The Printer and the Russians Daughter

By Terence Goodchild

Donald King is the son of Peter King who owns a printing company he takes Donald into the company and sends him on his first assignment to meet Gregory Pavaroni a Russian immigrant made good. There he meets Natalie the daughter of Gregory and falls madly in love with her, but she has other feelings towards Donald and play’s games with his mind, he cannot get her out of his mind and agrees to go horse riding with her one day, where she makes a fool out of him just for the hell of it, but not being out done still persists in trying to win her over, but it gets harder and harder until he meets all the family, then things begin to deeper
Donald is invited to a party where he meets Chance and Robin who are Natalie’s brothers one of them as a secret the father finds out the family is in turmoil Donald and Natalie become once again entwined. Their lives are complicated and Donald gives Natalie an ultimatum and walks away to forget her and start anew.
He meets Joanne a barmaid and takes up with her but one night while they are out a mugger confronts them and Joanne is killed, The police asks Donald to identify him he does this but the police ring him later to tell him the mugger has escaped custody and now knows Donald’s address. The detective suspect Donald of the beating but cannot prove it Natalie gives him an alibi so he won’t go to jail once again are involved and keep it a secret from their parents, and things again get out of hand with Natalie who now knows Donald is in love with her, but is she in love with him.
Donald’s father dies and turns his world around; The mugger turns up at Donald’s house where his mother is alone what happens next no one expected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terence Goodchild
• Release date: May 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463824641

Terence Goodchild

Terence J Goodchild I am an English writer born in Manchester in the north of England and now live in Tasmania with my wife on a farm with our horses. After travelling in Europe for many years my wife and I came to Australia for a holiday in 1981 and found that we could live in this country, so we migrated in 1988 to Melbourne, but now live in Tasmania. I have been writing for about 12 years, and have written 17 novels of fiction and about 100 poems that I may put in a book one day, I try and make my books somewhere the reader can escape to, and hope they enjoy my stories, I put in a few truths, just for spice to make it more interesting, and a few one liners, I put the characters in my stories of people I have met and places I have travelled to and write how I see things,

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Donald King is the son of Peter King who owns a printing company he takes Donald into the company and sends him on his first assignment to meet Gregory Pavaroni a Russian immigrant made good there he meets Natalie the daughter of Gregory and falls madly in love with her, but she has other feelings towards Donald and play’s games with his mind

Donald is invited to a party where he meets Chance and Robin who are Natalie’s brothers one of them as a secret the father finds out the family is in turmoil Donald and Natalie become once again entwined. Their lives are complicated and Donald gives Natalie an ultimatum and walks away to forget her and start anew.

He meets Joanne a barmaid and takes up with her but one night while they are out a mugger confronts them and Joanne is killed, The police asks Donald to identify him he does this but the police ring him later to tell him the mugger has escaped custody and now knows Donald’s address. The detective suspect Donald of the beating but cannot prove it Natalie gives him an alibi so he won’t go to jail once again are involved and keep it a secret from their parents.

Donald’s father dies and turns his world around; The mugger turns up at Donald’s house where his mother is alone what happens next no one expected.

THE PRINTER AND

THE RUSSIANS DAUGHTER

Donald King picked up the phone, ‘hello’ he said,

‘Donald.’ The voice answered, ‘it’s me Mary Holsworth from the solicitors, and how the hell do you find your office?’ Mary asked,

‘Where are you exactly?’ Donald replied.

‘I don’t really know, in a kind of room with barrels set out along the wall.’ Mary replied,

‘You have come in the wrong door you are in the ink storage room; you see the plastic curtain to your left of the room.’ Donald asked,

‘Yes, I see it.’ Mary replied.

‘Go through the curtain and turn right along the corridor that will bring you into the factory, my office is right in the corner, you cannot miss it the office is set in the roof you will see the light.’

‘Okay, Donald I will be with you shortly.’

Mary did as Donald asked, she went through the curtain turned right along the corridor and into the factory, it was very still the machines lay silent. Only last week when she came to the factory, they all hissed and clanged, but now lay silent like some wounded beasts, her heels clicked as she walked amongst them. She saw Donald switching on and off the lights like some stranded fisherman flashing out an SOS, then Donald waved, Mary waved back and put her phone into her briefcase and walked through the silent factory and up the stairs to Donald’s office.

‘Hello Mary, I did not expect you until tomorrow, what brings you out this way on a Sunday?’ Donald asked.

‘I was passing on my way to my parents and thought I would kill two birds with one stone, and brought you the transfer papers for you to sign.’

Donald looked at her, she was in her early forties and talking to her he had thought she had never married, and if she did she never mentioned it. She was plain but attractive and wore her suit in a very smart and tidy way; she had nice teeth and a sweet smile and loved her job, and by all accounts was very good at what she did.

‘You should not have bothered on a Sunday, tomorrow would have been fine.’ Donald replied.

‘No bother I go and see my parents at least once or twice a week, my mother is sick and my father is not a very good doctor or nurse, he tends to get side tracked and forgets to give her the tablets or he gives her two lots.’

‘I am sorry your mother is sick.’ Donald replied.

‘That’s okay Donald how could you know we were strangers up to last week.’

Donald felt a little strange at Mary’s remark and changed the subject.

‘Where are the papers you wish me to sign, I don’t want to detain you any longer than needs be.’ Donald asked. Mary handed Donald the papers, then handed him her pen, gold of course, he signed the papers and handed them back to her.

‘Here is your pen, it’s very nice Mary.’ Donald remarked.

‘Yes, it was a present off my father, he said you could measure the success of a person by the pen they write with, silly sod, anyway that is me finished must dash could you show me the way out please Donald.’ Mary asked

Donald led her through a different way she had come in,

‘That is where I went wrong.’ Mary said.

‘No matter you found the way.’ Donald took her into the car park where her new BMW was parked.

‘Well Donald I will see you next Thursday for the handover you will feel very strange handing the company your grandfather founded over to a group of shareholder, lets hope they make a good job of it.’

She shook his hand climbed into the car and was gone, leaving Donald alone with the thought.

***

He stood and looked up at the factory his grandfather Ralph had built and wondered if the old bugger was watching him.

He was seven years old when he stood on the same spot holding his father’s hand,

‘One day son this will be all yours.’

His father had said he had taken Donald into work with, as his mother had to go to some meeting or another or whatever she had planned for the day. His father took him by the hand and walked through the factory it was very noisy and the workers stared at Donald, Some smiled, others just looked at him the rest just carried on working not really caring if the boss and his son were walking through.

The machines whirred and clanked and paper shot everywhere along conveyer belts Donald held onto his father's hand, it scared him all this noise and he wanted to get out of it. They went into the office at the back of the factory the upstairs wasn’t built yet that came later when Donald was the boss. The first person to greet them was Alicia Carter his father's secretary, she greeted them with a smile.

‘Hello young man, how are you today.’ She knelt down in front of him and pinched his cheek, ‘What’s up cat got your tongue.’

She had a low cut jumper on and her ample breasts were nearly falling out, as they wobbled up and down they mesmerized Donald.

‘Come on give us a smile, wait till you are grown up all the girls will be chasing you I will bet.’

Donald could only muster a grin,

‘Can we have some tea, please Alicia.’ his father asked he could see his son was embarrassed

‘Yes, Mr King right away.’ She left them alone and went outside, Donald was glad she scared him to death all that wobbling and perfume.

‘Come on son sit here.’ his father pointed to a chair.

‘We will have some tea and biscuits and then I will show you around the factory, Donald sat there watching his father run the business, once or twice he would look up and give him a smile. It seemed like ages since he sat there waiting for his tea and biscuits. Donald’s father had brought him to work out of the way of his mother for some reason. It was Donald’s birthday and his father thought it would be a treat to take him into work with him, it left the mother at home to organize Donald’s birthday party, which he knew nothing about, he just thought she had a meeting of some sort.

Later that day they arrived home to see the driveway lined with balloons and streamers, Donald could not believe his eyes and when they got to the house the garden was full of all his friends from school and the surrounding area.

‘Father this is fantastic.’ Donald said.

‘Don’t thank me son it was your mother's idea.’ His father replied. The party was in full swing and Donald accepted all the present, but the last one was to be the best,

Alicia’s brother bred horses and Donald’s father had bought him a yearling to give him for this birthday, the colt was born last year on Donald’s birthday so it was fitting it would be his. It was instant love on both parts and would stay that way for many years until the horse broke its leg and had to be shot, It was as if his world had come to an end Donald did not want the horse to go to the dog meat processing plant and he asked his father, well begged his father to have it buried in the grounds this he agreed, then he could see it everyday.

At this point in his life he vowed if he ever had any money of his own he would like to have his own stud and breed horses.

***

When Donald grew up, his father took him into the company and taught him all he knew.

‘Well, son it is about time you did it on your own I have taught you all I know, and you have learned well. I need you to go and see a future customer and try if you can to persuade him to use our company for all his advertising and printing.

‘The mans name is Gregory Pavaroni, some kind of Russian peasant made good, I have heard by all accounts he is not a man to mess with and he is very straight, And this son is your finest hour if you can convince Pavaroni that our company is the one to use, I know I will be leaving the company in good hands when I am gone.’

Donald never spoke, what was his father thinking of did he have that much faith in his son that he could pull off this assignment on his own and what is this when I am gone rubbish did he know something he was not telling Donald.

‘You have something in common with Pavaroni he breeds race horses in his spare time,

Mind you I don’t know how anyone as successful as he is having any spare time, that is why I am sending you Donald and not one of my salesmen the family touch will appeal to him.’

‘Father, I have owned one horse it does not make me an expert on race horses.’ Donald replied.

‘Yes I know, but you can at least talk the same language as he can and besides you’re my son and this is your first assignment it will be good practice for the future.’

Donald knew what his father was trying to tell him so he resigned himself to the task.

***

The next morning he drove out of the family home and headed to his uncertain future, his father had thrown him in at the deep end and Donald had to prove to himself and to his father that the faith he had in him was not unfounded. The Gorky Stud, the sign read on the huge gates, the size of the gates told Donald this man knew what he wanted. And with his heart beating ten to the dozen he drove into the drive and headed up to the property, the drive was very long and Donald could see men sitting on top of race horses galloping around a track, these must be in training for some race.

I wonder what it is like to ride a race horse at that speed Donald thought it is a far cry from Windsong his little pony,

Donald carried on driving up the long gravel drive till he reached the house, some house Donald thought, just as he reached the front door a woman came out to greet him.

‘And who might you be young man.’ The woman asked.

‘My name is Donald King I have come to see Gregory Pavarovi, is that right.’ the woman laughed,

‘Pavaroni some people have trouble pronouncing my husband’s name, how do you think my parents went on when I brought him home. Hi, my name is Pamela, I know Pamela Pavaroni still what’s in a name come with my husband will be here shortly he usually comes up the house for lunch.’

Donald followed the woman into the house and through to the kitchen. ‘Please sit down Donald and I will make some tea.’

Donald sat on the bench near the door and watched the woman as she prepared lunch in the kitchen was warm and smelled of cooking. It was filled with pine and plates and things hanging from racks in the ceiling it was very homely, while he was deep in thought the back door burst open.

‘Mother, did you see did you, I got him to jump it was great.’ The girl was all excited and did not see Donald sitting there.

‘Natalie what have I told you boot’s off at the door.’ Her mother brought the excited girl down to earth.

‘Yes, but did you see me.’ She asked once more.

‘Sorry love I was at the front door now boot’s off lunch will be ready soon.’

The girl turned and saw Donald and his heart stopped beating, she was beautiful, her hair hung in her face, but through it he saw her green eyes and freckles she brushed her hair back off her face.

‘Hello who are you?’ She asked. Donald was speechless

‘This is Donald King he has come to see your father on business, now outside and take them boots off.’

She opened the door and smiled at Donald before going out of the door, his heart stopped once more.

‘You will have to excuse my daughter Donald she is very hot headed like her father.’ The woman said.

I would excuse her anything Donald thought,