there? Is it all shipshape? Only I’ve just had a call from reception. Mr Bowden’s car has pulled up at the front entrance . . . well, by now he’ll be out of it and heading inside. You need to be back up here ready to greet him when I escort him to the office.’
Cait rested the receiver on the small table and dashed back into the viewing room, to whisper urgently to Glen, ‘Miss Trucker’s on the telephone. The customer has arrived and is heading for reception right this minute. Miss Trucker wants me back up there now. But we’re not finished here!’
Glen told her, ‘Another fifteen minutes at most is all I’ll need. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of here long before you bring him down. After his journey he’s bound to want to freshen up and then a cup of tea or coffee and to pass some pleasantries with you before getting down to business. Take the back way and then you won’t bump into him in reception. I’ll finish off here and put the rest of the shoes back, make sure it all looks as it should.’
Cait smiled gratefully at him. ‘Thank you so much, Glen. There’s not time now but I’ll speak to you before you leave tonight, to say my goodbyes.’ With that she spun on her heel and dashed back into the entertainment room to pick up the receiver again and say into it, ‘Sorry about that, I just had to check something. I’ll be straight up, Miss Trucker.’
Cait had just arrived back in her office and managed to flick one hand over her smart skirt to rid it of any evidence of her scramble over the floor. She straightened her jacket, smoothed a hand over her hair and hurriedly applied a fresh coat of lipstick. After a tap at the door Miss Trucker walked in, followed by a tall good-looking man in his late-twenties. He was wearing a trench-style coat over a smart suit, and a trilby hat set at a jaunty angle covered his head of thick dark brown hair.
Jane made the introductions. ‘Mr Bowden, Miss Thomas. Mrs Thomas, the owner of the factory, was away abroad when Mr Swinton passed away so unexpectedly. In fact she isn’t back yet, so Miss Thomas is in charge of the place until her mother returns.’
Smiling, Mr Bowden walked towards her with one hand outstretched in greeting. After they had shaken hands he took off his hat and coat, which he gave to Jane to hang up for him, he said to Cait, ‘I was sorry to hear about Reg Swinton. He was a good man, a pleasure to have dealings with. I’ve never met a member of your family before so it’s nice to at last. Your mother obviously gives you far more credit that my father did when I was your age. He would never have allowed me the sort of responsibility your mother has given you in running this place. He wouldn’t even let me choose styles from our suppliers until he retired. Anyway, you’re obviously doing a first-class job of deputising for your mother as the firm seems to be running very smoothly to me.’
Cait told him, ‘I can assure you that it is only through the valiant efforts of Miss Trucker and the rest of the staff.’
Jane flashed a look at Cait which told her she appreciated this public recognition of what she was doing, over and above the call of duty. Then she asked Mr Bowden, ‘May I offer you any refreshments?’ She held out her hand to indicate a tray on Cait’s desk, holding a pot of tea and one of coffee, along with everything else needed to serve the drinks.
He shook his head. ‘No, thank you. If it’s all right with you, I’d prefer it if we got business out of the way first then I can relax while we have some lunch. I’m assuming you have laid on lunch as you always do?’
Jane told him that of course they had.
Cait meanwhile was inwardly panicking. Barely ten minutes had passed since she’d left Glen and he’d told her that he’d need fifteen to finish the job. If they went down to the showroom now he could still be working in there, and that wouldn’t do. Her mind raced for some way to keep Mr Bowden in her office for another five minutes but it was too late for that as he and Jane were already heading