Page 106 of Vivacity
‘What makes you think your board would support it?’
‘Honestly, I’m cautiously optimistic. Dad aside, most of them are decent people who respect my leadership. Every one of them is a big fan of you and your father, and even your cocky little shitof a brother. I think they’ll be pretty aghast, but I’d expect them to choose the successor that will upset the markets the least, and I believe that’s you.’
‘Good to know. But I have to ask—how big a part of your motivation is down to the fact that this will fucking destroy your father?’
‘Not as much as you’d think. I’d never set out to destroy him. I’d rather just walk away. Disengage. But I can’t say I don’t feel a certain satisfaction that his shitty parenting methods have blown up in his face.’
‘You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t, mate.’ He blows out a breath. ‘Okay, a lot to think about. How about this—you stay for lunch, and I’ll get Dad in for a chat. I think it’s time we got him involved.’
Miles disappearsfor about twenty minutes, I assume to fully brief Charles before he joins us.
‘I hear you’re proposing a reverse takeover of sorts,’ Charles says after he’s shaken my hand. A friendly member of staff has been in to set a tureen of soup and a pile of turkey and ham sandwiches on the round dining table at the far end of the room. I usually try to avoid gluten, but it would be rude to decline these on every level. Not only is Miles’ hospitality far exceeding what he owes me, but they look delicious.
‘That’s essentially what it is. It’s unorthodox at this stage in the proceedings, but it’s not uncommon when the target is superior.’ I don’t say it as if I’m trying to blow smoke up his arse. I’m merely stating a fact.
‘Unorthodox it definitely is. And ballsy.’
I laugh grimly. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘The biggest problem that I foresee is not Miles taking the reins per se but the investors getting spooked that he’ll backtrack on the job cuts,’ Charles muses. He pulls up a chair, and we sit, too. As we tuck into the soup and sandwiches, we also get stuck into the finer points of how the announcement, the transaction, and the future of the combined entity could possibly work. It’s ambitious on all fronts, not least because I’ve totally blindsided poor old Miles.
‘I didn’t even know I wanted this,’ he groans at one point. ‘I’ve never even thought about it. I just wanted you to bugger off and leave us to run our company in peace. But now I see it, I can’t unsee it. Damn you, Kingsley.’
I chuckle. ‘Sorry, mate. I appreciate I’m handing you a hell of a burden.’
‘You’re handing me a royal mess, but it’s an itch I’ve got to scratch.’
‘You know,’ Charles says thoughtfully, ‘it’s a hell of a bombshell, and I appreciate you’re scrambling to find a solution that works for your family, as you absolutely should, but it’s genius, really. Not that you wouldn’t do a fine job running the company,’ he adds hurriedly. ‘Of course you would.’
‘Jamie’s the catalyst. But, like I told Miles, I’ve been having doubts for some time, and a few recent conversations I’ve had have been clarifying. I actually think it might be the best thing for the business.’
He nods. ‘It’s all very unconventional, but by appointing someone outside of your faction as your successor, you’re telling the market that you value finding the right person for the job. That should sit well.’
‘Talent over nepotism,’ I mutter.
‘You have talent, too.’ This from Miles.
‘Of course you do. And, while I wouldn’t want to be you when you propose this to your father, I can’t deny there’s a certain cycle that you’re breaking with this very courageous move.’
He’s too polite to say it, but I suspect thecyclehe’s referring to is that of the Kingsley men needing to dominate and destroy everything they touch.
‘I’m not proposing anything to him. I intend to fill the board in, appeal to every member individually, and get my votes in the bag before I politely inform him of my intentions. I’ll very much be telling, not asking.’
Miles presses his lips together in an unsuccessful attempt to hide a smirk. Charles laughs delightedly.
‘Oh boy, oh boy. I almost feel bad for him. His entire business empire, handed over to his arch nemesis.’
‘Don’t feel bad. He’s had it in for you for years. This takeover all came from him, you must know that. I’m just the idiot who went along with it.’ I pause. This is difficult, but it has to be said. ‘For what it’s worth, I really am incredibly sorry. For everything. I regret all of it.’
Charles’ expression grows sober. ‘We’re all adults, and we run public companies. This is the risk. We know that. Besides, he’s not an easy man to cross, your father. I wouldn’t like you to be too harsh on yourself.’ He shakes his head. ‘You were such a lovely little lad, back in the day. I remember you clearly, because you reminded me so much of Miles. So smart. So eager to please.
‘He was… he was hard on you. Very hard. Cruel, even. It was difficult to watch, sometimes, especially as a father of boys. So, to see you come here today when none of this can be remotely easy for you—it’s admirable. It really is. You’ve shown a great deal of principle, of integrity, and I know you’ll go on to make a great success of whatever you try next, if we get this thing over the finish line. If it’s not an overstep to say, I’m proud of you. Very proud.’
A hush falls over the table. I bow my head over my soup bowl, not trusting myself to speak for a moment.
I can’t be sure what memory, exactly, he’s recalling, whether it’s the investment club disaster or another of the humiliations I suffered at my father’s hands. For a moment, that ten-year-old version of me hovers right by my side. Coming from a man as noble, as fatherly, as Charles, this feels like nothing short of a benediction. A precious gift. The approval my father never gave, offered freely by the man whose family I tried to destroy.
He saw me then, and he sees me now, and he may not be my father, but he's twice the man Richard Kingsley has ever been. In this moment, I understand what I've been missing my entire life—and what Jamie deserves to have from me.
