"How terrible..." Laura said as she took a sip of her tea mug while she looked at Edith across the couch
"It is, but the medics said that it's most likely that initial impact with the first car knocked him unconscious, so he wasn't awake for anything thank God. Bertie is taking some small comfort from that." Edith tiredly said, this was her first chance to get into the office since they found out the news five days ago.
She found it impossible to leave his side, she knew he was sensitive, it was something she loved about him but seeing how effected he was by his cousin's death made her want to do everything possible to shield him from any unpleasantness.
She was there while he got over the shock and began to come terms that Peter was gone, she supported him while he insisted that he get a proper funeral while his mother wanted a 'small private affair so the press wouldn't have something to write about', Edith couldn't help be catch the disdainful look Mrs. Pelham gave her as she spat out the word 'press'.
Edith was always quick with a cup of tea and a willing ear when Bertie felt the need to speak about memories he had of Peter, anger at Peter for being so careless on the road, or grief that he had lost his closest and oldest friend.
"How is he? Bertie?"
"He's managing as best he can, but he is taking it awfully hard. Of course his mother has no sympathy, she's already chomping at the bit to have him take over the company in some coup, when anyone with eyes sees that he's still in mourning. Awful woman..."
Laura could hear the anger in Edith's voice and see her tense body language when speaking of Mrs. Pelham, she certainly didn't envy Edith for having to deal with that.
"...That's part of the reason I'm here though. For Bertie."
"Edith..." Laura started already knowing where Edith was heading
"I'm just asking that we push the story back a few weeks, until the earth is back under his feet again. I don't think he can handle this right now."
"Edith, as your friend I would be happy to. But as editor of this magazine I can't, we can't. We already have features lined up for after we first publish, we have TV and radio interviews scheduled. It's simply not possible. You know I like Bertie very much but we have to go through with this as planned."
Edith could see that Laura felt as if she was in tough position and enjoyed this situation just as much as she did. Edith reached over to grab her hand in a reassuring and friendly way.
"Deep down I know you're right, I just had to ask. But I do have to tell him, and tonight it seems."
"I really wish you wouldn't..."
"I know, but he's worth putting my journalistic integrity in question. I at least owe him honestly, and to learn from me first."
Laura gave her an empathetic smile
"You're a good woman Edith, good and brave. I hope Bertie can see what he has in you."
"You and me both."
"I have good news and bad news for you." Bertie looked up to see his mother shutting the door to his office and turning around to take her seat.
"Hello mother, I'm doing alright. Thank you for asking." Bertie sarcastically replied
"Bertie we don't have time for that nonsense, now do you want the good news or bad news first?"
"Good news, I've had enough bad news in a row this week."
His mother sat forward on her chair and tried and failed to stop the smile from spreading across her face.
"It's official. Peter named you his heir to his majority shares in the company, and I've secured enough votes from the board for them to name you the new CEO. You, my dear son are the new majority owner and CEO of Hexam Corporation."
Bertie couldn't help but stare at her in wonder
"Mother, Peter isn't even in the ground yet. How the hell did you find all this out?"
"I might have had the lawyers take a peek at his will, you know I never thought him sensible or very good at anything in particular but he did very well in this." Mrs. Pelham said conversationally sitting back in her chair and beaming at him
"Please don't speak about him like that." Bertie snapped and ran his hand over his face.
"I thought you'd be happy about this, it's what we always wanted for you."
"You wanted, mother! You wanted it!" Bertie was loosing his composure, Mrs. Pelham took the opportunity to switch tactics and demonstrate some rare motherly nuturing and walked around his side of the desk to take hold of his hand.
"Bertie, despite what you think I do know that you and Peter were good friends so it makes sense that he would trust you with this. He knew what everyone else does, that you are the best man for the job, he wanted this for you if something were to happen to him and sadly it did. I know you won't let him or us down."
Bertie was taken in by his mother's rare display of warmth and sheepishly lowered his voice
"I'm sorry for yelling, it's just that it's been a hard few days with Peter, and I think Edith might want a...break or something, I don't know."
Mrs. Pelham's coldness returned as she walked over to the window
"Well, that would make sense wouldn't it? She got what she wanted I'm sure."
"What are you talking about? What would Edith have wanted from me?"
As she turned around Bertie was almost frightened at the intense look of anger in his mother's eyes
"That's the bad news, your little journalist and her rag magazine are planning to publish an inflammatory story about us, this company. They tell me it will be on the newsstand by the end of the week. I'll wring her neck the next time I see her for using you like that."
Bertie's head was ringing by the news his mother had just told him, he had many questions and they all seemed to want to come out at once so his mind felt like it was in a jumble, his mother walked back to her seat as her voice dropped into a warning tone
"I've always told you that people will take anything they can from you. Maybe you'll learn your lesson from this, the stakes are about to get much higher."
As she was about to leave the office Bertie's mind snapped back into gear
"Hold on, what is this story about? What could be so interesting about plastic manufacturing?"
"It doesn't matter, it's about something everyone does but no one wants to admit. Our problem is that you gave that shameless opportunist a chance and she took it and ran."
"Mother I know a great deal about this company, but it seems I don't know everything. Tell me what it's about."
Mrs. Pelham could see the determination in her son's eyes
"Bertie, this is something you don't need to know about. Just know that I always did things in your best interest and that you need to keep as far away from that slut as you can manage."
Bertie forgot that he could move that fast but he was inches from his mother as she was backed against the door within seconds
"You are never to speak about Edith like that again, and you are going to tell me what hell has been going on behind my back and you're going to start right now."
Bertie stared cooly and calmly at his mother as she realized that her wouldn't allow her to leave with out getting a satisfactory answer
"We started loosing money, mostly in production when you were at the academy. It was decided to move facilities to a different region. People live differently there, the living standard is lower. So like all companies we paid them what they expected, and to better safeguard the our family's future some money might have been squirreled away every now and again. A few board members realized what I had been doing and I was able to persuade them that they could benefit as well."
"And a journalistic magazine is writing an exposé on us? Selling papers is a business like any other, so if I had to guess, knowing you and some of them we ran a sweatshop and embezzling operation. Is that correct?"
Bertie coldly asked as he backed away
"You can judge me all you want from your moral high ground but you have no idea what we had to do for your future, for our investors, for the good of everyone. But you damn well are going to figure it out soon enough. And if you think that precious...woman of yours didn't try and use you then you are more foolish than I thought."
Bertie returned to his chair worn out be all the revelations that had just taken place
"Get out. I expect to see you at Peter's service and to play the role of grieving aunt, but beyond that I want as little to do with you as possible."
Bertie looked up to see his mother wordlessly leaving while giving him a withering glare. This morning he thought there was no way this week was going to get worse, evidently he was wrong.
He took out his phone and typed a message to Edith
'We need to talk.'