it sent a shiver shimmying down his backbone. He’d have to let Yul in on this soon, he knew, but had yet to find a way of broaching the news about his contact and the potentially profitable connections. Harold knew it could make all the difference to Stonewylde’s economic future and was desperate to get the go-ahead from Yul. But Harold also knew Yul’s history, and in his heart he doubted that his dark-haired boss would ever accept this exciting proposal from Outside. And he might even be livid with Harold for all the undercover ground work he’d been engaged in for so long, trying to set this up.
Harold glanced at the connecting door to Yul’s office. He knew Yul and Sylvie had already returned, having heard them as they crossed the entrance hall. By the sound of their angry voices he guessed Yul would be back downstairs soon, sleeping alone on his sofa bed yet again. What had started last year as an occasional habit, necessitated by long and late hours, had increasingly become the norm. Harold had seen the empty bottles being removed from the office in the mornings and knew the marital situation wasn’t good.
But at least Yul’s increased alcohol consumption had meant less interference. As late night working had turned into late night drinking, Yul was allowing Harold more responsibility, giving him a free hand to set up new ideas and schemes. At least Yul understood that Stonewylde needed to move out of the dark ages and join the modern world, become a profit-making organisation and not just a turnip-producing country estate – which is how old die-hards like Clip and Martin would keep it, given the chance.
Harold smiled faintly as he tapped a key and a whole temple of columns appeared on the screen. He loved figures, loved profit analysis, loved the thrill of watching money grow. There was so much untapped potential at Stonewylde. Food and clothing were selling faster than they could be produced. The whole agricultural set-up of Stonewylde needed to be restructured this year; certain goods were so hot they sold out before even reaching the warehouse. And there was so much else to be developed. The stone at Quarrycleave was of beautiful quality. The water from the springhead was equal to any English spring water on the supermarket shelves, and Harold was looking into setting up a bottling plant above the Village to exploit this natural resource. And the Wildwood! The thought of it made Harold’s heart thump a little faster in his chest. This was virgin forest, utterly untouched, and covering vast acres. The wood in there must be worth a fortune, either in its lumber state or, better still, transformed by craftsmen into the highest quality furniture and goods.
Harold was still amazed at how much money was to be made in the luxury market, both at home and especially abroad. The Wildwood was a project he was intending to start soon, convinced he was on to a huge money-spinner. Free resources, free labour – almost pure profit. Yul could be persuaded he was sure, and now there was this other opportunity for partnership as well …
Harold pushed his chair back and stretched. Time for bed. It was late and the youngsters would soon be arriving home, noisy and drunk. He glanced around his office, smiling to himself a little. Several monitors lit the darkened room and the network hummed busily. Harold felt like the queen bee in a hive, sitting at the heart of the community and creating the wealth that fed everyone. All the students had computers linked to the network and at this very moment, thought Harold with uncharacteristic whimsy, they’d all be displaying the Stonewylde.com logo he’d designed – that curly, snake-like S. He felt a thrill of power.
Stonewylde was so huge, had such immense potential for development and so many resources that could be exploited. With Yul on board he could create vast wealth from the natural materials just lying around, like the stone, water and wood. And with the Villagers knuckling down and producing goods to order, he could make vast profits from the fruits of the earth – food, drink, leather, linen, wool. He let his imagination run free for a moment and saw himself at the head of a vast business enterprise utilising hundreds of people, all creating wealth from the natural resources of Stonewylde. And it wasn’t just a dream – it was fast becoming reality. All down to him,