go or I'll be late. See you this evening?"
"Sure."
"You'd better take a key," she added, separating one from her key ring and passing it to him.
"Thanks." He realized that accepting it committed him in effect, to accepting her as a partner, but there were worse things that could have happened to him.
Gradually, in the months that followed, the respect between them grew and their relationship matured into a more caring and comfortable one. The underlying strength of their union, though, was always the shared excitement of the scheme to defraud the money men of their £2,000,000 and it was always the subject to which they returned.
While Sam carried on teaching, Pascoe rented small commercial premises on an industrial site in a nearby village, where the lease had been more than reasonable. He traded in his car for an old Ford Transit van, which would be more suitable for moving-in the necessary supplies and equipment.
By the summer they were both eager to start fitting out the premises, Pascoe using his experience from his studio days to build darkroom and studio, leaving Sam to do the decorating. It took them most of the holiday to complete and they were into the autumn term before they were ready to look for equipment.
The web-offset press which Pascoe had thought would be the most difficult thing to get hold of, turned out to be both the easiest and the cheapest. The works manager of a provincial newspaper, busy changing to the new computerized technology, was so grateful that the press was going to a good home, that he was reluctant to take anything for it, accepting Pascoe's token payment only as a contribution to the firm's 'Widows and Orphans' fund.
C hapter 5
Last Minute preparation
When they completed the fitting-out phase in late September, they had an impromptu champagne celebration.
"Guess what, darling, we're ready to start," Pascoe said, opening the bottle.
"Well, I hope you have a little more finesse when you're printing," Sam replied, trying to catch the foaming liquid in her glass.
"To Easter. May we be rich and free to enjoy it!" Pascoe proposed.
At dinner that evening, they updated their timetable knowing there were only a few months in which to prepare everything.
"How far have you got with the numbering system?" asked Pascoe.
"We may have a slight problem there."
"Tell me about it."
"There are still one or two details I need to find out."
“Details?" Pascoe enquired, curious as to what snags Sam might have found.
"Working- knowledge, really. I need to speak to someone who knows the practice rather than the theory."
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
"There's a guy over at the university, but I may have to do him a favor," said Sam.
"What sort of favor?" He regretted the question the moment the words left his lips.
"Dinner.” Sam replied studying his face closely. “My god. I do believe you’re jealous. Are you jealous?”
"I'm sorry. Perhaps there's another way," Pascoe suggested, knowing it was exactly the wrong thing to say.
"Fine! Stop being so bloody possessive. If you had to get some woman to help you, and it involved taking her out to dinner, I suppose that would be all rig ht. You're as much a chauvinist as all the others!"
"It's not the same and you know it." Pascoe argued.
"Of course it’s the same, but remember, I made my position clear at the outset. I told you I had an open mind and if you can't handle the thought of me being with someone else for an evening, we might as well call it a day, here and now." Pascoe detected a hard edge in her voice and knew instinctively that he was close to losing her. He'd been in similar situations before and knew he had to get back to calmer waters.
"I was out of line. Forget I said it." He apologized, waiting an interminable amount of time before daring to continue. "Now, do you think you could handle the London office?" he added, changing the subject.
“I don't se e why not. What will we need?" she replied, her voice
"Sure."
"You'd better take a key," she added, separating one from her key ring and passing it to him.
"Thanks." He realized that accepting it committed him in effect, to accepting her as a partner, but there were worse things that could have happened to him.
Gradually, in the months that followed, the respect between them grew and their relationship matured into a more caring and comfortable one. The underlying strength of their union, though, was always the shared excitement of the scheme to defraud the money men of their £2,000,000 and it was always the subject to which they returned.
While Sam carried on teaching, Pascoe rented small commercial premises on an industrial site in a nearby village, where the lease had been more than reasonable. He traded in his car for an old Ford Transit van, which would be more suitable for moving-in the necessary supplies and equipment.
By the summer they were both eager to start fitting out the premises, Pascoe using his experience from his studio days to build darkroom and studio, leaving Sam to do the decorating. It took them most of the holiday to complete and they were into the autumn term before they were ready to look for equipment.
The web-offset press which Pascoe had thought would be the most difficult thing to get hold of, turned out to be both the easiest and the cheapest. The works manager of a provincial newspaper, busy changing to the new computerized technology, was so grateful that the press was going to a good home, that he was reluctant to take anything for it, accepting Pascoe's token payment only as a contribution to the firm's 'Widows and Orphans' fund.
C hapter 5
Last Minute preparation
When they completed the fitting-out phase in late September, they had an impromptu champagne celebration.
"Guess what, darling, we're ready to start," Pascoe said, opening the bottle.
"Well, I hope you have a little more finesse when you're printing," Sam replied, trying to catch the foaming liquid in her glass.
"To Easter. May we be rich and free to enjoy it!" Pascoe proposed.
At dinner that evening, they updated their timetable knowing there were only a few months in which to prepare everything.
"How far have you got with the numbering system?" asked Pascoe.
"We may have a slight problem there."
"Tell me about it."
"There are still one or two details I need to find out."
“Details?" Pascoe enquired, curious as to what snags Sam might have found.
"Working- knowledge, really. I need to speak to someone who knows the practice rather than the theory."
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
"There's a guy over at the university, but I may have to do him a favor," said Sam.
"What sort of favor?" He regretted the question the moment the words left his lips.
"Dinner.” Sam replied studying his face closely. “My god. I do believe you’re jealous. Are you jealous?”
"I'm sorry. Perhaps there's another way," Pascoe suggested, knowing it was exactly the wrong thing to say.
"Fine! Stop being so bloody possessive. If you had to get some woman to help you, and it involved taking her out to dinner, I suppose that would be all rig ht. You're as much a chauvinist as all the others!"
"It's not the same and you know it." Pascoe argued.
"Of course it’s the same, but remember, I made my position clear at the outset. I told you I had an open mind and if you can't handle the thought of me being with someone else for an evening, we might as well call it a day, here and now." Pascoe detected a hard edge in her voice and knew instinctively that he was close to losing her. He'd been in similar situations before and knew he had to get back to calmer waters.
"I was out of line. Forget I said it." He apologized, waiting an interminable amount of time before daring to continue. "Now, do you think you could handle the London office?" he added, changing the subject.
“I don't se e why not. What will we need?" she replied, her voice
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