Chapter Two
Ninety miles northeast of Jesmanton in Billington, Combermere the same morning, Bill Lydon called down from his bedroom to his wife, “Jeannie, do you know where my bathercoat is?”
“Your what?”
“My bathcoat, I can’t find it.”
“Oh, you mean your bathrobe. Is in not hanging on the back of the bedroom door?”
“Ah, yes there it is.”
A couple of minutes later Bill Lydon walked into the kitchen, patted the woman standing by the oven frying eggs on the bottom and kissed her neck.
Another woman sat at a table in the middle the room sighed and said, “Bill, I’m over here. That’s Sally, our housekeeper.”
With his back to his wife, Lydon winked at Sally. who had turned to face him with raised eyebrows and pursed lips.
Lydon helped himself to coffee and joined his wife at the table. As he sat down he said, “Sorry, I’ve not put my contacts in yet and I’m still a bit sleepy.”
“Oh please, Bill, at least come up with a new excuse.
“Sally, you have my permission to slap his face the next time he tries that again.”
Sally flipped the eggs onto a plate and placed it on the table in front of Bill Lydon, who was smiling his famous lopsided smile. She just shook her head and, without saying a word, walked out of the room leaving her employers alone.
Between mouthfuls of fried egg, Lydon asked his wife, “Well, what’s the plan today?”
Pamala is on her way, she should be here in half an hour. Neville and Sunit will be joining you on Beam at midday. It’s going to be another day of putting together the transition team. There’s a press briefing at the Scarlet House this afternoon. There’s no sign of Acer conceding anytime soon but something will probably come up that you will have to work out a response to.
“Do I have to be on the Beam call? Can’t Pammie handle it on her own?”
“No, she can’t, and stop calling her Pammie. You know she hates that, plus you’ll end up calling her Pammie on TV and it’ll be turned into yet another meme to make you look stupid and gaffe-prone. I still cringe when I see the ones of you mixing me and Pamala up at the campaign launch.”