The Iron Road Read Online Free

‘Mr Santana has a quite remarkable record of accomplishment.’
    James smiled, calmly meeting narrowed eyes as hard as two black pebbles in the moon-like face. ‘For one so young?’ As he voiced what he knew they were thinking, he sensed rather than heard the collective intake of breath. ‘Mr Brunel was but twenty-seven on his appointment as engineer for the Great Western Railway.’
    Ingram Coles nodded as the men exchanged glances. ‘Mr Brunel was a genius.’
    ‘Indeed he was,’ James agreed.
    ‘I see you do not lack confidence,’ Harold Vane observed.
    ‘I have no reason to,’ James responded evenly. ‘And would be of little use to you if I did.’
    ‘I say you are just the man we need, sir.’ Ingram Coles patted his horse’s neck. ‘We were all most impressed by the reference from your previous employer.’
    James’s lips twitched in an ironic smile. Don Xavier was a man of honour. A glowing testimonial and full payment in exchange for James’s immediate return to England. Young women, he’d explained, were impressionable, prone to exaggerating their feelings and imagining themselves in love. But regardless of James’s half-Spanish ancestry, an alliance was unthinkable. Not, he had added as James stiffened in protest, that Mr Santana had ever harboured any such idea. But he would surely understand that as heiress to a considerable fortune it was important Natalia marry a man of equal standing. His daughter knew her duty. She would quickly forget her foolish notions once James was no longer around. ‘
    I take it,’ James said, ‘that Mr Smallwood has officially vacated his position?’
    ‘Indeed he has,’ Harold Vane was grim. ‘He’s damn lucky we decided not to sue.’
    ‘That is all in the past.’ Ingram Coles’s voice held an unexpected hint of steel. ‘We must look to the future. So, Mr Santana, what do you require of us?’
    James scanned the works. ‘Copies of the surveys and plans.’ Then he turned his horse so he faced them. ‘Plus costings and details of fees paid.’
    Clinton Warne’s chin shot forward. ‘I really don’t see –’
    ‘Is that absolutely necessary?’ another of the directors, silent until now, demanded. ‘Surely it’s privileged information?’
    James simply waited, not justifying his request. He knew that at least half of them would have accepted bribes to ensure materials were purchased from particular companies. No doubt others had received a handsome commission for acting as agents in the purchase of land for the railway. But if he was to achieve what they wanted it wasn’t enough simply to reorganize and speed up construction of the line, he needed a detailed picture of the company’s finances.
    Harold Vane’s gaze lighted on him like a bird of prey. ‘As an employee of the company, Mr Santana is under an obligation to treat anything he may learn as absolutely confidential. Is that not so, Mr Santana?’
    ‘Of course. My sole concern is to get the railway built.’ He watched the directors visibly relax. ‘However, I see one immediate problem. It appears the track is being constructed for a broad gauge line.’
    ‘Naturally,’ Ingram Coles replied. ‘Broad gauge allows greater speed. More passengers and freight can be moved in a given time, which in turn generates higher revenue and therefore greater profit.’
    ‘Indeed,’ James nodded. ‘But Great Western is the only major company using broad gauge. This inevitably means delays when transferring to standard gauge lines. As many stretches of Great Western track now have an extra rail to allow use by rolling stock of both broad and standard gauge, would it not be prudent to lay the line as standard right from the start?’
    ‘I take your point, Mr Santana. Indeed I do, however –’
    ‘That decision is not ours to make.’ Harold Vane cut in once more, brusque and impatient. ‘The Act specifies broad gauge. As you have been abroad, Mr Santana, you may not be aware of the