‘Merida’s friend, Naomi, is getting in at midday. We were supposed to be there to meet her.’
‘Do you want me to organise a driver to pick her up?’
There was a brief stretch of silence before Ethan responded. Neither of the brothers liked asking for help, even from the other. ‘Abe, is there any chance of you going? She’s Merida’s best friend.’
‘I thought she was the nanny?’ Abe frowned. He only knew that because a full-time live-in nanny had been a part of the terms agreed to.
‘Naomi’s both.’
‘Give me her details,’ Abe sighed, and pulled out a pen.
‘Naomi Hamilton.’ Ethan gave her flight details. ‘If she can come to the hospital before being taken to the house, that would be good.’
‘All sorted,’ Abe said, and glanced again at the time. ‘I really do have to go. Congratulations.’
‘Thanks.’
Luckily Ethan was too muddled to ask how this morning’s meeting with Khalid had gone and certainly Abe did not volunteer the information.
Cool heads were needed for dealing with this situation and currently the only Devereux who had one was Abe.
He buzzed through to his own PA. ‘Jessica, could you organise a gift for me to take to the hospital this afternoon?’
‘For your father?’ she checked.
‘No, the baby’s here.’
There was a little squeal that had Abe pulling the phone back from his ear; then came the inevitable questions. ‘What did Merida have?’
‘A girl.’
‘Does she have a name yet? Do you know how much she weighs?’
‘I don’t know any more than that,’ Abe responded. He really hadn’t thought to ask. ‘I also need you to sort out a driver to do an airport run from JFK to the hospital.’ He gave the flight details. ‘She gets in at midday. The name’s Naomi Hamilton.’
Despite his brother’s request, Abe wouldnotbe playing chauffeur.
As well as Khalid to contend with, he had the first-of-the-month board meeting to attend. Before that he was meeting with Maurice, the head of PR, to discuss the annual Devereux Christmas Eve Charity Ball.
It was a highlight on the social calendar, but, for the first time since its inception, Jobe Devereux would not be attending.
Tabled on this morning’s agenda was discussion of contingency plans should Jobe die close to, or on, that date.
Not pleasant.
But a necessary task, given that people travelled from far and wide and paid an awful lot of money to attend.
Emotion had to be put aside and unpalatable scenarios played out and usually Abe was very good at that.
Abe wasn’t just cool...he was considered cold.
And not just in the boardroom. His reputation with women was devastating, though that had calmed in recent years. But his aloofness extended also to family.
He had stopped trusting others by the age of four, looking out for his brother and doing his best to ensure that he came to no harm.
Abe kept his emotions in check.
Yet, unusually, this morning he was struggling to do that.