Ending now, he glanced about at the sombre faces. There was no doubt in his mind that his lobbying efforts on Starwear’s behalf were doomed to failure. What the company was trying to achieve simply went against the current of public opinion. It would take a lot more than ‘Bad for the Industry, Bad for Britain’ cliches to swing this one.
‘Just as well I’ve got some positive news,’ North commented from the end, moving the meeting on.
King glowered down the table.
‘GlobeWatch has nominated Starwear for several awards, including Best Developing Nations Employer. Starwear is also among three nominees for the overall GlobeWatch Company of the Year Award.’
There was a pause while the others digested this. Then Marilyn Rhodes asked, ‘Big splash event, is it?’
North nodded. ‘Grosvenor House. All the trappings. It will be a big night out.’
‘Must be costing a bit – for a charity organisation,’ she couldn’t resist observing.
‘I’m sure there will be no difficulty raising sponsorship,’ North tried making light of it, ‘for such a good cause.’
Marilyn fixed him with a hard expression; a steel-eyed, penetrating cynicism. He didn’t like the look of it at all.
19
Mike Cullen didn’t much care for general agency meetings. Assembling every Lombard consultant in one, cavernous chamber might do wonders for the ego, but it played havoc with time-sheets and disrupted the servicing of clients. Which is why he resorted to meetings of this kind only when he considered it absolutely necessary.
Now he looked out across the massed ranks of Lombard consultants gathering in Reception. It was just a few minutes before eight-thirty a.m. on Friday, 31 October. Kate Taylor’s recent revelations had left him with absolutely no alternative. Having considered matters at length, he’d realised that he had to act decisively. The announcement he was about to make was one he’d been considering for some months now. It was the timing of it that he’d decided to bring forward abruptly.
After checking his watch, he held up his hand for silence. He didn’t have long to wait. The intensity of anticipation was almost palpable.
‘Thank you all for making the necessary arrangements to be here,’ he began. ‘I know it hasn’t been easy for some of you. I have an announcement to make which, although brief, is nonetheless critical to all of us who work at Lombard.’
His expression was serious as he glanced across his dark-suited, private army.
‘During the past few days I have had important discussions with Kate Taylor; discussions which continued again last night. During the course of them, we talked through a number of issues which have concerned me for some time, and which affect the future of this agency.’
The silence in reception was electric, all those present hanging on his every word.
‘As many of you are aware,’ he said now, ‘I have always taken the view that PR is a young person’s business. I’ve never seen myself running Lombard ad nauseam. There comes a time when one needs to make room for those who are younger, hungrier, and more able than oneself. However, this process has to be carefully managed, to ensure a strengthening, rather than weakening, in market position. Succession planning is vital. So’, he turned now to where Kate Taylor was standing on a step next to him, ‘I am delighted to announce that Kate Taylor has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Lombard with immediate effect.’
One of Kate’s team began the applause, which quickly became a thunderous wave, echoing round the cavernous marble hallway. Kate was as popular with her colleagues as she was respected by the market. The logic of the announcement was self-evident; by installing her as his deputy, Cullen was preparing for the future. As always, he had caught his colleagues by surprise. But few would find fault with the decision.
Joining in the applause, there was only one Lombard consultant who found the announcement utterly bewildering. Chris had come downstairs expecting a very different kind of announcement. Pleased though he was for Kate, he couldn’t help wondering: What about Starwear and Jacob Strauss? What about the evidence that their biggest client was a crook? None of this made any sense.
‘The logistics make it a bit difficult for us all to celebrate the news together,’ Cullen continued once the applause had abated, ‘but during the course of the morning, a case of champagne will be delivered to each one of you to enjoy over the weekend.’
To the applause was added much whooping and cheering.
‘Thank you.’ Cullen signalled he’d finished. ‘That’s all for now.’
Chris struggled through the crowded room towards Kate, but by the time he’d reached the front, she had already left with Cullen and a group of other Lombard directors. Making his way up the stairs to the first floor, he strode past the jangling telephones of the Pit towards where Kate’s secretary was taking a message. Kate had been trying to get hold of him since yesterday evening, her secretary told him, hand over the mouthpiece.
She’d wanted to see him before this morning’s announcement. But she’d be tied up in a management meeting until twelve o’clock, then she had a lunch engagement, after which she was going straight on to a two-thirty at London Wall. She’d be back around five.
Chris booked in to see her, the moment she got back. Then he returned to his office, emotions churning. Mike Cullen’s announcement – together with the promised case of champagne and the fact that it was a Friday – had put everyone in an upbeat mood. On the way out of the Pit, and up in the lift, Chris had to act as pleased as everyone else. But he couldn’t help wondering what in hell was going on. This was all just inexplicable.
He spent the day restlessly going through project work, trying to get started on things but never able to settle down. Tonight he was seeing Judith. He’d been looking forward to it all week. He’d hoped – naively, it now seemed – that when he saw her he’d have found a way out of this, for both of them. When he’d given the Ultra-Sports and Trimnasium accounts to Kate, he hadn’t thought everything through. But he had anticipated some effect, other than Kate getting a promotion. He had imagined that Mike Cullen would do something about Starwear in general, and Elliott North in particular. But how had Mike reacted? What had he said? Right now, there was no way of knowing. Suddenly, it was as though the accumulated stress of the past few weeks descended on his shoulders; he began to feel heavy with weariness.
‘Congratulations!’ he said to Kate, stepping inside her office just after five.
‘Thanks,’ she said, smiling briefly. ‘Coffee?’
He nodded.