Women of a Dangerous Age (34 page)

Bea went back to her office, fending off questions by inventing an urgent call she had to make. She needed a few moments on her own to think. She shut the door, feeling hurt and confused by the announcement. What did it really mean? What were the implications for her, as one of Stephen's appointments? She thought she did a good job as publishing director although, if she were honest, perhaps not quite as good a job as she once had. She was uncomfortably aware that recently she hadn't been responsible for as many sure-fire successes as in earlier days.

She picked up her phone and dialled Stephen. No reply. Had he left the building on Piers's coat-tails? That would be so like him. He always kept a strictly professional distance from his colleagues and would never stop and gossip. That was one of the things everyone respected him for. He knew every member of staff by name and would help or advise any of them at any time, but when the clock struck six, he shut the door on his office and went home. His professional and private lives were kept entirely separate. She tried his mobile. No reply.

She saw Stuart coming towards her office and swiftly picked up the phone again. When he popped his head round the door to invite her to come to the pub for a post-mortem, she signalled she was mid-conversation. ‘Hang on a minute,' she said to the dialling tone. ‘I've got quite a lot to do, Stu, so I think I'll finish up here first. If you're still there when I leave, I'll join you then.'

It was true. She had got a lot to do but she knew that there wasn't a cat's chance in hell of her doing it now. But she wanted to talk to Stephen if only she could find him. Once she could see the main office was deserted, she went along to his office on the off-chance and knocked quietly on the door.

‘Who is it?' He sounded exhausted.

‘Stephen, it's me, Bea.' She pushed open the door to see him sitting with his head in his hands, alone at the round table where he held meetings.

‘I'm so sorry, Bea.' He looked up and Bea could see he was as tired as he sounded. She hated to think it, but suddenly he looked old.

‘But what happened?' She went over to sit with him.

‘I wanted to tell you but Piers acted so fast, there was no time. He and the other Rockfast directors have obviously been planning something like this for ages and then Adam suddenly stepped into the frame. Piers knew I was ready to go, and as for Louis – a casualty of war, I'm afraid.' He ran his hand through his thinning grey hair. ‘Piers warned me on Monday that they were talking to Adam but I didn't take him seriously. Then he turned up here today and told me the plan. He'd even spoken to Sam and Louis during the week without mentioning it to me, swearing them to silence. I was just the last nail they needed to hammer in. Big pay-off. I couldn't say no.' Bea could see how shocked he was by the way his career had ended so abruptly and, more importantly, out of his control. Deciding to quit when it suited you was one thing. Being sacked according to someone else's agenda was quite different.

‘What do you think is going to happen? Is it going to be the long night of the P45s?' Bea moved over to the desk where she knew Stephen kept some whisky for emergencies in one of the drawers. Pulling the top one open, she took out the bottle and poured them both a large one. She sat down again.

‘Well, I'm going to have to play the game and show Adam the ropes but . . . honestly? Adam is bound to have his own ideas about how to run the place. I don't think the changes will end here.'

A penny half dropped. ‘Me?' Bea felt a rush of anxiety.

‘Maybe. But don't spend the weekend worrying. We'll just have to see what happens next week.' He downed his whisky in one gulp. ‘Bea, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to get off. I've got a lot of things to talk about at home.'

‘Of course. I've got to get back too.' Bea left Stephen as he took his old blue cord jacket from the back of his chair and picked up his battered leather book-bag.

‘Call me if you want to talk about anything over the weekend.'

‘Of course. Thanks.'

Back in her office, she sat thinking. Don't spend the weekend worrying. How could she not, for God's sake? On the other hand, nothing she could do would affect what happened next week, so best just to follow Stephen's example and go home. She didn't feel like joining the others at the pub although, by the time she got home, Ben would probably be on his way out for the night. That would give her time to think more carefully about her conversation with Stephen. On the verge of shutting down her computer, she registered the flashing icon that alerted her to new emails. Of course. She opened her mailbox. Before she went, there were two she wanted to check. First Let's Have Lunch. Their communication was brief.

Sod it. Why not? Life couldn't be much worse. Fine. I'll be there, she typed.

She opened the one from Mark.

What harm could one more meeting do? She'd go for a drink with him and see what happened. Besides, she told herself again, she must try not to judge too quickly. Give the guy a chance. She might at least try to get her full £125 worth.

Great she typed. I enjoyed lunch too. (A small white lie in the interest of good relations.) Let me know what time's best for you.

With that, she shut the screen down, grabbed the manuscript of the novel that she had to finish editing before meeting the author the following week, and walked out.