Heirs And Descendants Collection

7. Pink Carnations-2

All in all, a foxy glamorous-looking girl, and as you would well expect…I was looking forward to making her acquaintance. Her name was Katherine Friedal, and I was to introduce myself as me. He gave me no cover name, and I was surprised by that. I thought by now that, having run the gauntlet once, so to speak, I warranted cover this time. I texted him on the number that he had given me as a contact, and the message I got back only confirmed what he had already written. “Introduce yourself as Lord Paterson. That will be the name on the delegates list, it cannot be avoided.” I complained about it when I got back.”

Judith was alternating between both her books, but had not interrupted her writing, nor looked likely to. I watched her delicate fingers as her left hand drove that pen across the pages making many underlines or crossing-throughs, sometimes circling motions in a heavy hand as if to emphasis something already written. I carried on with my recollections.

“Industrial espionage was, and still is, rife in my line. An attractive women in the same business was especially dangerous, as she would understand any technical jargon that might be blurted out in the heat of the moment.”

She gave me one of the inquisitive stares that usually followed her idiosyncratic, "Hmm" one where her lips pouted, eyes widened, and she tilted her head to one side.

“That"s novel pillow talk, Harry…chemical formulae? I"m all aghast at what you get up to in bed with your conquests!”

The compulsion to respond to her irony with a "come and see" was strong, yet there was another impulse that restrained me more forcefully. A feeling of wanting to be liked by this women. Not in a s****l way, not really well, that"s what I told myself, but more in a respected, companionable way. It led me to lie: “Gorgeous, she was, but there was no way on this earth that I was going to get hooked up in any arrangement with her, and that you can take as gospel and verse!” I had my fingers crossed as I told it, and wished strangely that it was true.

“We met on that first evening, there was a reception held in a municipal building of some description. I"m not sure what it was called now, or the Department we were dealing with. I just tagged along with the others. Anyway, I helped myself to a drink and approached her. She was surrounded by other admiring men and obviously enjoying all the compliments they must have been showering her with. Me, being the irrepressible confident soul that I am, I figuratively dived into the ruck, and went searching for the ball.

“Hello…Katherine, isn"t it? The manager sent me over to ask you to leave; your absolute beauty, charm and radiance is making every other woman in the room look so terribly ugly. I"m Lord Harry Paterson, and if you would like to take my arm I"d be delighted to escort you anywhere else you"d like to go.”

“You cad you, fancy pulling rank like that! That"s some line, I"ve just got to say. Did she faint? I know I would have from embarrassment! Did you get away with it?” I had Judith"s visual attention this time, as she almost fell out of her fireside chair.

“It"s not original. I"d heard it somewhere and it was, honestly, the first time I"d used it.”

“Well, you"re not using it on me, Harry Paterson. How did it work on Kathy…a quick KO, or did you die from a slow death?”

“She took my arm, of course. Who wouldn"t have, apart from you?”

“Cut to the quick, H. Don"t feed me the images from the bedroom mirror, I"m hot enough already from the heat of this fire. What did she say?”

“I suppose you mean apart from the obvious…that I was fantastic, an Adonis, things like that.”

“Shame omnipotence can"t turn back time. Even the gods must suffer from slowing metabolism. The seams are showing on the costume, Harry, you"re only just about holding it together!”

I didn"t feel the need to reply, so I carried on. “She said: He will meet you in Moscow on the sixth of September, it is all arranged.” She also slipped something into my jacket pocket as I brushed against her, through the crowd at the bar, to get two more glasses of champagne. I have it here.”

He will meet you in Moscow on the sixth of September, it is all arrangedI laid the stiff blue envelope on the table and pushed it towards Judith, who opened it. Inside was a Visa card, the numbers corresponding with an account at the Impexbank of Russia. The account was in my name and had been opened one month before this Canadian meeting, but not by me. There was 250,000 roubles in it, about £5,000. More than enough for the two nights that someone had reserved for me at the National Hotel, opposite the Kremlin. Attached to the Hotel confirmation form was a leaflet promoting the Michel Jarre concert to be held on the evening of the sixth, celebrating the 850th anniversary of the founding of Moscow. There was a seating plan, centred on the performance stage. I was in row D1, seat number 101 an aisle seat, which I was thankful for, as I could stretch out my invalided knee.”

Judith was busy penning into her book, when she asked, “Did she work in the same business as you suspected?”

“No, she said she worked for CNN and was there covering the negotiations for her news channel. The release of the reserves of trapped oil would be big news, apparently, not just for the economy, but for the tree-huggers that I love so much.”

Still not looking at me, she asked, “So, you had no worries about discussing your work when you bedded her, then?”

“I"m getting a mite peeved at your questions into my private s****l affairs, Judith, and I can"t see the relevance, but I"ll answer it; of course I did!” My chivalrous intentions were goaded too far, and was not capable of continuing in this role of gallantry.

course“Thought so…you do run to form, H, don"t you? Where did you meet Trimble when you made your complaint, and what was his reaction?”

“We met in the back of a London cab. I"d taken the cab from the rank outside the Terminal at Heathrow, ostensibly to Eton Square, asking the driver to pick someone up on the way. Trimble, collar turned up, and wearing a tartan cap was in the Grenadier Pub, down a cul-de-sac off Belgrave Square. I had asked the driver to turn in. We waited a few minutes, glad handing outside the front but watching for followers, and when none appeared I paid the driver off. We walked through the front door of the pub into a courtyard at the rear, then out into Knightsbridge, catching another cab to Crockfords, in Curzon Street. As to my complaint, all he said was that I was in no danger, and to stop worrying.”

“Did that soothe your troubled mind?”

“That was all I got, so it had to…I had no other option.”

“Did he mention the photo at all?” she asked.

“Said he had a copy on file. He never mentioned the name though, of the file, that is.”

“Did she give you anything else, Harry like a card, or the means of getting in touch?”

“Yes, got it right here close to my heart.” I patted my breast pocket, then added, “Do you want it? Are you a bit jealous, Judith?”

“Hmm…no, Harry, but I"ll take a copy of the details that is, if you can part with it for a few seconds without passing out on me. Did you ever phone old Kathy, Harry, out of office hours, as it were?”

“Now who"s being insecure, Judith? I didn"t. I just knew that someday the two of us would meet, and I didn"t want her memory to jeopardise our mutual regard for one another.”

“Did you and Peter have a profitable evening, gaming at Crockfords, or did you come close to losing the Estate?”

“I don"t gamble Judith. I like sure things; only certainties.”

Abruptly the conversation finished as Judith"s mind was transfixed elsewhere.

* * *

“Right, now that"s out of the way, it"s time for me to change. I"m out tonight, old thing, something prearranged I just can"t get out off. No, you can take that silly look off your face, it is official business. I"ll be back in the wee small hours and I promise not to disturb you if you trust me with a key, or is it a swipe card you use to get into this fortress? Will you miss me?”

“I"ll count the seconds that we are apart. Can I help you change? Help with your buttons, or, perhaps choosing the dress? Something silky and sultry, I would think?” I had returned to my old self and felt much better for it.

“No, you can"t, and I think tweed and something woollen would be more suitable this evening. I feel a chill in my bones.”

“If you do feel like disturbing me, please do. Other than that I"ll hold my breath and wait for you at breakfast. Do hurry back.”