Chapter 176: Her Mother's Love, Part 18, Aunts

RICHARD

"Who's that?" Ben aims a finger towards the thin figure propping up the bar as he chats happily with one of the Agony Aunts.

"Old friend of Charlotte's, I believe, Benny. He was in a fix, so James did him a favour, gave him a leg up."

Ben's brows rise. "What kind of leg up?"

"As I understand it, Benny had a poor upbringing. He was illiterate and so effectively unemployable. James put him on a training program with the company, aiming for an apprenticeship in the maintenance section."

"But he can't read? Shouldn't he clear something like that with you?"

"Charlotte is making the time to teach Benny to read. And James has the full authority of a director in my company."

*****

Elizabeth nudges me. "I think we should rescue him."

I twist, scanning. "Who?"

"James." She tilts her glass toward a corner table.