Masters & Lovers Box Set One

The Sin of the Parent

Richard

Michael appears at the door of the conference room, wandering into my office, musing over some document he holds. “Who was Edward Haswell?”

James and I exchange startled glances. “Edward Haswell?” I say. “He was my father. Why would you ask?”

“Because according to this….” He holds up the document…. “…. forty years or so back, Beth's Uncle Albert was in business with one Edward Haswell.”

I stand without the intervention of my brain, all but snatching the yellowed paper from his hand. “Let me see that.”

A smile plays around his mouth. “It’s news to you I take it?”

“Good God, yes. I’d no idea there was any link between Elizabeth’s family and mine.” I flip through the pages, speed-reading as I go. Francis and James are also both standing. Francis, in deference perhaps to her position as my PA, is trying not to seem too intrigued. James, with no such qualms, is simply leaning in, trying to look over my shoulder.

“It is the same Edward Haswell, I suppose?” he asks.

“Yes,” I reply. “Just from what I can see here, this is a reference to my father’s company….” I flick back to the cover page which crackles with age. “What date….?” My mind spins…. “At this date, I was fifteen or sixteen at the time.” I pace the room, dredging for the memory. “I must have met him surely?” I’m muttering to myself, but everyone is listening.

“Really?” says James. “Can you remember him?”

I’m shaking my head, as though the movement will dislodge the memory. “No…. But I was effectively apprenticed to my father by then. He made sure I met all his business contacts. I must have met him.” Then to Michael, “Is there any more like this?”

He jerks his head back to the conference room. “Sure. There's a crate-load of it, in one of those wooden boxes Beth brought back. It all looks like business records.”

“May I see that? Would you mind?” asks James, gesturing at the document in my hand.

“Of course, yes…. No, better, Francis, can you make three…. No five…. copies of this and whatever else comes out of that crate that seems relevant. We’d better allow for the originals being ready to fall into dust…. How much is there of it, Michael?”

“As I said, a crate-load.”

“Francis?”

fingers. “If there’s so

“Um….” Michael hesitates.

“Yes?”

staff for this, you choose carefully

settles as I remember the original point of our meeting; the Triad learning that we have a spy in the camp; someone passing information to Klempner. I vacillate between the

should be careful, but perhaps we should mention

sucking in a

?

Elizabeth….

eyes at Charlotte, I

answers

I’d like you to come to my office. We have some interesting

“We?”

Now please. You’ll

them

“Of course, Francis.”

before reading a copy

to his nose, reading the file, flipping to the cover sheet first. “As you say, this more than forty years ago, but

A very good question….

is moving so fast…. “I have

The accountants and lawyers from that time have doubtless long retired. I haven’t a clue if anything of that age is still

burned to the ground in the

they would be ashes

rescue some records from the basement levels…. I'll see

“Thank you. And Francis?”

“Yes, Richard?”

have anything pressing

have a telephone appointment with Chancellor

can wait. He's asking for money. Re-schedule

Historical Buildings and Preservation