‘I’ll just get the tea tray. I won’t be a minute.’ Patti turned towards the garden, yelling at the top of her voice. ‘Jamie! Coo-ee! They’re here!’
‘Let me help you with the tea, Patti.’ Hannah took off her jacket, hanging it on the back of one of the chairs, and followed Patti into the house.
Matt sat down, surveying the garden for any sign of Sir James. Just as Patti and Hannah reappeared, Hannah carrying a large tray stacked with what looked like very fine china indeed, he saw a man in a check shirt and corduroy trousers walking towards him across the lawn.
‘There he is.’ Patti walked down to the edge of the lawn, waiting for her husband, and Hannah deposited the tray on the table.
‘Glad I didn’t drop this. It would have been my pay cheque for at least three months.’ She sat down on the edge of one of the chairs, her nervousness suddenly visible. ‘Patti just happened to mention that Sir James likes it when people get to the point. We don’t need to try to persuade him, just show him what we have.’
Matt nodded, taking off his jacket and draping it over the back of his seat, feeling the cool breeze with a sense of relief. This heat wasn’t conducive to formality. Hannah looked cool and calm as she rose to shake Sir James’s hand. White haired, his face lined and tanned, he seemed kindly and welcoming, but his piercing blue eyes were that of a canny businessman.
Patti poured the tea and pushed the plate of biscuits towards them. Helena appeared with a leather portfolio, handing it silently to Sir James, and he smiled and thanked her, glancing towards the camera crew who were standing at the other end of the terrace, waiting for something to happen. Helena turned and signalled to Cecile that they could start filming now. This all seemed effortless but it was organised down to the last detail.
‘Are you staying, dear?’ Sir James turned to his wife.
‘Of course I am. This is Hospital Challenge...’ Patti shot him an outraged look.
‘Yes. Of course.’ Sir James turned to them and his smile faded, replaced by an air of businesslike efficiency. ‘Tell me what you have so far. And what you need.’
Hannah glanced at Matt and he nodded her on. She was doing just fine so far, and he didn’t see any point in messing with perfection.
Hannah started to talk. She pitched straight in, telling him a little about her own experience with Sam, and saying how much she would have appreciated a facility like this. Then she widened it out, speaking about how a sensory room might benefit all kinds of children, and outlining briefly the kinds of activities and therapies that could be carried out there. Her enthusiasm shone through, and somehow she managed to ignore the fact that Sir James was clearly weighing and calculating the worth of each word she said.
‘We have a very preliminary plan...’ She turned to Matt, and he handed her the folder they’d brought, containing the pages they’d printed out at midnight last night.
Sir James studied the sheets carefully. Patti smiled and offered them both a biscuit.
‘It’s taken you under two days to do this much?’ Sir James put the folder back onto the table.
‘I’m a mother, and I’ve been an ambulance paramedic for six years. Matt’s been working as a surgeon for ten. That’s how long this has taken us.’
Great answer. Sir James obviously liked it a lot too, as he allowed himself a brief smile before he turned, looking around him. Helena appeared suddenly at his side.
‘The microphones are off, they’re just filming a few long shots of the meeting.’ She anticipated his question and Sir James nodded.
‘Thank you, Helena. Will you arrange for them to have some tea, please?’
‘Of course, Sir James.’ Helena hurried away and Sir James picked up the leather portfolio from the table, unzipping it.
‘This is what I can offer you. It’s our newest design, and I’m very proud of it. It’s built with a close to zero carbon footprint, and it’s a configurable space that includes underfloor heating and air-conditioning for days like these.’ He handed a glossy brochure to Matt. ‘Page six for the plan and an artist’s impression.’
Matt flipped thankfully past the building specifications, which meant very little to him. When he got to page six, he saw Hannah’s eyes widen. The L-shaped, timber-framed building looked stunning, and there were diagrams showing how the space could be converted to suit practically any requirement.
‘We’re exhibiting this at a show in a couple of weeks’ time. After that it’ll be taken down and we’ll have no use for it. It would be a shame to consign it to a skip.’
‘This is...beyond anything we’d imagined.’ Matt spoke first, because Hannah was still staring, lost for words.
‘Too big? If you can’t fill the space, then...’ Sir James shrugged, the steel in his eyes glinting. Matt saw Hannah sit a little straighter in response to the challenge.
‘We can fill it. And there’s plenty of room for a facility like this, the hospital has a large open space at the back. I suppose we’d need planning permission, but...’
‘I can help you with that.’ Sir James smiled suddenly. ‘Our planning department nurtures an excellent relationship with local authorities around the country, and our building specifications are tailored to exceed the requirements of planning regulations. With any luck, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
Matt doubted that Sir James left anything to good luck. Hannah glanced at him and he nodded.
‘Sir James, this is incredibly generous of you. All we can do is thank you, and say yes. We’d very much like to take you up on your offer.’ Hannah hesitated, staring down at the brochure, and then her back straightened. Matt sensed that something amazing was coming and waited to hear what it was.
‘If we don’t win, then we won’t get the money to fit this building out. But I can raise the money for a less ambitious scheme, and I’ll approach the hospital board and persuade them to accept it. Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask if you’d consider donating this building anyway? Even if we don’t win?’