‘Well, do pass on my best wishes to her.’
‘I will indeed, Dr Barrington. But I confess, neither of us could work out why you would want to see me, unless you’re on one of your well-known fund-raising drives, in which case I should remind you that British Petroleum has recently increased its annual grant to the Newnham College scholarship fund.’
Grace smiled. ‘You’re wearing the wrong hat, Sir James. I didn’t come to see the chairman of BP but the president of the Slade School of Fine Art.’
‘I’m still none the wiser.’
‘Try not to think of me as a Barrington, but as being related to several Cliftons, and one in particular, my great-niece Jessica, whose case I come to plead on her behalf.’
Sir James Neville’s warm and relaxed demeanour was quickly replaced with a sullen frown.
‘Even if you were Portia, I’m afraid your pleas would fall on deaf ears, Dr Barrington. The board voted unanimously to expel Miss Clifton from the Slade. Not only was she drunk, and possibly under the influence of drugs, when she was arrested, but she assaulted a police officer while in custody. I personally felt she was most fortunate not to have been charged, and even given a custodial sentence.’
‘But that’s the whole point, Sir James. She wasn’t charged, or sentenced.’
‘The young man who was driving the car at the time, if I remember correctly, was charged, given a heavy fine and deported.’
‘An older and much more sophisticated individual, with whom Jessica was unfortunately besotted.’
‘Quite possibly, Dr Barrington. But are you also aware that Miss Clifton’s scholarship was rescinded earlier this year after she was caught smoking marijuana on college premises?’
‘Yes, I am, Sir James. Jessica has told me everything that happened during the past year, and I can assure you she deeply regrets her actions, but if you reinstate her, she will not let you down a second time.’
‘Whose word do we have for that?’
‘Mine.’
Sir James hesitated, before saying, ‘I’m afraid it’s out of the question, Dr Barrington. Did Miss Clifton also mention that she only attended three lectures and seven classes last term, and during that time her work went from excellent to unacceptable?’
‘Yes, she did.’
‘And when her supervisor, Professor Howard, raised the matter with her, she told him, and I apologize for my language, to fuck off?’
‘And you’ve never resorted to such language, Sir James?’
‘Not when addressing my tutor, and I doubt if your great-niece has resorted to such language in front of you, Dr Barrington, or any other members of your family.’
‘So you’ve never known a student to rebel against what you and I would consider acceptable behaviour? After all, you have a son and two daughters of your own.’ Sir James was silenced for a moment, which allowed Grace to continue. ‘I’ve had the privilege of teaching many talented young women over the years, but rarely have I encountered one as gifted as my great-niece.’
‘Talent is not an excuse to flout college rules, while expecting everyone else to behave properly, as the principal clearly spelt out in his report on this unhappy state of affairs.’
‘In that same report, Sir James, Professor Howard addressed the board on Jessica’s behalf, and if I recall his words correctly, he said that she possessed a rare talent that should be nurtured, not stamped out.’
‘The board considered Professor Howard’s words most carefully before we came to our decision, and I’m afraid the attendant publicity left us with no choice but to—’
‘The attendant publicity, Sir James, was not caused by Jessica, but my sister Emma, my brother-in-law Harry, and even my brother, Giles Barrington.’
‘That is possibly the case, Dr Barrington, but the privilege of being brought up in such a remarkable family gives one added responsibility.’
‘So if Jessica had been the daughter of a single mother, whose father had deserted her, your whole attitude might have been different?’
Sir James rose angrily from his place. ‘I apologize, Dr Barrington, but I can see no purpose in prolonging this discussion. The board has made its decision, and I do not have the authority to overturn it.’
‘I’m loath to correct you, Sir James,’ said Grace, not rising from her seat, ‘but I think you’ll find, if you check the statutes of the Slade carefully, that rule 73b allows you to do just that.’
‘I don’t recall rule 73b,’ said Sir James, sinking back into his chair, ‘but I have a feeling you’re about to enlighten me.’
‘It is the president’s prerogative,’ said Grace calmly, ‘to overrule a board decision if he believes that there were extenuating circumstances that had not been taken into consideration at the time.’