Edith rushed into The Sketch offices already late for a meeting with her editor and getting more behind the day by the minute
"There you are, I was just about to call." Laura Edmunds cheefully greeted as Edith finally came through the door
"I'm so sorry, there was a delay on the tube and everyone seems to be taking leisurly strolls this morning."
"Edith it's fine, you don't have to apologise. You do remember that you are my boss right?"
"I'd like to think of us more as partners but if you want to be more tyranical I can try." Edith joked as she took the seat on the opposite side of the desk
"Maybe try that with some of our writers?" Laura joked back as she readied some copies for Edith
"Just give me the word, speaking of how is that new one, Rodgers working out?"
"Very well in fact, she managed to get an interview with the new director of the Tate that looks promising, and she has some pretty decent ideas."
"Wonderful, so what did you want to speak to me about? Everything seems to be going well, you're not thinking of leaving are you?" Edith worridly asked
"No, no. Not at all..." Laura went to shut the door to give them more privacy "... I wanted to speak to you about a story we are planning to run. I think it's going to be big. Very big."
Edith was becoming more wary by the minute, they had great communication and trust and she could tell Laura was nervous about what she was trying to tell her
"Sounds good, Laura you seem a bit nervous. Is everything ok?"
"Yes, it is. But before I tell you, do you remember that investigative team that we sometimes buy stories from?"
"I remember that they do things their own way and don't have a lot of regard for publishers or people they deem as 'aristocrats' they made that very clear when I met them, but they certainly are good at their jobs."
Laura gave a tight smile and continued in a diplomatic tone
"Right, well they approached me some months ago with a lead, I thought it would make a good story and one that should see the light of day. They shopped it around and got turned down nearly everywhere else but the only stipulation was that I couldn't let you in on it until it was done."
"This is sounding more ominous by the minute, well what's it about? Don't tell me someone in my family is going around murdering people."
"No, Edith it's no one in your family." Laura took a deep breath before she began "It's the Hexam Corporation, apparently they are engaging in questionable labor practices in South East Asia."
Laura gave Edith time to comprehend the news, Edith sat back in her chair with a concerned look on her face.
"How questionable? And how long has this been going on?"
"Very questionable, extremely long hours and low pay, dangerous conditions, children being forced to work alongside their parents. Enough to warrant jail time possibly."
"Are you saying my boyfriend engages in slave labor and he could go to jail?" Edith harshy asked as she felt the room spin a bit
"No! The thing is that they've discovered only a few members of the board and one or two employees know about this. Apparently Peter Pelham isn't invested enough in the day to day to have caught on. And there are records showing that the numbers were altered before they were even reported to London."
Edith tried to take in all the information thrown at her and deal with the possibility that her kind Bertie could be involved in such a revolting practice, Laura could see Edith's mind swimming and cut in again
"Edith, the point of it was to claim more money for labor than they actually needed then launder that money through their factories back into their own pockets. So these people were cheating the whole company."
"Does Bertie have anything to do with it?"
"It doesn't look like it, this started years ago and with him just joining I doubt it. Plus his name never came up, he is no where to be found in all this, but it seems his mother might be."
"Oh, even better..." Edith rested her forehead in her hands "...my magazine is about to run a story that puts my boyfriend's mother in jail and ruins his name and company and probably will leave him without a job. That's bound to do wonders for out relationship."
"I'm sorry Edith, I hope you can understand why I didn't tell you." Laura tried to empathize.
"Would you have told me sooner if he was involved?" Edith lifted her head up to ask
"I don't know, probably. I'm not surprised he has nothing to do with it, he's a good man Edith but we can't let them keep doing this." Laura said already expecting Edith to argue not to run the story
"I know you're right." Edith dejectedly said "What if I tell just him so he has time to prepare? I expect Peter will need him a great deal."
"Edith, you know you can't do that, he'll want to protect his mother and she's the biggest fish in all this." Edith got up to steady herself and grab a cup of coffee
"I can't believe my luck, we get maybe one of the biggest stories of the year and it has Bertie and his family at the center. He'll never forgive me, and I can't blame him."
Laura rose and went to stand by Edith's side
"It's quite a pickle and I know how happy you are with him..."
"But I have a duty to my readers and society at large." Edith sadly said
"It's a big responsibility."
"I hate it sometimes."