said courteously, indicating a chair, and whether by design or accident seated himself behind the desk.
Nicky said nervously: “I like your mother. Why did you never tell me about her?”
“Why didn’t you come and find out for yourself?” he retorted. Nicky relapsed into silence, striving in vain to think of a suitable opening. He studied her curiously. She seemed different today. Less sure of herself and definitely nervous about something.
“What did you want to s a y to me?” he asked.
Now that the moment had come, it seemed more difficult than ever. What right had she to demand such a favor from the Shands? There wasn’t even the excuse of friendship to justify the claim.
“It’s—it’s rather difficult,” she said. “May I have a cigarette?”
“Of course.”
He held a light for her and watched her while she sat a little desperately inhaling smoke.
“I’m afraid I’ve come to beg,” she said then.
“To beg?” He raised his level eyebrows in gentle surprise. “But I seem to remember you telling my father some weeks ago that you would never ask a favor of a Shand as long as you lived.”
He was clearly not going to make things easy for her.
“Well, you don’t suppose I like doing it now, do you?” she retorted, driven back into her old rudeness with him.
“Then why—”
“Because there’s no one else. Because you’re our richest neighbor, to put it crudely, and if you won’t help us we’re sunk.”
“Oh, I see—money,” he said and there was a curious inflection in his voice that made her wriggle uncomfortably. “Do I understand you want to borrow money from me?”
She bit her lower lip hard.
“Yes, I’m afraid I do,” she said in a small voice.
“How much?”
“Five thousand pounds.”
“Five thousand. That’s a large sum.”
If he was surprised, he managed to disguise the fact admirably, but his whole manner subtly changed. When he next spoke he had become the hard-headed businessman, the true flesh and blood of old John Shand.
“What security have you to offer?”
She stared at him, blinking a little.
“Security?” she stammered. “Why—I don’t know. We’d pay interest, of course.”
“Naturally.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“On a loan of this size it’s usual to offer some sort of security in lieu of default,” he said.
She flushed.
“Surely my father’s word—” she began hotly, but he broke in with gentle irony:
“Another gentleman’s agreement? I’m sorry, but I’m a businessman, and that kind of proposition doesn’t appeal to me.”
“Is that another way of telling me you don’t trust either of us?” she asked, her cheeks now scarlet.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “But I think your father’s word has not always been his bond in the past. That’s why you’ve had to come to me now, isn’t it? Well, as I think I told you once before, I come of working stock and I like a deal to be square. Just one thing. Did your father se n d you here?”
“No,” said Nicky, humiliated beyond words. “And I wish to goodness I’d never thought of the idea myself.”
He leaned forward in his chair.
“I repeat, Nicky, I’m a businessman, and if you can offer any reasonable security I’ll put up the money.”
“What security have I?” she demanded bitterly. “There’s only myself.”
“Yes, that’s so, but in what capacity?”
She looked at him, her long bright eyes restless and unhappy. In her humiliation she flung back:
“Any capacity you like. There’s only one really, isn’t there?”
“You would suggest a weekend in some discreet spot?”
She couldn’t make out if he was serious or not.
“Why not?” she said flippantly. “If you could stand it that long.”
“I see.” He folded his arms across his chest and regarded her steadily. “You put a pretty high value on your services.”
All at once she wanted to weep. She wanted to cry: “I’m not like this. How did we land in such a
Nicky said nervously: “I like your mother. Why did you never tell me about her?”
“Why didn’t you come and find out for yourself?” he retorted. Nicky relapsed into silence, striving in vain to think of a suitable opening. He studied her curiously. She seemed different today. Less sure of herself and definitely nervous about something.
“What did you want to s a y to me?” he asked.
Now that the moment had come, it seemed more difficult than ever. What right had she to demand such a favor from the Shands? There wasn’t even the excuse of friendship to justify the claim.
“It’s—it’s rather difficult,” she said. “May I have a cigarette?”
“Of course.”
He held a light for her and watched her while she sat a little desperately inhaling smoke.
“I’m afraid I’ve come to beg,” she said then.
“To beg?” He raised his level eyebrows in gentle surprise. “But I seem to remember you telling my father some weeks ago that you would never ask a favor of a Shand as long as you lived.”
He was clearly not going to make things easy for her.
“Well, you don’t suppose I like doing it now, do you?” she retorted, driven back into her old rudeness with him.
“Then why—”
“Because there’s no one else. Because you’re our richest neighbor, to put it crudely, and if you won’t help us we’re sunk.”
“Oh, I see—money,” he said and there was a curious inflection in his voice that made her wriggle uncomfortably. “Do I understand you want to borrow money from me?”
She bit her lower lip hard.
“Yes, I’m afraid I do,” she said in a small voice.
“How much?”
“Five thousand pounds.”
“Five thousand. That’s a large sum.”
If he was surprised, he managed to disguise the fact admirably, but his whole manner subtly changed. When he next spoke he had become the hard-headed businessman, the true flesh and blood of old John Shand.
“What security have you to offer?”
She stared at him, blinking a little.
“Security?” she stammered. “Why—I don’t know. We’d pay interest, of course.”
“Naturally.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“On a loan of this size it’s usual to offer some sort of security in lieu of default,” he said.
She flushed.
“Surely my father’s word—” she began hotly, but he broke in with gentle irony:
“Another gentleman’s agreement? I’m sorry, but I’m a businessman, and that kind of proposition doesn’t appeal to me.”
“Is that another way of telling me you don’t trust either of us?” she asked, her cheeks now scarlet.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “But I think your father’s word has not always been his bond in the past. That’s why you’ve had to come to me now, isn’t it? Well, as I think I told you once before, I come of working stock and I like a deal to be square. Just one thing. Did your father se n d you here?”
“No,” said Nicky, humiliated beyond words. “And I wish to goodness I’d never thought of the idea myself.”
He leaned forward in his chair.
“I repeat, Nicky, I’m a businessman, and if you can offer any reasonable security I’ll put up the money.”
“What security have I?” she demanded bitterly. “There’s only myself.”
“Yes, that’s so, but in what capacity?”
She looked at him, her long bright eyes restless and unhappy. In her humiliation she flung back:
“Any capacity you like. There’s only one really, isn’t there?”
“You would suggest a weekend in some discreet spot?”
She couldn’t make out if he was serious or not.
“Why not?” she said flippantly. “If you could stand it that long.”
“I see.” He folded his arms across his chest and regarded her steadily. “You put a pretty high value on your services.”
All at once she wanted to weep. She wanted to cry: “I’m not like this. How did we land in such a
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