His anguish enabled William to be calm.

'It certainly was not your fault, Alan,' he said firmly. 'You did everything you could, I know that, and now it's I who am going to need your help!

Alan Lloyd braced himself. 'Has Osborne been informed about your mother's death?'

'I neither know nor care!

'I've been trying to reach him all day about the investment. He left his office soon after ten this morning, and he hasn't been seen since!

'He'll turn up here sooner or later,' said William grimly.

After Alan Lloyd left, William and Matthew sat alone in the front room most of the night, dozing off and on. At four o'clock in the morning, William counted the chimes of the grandfather clock and thought that he heard a noise in the street. Matthew was staring out of the window down the drive.

William walked stiffly over to join him. They both watched Henry Osborne stagger across Louisburg Square with a half - full bottle in his hand. He fumbled with some keys for some time and finally appeared in the doorway, blinking dazedly at the two boys.

'I want Anne, not you. Why aren't you at school? I Don't want you,' he said, his voice thick and slurred, trying to push William aside. 'Where't AnneT 'My mother is dead,' said William quietly.

Henry Osborne looked at him stupidly for a few seconds. The incomprehension of his gaze snapped William's selfcontrol.

'Where were you when she needed a husband?' he shouted.

Still Osborne stood, swaying slightly. 'What about the baby?'

'Stillborn, a little girt.'

Henry Osborne slumped into a chair, drunken tears starting to run down his face. 'She lost my little baby?'

William was nearly incoherent with rage and grief. 'Your baby? Stop thinking about yourself for once,' he shouted. 'You know Doctor MacKenzie advised her against becoming pregnant again.'

'Expert in that as well, are we, like everything else? If you had minded your own fucking business~ I could have taken care of my own wife without your interference!

'And her money, it seems.'

'Money. You tight - fisted little bastard, I bet losing that hurts you more than anything else.'

'Get up,' William said between his teeth.

Henry Osborne pushed himself up, and smashed the bottle across the comer of the chair. Whisky splashed all over the carpet. He swayed towards William with the broken bottle in his raised hand. WWiam stood his ground while Matthew came between them and easily removed the bottle from the drunken man's grasp.

William pushed his friend aside and advanced until his face was only inches away from Henry Osbome's.

'Now, you listen to me and listen carefully. I want you out of this house in one hour. If I ever hear from you again in my life, I shall instigate a full legal investigation into what has happened to my mother's half million dollar investment in your firm, and I shall re - open my. research into who you really are and your past life in Chicago. If, on the other hand, I do not hear from you again, ever, I shall consider the ledger balanced and the matter closed. Now get out before I kill you.'

Ile two boys watched him leave, sobbing, incoherent and furious.

The next morning William paid a visit to the bank. He was diately shown into the chairman's office. Alan Lloyd was packing some documents into a briefcase.

He looked up, and handed a piece of paper to William without speaking. It was a short letter to all board members tendering his resignation as chairman of the bank.

'Could you ask your secretary to come in?' said William quietly.

'As you wish.'

Alan Lloyd pressed a button on the side of his desk, and a middle - aged, conservatively dressed lady entered the room from a side door.

~Good morning, Mr. Kane,' she said when she saw William. 'I was so sorry to learn about your mother!

'nank you,' said William. 'Has anyone else seen this letter F 'No, sir,' said the secretary. 'I was about to type twelve copies for Mr.

Lloyd to sign.'

'Well, don't type them, and please forget that this draft ever existed.

Never mention its existence to anyone, do you understandT She stared into those blue eyes of the sixteen - year - old boy. So like his father, she thought. 'Yes, Mr. Kane.' She left quietly closing the door.

Alan Lloyd looked up.

'Kane and Cabot doesn't need a new chairman at the moment, Alan. You did nothing my father would not have done in the same circumstances: ,ies not as easy as that,' Alan said.

vs as easy as that,' said William. 'We can discuss this again when I am twenty - one and not before. Until then I would be obliged if you would run my bank in your usual diplomatic and conservative manner. I want nothing of what has happened to be discussed outside this office. You will destroy any information you have on Henry Osborne and consider the matter closed.'