In sparse mid-morning traffic and April sunshine, I was tantalised by how close I was to Ruth, as we passed her lay-by. I took the right turn off the A59, and we arrived at a stalled traffic queue leading to the base.
"What's up?" asked Liz.
With sinking heart I recognised Ruth's slight but elegant form in a fawn coat with a big collar, brown trousers, and her arms raised crucifix-like across the gateway, a pair of handcuffs on each wrist each latched to a heavy steel chain, the other end snap padlocked to the gateposts, and Amanda and Pat grinning at the embarrassment of the gate staff who had obviously been caught napping.
I then laughed, "To hell with it. Come and meet Ruth."
"What? Her? This is who you suffer for? Jeesus. Graham, I do not understand you."
"You will. Come."
With Liz looking like royalty we walked past the trucks and cars queuing to get in. Ruth recognised me. I walked to her.
We kissed. It was just the same intense experience, except she couldn't hug me. She smiled.
"You must be Liz. Happy to meet you. Sorry I can't shake hands."
Liz kissed her on the cheek, and sighed, "I can see why he loves you, but you are going to be a lot of trouble to each other."
"We are," said Ruth, "but we'll come through won't we darling?"
"We'll give it our best shot. I didn't know you were into bondage."
"I'm not, and if they don't cut me loose soon, I'm going to faint. I'm beginning to feel woozy now. It's a tremendous strain on the arms."
Amanda and Pat came over, and introduced themselves to Liz after saying hello to me.
"Don't you girls have the keys to the padlocks for the handcuffs?"
"No," they chorused like naughty ten year olds.
"Why ever not?" I said angrily.
"There aren't any."
"Oh, for Christ's sake."
Ruth started to look green, and I held her to me. "How long have you been here, love?"
"Nearly two hours, God I feel awful." she whispered. Her forehead touched my chin and it felt cold and clammy.
"They're doing this to you to teach you a lesson. There's no reason why it should take so long to get a pair of bolt-cutters."
A soldier approached from the guardhouse. I said to him, "Come on she's had enough, get some bolt-cutters and cut her free. She's getting ill."
"Her problem, silly bitch is always playing some new trick. One day she'll go too far. What's she to you?"
"A lovely woman in big trouble."
"Graham I'm going, hold me."
She went limp.
Up to that moment I'd always thought of her as being light, but her lithe bony body was full of sinew and muscle. Her deadweight suddenly transferred to my arms. I blocked her knee joints with my legs so she gave some support to her own weight, and held her at her buttock level and up her spine.
The press arrived. Liz explained in her managing way. I turned towards them to hear the hated tones of Lou Greenford from the Harrogate Advertiser telling Liz that Ruth was my bit of nookie.
Liz's reaction was unthinkingly instant, and she put her swimmer's heavy shoulder behind a slap on his cheek which made a crack that rang out, "You aren't even able to contemplate what relationship they have. You say something like that again and I'll take you through the courts."
He looked at her, red fingermarks gathering on his fat cheek, and one eye watering, grunted, and then said with a loose fat-lipped grin, "So you fancy him too. Gets lucky doesn't he?"
I said, "Don't tangle with him Liz. The man has the mind of a sewer. I'm only glad that Ruth is out for the count."
A black soldier appeared with a pair of bolt-cutters. He addressed one chain by the gate-post end. "Stop," I bellowed.
"What's your problem, honkie?"
"You cut that free and the whole weight of the chain will come down on her wrist, and we'll fall and then it'll transfer to the other wrist. It could kill her."
"Should have thought of that before she hung herself up."
I privately agreed with him. The world was full of amateur engineers who bungled this sort of thing.
I barked, "Pat, Amanda hold the chains at her wrists."
He relented. "OK. You may have the right of it. But I'm not cutting the cuffs free, that's her problem."
"Alright, gently now."
Liz brought the car up and ran us all back to the caravan.
Ruth began to revive as we put her on the bed.
I kissed her swiftly. "I'll come and sort this out when I've had my meeting."
We scorched back to the base, and I showed the security man my pass.
He smiled, "Can we trust you any more Mr Wisheart?"
"Yes, I don't agree with what Ms Howard does. But I couldn't leave her like that. Now we need to get Ms Norton through. She's my MD."
"Oh, we'll need a woman MP for a body search."
By the time we'd gone through the hoops it was approaching twelve.
"Your visitors, Carlton," said the security guard.
Carlton was sitting behind his empty desk smoking a large cigar, "Well, well, Wisheart you've dragged yourself away from wild woman. Now you bring a broad as well. Nothing wrong with your gonads then. Just can't fucking build anything."
Liz coolly thrust her hand four inches below the cigar, "Liz Norton, Managing Director, Wolfenden Contractors," and willed him to move backwards and stand.
Her presence was imperious. He rose and put the cigar down on the ash tray. "Pleased to meet you Ms Norton."
Liz continued in a voice ice-cold with controlled contempt, whilst gripping his hand with whitening knuckles, "And when you speak to my employees, male or female, you treat them with respect, and do not use foul language to describe what they do or do not do, or what they are, and you certainly do not presume to characterise their sexual relationships. Is that perfectly clear? Because if it is not I will turn this office upside down until I find someone who does understand.
"Likewise, if Wisheart here, does not get satisfaction with the current problem with the contract I shall turn the place over until I can find somebody with the wit and intelligence to understand the elementary rules of contracting for building works.
"Now - is that understood?"
"Yes ma-am."
She let go of his hand and I saw him wince, and flex the muscles. I placed the one chair behind Liz and she sat down carefully, not releasing eye contact with Carlton for an instant.
"Thank you, Graham. Do sit down, Carlton."
He sat, and picked up his cigar.
"I would appreciate your not smoking.It is a foul habit."
He put the cigar down.
"Graham, I would be grateful if you would restate your case."
"It is really very simple. For what reason I do not know, the documents against which we bid, referred to a list of drawings all prefixed with a 'U', which we received and costed. We were awarded the work and those same drawings were confirmed in the order. We started in January, and now in April we receive further sets of drawings describing additional works. These drawings are prefixed 'SS'. If we do the work on these latter drawings a series of consequences flow.
"Firstly the whole contract cost could be more than doubled. Secondly the site has to be completely reorganised. Thirdly what we are doing already, will be affected as to programme and cost. Fortunately there is a remedy in the contract for a change of this magnitude which allows us to renegotiate a price for the entire contract. I wish to exercise that remedy.
"In order for us to expedite the preparation of costs I'm requesting an electronic data transfer of design parameters from the design consultant in San Franciso."
"Thank you Graham. Now Carlton, unless you fall in with our requests I will exercise clause 34 (b), which is to seek immediate arbitration of a major dispute. The works will be suspended at that point, and you will be a laughing stock, because you will lose. Now which is it to be? Graham and I have much to do. You have thirty seconds."
She raised the cuff of her suit jacket to uncover a largish plain stainless steel watch.
"Alright Ms Norton. You win. I'll accept Wisheart's letter of yesterday. How about some lunch?"
"No, thank you Carlton. I'm fussy who I eat with. Good afternoon."
She stood, stuck her hand out at him, and he hesitantly took it.
She took out one of her cards and put it on the centre of his empty desk.
"Remember me, Carlton. I'm a good friend and a bad enemy. From now on, you behave."
She turned to the door, opened it and marched out.
We clacked down the corridor. "I don't think we're supposed to go unescorted," I said.
"Tough. They'll pick us up. There's cameras everywhere."
A security man hailed us. "Hey, where are you two off to?"
"Out," said Liz shortly.
"OK, follow me."
We were discharged by the security routine, and turned out of the gates in the car.
As we stopped for the traffic at the main road junction she shuddered.
"Hey, Liz are you alright?"
"If you can avoid my coming here again, please do so, Graham."
"Why particularly?"
"I can't stand being touched by strangers, and they do a body search in there."
"I know."
"You don't. The female that does them makes the most of her opportunities."
"Oh hell, I'm sorry Liz. Let me complain."
"There's no corroboration, and she's just this side of correct. It's the way she does it. Creepy - ugh. Anyway let's see what your family is up to. I didn't realise you'd inherited daughters."
"There's no blood relationship between any one of us."
"You don't see the way they look at you - Daddy."
Ruth looked better. Her strong constitution helped her recover quickly.
"Ruth what possessed you to get handcuffs and padlocks without keys?" I complained in distress, as the things rattled on her wrists like bizarre ethnic jewellery.
"We got them at a car boot sale for next to nothing just because they didn't have keys."
Liz said, "Graham take me to Harrogate, I'll get a taxi back to York. Then go do whatever you have to do to release Ruth from her - impedimenta - and come back as soon as you can. We still have work to do. 'Bye Ruth.
"Come, Graham, I haven't got all day."
I drove her into Harrogate. She was grim and silent.
"I'm sorry my relationship with Ruth intruded into the work place."
She sighed, "Oh, it happens, Graham. It happens. It happened to me. I don't want to talk about it. I just think that somebody so remote from the real world is going to make you very, very miserable."
I thought I heard her make a trembling intake of breath. But when the traffic let me look at her again she had a fixed expressionless face.
"You did a magnificent job on Carlton."
"Oh, it won't last, but he'll behave on the contract side. He'll soon be as rude and objectionable as before, we just won't lose money. In fact I would say that contract will be pretty lucrative from now on."
Her mood lightened, "What a morning eh? But we've come through in spite of everything."
"Liz, I was thinking there is no clause 34 (b) in the Institute of Civil Engineers conditions of contract that means what you said. Whatever happens the contractor is supposed to carry on with the works in good faith, secure in the knowledge that the contract conditions will bring a fair settlement for the contractor's efforts. Well, it reads like that, however hollow we know the last bit about fair settlement is."
"I know that, and you know that, Graham, but a bloody amateur like that tosspot Carlton won't know, and he's too bloody idle to go and find out."
"You should play poker."
"I do. And I damn well win."
I dropped her at the taxi rank.
I went to a specialist tool shop after having looked it up in a tatty Yellow Pages in a telephone booth, and bought a pair of bolt-cutters.
Returning to the caravan, Ruth was there alone. "Where are the girls?"
"They've given us some space. They're alright."
"Trouble is, sweetheart, I've no time. You've rather eaten into the day already."
"I'm sorry. If I'd known you were due at the base I'd have postponed the demo. I don't want confrontation like that with you."
"Well, the visit wasn't arranged until this morning. I'll ring you on the portable next time."
"Yes, that would be best."
"Right. Let's try to get these things off."
The cutters twisted the handcuff and Ruth suppressed a scream of pain.
"Oh, Jesus I'm sorry. We need these in a vice so that they're kept still. Is there a friendly farmer near here?"
"Yes. I'll show you."
After a mile or so in the side roads we turned into a sweet smelling hay barn, where there was a small workshop with an ancient but competent looking bench vice. To get everything at the right angle Ruth had to get on the bench, and kneel facing me. With the cuffs held square, the cutter pinged the metal apart easily.
I lifted her down in my arms and we kissed properly for the first time that day.
I drove back to the caravan.
"Can you stay for some bread and soup? I shot rabbit and pheasant. It tastes wonderful."
"Liz won't begrudge me a lunch. I'd love some."
"You know why she's keeping your nose to the grindstone?"
"I think so. She made me an offer she thought I couldn't refuse, before she knew about you and me, and she's keeping me distant, and for work only, so I don't get under her skin. But she's extraordinarily supportive, which is why I say she's generous."
"Well, be kind to her, then, my love."
"I'm not sure what I can give her; at least that I feel free to give, or that she wants."
"Yes, I see the dilemma, dearest. Do the best you can. She's a fine woman, and a good friend to you. Now, soup and bread. I hate that ulcer of yours. It's a creeping nasty thing."
"Ahh, what an aroma," I said, "I'm glad I stayed.
"Ruth, I don't know how to say this without giving offense, but your demonstrations need safety auditing before you do them. You nearly seriously injured Pat, and if I hadn't intervened, you might have been hurt yourself this morning. You're an artist, but your engineering isn't practical. I don't want to pick pieces of Pat from around a power line pole or try to put your arms back together."
"Dearest, if I put my schemes to you, you'd always say no. The simplest stand with a placard is dangerous. Some of our opponents throw stones. No, I have to take my chances. Don't talk about it any more. Please?"
"If you insist. I tell you what, the Dean Court doesn't make soup like this. It's really special."
I looked at her across the table, "Thank you," I said, "for just being in my life."
She smiled and took my hand and put it to her cheek.
"And you," she said, "whatever happens. Can you stay at all now?"
"No, not even for the tiniest of romps. Liz is being very understanding about this morning, and I don't want to take advantage of her trust. Thanks for the soup."
We kissed a long time. We didn't know when next we'd see each other.
I turned out of the lay by and drove through Harrogate and Knaresborough to York.
In the office at three, Betty said, "You have a copy E-mail to San Antonio Consultants, San Francisco for a Joe Tucker, from Carlton. It says they're to give Wolfendale Construction the data requested yesterday. Also Steve's sent you a complete status report from the computer as of yesterday. It shows two percent ahead of schedule overall and all items either ahead of, or on programme. He's archived that as a record file, and asks if he should send a hardcopy to Uncle Sam."
"Great. Yes he should do just that. Thanks Betty."
I went down to see Ellen. "How compatible did you find us and San Antonio yesterday?"
Fine, we take their data straight and then pass it through a reprocessing routine, before we use our CAD and take-off system. Are we going to get it then?"
"Yes. I have a copy of an E-mail sent this afternoon. If you can make contact with them at five our time, that'll be their morning, you could get connected up and receive the data. You have the listings?"
"Yes, we're ready to roll. All we needed was the client to get off the pot."
"Wonderful."
I returned to my office. Liz came in, subdued and thoughtful, and sat across the desk from me.
"Is Ruth alright?"
"Yes, she may look a touch fragile but she's one of these tough stringy types. There isn't a great deal of her but it's all muscle and sinew. She bounces back quickly."
"Good."
"How's Andrew Smedhurst settling in?"
"He's fine. I've had a review with him, and he's getting together an itinerary of visits. He finds Bernard Gresley's sales monitoring system very useful, and it's giving him a rolling start."
She fidgetted, uncharacteristically hesitant, "Graham, I don't want to spoil my image as the independent woman, but I don't want to go to Foot on my own."
"You'll be taking Rosemary."
"I mean, without you."
"Oh. But you didn't need me this morning. All I did was set out a chair for you, and explain the contract."
"It's difficult to explain, but I'll try. I'm still a new girl in a male oriented environment. Wolfenden is exceptional in the number of female employees with influence. But there's lots of subtle barriers which you don't notice. Having you as a sort of partner to the enterprise, makes those first steps so much easier. And I feel that if I tripped over in my ignorance you'd be there to pick up the pieces, and with your inherent calm, stand me up again and we'd carry on. That gives me so much more confidence, so I perform better - at the leading edge of my competence. It's probably why I told Andersen to go jump at your site, and not before. I felt you were there for me."
"What about the policy of trying to keep my involvement in your work hidden from Foot's people, at least for a while?"
"I think if I demote you pro-tem and put you on Rosemary's level as a project manager we could get away with it. I only need you for that first day. Just 'till I find my feet."
"I still don't see it."
"OK," she said impatiently, "I'm the MD and I want you there, and I don't see that I need to explain every inner motive. Alright?"
I smiled, "Yes ma-am. Right, if we're going to Northallerton tomorrow I need to put some fuel in the car and get it through a car wash."
"Can't you get someone to do that for you?"
"We don't have spare wheels like that. By the same token we chose not to have a director's dining room or an executive loo, or chauffeurs."
"OK. Can we have a meeting with Rosemary first, to arrange what questions we ask and such?"
"Sure. Now?" I asked.
"Half an hour. I have some phoning to do. If nothing else I need to sort out some things in London at the flat, and book next week at the Dean Court."
"Would you prefer a hotel with a swimming pool?"
"Oh, that's thoughtful, I get a bit ratty without regular exercise, and it'd do you good too. Good idea."
"I'll do that then."
"Thank you."
"One point, Liz, about tomorrow, what address did they give you?"
"Oh, it was Railton House."
"Damn. You've been slightly misled. Nothing goes on there except board meetings and wining and dining, and for the directors more sophisticated entertainment. There's a suite for important clients and directors who have long board meetings and stay overnight, a kitchen producing Cordon Bleu meals, half a dozen very well appointed offices and a board room, a dining room and a lounge. The furniture in that place must be worth a hundred thou'. The MD's secretary, Eve, runs it. Well let's say she can be very affectionate and understanding to order, and has an extensive knowledge of how to make people feel comfortable, and how to get them the resources they might need. Not me, she makes me feel very uncomfortable."
Liz laughed, "You're describing a director's bordello run by a madam."
"Well, you said it, not me."
"At least I'll be immune to her charms."
"Don't be too sure. She's very penetrating in her analysis of people's weaknesses. That's why she makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Surely that sort of set up is out of date?" said Liz, "It can't be cost effective."
"I agree. But if you're a group of directors with a taste for good living in very discreet surroundings, absolutely free, it's ever so cost effective for them. They could argue, perhaps with some justification, that a stay there in the right company for certain clients, is a clincher when it comes to awarding a contract or getting a claim settled."
"Sure," Liz sighed, "But even if that were the case it'd be cheaper to hire a room at the best hotel in, oh, say Harrogate, and hire a bevy of women from a so called massage parlour, and pay all the bills, for such odd occasions."
"Again I agree, but would you ask Betty to organise it, or do it yourself?"
"No. I hate that sort of thing."
"Well they don't have to. They just tip the wink to Eve and whoosh. Your most fevered fantasy is furnished."
"That was a bit heartfelt. Has it happened to you?"
"The offer was made. I wanted three hundred thou' for a claim because they'd delayed us on an oblique rail over road crossing. It was put to me that there would be someone warm, willing, clean, and discreet available if I cared to stay the night, and reduce my claim by say a hundred k."
"And did you?" Liz asked, with a twinkle of curiosity in her eyes.
"No. It was cruel to make the offer, they damn well knew that Claire was nearing the end. I just felt sick and used. So I found a reason to bump up the claim by another thirty thousand."
"They must love you then."
"Actually that was the funny thing. They treated me with a certain amount of respect after that."
"I'm glad you warned me. What should we do?"
"I expect we'll get coffee, the corporate 'this is the Harold Foot organisation' videos, sherries, canapes, lunch, wine, brandies, cigars. Maybe if you really insist they'll give you their public accounts and annual reports for five years. If by that time Eve has found out what sort of a man or woman you want, she'll suggest you stay a night, discreetly out of anyone's hearing. Then they'll start to run out of conversation and ask what you are doing for dinner, and get out the cocktails."
"Could I short circuit all that, and say I didn't realise this was the director's knocking shop, I want to see the real operation?"
"That might seem hostile."
"From what you say it'd be a complete waste of Rosemary's time to go on this trip. We'll have to insist on going to their working offices on Friday with Rosemary."
"I fear you're right."
"God, Men. Why do you mix sex, pleasure and work up like that?"
"Now that's a question I really don't know the answer to."