Duplicity Ch. 02

Carol had the most amazing ability to turn the most mundane task or outing into an adventure. The trip to the farmer's market ended up in a full day of feeling, smelling and tasting a wide variety of produce, with her chatting away with total strangers as if she had known them for ages and me hanging for dear life and enjoying the ride.

By our sixth date - I had by now realized that any time spent with her, even going to church, was a 'date' - she asked me to take her to my apartment. Considering my total lack of sexual prowess I was extremely worried and when we entered my apartment I immediately stammered a confession to that effect. Carol laughed her bright little laugh, pulled me to the settee and sitting me down, and sat on the side table in front of me.

All of a sudden serious, she told me; "I am a virgin Peter. I intend being a virgin on my wedding night. I believe totally in the sanctity of marriage and I believe that sex should be limited to husband and wife. My father was a philanderer. It took my mother years to finally see him for what he was and even then, when he vanished, she turned to the bottle and steadily drank herself to death. His fucking around caused her death."

I was shocked. Not so much by what she was saying about her mother - I'd been enlightened by Mrs. Hammond months before - but by her vehemence and swearing. Before that moment I had never heard her swear.

She continued; "I understand people fall out of love, or get into a situation where the grass on the other side is just too green to withstand. But then get a damn divorce and don't try to excuse adultery with pithy excuses about staying together for the sake of your kids of whatever. A lot of children grow up with a single parent and most of them turn out quite well."

This had been the most serious discussion we had ever had and the afternoon became evening as we had our first frank talk about our hopes and expectations and by the time I took her home much, much later I had learnt that she deemed me to be a decent kisser. We had also decided that we were now officially dating, exclusive or whatever you wanted to call it.

I was in love.

At the start of our relationship Agnes had seemed a bit off regarding the whole thing, but as our lives together progressed, she seemed to thaw quite a bit and when I proposed, congratulated with what I saw as genuine pleasure. Carol in turn always seemed to be reserved in Agnes' presence, but I didn't give it a thought, assuming that Agnes being the 'big boss' was the cause of her restraint.

My relationship with Geoff and Marcy also returned to normal, following mutual apologies and as Carol and I grew closer, so did we with them.

We were married with little fanfare on a cold blistery morning. I did not miss the sun, the bride shone in my eyes and nothing else mattered.

I was in love and two years passed as a thought. Although we had decided to hold back on having kids - we both wanted at least two - I had begged Carol to stop working. The lease of the tenants in grandfather's, NO, our house, had expired and we moved in there when we came back from honeymoon. In pure Carol style she turned the rambling old place into a snug family home, decorating tastefully but not extravagantly.

I was in love and I was happy. I had also switched to tea, since Carol believed I was drinking way too much coffee. The only dark cloud in my otherwise happy life was the return of Agnes' cancer. On my 35th birthday I was officially appointed CEO of the company, more than five years ahead of Agnes' schedule. Her nephew Brad came back from wherever he had been 'studying' for some degree in the humanities and I struck an instant dislike in the charming young man.

I had taken up golf at Agnes' behest since she believed a decent handicap was as important to the performance of my duties as my doctorate and I had found I actually enjoyed my time out on the fairways and greens. I ran into Brad at the club often, he was living with his aunt and according to Mrs. Hammond didn't seem to be working or anything, but whatever was going on was between him and Agnes.

I was in love and I was happy.

A number of years before I first joined the company there had been bit of a stink with one of the managers trying to add to his income by illicit means. One of the internal auditors picked up on this and found herself blocked and threatened with dismissal when she tried to expose the man. The plucky woman would not bend to pressure and arrived at Agnes' house one morning, spilling the beans. Agnes sent the woman on extended leave with quite a bit of money and the suggestion that she might like to travel, and taking only Jeremiah into her confidence, employed a Private Investigator to see what dirt they could dig up.

After three months the police were called in and when the dust settled, two managers had been fired pending criminal charges, a number of other employees had resigned and the woman returned from her extended leave bearing a shiny new ring bought for her by Neil Hammond, a dour, reticent man that seemed to accept her incessant babbling as welcome white noise in his life. The fact that he was an above average engineer and the company just happened to need qualified people was just a happy happenstance and he joined the company with nary a ripple.

To prevent a recurrence, Agnes employed Deloitte to set up an anonymous tip/whistleblower line for the company, reports from which were routinely processed through Internal Audit in the person of Mrs. Hammond. Agnes believed in rewarding loyalty.

In the intervening years exactly one case of note had been reported, leading to an employee being given a verbal warning for abuse of sick leave. Which Mrs. Hammond had already known and informed HR about. Gossip seemed to flow to the woman the way rivers flow to the ocean.

One day, about six months after my heady ascension, I was busy planning a prolonged trip to the UK, when Agnes called, begging my forbearance. She was still actively involved in the physical running of the company, easing the transition to my leadership and paving the way for the company going public.

I was told that Jeremiah was coming back into town to perform her a personal service and that she'd tell me all about it when it was over, probably when I came back from the UK, but for now to please just bear with them. I was curious naturally, but Carol was coming to the UK with me and I was in love and happy. What more could I ask for?

I returned form the UK in a good mood. Excellent actually. We had been identified as one of the preferred bidders on the design and build of a 3rd generation nuclear power plant on the West Somerset Coast with a project value of between £25 and £26 billion. I was sure that Agnes' requesting my personal handling of the power plant negotiations had been one of the deciding factors in our favor, once again showing the insight of the woman.

Carol had used my free time to introduce me to the British 'butty' and I was in love and happy.

The first day back at the office my diary was booked for Agnes; which I had expected following the good news from the UK. What I did not expect was to walk into my office early in the morning, to find her already seated there with Jeremiah and Mrs. Hammond, all sitting in silence with severe faces.

Setting down my briefcase, I ventured a cautious good morning.

Not returning my greeting, Jeremiah spoke. "We received an anonymous tip on the whistleblower line that you have been having an affair and embezzling funds from the company."

I burst out laughing; "So that is what all the cloak and dagger has been about? You came to investigate me?" I was extremely relieved, following the shock of the three of them sitting there waiting like crows at a funeral.

Still laughing, I asked; "So who have I been having an affair with and how much did I take the company for?"

Realizing that I was the only once laughing was not a pleasant feeling. Uneasily I asked; "Don't tell me you actually believe any of that bullshit!"

"You've been cleared, of course", Jeremiah said somberly; "but the investigation brought to light something else..."

Mrs. Hammond burst our crying and barged into my private bathroom, slamming the door behind her. I looked at the two people sitting in front of me. People I respected and loved. Even Agnes had a tear in her eye and Jeremiah's voice sounded rough when he said; "Carol is having an affair."

To be continued