Sitting at the head of the library table, flanked by sons, a son-in-law and daughter, he felt himself to be playing a part in a charade at a Christmas party, and when he told Claire that he felt amateur in the role, she said, cheerfully, ‘Well, it always makes me a little edgy but if there’s an imbalance at those meetings it’s in your favour. Simon always votes with you, and you and that Rumble Patrick rehearse your approach to every item on the agenda before Andy gets here.’ ‘Yes, and he always arrives with Whiz’s proxy vote in his pocket, don’t forget that.’ ‘What of it? He keeps her in the picture and you don’t. As a matter of fact, I’m surprised that he takes the business as seriously as he does. It must seem very small beer to him these days. If you want my opinion he does it out of loyalty to you and the others.’ ‘I’d like to believe that, old girl, but knowing our post-war Andy I rather doubt it. Sometimes he reminds me of my father in his early scrapyard days, and then again, of your father when I was married to Grace.
