Carole filled in, ‘Which is exactly why you want me to talk to her, isn’t it?’
‘Spot on.’
‘I’m not sure I like the idea of—’
‘I’ll get a pack of stuff together for you. Some biographical articles and what-have-you, photocopies of some of Esmond Chadleigh’s correspondence . . .’
‘Though none of the important stuff?’
‘Of course not. If Bracketts and its Trustees are positively antagonistic to Professor Teischbaum, we’ll make an enemy of her. This way we maintain cordial relations . . .’
‘And really give her no help at all?’
‘That’s it, Carole. Excellent. The Trustees have appointed you to liaise with her.’
‘No, they haven’t. You have.’
‘Professor Teischbaum doesn’t know that. All requests for information about Esmond Chadleigh and Bracketts must be channelled through you. And we solve our immediate problem very neatly.’
Carole was getting a bit sick of being steamrollered by dominant women. Her own character was strong too, and it was about time she asserted it.
‘I think that’s a bad idea, Gina. I’m sorry, I’m not going to do it.’
‘Oh, please.’ There was genuine entreaty in the young woman’s voice. ‘Please, you must.’
‘Why?’
‘Because if you don’t . . .’ Gina Locke sounded young and distinctly vulnerable.
‘What’ll happen?’
‘Sheila Cartwright will do it. She said, if the Trustees didn’t appoint a spokesman today, she’d talk to Professor Marla Teischbaum herself.’
And Carole Seddon realized she wasn’t the only one being steamrollered by dominant women.
‘So what about the dead body?’ she asked, effectively conceding that she would take the role appointed for her. ‘What’s the Trustees’ official line on that?’
‘I don’t think you’ll need an official line on that. It’s all still under wraps. Nobody except the people who witnessed the discovery and the police know anything about it.’
‘But it can’t stay that way for long. The press are going to get hold of the story soon.’
‘Hasn’t happened yet. Sheila’s influence with the Chief Constable really seems to be working.’ Even a sworn enemy like Gina couldn’t completely exclude admiration from her tone.
‘You haven’t even told the other Trustees about the body?’
‘I told Lord Beniston. Couldn’t avoid that. But he, with his military background, said the information should be spread on a strictly “need-to-know” basis. At the moment, in his view, none of the other Trustees do “need to know”. Which, I must say, is a great relief for me.’
‘Oh?’ Carole picked up the potential lapse of professionalism in Gina’s words. Was the Director about to say something else diminishing about her esteemed Trustees?
She was, but she couched it in relatively diplomatic terms. ‘It’s Graham Chadleigh-Bewes. He’d be on the phone instantly if he knew about it.’
‘For a long conversation?’
‘There is no such thing as a short conversation with Graham. In fact there’s hardly such a thing as a conversation. His favoured method of communication is the long monologue.’
‘So at least you’ve escaped that.’
‘On the subject of the skeleton, yes. Don’t worry, though, he’ll be on about something else before the day is out. Phone calls from Graham Chadleigh-Bewes are one of the drawbacks of my position here. Unfortunately,’ Gina said ruefully, ‘they weren’t mentioned in the job description.’
‘Or you might not have applied?’
‘Oh no, I’d still have applied.’ There was a new grit in the Director’s voice. ‘I’m going to make Bracketts work . . . in spite of any obstacles that may currently be in my way.’
‘Right, so, going back to my position on the skeleton, you’re pretty sure Professor Teischbaum won’t know anything about it?’
‘Positive. And, for heaven’s sake don’t tell her.’
‘I’m not entirely stupid,’ said Carole with some asperity.
‘Sorry. I’m just so
‘Spot on.’
‘I’m not sure I like the idea of—’
‘I’ll get a pack of stuff together for you. Some biographical articles and what-have-you, photocopies of some of Esmond Chadleigh’s correspondence . . .’
‘Though none of the important stuff?’
‘Of course not. If Bracketts and its Trustees are positively antagonistic to Professor Teischbaum, we’ll make an enemy of her. This way we maintain cordial relations . . .’
‘And really give her no help at all?’
‘That’s it, Carole. Excellent. The Trustees have appointed you to liaise with her.’
‘No, they haven’t. You have.’
‘Professor Teischbaum doesn’t know that. All requests for information about Esmond Chadleigh and Bracketts must be channelled through you. And we solve our immediate problem very neatly.’
Carole was getting a bit sick of being steamrollered by dominant women. Her own character was strong too, and it was about time she asserted it.
‘I think that’s a bad idea, Gina. I’m sorry, I’m not going to do it.’
‘Oh, please.’ There was genuine entreaty in the young woman’s voice. ‘Please, you must.’
‘Why?’
‘Because if you don’t . . .’ Gina Locke sounded young and distinctly vulnerable.
‘What’ll happen?’
‘Sheila Cartwright will do it. She said, if the Trustees didn’t appoint a spokesman today, she’d talk to Professor Marla Teischbaum herself.’
And Carole Seddon realized she wasn’t the only one being steamrollered by dominant women.
‘So what about the dead body?’ she asked, effectively conceding that she would take the role appointed for her. ‘What’s the Trustees’ official line on that?’
‘I don’t think you’ll need an official line on that. It’s all still under wraps. Nobody except the people who witnessed the discovery and the police know anything about it.’
‘But it can’t stay that way for long. The press are going to get hold of the story soon.’
‘Hasn’t happened yet. Sheila’s influence with the Chief Constable really seems to be working.’ Even a sworn enemy like Gina couldn’t completely exclude admiration from her tone.
‘You haven’t even told the other Trustees about the body?’
‘I told Lord Beniston. Couldn’t avoid that. But he, with his military background, said the information should be spread on a strictly “need-to-know” basis. At the moment, in his view, none of the other Trustees do “need to know”. Which, I must say, is a great relief for me.’
‘Oh?’ Carole picked up the potential lapse of professionalism in Gina’s words. Was the Director about to say something else diminishing about her esteemed Trustees?
She was, but she couched it in relatively diplomatic terms. ‘It’s Graham Chadleigh-Bewes. He’d be on the phone instantly if he knew about it.’
‘For a long conversation?’
‘There is no such thing as a short conversation with Graham. In fact there’s hardly such a thing as a conversation. His favoured method of communication is the long monologue.’
‘So at least you’ve escaped that.’
‘On the subject of the skeleton, yes. Don’t worry, though, he’ll be on about something else before the day is out. Phone calls from Graham Chadleigh-Bewes are one of the drawbacks of my position here. Unfortunately,’ Gina said ruefully, ‘they weren’t mentioned in the job description.’
‘Or you might not have applied?’
‘Oh no, I’d still have applied.’ There was a new grit in the Director’s voice. ‘I’m going to make Bracketts work . . . in spite of any obstacles that may currently be in my way.’
‘Right, so, going back to my position on the skeleton, you’re pretty sure Professor Teischbaum won’t know anything about it?’
‘Positive. And, for heaven’s sake don’t tell her.’
‘I’m not entirely stupid,’ said Carole with some asperity.
‘Sorry. I’m just so
Similar Books
