Chapter 29

Veronica lowered her sweet posterior into one of the comfortable chairs. She crossed her legs elegantly, reflecting how much less of those long and sleekly muscular thighs was on view than the day before, and looked uncertainly at her boss. Mr Travers got up from behind his desk and sat opposite her. His usually uncommunicative features melted into an unaccustomed and somewhat sinister smile. The contortions of his face as he tried to convey an uncharacteristic message of benevolence were almost frightening in their ineptitude.

"Would you like a drink, my dear Veronica? I know it's early in the day, but how about a spot of the old bubbly. Don't refuse!"

He got up and went into his secretary's sanctum, returning with a pair of glasses and a large bucket, in which reposed, among many lumps of ice, a large bottle of what Veronica recognised to be a very superior Champagne. This interview was very definitely NOT going the way she had anticipated!

After her boss had none too expertly opened the bottle and poured them both a glass, spilling a great deal of expensive sparkling wine upon the office's maroon coloured carpet in the process, he leaned back in his chair and laughed in a falsely casual way.

"Well, my exquisite Veronica! I suppose you wonder what this is all about. I'll come straight to the point. Yesterday, over a drink in the Lamb Tavern, where incidentally I had the pleasure of seeing your delightfully and splendidly less conventionally clothed self, I agreed with Wilkins that our two firms should merge as of pretty well immediate effect."

Veronica froze with horror and her heart started to work overtime. Sweat appeared on her brow and her head reeled dizzily. She had actually been seen by her boss in that ghastly outfit - or lack of an outfit by that time! What was the man playing at? Surely he should just sack her out of hand and not subject her to all this rigmarole?

He continued. "Well, it will mean a lot of changes, I fear - this merger. As you know, business is very slack lately and there is just about enough work between the two companies to support the staff of only one of them - if that. Wilkins has, very obligingly, agreed to fade into the background, leaving me in effective charge of the combined outfit. Benson and Fortescue, (Benson's opposite number, in Wilkins's outfit), are taking early retirement - unwillingly, but on generous enough terms. We both agreed that you should take over their combined jobs. It goes without saying that your pay will be considerably increased. - another £15,000 a year to start with. Alas, my dear young lady, there won't be any fat Christmas bonuses for a year or two, but things can't be as bad as this for ever. The darkest hour comes just before the dawn and all that! I'm sure that when the market picks itself up off the floor - in that happy time, you will do very well. You'll be worth millions by the time you're thirty! Guaranteed, my sweet, darling, talented and beautiful Veronica! Well! What have you got to say?"

His darling Veronica had very little say for some seconds and contented herself with sipping at her glass of champagne - not her favourite tipple by a long chalk, but a welcome corrective to the shock and mental turmoil she was experiencing. A few days ago she had been looking forward to redundancy and desperately clutching at the straw of Vane-Clatworthy's challenge and now she was on the threshold of a brilliant career! Quite a turn up for the book!

Finally she had enough confidence in her ability to talk with some kind of approximation to her normal voice. She cleared her throat and shook her head as if to clear away cobwebs.