring in. So please don’t underestimate me.’
John Norfell flushed, and anger flared in him. Who was she to reprimand him in front of Broakes and Cecil Williams? And she a mere slip of a girl. What cheek she had.
As if she had read his mind, Elizabeth went on carefully, ‘I know you probably think I’m just an ignorant young woman with no business experience whatsoever, and who am I to tell you what to do. Actually, I’m not going to tell you what to do, John. Why would I? After all, you run the hotel division, and it’s your responsibility not mine. You rise and sink with its success … you and that division are intertwined. As for my business experience, never forget that I learned at the knee of the master, and my father Harry Turner was an undoubted genius when it came to business.’
John Norfell gaped at her, wondering if she could read minds. She had read his mind in such a way he was gobsmacked. And just a little deflated all of a sudden. She was a cool customer, one not to be taken lightly.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, he said, ‘I meant no offence, Elizabeth, when I used the phrase a bee in your bonnet. But I apologize if you found it out of place. As far as the spas are concerned, I know what they cost. We’ve just revamped our spas at the hotel in La Jolla in California, and at our hotel in Los Cabos. Both remodelling jobs went sky high. If you decide to go along with spas at the vineyards you should be prepared.’
‘Oh, I am, John, I am. I’m prepared for everything. At all times. Make no mistake about that.’
John smiled at her. She had spoken sweetly, and he had not noticed her sarcasm. But Charles Broakes and Cecil Williams had and they exchanged glances.
Elizabeth stood up, walked over to the window and looked down at the Strand. It was a busy Friday. Traffic was bumper to bumper. She saw a bit of blue sky, a shaft of sunlight, and thought: Sunny days are here again. I cannot lose this game.
‘This is what I think,’ she finally said, walking back to her desk. ‘I’m going to start a company, and if it’s successful I’ll sell it to Deravenels, in much the same way my great-grandfather started Deravco Oil, and then sold it to the conglomerates once it was making money. My company’s going to be one which will design and build spas.’
She sat down behind her desk and studied Charles. ‘I wonder what to call it? How does Ecstasy sound? No, there’s a drug called ecstasy, isn’t there? Mmmmm. What about Forever Bliss … now that’s appealing. Women will like the thought of bliss lasting forever. Would you like to hire this company to build your spas, Charles?’
He nodded, playing along with her. He said in a low tone, ‘I’d hire your company in a minute, but I don’t think we can afford to pay you.’
‘Oh, don’t worry about that.’ She gave him a long, piercing look. ‘All you have to do is sign a promissory note promising to repay the company within two years, and I’ll lend you the money. How does that sound?’
Charles Broakes wanted to laugh out loud. But he didn’t dare. Instead he said, ‘Sounds perfectly sensible to me, Elizabeth.’
Thrusting her hand across the desk, she said, ‘It’s a deal! Shake on it.’
They did.
Turning to Cecil, Elizabeth gave him a conspiratorial look. ‘I believe the first ten to fifteen items I am putting on sale at the auction will bring me about twenty million pounds. I’ll put the jewels up for collateral at the bank, and they can give me a loan of ten million pounds. That way, I can fund my new company, Forever Bliss. We must get that done on Monday, so Charles here can start his remodelling and building in Mâcon and Provence as soon as he wants.’
The idea of the spas really took hold later that afternoon, and Elizabeth’s head was teeming with ideas. By the time she arrived home at nine o’clock she had thought everything out. And she was tremendously excited.
In the past few months she had decided to open spas in all of their hotels, considering them a necessity. Spas were ‘in’, as were gyms, and both facilities were vitally important to hotel guests. Very simply, they expected them to be available. Time and again she had said to Cecil and Robert that their hotels had to be pulled into the twenty-first century, pointing out that one way to do this was to introduce the spas and gyms. They had agreed with her and, luckily, so had the board. Her plans were already underway and building had started.
Today she had had a vision … a vision of the spas as an entity unto themselves. They didn’t have to be confined to their hotels only. An Elizabeth Turner Spa, called Forever Bliss, could be opened anywhere, and it would be a separate business, financed by her and therefore controlled by her. The possibilities were endless. Quite aside from building the spas at the vineyards in Mâcon and Provence, Elizabeth had decided this evening that she would open spas in London, Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh, perhaps even Paris and New York. To her the idea was inspirational, and she was certain that it would be a smash hit. There were no doubts in her mind at all, in fact. She had the will and the drive and the money to make the spas succeed.
Walking through into the kitchen, she took the plate of smoked salmon and buttered brown bread out of the refrigerator, removed the linen napkin covering it, and carried the plate back to the library.
Sitting down at her desk, she went over the notes she had made in the office a short while ago, scanning them quickly. She was pleased; she had thought of everything. Her perfect colour scheme was all-white with just a hint of milky pale-green underlying it: mood and atmosphere would be created by the colour scheme, as well as minimalism in the décor, barely audible music playing in the background, perfumed candles and potpourri; plus luxurious bathrobes and towels. She was fully aware that every kind of treatment must be available. Varied massages from every country in the world, facials, wraps, soaks, and reflexology. Multiple beauty services must be offered and there must also be a hair salon in each spa. The worst thing for a woman was to leave a spa with messy hair, she knew that only too well. And she would –
The jangling phone interrupted her flowing thoughts and she picked it up. ‘Hello?’
‘It’s your favourite man here.’
‘Don’t you mean my damaged goods?’ she shot back, laughing, happy to hear Robert’s voice.
‘I can assure you the most essential part of me is not at all damaged, my darling,’ Robert retorted with a chuckle.
‘Thank goodness for that. How are you feeling?’
‘I’m well, Elizabeth. The wrist’s nothing, just a tiny inconvenience. You worked late at the office, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, and I’m very excited about something. Let me tell you.’ She quickly filled him in, her voice vibrant with enthusiasm.
‘What a fabulous idea, Elizabeth! And it’s going to work. I realize that by necessity you have to finance the spas yourself, but I think that will be to your advantage in the long run. Most importantly, nobody can interfere because you’re sidestepping the board. And in my opinion, the spas will do a lot to modernize Deravenels, as will the resort, no question.’
‘How are things going? Have all the tanker’s crew members been rescued from the sea, Robin? And what about the clean-up?’
‘Crew rescued and the clean-up is underway. As for our shoreline, I think we’ll be okay. It looks as if the oil slick won’t reach us … we’re all praying it won’t.’
‘Thank God! I was worried all day that we’d be facing an ecological disaster and that we wouldn’t be able to open the resort on time.’
‘So was I. I’m more optimistic tonight. The reports are good. Listen, Elizabeth, there’s something I want to tell you. Francis found out from one of his contacts in the Spanish government that they suspect the explosion in the tanker was not an accident. They think it was the work of terrorists. They believe the tanker was blown up to create an ecological catastrophe in the Mediterranean. Francis is extremely alarmed, and he says we should really step up security at Deravco immediately, make certain that our oilfields and our tankers are exceptionally well protected. I agree.’
‘So do I, Robin. Tell him to do whatever’s necessary, and not to worry about cost. You see, I’ve actually had that worry at the back of my mind for a long time. I’ve felt we could be horribly susceptible to a terrorist attack. We’ll talk about it in detail when you get back. Right now, could we discuss our trip to the south of France? We’ve not made any proper decisions and I need to know, Robin, in order to make my plans.’
‘Here’s what I thought …’ he began, and talked to her for the next fifteen minutes about their summer holiday.