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.We are hoteliers by trade and have shown a seventeen percent return on our money over the past thirty years.If we loaned you forty-five million, could you pay it back in five years at fifteen percent?" Richard hesitated, scribbled some figures on the pad in front of him and checked his file before he spoke."Yes, I am confident we could repay every penny in five years, even assuming the African contract is a total write-off," he said quietly."I think we must treat the contract precisely that way," said George."My informants tell me that the former head of state, King Erobo, has escaped to London and taken up residence at Claridge's and is looking at a house that's for sale in Chelsea Square.It appears he has more money stash ' ed away in Switz erland than anyone other than the Shah, so I feel he's unlikely230THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTERto return to Africa in a hurry-and I can't say I blame him." Richard tried to smile as George continued."Subject to all you have told us being confirmed by the Baron's auditors, I agree to covering ~he African loan on the terms stated, and I wish you luck, Richard.I'll also let you in on a little secret: Abel didn't like Ji&e Thomas any more than you do, which is what tipped the balance for me." George closed his file.I hope you will both excuse me now as I have a lunch appointment with Conrad Hilton and he has never once been late in thirty years." When George had closed the door behind him, Richard turned to Florentyna."Jesus, whose side does he think he's on?" '~Ours," replied Florentyna."Now I know why my father happily trusted him to run the Group while he went off to fight the German,,." A statement in The Wall Street Journal the following day confirming that the Baron Group had underwritten Lester's loans caused the bank's stocks to rise again, and Richard settled down to what be called "my five years of drudgery." "What are you going to do about Jake Thomas?" "Ignore him," said Richard."Time is on my side.No bank in New York will employ him once it's known he is willing to run to the press whenever he has a disagreement with his past employe~rs." "But how will anyone ever find out?" "Darling, if The Wall Street Journal knows, everybody knows." Richard turned out to be right; the whole story was repeated back to him over a lunch he had with a director of Bankers Trust only a week later.The director went on to remark, "That man's broken the golden rule of banking.From now on, he'll find it hard to open a checking account." William recovered from his bums far more quickly than Florentyna had expected and returned to school a few days later with a scar on his handloo small to impress his friends.For the first feNk days after the accident Annabel looked away every time she saw the scar and seemed genuinely contrite."Do you think he's forgiven me?" she asked her mother."Of course, my darling.William is just like his fatherforgets any quarrel by the next morning."Florentyna considered that the time had come for her to make a tour of the Baron hotels in Europe.Her staff worked out a detailed itinerary that took in Rome, Paris, Madrid, Lis-The Present: 1968-1982 231bon, West Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, London and even Warsaw.She felt a new confidence in leaving George in controi, she told Richard as they were driven to the airport.He agreed and then reminded Florentyna that they had never been apart for as long as three weeks since the day they had met."You'll survive, darling." "I'll Iniss you, Jessie." "Now, don't you get all sentimental.You know that I have to work for the rest of my life to make sure that my husband can continue posing as chairman of a New York bank." "I love you," said Richard."I love you too," said Florentyna."But you still owe me forty-five million and fifty-six dollars." "Where does the fifty-six come from?" said Richard."From our (lays in San Francisco.You've never repaid me that fifty-six dollars I lent you before we were married." "You said it was a dowry." "No, you said it was a dowry.I said it was a loan.I think I'll have to take George's advice about how it should be repaid as soon as I ieturn.Perhaps fifteen percent over five years would seem reasonable, Mr.Kane, which means you must now owe me around four hundred dollars." She leaned up and kissed him goodbye.Richard wai driven back to New York by the chauffeur and on arrival at his office he immediately phoned Cartier's in London.He gave clear instructions as to what he required and said it had to be ready in eighteen days.When the time had come for Richard to prepare his annual general report for the bank, the red African figure maddened him.Without it, Lester's would have shown a healthy profit: so much for hoping he would beat Jake Thomas's figures in his first year.All that the stockholders would remember was a thumping loss compared with 1970.Richard followed Florentyna's detailed schedule with interest every day and made sure he caught up with her by phone at least once in every capital.She seemed pleased by most of what she had seen, and although she had a few ideas for changes, she had to admit that the hotels on the Continent were well run by the Group's European directors.Any excess expenditure had been caused by her own demands for higher standards of architecture.When she phoned from Paris, Richard passed on the news that William had won the class mathematics prize and that he was now confident that his son would be accepted232TiiE PROMAL DAUGHTERby St.Paul's.And since the hot water incident Annabel had tried a little harder at school and had even scraped herself off the bottom of the class.It was the best news Richard had given her."Where's your next stop?" Richard asked."London," she replied."Great.I've got a feeling I know someone you'll want to call when you're there," he said with a chuckle, and went to bed feeling better than he had for some days.He heard from Florentyna much earlier than he had expected.Around six o'clock the next morning, Richard was in a deep sleep, dreaming that he and Major Abanjo were having a shoot-out Richard pulled the trigger, the bullet fired off.Then the phone rang.He woke up and lifted the receiver, expecting to hear Major Abanjo's last words."I love you." "What?" he said."I love vou." "Jessie.do you know what time it is?" "A few rninutes after twelve." "It's eigit minutes past six in New York." "I only wanted to tell you how much I love my diamond brooch." Richard smiled."I'm going to wear it to lunch with Sir Colin and Lady Emson.They're due any minute to take me to the Mirabelle, so I must say goodbye.Talk to you tornorrow-my today." "You're a nut." "By the way, I don't know if it's of any interest to you, but there's a reporter on the midday news here in England saying something about a certain Major Abanjo being killed in a countercoup in some Central African state and the old king returning home tomorrow to a hero's welcome." "What? ' "The king is just being interviewed now so I'll repeat what he's saying.'My government intends to honor all the debts it has incurred with our friends in the Western world."' "What?" repeated Richard, once again, "He looks like such a nice fellow now that he's got the crown back on his head.Good night, Mr.Kane.Sleep well."As Richard was leaping up and down on his bed, there was a knock on Florentyna's door, and Sir Colin and Lady Emson came into her suite
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