Once Margaret was sure that no financial disaster was about to occur, for she could imagine no other reason for his business to enter their home life, Margaret would only listen for the opportunity to break into the conversation so she could excuse herself and leave the room. This evening, Andrew and Brett were so engrossed in the latest acquisition of Stover Enterprises that Margaret gulped down the remainder of her drink and stood up from the chair. Without saying a word, she turned to quietly leave the room, but her movement stopped the discussion long enough for Andrew to rise out of his chair.
“Please, don't bother,” Margaret said quickly. “You must excuse me, I have a few things to attend to. Don't let me interrupt your discussion. It's been a great pleasure meeting you,” she added nodding toward Andrew Hewitt. He bowed politely to her as she left the room without saying a word.
Margaret closed the door of the den behind her and she walked in an even pace across the hall to the stairway. She moved like a little girl practicing a walk while balancing books on the top of her head but with Margaret, the smooth motion could only be described as exciting and sensuous. Her face always had the appearance of a proud movie star, the quality of being very sure of her self, and that mixed with the slender lines of her voluptuous body made her extremely exciting to look at. Her forty-eight years didn't show on the surface and for that reason she always had a very youthful glow. Her long, jet-black hair was piled on top of her head, and it blended well with her soft features and long, swan-like neck. Margaret's walk suited her as her gracefully sleek body was like that of a high fashion model. Yet she was curvy and soft beneath her Paris clothes.
At the bottom of the stairway, she looked around surreptitiously, then ran up the stairs like a bat out of hell! Moving fast, but quietly on the plush carpeting, she entered the room directly above the den where Brett and Andrew were still talking. Locking the door, she crossed the room to the comer where a thin grating ran along the lower wall. It was part of the air conditioning system that Brett had ordered installed when the house had been remodeled a few years ago. It was also like a public address system for any and all conversations in the room below and Margaret would often go to it after she had left the library to see if anything was being said that she didn't know about.
Margaret wasn't really an eavesdropper by nature, but her curiosity sometimes got the best of her. She had an insatiable desire to know what people talked about and it stemmed from her own unhappiness and loss of dignity. She fully expected to hear nothing except boring business details about Stover acquisitions, but she wanted to hear just what was said.
Margaret turned the chair near the vent so that she could make herself comfortable while listening to the conversation in the den below. She wasn't at all surprised to hear them still talking along the same lines as when she had left. Andrew Hewitt was new to the company and would be expected to try to make a good impression on his new employer. But Margaret knew Brett too well to believe that he only had Andrew over to discuss business that could have been taken care of during the day. She knew that the conversation would change soon and she was ready to wait until something was said about her. She didn't have to wait.
After a few minutes she could hear her husband moving to the bar and pouring fresh drinks. Andrew was talking all the time, but then Brett said something she couldn't quite catch, until Andrew stopped talking.
“That's what I pay you a large salary for! You wouldn't be a valuable asset to my business if I could change your mind!” Brett's voice boomed up through the air vent. Margaret recognized Brett's old tactic of offhandedly complimenting someone before he asked for a favor. Somehow the favors Brett requested always sounded like an order which demanded to be carried out.
There was silence for a long minute and she thought they were sipping at their drinks. She pressed her ear closer to the vent to be sure they weren't whispering and satisfied, Margaret relaxed to wait for the conversation to continue.
“Are you settled in your new house, Andy?” Brett asked after a moment. He was turning the conversation on a more personal approach.
“Yes, we have. Actually, Anita has been wanting to renovate, but that will come with time,” Andrew answered. What he meant to say was that he couldn't afford to make changes in his new home at the present time.
Brett was aware that Andrew Hewitt had overextended himself by moving into Northport, Long Island, and that was exactly the sort of thing that made Brett Stover happy. He liked his employees to be dependent on their jobs. Brett, of course, had power in many different ways but he especially liked to have people dependent upon him for his money. When he hired Andrew Hewitt, he knew that he would instantly put himself into a situation such as the huge house and chauffeur that made him easy prey for Brett. If Andrew lost his position with Brett suddenly, he would have difficult financial worries. Andrew had been relatively conservative with his money until he married his young wife. Then everything changed, as Anita was a voraciously demanding spender who could make Andrew do just as she wanted. Brett Stover saw this in Anita Hewitt and it was just the sort of situation that he could really appreciate.
“Yes, I'm sure she could do a lot for that old house,” Brett agreed. “Care for another drink?” he asked, to change the subject. He walked slowly over to the service bar he had in the plush den.
Margaret listened carefully and intently as Andrew took the drink from Brett's hand. She was getting impatient and was going to leave her listening post if they didn't say something about her soon.
“I'm going to send my son, Brett, to Los Angeles to take care of a transaction for drilling equipment. You might call him tomorrow and see if he needs any monetary advising before he leaves,” Brett said seriously. Andrew nodded his head in agreement as Brett continued. “My son had had a tendency sometimes to forget that he works for his father. It probably would never occur to him to contact you.”
“I'll give him a buzz first thing in the morning,” Andrew promised quickly. He knew how Brett, Jr. was, and didn't like it, but he wanted to keep his feelings about the younger Stover from his father. After all, it would be wrong to go against the boss' son.
“Terrific! Then there is one other thing I would like you to do for me,” Brett went on. He paused for a short moment as if to reflect on the correct way to phrase his request.
Margaret leaned closer to the listening device, afraid she had possibly missed something more that Brett had said. But she heard only silence for a moment. Then Brett's deep voice again boomed up through the vent.
“I'll need you tomorrow evening for a brief errand. Do you know my son's wife, Victoria?” Brett sounded quite businesslike in his inquiry.
“Yes, I met her once. I think she and Anita were at the same finishing school,” Andrew responded as if to justify for Brett his knowledge of the beautiful blonde.
“Very good! Then you know where she lives.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, I'd like to have you contact her in the evening. Tell her that you and I need to discuss some financial matters with her at my house. You can pick her up and bring her here. I'll take care or the rest.” Brett talked as though he were dictating a letter to his private secretary and he could see the astonished look on Andrew Hewitt's face. Brett didn't care as he knew that Andrew would do exactly as he had requested.
“Oh, of course, Brett. Is there anything you'll need from the office? Anything I can get for you?” Andrew asked. He wasn't sure what to make of Brett Stover's command and he thought that was something that he had forgotten about. He tried to remember if Brett had discussed her with him before now.
“Just Victoria! Tell her anything you like, but be sure she gets here by nine o'clock,” Brett said forcefully. He didn't want to discuss any details with Andrew Hewitt. The less Andrew knew, Brett thought, the more he'll want to know. “Can you take care of that matter for me, please?” Brett asked, his tone a little more polite than it had been earlier in the conversation.
Andrew Hewitt was thinking as fast as he could, but he didn't understand what business Brett Stover might have with his own daughter-in-law. Whatever it was, Andrew knew he wouldn't particularly like it, but he knew, too, that he would do anything Brett Stover asked of him. Andrew's employment contract with Brett Stover Enterprises wasn't legally in force until after an eight month trial period and he needed and wanted to keep his new job. “At nine o'clock?” Andrew verified, wanting to be exact.
“Or earlier if possible,” Brett said and he grinned at Andrew Hewitt. He could see that Andrew didn't understand his ulterior motives at all.
Andrew Hewitt remained silent for a moment until it finally occurred to him what Brett Stover was really after. He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't imagine any other reason for Brett's obscene leering self-satisfied grin. He decided to try his wings.
