Chapter 5

We had no contact at all over the next few weeks. I had no idea what had happened, but I got a clue from Aubrey's behaviour three weeks after the concert. He was not the usual loud, overbearing bully of before. His face was ashen, and he had many conferences with Bob Sellick. He didn't seem to be working as much, or if he was it was not with his usual success, as the number of orders he put in fell dramatically. It didn't take too much intelligence to understand that he had indeed been found out, and was in receipt of bad news. Whether that was a threat to divorce or the actual papers, I knew not. That was confirmed to me in an attack from Aubrey. He came into my office and I could tell he was viciously angry.

"You Bastard! You evil little shit. You must have told my wife that there was no seminar that weekend. You have been envious of me for years and saw your chance to get back at me. Well it won't do you any good. I am seeing Bob Sellick later and I am going to get you sacked!" I didn't say anything. He wouldn't hear my denials anyway, and arguing the case may lead to Eve's prior knowledge being revealed. I was also certain that Bob would not sack me. This was a private matter. I was uncertain though when Bob asked me to come to his office the next day.

He looked up when I entered his office.

"Ah, John. Take a seat, will you?" He placed the papers he was reading in a neat pile on his desk. Without preamble he went on. "Aubrey has been to see me, asking for your dismissal. According to him you let slip privileged information about his whereabouts to an unauthorised person." I almost laughed. This was Aubrey at his most pompous.

"No, Bob. Aubrey accused me of telling his wife that the Fenestra seminar he claimed to be attending one weekend was not scheduled. The seminar wasn't in the calendar, but even so I didn't mention that fact to his wife." Bob looked puzzled.

"His wife?"

"Yes. The weekend he was away at this so-called seminar, Mrs. Chatsworth and I went to a concert at Atcham Park. Aubrey was aware of it, and had given his permission for Mrs. Chatsworth to go."

"You are saying that the unauthorised person he was talking about was his wife?" His voice had gone up an octave. I nodded.

"I assume that's who he meant."

"The man's lost his marbles!" Bob was shaking his head sadly. Then he picked up on something. "How did you know he had claimed to be at a Fenestra meeting? He didn't tell me."

"Mrs. Chatsworth mentioned it, when she asked if we could go to a concert. That's why she talked to Aubrey to get his agreement to our going."

"But you didn't tell her the Fenestra thing was bogus?"

"No." Bob was getting angry, knowing he had been duped by Aubrey with his fanciful tale.

"Thank you, John. I shall have another word with Aubrey when he is next in the office. Oh, and by the way. It was never my intention to sack you, whatever Aubrey may have said. We don't get rid of the engineer, just because the first mate's gone crazy." I got up to leave.

"Thank you, Bob." Just as I got to the door, he looked up.

"John. By the way, do you know where Aubrey was that weekend?"

"I have no idea, Bob."

You really had to admire the gall of the bloke. You could say that the offence, of which he accused me, would have been technically correct, if I had indeed told Eve. But using that technicality when the unauthorised person was his wife was either a dazzling spur of the moment idea, or completely stupid. Perhaps the situation in which Aubrey found himself had unhinged him, and his supposed grounds for my dismissal had rebounded on him.

I really could have found amusement from this situation. My Bête Noir was being brought down. But I didn't find pleasure in that. My world was crashing as well.

I had been a late surprise for my parents, Mum was in her mid forties, and dad in his fifties when I unexpectedly made my entrance. They had given up on the idea of being parents. Mum's death had resulted in my not going to University, and now it was obvious that Dad was not going to be around for much longer. A series of strokes had left him immobile. He was in a Nursing Home and getting the best of care. I would see him every day after work, and Bob would also go and see him during the day. It was no surprise when the Home's manager phoned me and suggested I come and see dad that day. They doubted he would last until the evening. I told Bob who instructed me to forget everything and go see dad.

I was there within the hour, but too late. Dad had passed away ten minutes before I got there. I sat with him, memories fighting each other for position at the front of my mind. It was strange really. He had been too old for us to be friends. He didn't understand my culture and I his. His values I imbibed, but his priorities were completely different to mine. To him a good solid job was better than wasting three years at University. Some would hold a grudge, but I didn't, he was my dad, and advising me as best he could. Bob arrived a little later and joined me in vigil. He seemed more upset than I, but then they had been friends for almost sixty years.

The funeral was surprising. Bob had written to all the staff and offered the afternoon off work. Those who wished to attend were welcome but it wasn't mandatory. The Church was packed with fellow workers who all expressed sympathy for my loss. Aubrey wasn't there, but Eve was. She kept a low profile, not wishing to draw attention to our acquaintance. After the interment I was thanking everyone individually for their being there, when suddenly Eve was in front of me. She had waited until almost the last. Black does become a woman, and for Eve it truly set her beauty in a class of its own.