Mortal Taste Read Free Page B

said, ‘It’s about the governors’ meeting at Greenwood Comp. last night.’
    Steve had known it would be. They never spoke about anything else. And yet Weatherly had specified Greenwood Comprehensive as if he needed to differentiate it from half a dozen other schools where he was a governor. Probably that came naturally to him; probably he was used to speaking in those terms about any enterprise in which he involved himself. Steve felt that he knew what was coming, but he said cautiously, ‘It seemed to me to go quite well.’
    â€˜Well enough, I suppose. School’s doing a good job, as far as I can tell.’ His short laugh indicated that he could tell quite far. ‘Surprisingly good, considering what those buggers are paid. I notice you didn’t say anything last night.’
    â€˜There didn’t seem to be much to say. The Head reported clearly enough on the present state of progress and answered the various queries without any hedging. I don’t believe in speaking just for the sake of it.’ That sounded a little barbed, as though he was getting at Weatherly, who had asked a couple of questions. Steve hadn’t intended that effect, but he was suddenly quite pleased with himself.
    â€˜He’s doing well, young Logan. We need to keep a tight rein on the bugger, though. We can’t leave it to the old farts from the Council.’
    Steve Fenton grinned. Archie Weatherly was speaking of local worthies who were perhaps five years younger than him. In terms of energy, though, he was probably right. ‘I thought the meeting went well enough, as you said. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
    â€˜I’ve made a living by fixing things. I think you should take the chair again, Fenton.’
    Steve wondered why he should find the use of his surname so irritating. It was probably no more than Weatherly’s public school habit from long ago. He thrust aside the consideration of whether a man from such a background should be now attempting to control the future of a state school. ‘I’m afraid I don’t feel I can reverse my decision. Two years as Chairman was enough. My own business is expanding and I really haven’t the time.’ He wondered if that sounded as unconvincing to Weatherly as it did to him. ‘In any case we couldn’t just reverse things like that. The new Chair has certainly done nothing wrong, and—’
    â€˜There’s no problem with that, Fenton. Just say the word and you’ll be back in the chair at the next meeting.’ As if he realized that sounded brutal, Weatherly added, ‘You’re the best man for the job, everyone knows that. You should never have stood down when you did.’
    â€˜I’m sorry. My decision is irreversible, I’m afraid.’
    â€˜You shouldn’t say that.’ Weatherly sounded piqued: he was not a man who was used to refusals. ‘Just say you’ll think about it and that will do for the moment.’
    Having refused to concede the main point, Steve had enough of the shrewd businessman in his own make-up to refuse the compromise as well. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that. As I explained at the time, I have two boys in the school myself. They’ll be coming up to GCSEs in due course. I’m happy to be a parent-governor of the school, but being Chairman could put me in an embarrassing position if a conflict of interests arose.’
    He was glad he had remembered that argument, however belatedly. As he had suspected, Weatherly did not really know enough about the state system and school governing bodies to argue the point in detail. The industrialist rumbled on for a few more sentences, but recognized that he could not dictate action to someone who was not on his pay-list. He eventually accepted failure with ill grace and rang off swiftly.
    Steve Fenton glanced at his watch and left half his cup of tea behind. The bloody man had made