‘It’s so transparent, isn’t it? Some trick they’ve taught her at that management firm she was with no doubt. Make your mark, fire a few people, especially people more capable than yourself, who might make you look bad.’
‘Hmm …’ said William.
‘More wine sir?’ asked the sommelier, appearing at Roger’s side.
Roger nodded, tapping the top of his glass.
‘And she’s replaced you with whom?’ asked William.
Roger laughed cynically, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
‘Ah, you haven’t heard? Some 26-year-old with no fashion college background and no track record bar some lowly position in a tacky Hollywood accessories company.’
William winced. ‘Oh dear.’
‘Indeed.’ He scoffed, ‘I’d almost understand it if she’d have got in a heavyweight designer, someone from Hermès or Bottega Veneta perhaps, but she’s treating it as some sort of game. Trashed the entire new collection for no apparent reason, wasted thousands in the process. Now she has all these grand ambitions for expansion. I still have a 20 per cent stake in this company, William, and frankly I’m worried my shareholdings aren’t going to be worth the paper they are written on by Christmas.’
William sat back and sipped at his wine.
‘I have to admit that Emma’s appointment came as a surprise to us all at Billingtons. We all assumed that you were the natural heir.’
‘Well, there we are in agreement,’ snorted Roger. ‘Saul never gave me the tiniest inclination it was going to pan out any other way.’
‘Well, to be straight with you, Roger,’ said William, ‘Saul was a dear friend but you know I was getting concerned about his lack of focus with the business. It was never really in his blood. He enjoyed the trappings, but the nuts and bolts? Not interested.’
Roger felt no qualms about being disloyal to his brother. Saul had left him with nothing – well, nothing he wanted – so why not speak his mind?
‘I totally agree,’ he nodded. ‘Meanwhile, you are aware Emma is looking for a capital injection of twenty million?’
William put down his glass.
‘That much? We have an appointment in the diary for Friday so no doubt she will tell me more then.’
‘And are you going to support her?’ asked Roger, holding his friend’s gaze.
‘You mean are we going to support her,’ said William with a smirk, ‘or are we going to get behind you?’
Roger was glad he didn’t have to make the purpose of their lunch explicit. He tapped his Limoges china plate with his fork for emphasis. ‘I could do great things with the company.’
‘I was looking forward to seeing it,’ said William with a sympathetic smile. ‘Of course no one knows what to make of her. She was a manager at Price Donahue so she obviously has some merit.’
Roger looked up. He had bargained on his friend’s unwavering support and didn’t like to hear Emma being talked about in such a positive manner. For a second he imagined Rebecca’s response if the bank did decide to support Emma. Ever since the board meeting when Emma announced her intention to be CEO of Milford, Rebecca had been truculent and teary. The whole situation was having a detrimental effect on his wife’s wellbeing and he wasn’t going to let it continue.
‘She’s a number cruncher, William. Obviously that’s no bad thing, and if Milford were a bank I’d be happier. But she has no experience in this sector, none at all. Plus she is naïve, her plans for expansion are foolhardy to say the least and they require a massive capital injection to proceed. I can’t see how Billingtons could possibly be prepared to support her.’
William nodded slowly, seeming to digest Roger’s words.
‘Well… the bank could refuse to support Milford’s application with Emma as CEO. To lend money of that amount, we could impose certain stipulations. Such as an alternative CEO.’
Roger smiled into his crystal tumbler.
‘However …’ said William, pointing at Roger with his fork, ‘she could dig her heels in. Then she could be removed by a directors’ show of hands but as a 70 per cent shareholder she could call a special meeting and fire all the directors on the board and put her own stooges in place.’
Roger swallowed a mouthful of potato rather too quickly, which triggered a coughing fit.
‘Could she do that?’ he spluttered into his napkin.
William nodded.