Almost a Crime by Penny Vincenzi Read Free Book Online

have been enormously worse.
    Their troubles were far from over even then; Felix
    Miller’s determination to move in on his son-in-law’s
    professional life, pushing clients his way, advising him on
    business strategy, offering him backing, was a constant
    crucifixion to both Tom and Octavia, and there had been endless conflict between the three of them. Octavia was
    particularly anguished, veering between love and gratitude
    to her father, and a desire to reassure him that she wanted
    him still to be a major part of her life, and loyalty to Tom
    and a passionate desire to see him prove himself.
    It was an ongoing problem, still unresolved. Felix,
    genuinely baffled by what he read as an entirely irrational
    pride, genuinely hurt by the continual rejection, took
    vengeance in a kind of truculent interference in his
    daughter’s personal and family life, and indeed her own
    professional conduct, for she, too, had refused to take
    money from him, had raised the money for shares in Capital
    C from her own bank. Octavia was able to endure it
    because she loved Felix so dearly, but it was an endurance,
    and getting no easier…
     
    ‘Octavia,’ said Felix Miller’s voice now. ‘I really do want to
    speak to you. Ring me back, please, whenever you get in.’
    Octavia jumped. She had been so lost in the contemplation
    of her life that she had not even heard the phone
    on her desk ring. She was surprised at herself; she must
    have been very disturbed by Michael Carlton’s words. By
    the whole complex Carlton issue; the development, her
    charity …
    She sighed, waited for a while, wishing she could ignore
    the instruction, but she knew she couldn’t. The habit of
    obedience to her father was impossible to break. She
    pressed the button that automatically dialled him. It was
    picked up immediately.
    ‘Felix Miller.’
    ‘Hi, Dad. Sorry, I was in the loo.’
    ‘How long have you been home?’
    As always, she felt nervy at the inquisition. ‘Not long,’
    she said. ‘Why?’
    ‘Because I left a message with that nanny of yours to ring
    me. Didn’t she give it to you?’
    ‘Yes, Dad, she gave it to me. But I did have a few things to do. I’ve only been in just over an hour. I wanted to see my children, make myself a cup of tea—’
    ‘Yes, all right.’ He didn’t like those sorts of excuses.
    ‘Well, as long as you got the message. It was important. Are
    you all right? You sound a bit — odd.’
    ‘I’m fine,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m tired, obviously—’
    ‘You work too hard,’ he said. ‘It’s ridiculous. Your job’s
    all right, I suppose, but not all these out-of-hours things you
    do with Tom. He asks too much of you.’
    ‘Daddy, it’s no more than any wife would do.’
    ‘Yes, but any wife doesn’t work all the hours God sends
    as well.’
    ‘But that’s my choice. I can’t help it, I seem to need to
    work. No prizes for guessing who I get that from.’
    ‘No, maybe not. Well, how about a good holiday? That
    might help. Give you a bit of time with the children.
    Maybe you should go alone, without Tom. You could
    come and stay with me at the cottage.’ The cottage was an
    exquisite small house in Barbados, right on the beach.
    ‘Daddy, honestly. You’re not exactly subtle.’
    ‘I don’t pretend to be subtle. It would still do you good.
    Think about it.’
    ‘honestly I can’t. Much too busy.’
    ‘You really ought to look after yourself. Shortsighted not
    to. You’re no good to anyone if you’re exhausted. Anyway,
    I want you to get Tom to ring me urgently. Got a possible
    project for him.’
    ‘What’s that?’ she said, knowing she had to ask,
    otherwise he would upbraid her for taking no interest in
    him, in what he could do for Tom and his company.
    ‘Oh, colleague of mine. Involved in a big takeover.
    Someone’s after his company. He’d like some advice,
    wonders whether he can get the Monopolies boys involved.
    Name’s Cadogan, nice chap, you’d like him. So anyway,