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Authors: Daisy James
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as Rosie. ‘She was just about to get married to a great guy. She has a fabulous life stretching out before her. Jacob is her escape route, but he’s also yours, Rosie. At long last you can hand over the baton, relinquish your assumed responsibility for your adult sister, and get on with a life of your own. You’ve got to talk to her about this. Are you going to tell your father?’
Her response to this question would affect her whole future; her relationship not only with Freya but with her father. Jack idolised his youngest daughter, doted on her in an effort to make up for the loss of her mother at such a tender age. After all, Rosie had been about to turn eighteen when Rose had succumbed to the march of breast cancer, whilst Freya had been only eight.
‘No, it would destroy his sepia-tinted image of Freya and I couldn’t do that to either of them.’
Her heart flipped over for loading such pain on her friend’s shoulders when she had enough to think about with her IVF appointment only a few days away. Why should Lauren have to suffer for Giles’ despicable behaviour? She, on the other hand, deserved it. After all, she’d succumbed to a relationship with her boss. Heartache was the inevitable result.
And why should Lauren have been bullied into the role of bridesmaid for a girl she barely knew and had no respect for? Rosie’s fault again. Her inability to stand up for herself, especially in any matter pertaining to her sister, had led to another undeserved trauma. The realisation swayed Rosie’s balance and she was grateful she was sat down.
‘Rosie, I’m so sorry. But you don’t have to resign. In fact, that was the second thing I rang to tell you.’
‘Oh God, Lauren, I don’t think I can take any more shocks.’
‘It’s about the Baker-Colt deal you’ve just closed. At the finance meeting with George Harlow that took place immediately after you tendered your resignation, Giles tried to take the credit for your research and the purchase of those shares in the Wyoming Explorative Mining Company on their behalf.’
‘But how could he? He was always on his soapbox in the office about the ethics of investing in companies that engage in “ecologically questionable activities”. The company is currently engaged in a hydraulic fracking operation in Colorado in the hope of finding shale gas deposits.’
‘Well, it seems his environmental conscience doesn’t extend to situations where his monthly bonus is at stake. Giles only meets his monthly targets when he applies our figures to his own ledger, you know that.’
‘When he can get away with it,’ Rosie murmured.
‘That’s what I wanted to tell you. Toby was so furious after your resignation that he made sure George Harlow was in no doubt whatsoever that the Baker-Colt Trust was your deal and there had been no input, even supervisory, from Giles. He warned Giles that if he persisted in taking credit where none was due he would expose all his previous transgressions where the accounts were concerned.’
Rosie smiled as she conjured up a picture of Toby in full flow, squaring up to Giles, taking him to task for his misdemeanours. She knew Giles didn’t frighten him. In his frequently-expressed opinion, managers of meagre talents tended to belittle and denigrate others they recognised possessed superior ability. He saw Giles as a typical NYC shark, almost a cliché, and he’d no need, nor desire, to impress him. However, out of respect for Rosie, he had recently chosen to maintain his counsel on the subject of their boss. Like any close-knit family, her work colleagues knew when to steer a wide berth, when their support was required and when to turn up with a vanilla-spiced latte.
And Toby often offered her advice on the issue of love. ‘Don’t worry, Rosie. Logic dictates you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, especially now William is taken. But don’t despair, Harry is still available, if you like carrot tops!
Her response to this question would affect her whole future; her relationship not only with Freya but with her father. Jack idolised his youngest daughter, doted on her in an effort to make up for the loss of her mother at such a tender age. After all, Rosie had been about to turn eighteen when Rose had succumbed to the march of breast cancer, whilst Freya had been only eight.
‘No, it would destroy his sepia-tinted image of Freya and I couldn’t do that to either of them.’
Her heart flipped over for loading such pain on her friend’s shoulders when she had enough to think about with her IVF appointment only a few days away. Why should Lauren have to suffer for Giles’ despicable behaviour? She, on the other hand, deserved it. After all, she’d succumbed to a relationship with her boss. Heartache was the inevitable result.
And why should Lauren have been bullied into the role of bridesmaid for a girl she barely knew and had no respect for? Rosie’s fault again. Her inability to stand up for herself, especially in any matter pertaining to her sister, had led to another undeserved trauma. The realisation swayed Rosie’s balance and she was grateful she was sat down.
‘Rosie, I’m so sorry. But you don’t have to resign. In fact, that was the second thing I rang to tell you.’
‘Oh God, Lauren, I don’t think I can take any more shocks.’
‘It’s about the Baker-Colt deal you’ve just closed. At the finance meeting with George Harlow that took place immediately after you tendered your resignation, Giles tried to take the credit for your research and the purchase of those shares in the Wyoming Explorative Mining Company on their behalf.’
‘But how could he? He was always on his soapbox in the office about the ethics of investing in companies that engage in “ecologically questionable activities”. The company is currently engaged in a hydraulic fracking operation in Colorado in the hope of finding shale gas deposits.’
‘Well, it seems his environmental conscience doesn’t extend to situations where his monthly bonus is at stake. Giles only meets his monthly targets when he applies our figures to his own ledger, you know that.’
‘When he can get away with it,’ Rosie murmured.
‘That’s what I wanted to tell you. Toby was so furious after your resignation that he made sure George Harlow was in no doubt whatsoever that the Baker-Colt Trust was your deal and there had been no input, even supervisory, from Giles. He warned Giles that if he persisted in taking credit where none was due he would expose all his previous transgressions where the accounts were concerned.’
Rosie smiled as she conjured up a picture of Toby in full flow, squaring up to Giles, taking him to task for his misdemeanours. She knew Giles didn’t frighten him. In his frequently-expressed opinion, managers of meagre talents tended to belittle and denigrate others they recognised possessed superior ability. He saw Giles as a typical NYC shark, almost a cliché, and he’d no need, nor desire, to impress him. However, out of respect for Rosie, he had recently chosen to maintain his counsel on the subject of their boss. Like any close-knit family, her work colleagues knew when to steer a wide berth, when their support was required and when to turn up with a vanilla-spiced latte.
And Toby often offered her advice on the issue of love. ‘Don’t worry, Rosie. Logic dictates you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, especially now William is taken. But don’t despair, Harry is still available, if you like carrot tops!
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