Masters And Lovers 1-4

Richard

Michael appears at the door of the conference room, wandering into my office, musing over some document he holds. “Who was Edward Haswell?”

James and I exchange startled glances. “Edward Haswell?” I say. “He was my father. Why would you ask?”

“Because according to this….” He holds up the document…. “…. forty years or so back, Beth's Uncle Albert was in business with one Edward Haswell.”

I stand without the intervention of my brain, all but snatching the yellowed paper from his hand. “Let me see that.”

A smile plays around his mouth. “It’s news to you I take it?”

“Good God, yes. I’d no idea there was any link between Elizabeth’s family and mine.” I flip through the pages, speed-reading as I go. Francis and James are also both standing. Francis, in deference perhaps to her position as my PA, is trying not to seem too intrigued. James, with no such qualms, is simply leaning in, trying to look over my shoulder.

“It is the same Edward Haswell, I suppose?” he asks.

“Yes,” I reply. “Just from what I can see here, this is a reference to my father’s company….” I flick back to the cover page which crackles with age. “What date….?” My mind spins…. “At this date, I was fifteen or sixteen at the time.” I pace the room, dredging for the memory. “I must have met him surely?” I’m muttering to myself, but everyone is listening.

“Really?” says James. “Can you remember him?”

I’m shaking my head, as though the movement will dislodge the memory. “No…. But I was effectively apprenticed to my father by then. He made sure I met all his business contacts. I must have met him.” Then to Michael, “Is there any more like this?”

He jerks his head back to the conference room. “Sure. There's a crate-load of it, in one of those wooden boxes Beth brought back. It all looks like business records.”

“May I see that? Would you mind?” asks James, gesturing at the document in my hand.

“Of course, yes…. No, better, Francis, can you make three…. No five…. copies of this and whatever else comes out of that crate that seems relevant. We’d better allow for the originals being ready to fall into dust…. How much is there of it, Michael?”

“As I said, a crate-load.”

“Francis?”

“I’ll be right on it, Richard.” She prises the aged document from my fingers. “If there’s so much information, I’ll get one of the office girls to come in….”

“Um….” Michael hesitates.

“Yes?”

that if you are going to use staff for this, you choose carefully who does the work. Remember where we started this

the camp; someone passing information to Klempner.

right,” says James. “We should be careful, but perhaps we

sucking

?

Elizabeth….

at Charlotte, I stab

answers

come to my office. We have

“We?”

Now please.

returns with duplicates still warm from the copier, handing them around, then glancing at me, the question

“Of course, Francis.”

reading a

sheet first. “As you say, this more than forty years ago, but these are Albert’s own files. Would the

A very good question….

fast…. “I have

have had their hands on this. The accountants and lawyers from that time have doubtless long retired. I haven’t a clue if anything of that age is still around.” She chews at a fingernail. “If it is, it will be....” Then she pauses, “…. Would have been in the archives

burned to the ground in the

they would

know. We did rescue some records from the basement levels…. I'll

“Thank you. And Francis?”

“Yes, Richard?”

have anything pressing in my

a telephone appointment with

can wait. He's asking for money. Re-schedule it for another day. Anyone

Women’s Historical Buildings and

be looking backwards. “I think you can postpone them as well then. I have plenty to keep me busy here. And