Once I Was A Soldier

Chapter Two

Chapter TwoLincoln's Inn, in Holborn, London, is the oldest and largest of the four Inns of Court which barristers of England and Wales belong to and where they are 'called to the Bar.' It is also recognised as having the most distinguished professional bodies of judges and lawyers counted amongst its number. This was where the offices of Belsize and Roberts were situated, which was an unusual fact as they were only mere solicitors, not their exalted cousins, barristers! However, apart from the Iversons they counted the names of some of the most prominent and dignified families in the land on their list of clients and in the world of solicitors there were none more respected than Lord Edwin Belsize and Sir Eli Roberts.

Melissa had phoned ahead arranging a late appointment at three-thirty pm and they in turn had scheduled a car to meet her at King's Cross railway station on her arrival. She was fortunate that the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly, the only hotel she had heard of, had vacancies, but made no mention of that on speaking to the reservation clerk. Melissa was not the kind of person who recognised luck as a commodity. To her, money bought everything and everyone, and the only fame that was necessary was the fame of success. Her chauffeur had dutifully waited whilst she deposited her overnight bag with Martin, the reservation clerk. His welcoming salutation was wasted on her. However, the one she received at Belsize and Roberts was not.

“Good day to you, Miss Iverson! Would we be wrong to assume you're here to discuss your father's will?”

The 'we' was used superfluously, as there was only herself and Lord Edwin Belsize in the oak-panelled room into which his secretary had escorted her. It was a large, high-ceilinged room smelling of wood polish with the overwhelming fragrant smell of the vanilla mustiness of paper, whereas Lord Belsize's secretary was a small woman who wore a strong almond scent which was not to Melissa's liking. It crossed her mind that she must constantly spray her clothing with it to distract from the solemnity of her surroundings.

“I have, yes, as I did say on the telephone! I understand that my father has put the assets of the family-owned company beyond my control, but what I do not know is where that leaves me financially. He knew of my plans to sell off the factories so I'm left believing it was a fit of anger that persuaded him to abandon them, leaving me with no alternative but to address that decision of his. He was, you understand, unhinged mentally after mother died and this led him to disregard his doctor's advice. In essence, Lord Belsize, he wilfully stopped taking his medication in order to die. In other words it's my suggestion he took his life whilst lonely and suffering from acute depression.” She stared at the phlegmatic solicitor who remained stolidly unmoved by her accusation.

“Have I to find work, or are there sufficient funds in place to avoid that degrading scenario whilst I challenge his will?” she asked as no reply was immediately forthcoming.

“Oh, we can assure you that your late father made more than adequate arrangements for your future, Miss Iverson. Handsome arrangements, I might add. You are an immensely wealthy young lady, and one I would advise against any dispute regarding this last will and testament. I myself took Mr Iverson's dictation and he showed no credible evidence of mental illness to my eyes. I would not be able to assist you if you do object to his wishes. Having made my position absolutely clear on that, shall we get down to facts and figures and forget about needless conjecture?”

Lord Edwin Belsize suggested as he invited Melissa to sit, offering her tea or coffee as he too sat with his finger poised over the buzzer connecting his rooms to those of his almond-smelling secretary. She chose tea which was dutifully carried into the room on a plain wooden tray alongside a red coloured, leather-bound file embossed with the gold leaf initials of A. I. stamped as the heading.

Belsize undid the lace side-fastening and passed the top paper copies to Melissa, who looked dubiously at them.

“Don't be frightened, my dear, they won't bite and they are after all, your future.”

“That's what I afraid of, Lord Belsize, my future I mean. I'm used to certain luxuries that the profits from the foundries paid for.”

He placed his reading glasses on his bulbous red-veined nose, pushing them forward and addressed Melissa looking over the rim.

“Please, call me Edwin. The use of my title puts me in mind of standing in front of the Lord Chief Justice waiting to be hauled over the coals for some misdemeanour on my part and him forgetting my name. Luckily that has not happened, but one never knows, does one! Having said that, let's get on with the business in hand.”

He was far from being a perfunctory man, but the professional that he was led him on occasions to be slightly cursory in his appraisal of situations.

“Your personal stock in the company accrues income along with voting rights as a preferential stockholder. The one thing you don't have now is your father's majority shareholding. The details of your holdings are set out quite clearly in the documentation before you. I'll start to go slowly through them if you're perfectly ready, Miss Iverson? If you need time to raise questions just interrupt and I'll explain.”

“Could we skip the legal jargon and get down to the basics, please? All I'm interested in is how much do I get and how do I get it? One trust fund was released to me when I turned twenty-one and I'm in receipt of another since the twenty-eighth of October just gone. But put the two together and quite frankly it's not very much if I'm to keep things going as they are. I take it that Iverson Hall is mine, Edwin?” She wasn't comfortable with that name but nevertheless used it.

“It is, Madam.”

“In that case my income comes nowhere near what I imagine to be the weekly cost of that rambling old house. The two that are employed there now are an overhead I could well do without. As for the heating and lighting bills they must come to an absolute fortune. Does the income from my shares amount to much, or are there other investments that Father made which would provide funds towards the annual charges of that house?”

“Ah, there you have me! I'm afraid accounting is not an expertise of mine, but I have the last balance sheet of the company and if subsequent years are much the same then your preferential stock will yield an income of somewhere in the region of two hundred and fifty-thousand pounds per annum. You hold, or will hold when all is settled, sixteen percent of stock in Iverson Iron and Steel. Depending on how you wish to manage your affairs some of your stock could be sold on the open market at a very reasonable price. This morning they stood at over seven pounds a share. However, if that was the course you chose then the income they generated would decrease pro rata! I would advise against the sale of assets, but before deciding on any route I would suggest you visit a reputable independent financial advisor. Mr Bateman has handled that sort of thing in the past, but as I always advised your late father, he has a vested interest in your money. An independent advisor would not. I can give you a list of the most reputable ones.

“Your father had a modicum of investment away from his company. A well distributed ownership of shares and three deposit accounts in separate high street banks along with his holdings in the bank in Leeds. His personal cash amounts to,” Belsize flicked through a few of the papers until he found the total that he needed, “Yes, I have it here! Seven hundred and seventy-four thousand, six-hundred and ninety-one pounds, eighty-five pence. That was the totalled amount that Bateman sent me today. He did, of course, receive an income as chairman of the company, a good income at that. I'm afraid that as you are not to succeed him then that source of money is no more.”

“Yes, I do realise that and must balance it against Iverson Hall's costs. That's all three deposit accounts you mentioned is it, or just the one at Leeds?” Melissa asked in a disappointed tone of voice.

“All three! Last year's income from the other shares I've mentioned realised one hundred and two thousand, four hundred pounds and change.”

“And how much are those shares worth on the open market?”

“For an exact figure, Miss Iverson, you would need the services of a broker. I'm sure that Bateman's bank would oversee that transaction. We did do a calculation on that matter for probate purposes in regard to inheritance taxation. You obviously fall into the catchment for that. Our estimation of all share and stock holdings away from the steel works that are transferable into your name was ….” Another pause and shuffle of papers preceded his announcement.

“Two million and ninety-three thousand pounds. There is then the property valuations to add to the taxable estate! Would you like another cup of tea, or shall I plough on as it were?” he offered courteously.

“If I did would it be added to your fees, Edwin, and if so can I afford one?” she asked, sounding truculent.

Belsize was offended by this remark. He was unaccustomed to being referred to as anything but honourable. Petty costs were never his style. As a practised orator he needed no physical show of annoyance to convey his feelings.

“Your cynicism is not only an unwelcome mannerism, it is also an unjust perspective. I have known your family for many, many years and consider myself as a friend along with being the legal advisor your father trusted. If you ever look into the photograph albums your mother was so keen to keep, then my portrait will be found in all the celebrations Albert and Margret shared. Including your christening. As long-standing trustees of your late father's estate our legal obligations are twofold: One; to be responsible for the implementation of the will as specified, and two; to advise our client as to their most advantageous legal position. I am dealing with both these requirements with the utmost dedication, Miss Iverson. A definitive answer to my question would suffice.”

“If you have a whisky that would do very nicely, thank you, and I'm sorry for my rudeness. It was uncalled for,” Melissa replied, suitably rebuked.

“In that case I will gladly join you,” Edwin added.

For a sturdily built man with most of his excess weight carried around his midriff, he was sprightly of foot, moving effortlessly from his commodious chair to the mahogany drinks cabinet beside one of the large floor-to-ceiling windows that fronted the centre of the grass expanse of the Inn. With a sure hand he poured from the tantalus thereon. After a few more minutes of detailed explanation of Melissa's wealth, the file was dispensed with and he addressed Melissa in a more sanguine tone, adopting her first name for his buoyant counselling.

“It is true to say that you have difficult times to face, Melissa. Being single, and may I add a very attractive young lady, along with being considerably wealthy, can lead to awkward decisions being faced before certain liaisons are fully entered into, but you are not naive or foolhardy I hope. All I can see for you is a very comfortable lifestyle ahead if managed with care and prudence. You will, I suggest, engage yourself in gainful employment at some stage. After all, the devil makes use of idle hands, Melissa, and with you he will have plenty of money to indulge himself.”

“I haven't long left full time education, sir. I do intend having some inactive time before I contemplate such a thing,” she replied without hesitation.

“I take it that you are unaware that the house in Chester Square, here in London, is already in your name?”

Melissa almost choked on hearing this, needing to cough as the single malt slid comfortably down her throat.

“I am completely unaware of that,” she said, withdrawing a handkerchief from her handbag to mop her lips. “I didn't know there was a London home. Mother used make excuses to come to London but I never once thought we might have a house here. I need to confess something to you. This is my first time in the capital!” she replied, touching her lips once more before placing her folded white handkerchief back in her bag.

“It was done to mitigate the death duties being levied on your father's estate if he was to survive Margret. Unfortunately, the taxes are punitive. The approximate value of all the assets that after probate and before tax will become yours is in excess of fifteen million pounds. That is a conservative estimation, and includes the current market value of Iverson Hall. It will rise considerably on valuation of the contents of the Hall. I believe there are some valuable works of art and books collected down the years.”

“Will that mean that the Hall will have to be sold?” she asked without emotion.

“Now there you may have a moral predicament. The two members of staff that live on the estate have been left a legacy in your father's will, but the amount would not be sufficient to purchase any property. It was bequeathed them on the tacit understanding they would remain in their accommodation until their deaths. Would you know if they own an independent property, or not?”

Melissa shook her head, adding, “Not as far as I'm aware, but I've never had much to do with them.”

“Hmm! A problem then! Mr Bateman would be in a better position than I to calculate the exact amount of tax owing on the estate, but from what I understand after speaking to him after your call, it seems highly likely that either the ownership of the Chester Square house, or the Hall would have to be sold to cover the sum due to settle the duties owing. Either way, Melissa, you are well provided for from your father's monetary investments and the cash in his and your mother's accounts.”

There was no hesitancy or confusion to her reply.

“I shall live in London,” she announced. “There is nothing for me in Yorkshire now, Lord Edwin. As I see it Iverson Hall was my mother and father's home along with the responsibility of the two servants they, not I, employed. If they are made homeless by my father's decision regarding his refusal to allow the foundries to be sold, then on his head be it. I want nothing to do with the place again. I shall not return. How long will all this take to be finalised?” she asked, finishing her drink and placing it on the papers on his desk as though it amounted to her seal on the event.

Looking troubled by her reply, he asked,

“Are you sure that you wouldn't care for more time to consider that decision? It has, after all, dire consequences for the two that are living in on the estate. Where are they to go? As I said, the legacy is not sufficient to purchase a property and I doubt they would have much savings.”

Her resolve was not shaken.

“I was not put on this earth to mollycoddle anyone. I'm here to make a life for myself and those who don't fit in can be jettisoned as far as I'm concerned. The Spencers are nothing to me. I hardly know them and I have no wish to change that relationship.”

“Were they not around when you were born, Miss Iverson?” Formality had replaced familiarity. “I was under the impression that they have been in the employ of your family for over forty years. Have they family that you know of where they could go, perhaps?”

“Yes, the time sounds about right. But what's that to me? Am I expected to take them under my wing and care for them in their final years at my expense? Should I train as a care nurse for the physically disabled? Because if so, then you and they are sadly mistaken. As far as family is concerned then I have absolutely no idea. I've never spoken to them on such matters and I'm not about to. The house they occupy is within seventy yards of the Hall. I cannot sell the Hall and not the house. No! I'm not going to spend time agonising over them. Everything apart from my private belongings will be sold. Let the Spencers find a retirement home. I'm to live in London and I instruct you to sell the Hall and contents, Lord Edwin.”

As the judicious solicitor looked straight into Melissa's eyes he saw the same grasping nature that her father had reluctantly accepted before he had died with his heart broken. Nevertheless, he considered it his duty to offer counselling.

“In my life I have both freely given advice and been generously paid for it. If I'm paid then it is entirely up to the client to accept or decline. My conscience is clear as to whether he, or she, does or does not. If, however, I'm asked to give advice on a personal level I feel aggrieved if that advice is ignored. As I'm still your legal advisor, and you, Miss Iverson, fall into that second category, it is your decision entirely what to do with what I'm about say.

“You are of an age where nothing is more important than tomorrow, and your tomorrows are as assured as anything can be, but I must tell you this. It is how one treats one's todays that makes one's tomorrows. I would never advise you to keep Iverson Hall, as that is clearly not to your advantage nor is it your choice as to where to live. That I completely understand. But I would sternly caution you not to disregard people as readily as you seem able. Maybe if you were to spend some time in reflection you could find an answer to Mr Joseph and Mrs Carol Spencer's dilemma, especially as they have faithfully served your family for so many years. Could they not, for example, serve you at Chester Square? Although it's not stated in the will, I know your late father would not wish to see them evicted in this way. He was a kind and caring man. I understand that there are several tied cottages on the estate further away from the Hall itself. If London is out of the question, could not the tenancy of one of those be made available for them? As a reward for past services.”

He was not permitted to expand on that proposal, as with defiant deliberation Melissa rose from the green velvet, padded hard-backed chair and fixed her gaze on the file lying closed under her glass on the desk before her.

“I thank you for your time, Lord Edwin, but not for your advice. It was not asked for nor welcome. My instructions are to sell Iverson Hall at the earliest convenience along with all with the freehold of those tied cottages. I am not concerned as to them being vacant or occupied. Close all accounts in my father's name and any under my mother's name, transferring everything to me. I will hold on to the shares in Iverson Iron and Steel. I will examine the other stocks and shares with a view to their future viability sometime after I'm settled into Chester Square. Notice to quit must be served on the Spencers forthwith. I want Christies to arrange for an inventory of the Hall to be drawn up with everything I no longer want going to auction. I will take a few pieces of furniture, my personal belongs and some paintings I'm fond of. I will arrange for the removal of those things as quickly as I can. If there are documents to sign I will sign them now and take my leave.”

He could argue no further as his hands were tied. On returning from accompanying Melissa to the exit of his chambers he summoned his secretary into his office.

“Ah, Joan! I need you to type some letters on behalf of Miss Melissa Iverson. One is not pleasant, I'm afraid. I doubt very much that this will be the last letter you will be typing on her behalf and also the last of an unpleasant nature. I can only hope that subsequent letters will be less punitive. Somehow or other I think we will be in touch with her more times than I would hope. Delay delivery of the notice to quit letter until the morning, Joan. The least we can do is give them a peaceful night.”

As Melissa alighted from the chauffeur-driven car at the steps to the Ritz Hotel she felt the unmistakable cold of winter approaching. As she reached the overhanging stone portico entrance it began to pour with rain but none fell on her. Had it done so, it would have had the same effect as if it fell on a bed of indurated clay. She had far more important things on her mind to think about than the inclement weather.

* * *

That same Wednesday evening Lord Belsize had dinner with his partner Sir Eli Roberts and their respective wives. The evening was meant to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary of being in partnership, but Edwin was far from being in a celebratory mood. He was melancholy and uncommunicative. His wife, Cynthia, tried to make excuses for her husband's disposition whilst she was alone with Sir Eli's wife in the Ladies' room.

“He's been like that since arriving home. I've tried to elicit a reason from him but he just clams up and won't explain. Has he said anything to Eli, Frances?” she enquired.

“Not something that Eli's mentioned to me, but he never speaks about work. He will probably liven up after a few glasses of wine. You worry too much, Cynthia.”

* * *

Joseph Spencer and his wife Carol received notice of the legacy that Albert Iverson had bestowed upon them the same day the notice to quit arrived at Iverson Hall by Special Delivery. That Thursday morning saw a collection of callers prior to that letter, all of whom puzzled the Spencers. First to arrive was the removal team of four burly men who presented the shocked Joseph with a list of personal belongings that Melissa wished to be collected and—'delivered to London, chum. An address in Belgravia', the tallest man curtly informed Joseph, whose eyes became glazed in puzzlement.

Carol was busy showing the second arrivals, three equally burly men, along with one bespectacled smaller one, around the Hall pointing out objects to the smaller man who then listed them on the reams of paper clipped to the hard board he carried and which he referred to. When Joseph found the time to open that letter from Belsize and Roberts, the last thing he expected was the instant termination of his and his wife's employment and residence. In the final paragraph of the two-paragraphed letter were these unbelievable words:

'You are hereby given notice to vacate the premises you presently occupy adjacent to Iverson Hall by midnight Thursday 23rd November 1992.'

“That's tonight, Joseph! This can't be right, surely?” Carol asked on checking the letter her husband had passed to her.

“I'll ring the solicitors and clear it up, Carol. Not even Melissa would be that wicked as to throw us out onto the street with such short notice,” he nervously replied.