Page 97 of Pride and Privilege

George Blackton. Roscoe’s father.

Her stomach twisted. Probably noteveryoneon the open plan floor behind was staring at her as she followed Liz to the door, but it definitely felt like it. Surely this could only be about one thing. Her and Roscoe. Maybe Mabel had said something after all?

Roscoe’s father was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. He turned as she and Liz entered the room, his face as grim as Liz’s but far more angry. He made a curt gesture to one of the seats near the window but remained standing as Poppy, legs growing wobbly, sat down.

George Blackton said nothing for a moment but examined Poppy with a hard glitter in his eye. Should she say something? But what? Just as she was about to open her mouth, he spoke.

“A journalist contacted our PR department a short time ago. His paper will be publishing a story tomorrow about BlacktonGold. A story in which you feature, Poppy Fields.”

At least he knew her name now.

“Apparently congratulations are in order,” he added.

“Oh?” said Poppy, at a loss. Congratulations? About her and Roscoe?

“It seems you are leaving us to work for LibertyBrooks.”

“Erm. Well… It’s just an interview…” She darted a look at Liz who was sitting across the room. But the woman’s face was unreadable. It wasn’t illegal to apply for a new job. She couldn’t get in trouble over that, surely?

“What I’m curious about, Miss Fields,” asked George, “is the role my son played in securing you this interview.”

“Oh… He didn’t. I mean, he doesn’t even know. I didn’t tell him I was applying.”

George Blackton’s gaze narrowed. “Miss Fields, tell me. Are you in a relationship with my son?”

Poppy blushed, which was probably answer enough. But she found something inside herself bristling rather than withering under George Blackton’s stare. “Is that any of your business?”

“My business? My son. And you. Both of you my employees? Yes, Miss Fields, I think it is very much my business.”

“This is what you’ve called me in here to find out?”

“To get to the bottom of these rumours. To find out exactly what you have lured my son into doing.”

“Lured?”

Across the room, Liz sat forwards. “George, I must advise that HR be present for a discussion of—”

“You can leave, Liz,” he interrupted her. “After all, it seems this is turning into a family matter. I’m guessing you have no problem blurring the professional and the personal, Miss Fields?”

Liz stayed where she was, meeting Poppy’s eyes with a frown. “Poppy is officially my report. I will stay as her representative.”

Poppy flashed her a look of thanks, feeling guilty. From the expression on George’s face, his loyal EA’s disobedience was unlikely to go unpunished.

“It didn’t take you long to get your claws in, did it?” George accused her now, apparently abandoning the questions for outright attack. “A few weeks as his EA, draping yourself over his desk, and you’ve already got him tapping his contacts for you. Did you even stop to think about how this would affect his reputation?”

“I haven’t asked him for anything. I’ve already told you, he didn’t know I was applying for those jobs.”

George scoffed. “Do you seriously think anyone is going to believe you got that interview on your own merit? You’re a glorified administrative assistant! You photocopy and file and look pretty in a skirt!”

“George!” interrupted Liz across the room. “This is completely out of order.”

But he ignored her, face red. “You made a mistake targeting my son. You will get nothing more from him. Not a penny. Not a single word in your favour. You are fired from BlacktonGold, without reference. You will leave immediately and get back to whatever East End gutter you crawled out of.”

He shouted the last part. He shouted it so loudly that no one noticed Roscoe standing in the open doorway.

FORTY-SIX

Roscoe didn’t mean toslam the door shut behind him, but it was probably unavoidable given his anger. Three heads snapped around at the sound, but he only had eyes for Poppy.

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