Moving Into The Mansion

[adirtysecret]

Anthony Redmond stood at the window of his study and watched the removals van draw up outside his mansion. His study was a little more cluttered than usual, but then he had recently had the entire East wing of his house cleared out and he had to find room for many of his possessions in the rest of the house. He had a half-smile on his lips as he watched his employee, Paul Barlow, climb out of the lorry’s passenger seat.

Redmond had started his company in college, and built it up from the ground. His success had been meteoric, and by the age of 25 he was a millionaire, and by the age of 30 he had taken his company public and set out on an ambitious expansion. Paul Barlow had been headhunted as part of that expansion as a successful executive with proven expertise. Now, at 35, Redmond watched as Paul moved his possessions and his family into his mansion.

Paul Barlow took one look up at the mansion house and sighed. The nagging stress in his stomach tightened a little as he turned; watching up the drive to see how far behind was his car, carrying his wife and daughters.

Both men spotted the car moving up the drive. Paul rubbed his brow and muttered to himself “How on earth did you get yourself here, Paul?”
From his window, Redmond smiled and looked down at his executed below him, “How did you get yourself into this, Paul?”

-----------------------------------------

Three weeks earlier…

“You wanted to see me, Mr Redmond?” Paul Barlow had said as he had entered the office of his employer. He still found it strange being junior to a younger man. At 46, he had more than a decade on Anthony Redmond. Still, he was the former boy wonder…

“Yes I did… I was just looking over the defence contract…” Redmond said
“The defence contract?” Paul had replied, “Ahm, the contract itself? I’m not sure I’m the man to talk to. I can get one of the legal team if you…”
“No, no… that won’t be necessary. It was the progress files, the designs, reports, all of that… You see, the reason that I was interested is that one feature of it seems to be echoed in our rival’s new product…”

Redmond had launched into a long description of the similarities between the two designs. He had an enthusiasm about such things that was either tiresome or infectious, depending on your own interest. In this case, Paul had been firmly interested. In fact he had been tense to the point of sweating through his shirt. He was afraid that Redmond knew…

Paul Barlow was deeply in debt. Part of the secret of his success was his knack for risk-taking, and that had come with a predilection for gambling. That had led to an addiction, and he had kept digging as he found himself in a deeper and deeper whole. The offer of payment to leak the designs to their rival company had been too good to pass up.

“Now here’s the thing, Paul…” Redmond had said, looking up at him, “Having established that these duplications could only be the result of industrial espionage, and given the process, that could only have taken place last January before the 23rd…. Well, that means that only the two of us could have had access at that time.”

Paul had felt his feet sinking into the ground.

“I’ll take that as an admission” Redmond had continued. “You know that, as this is intended to be used by the armed forces, this could be considered to be an issue of national security, and prosecuted as such?”

Paul had gone cold right down to his toes. “Mr Redmond, sir… I… I…”

“Relax Paul. I don’t think that it will come to that. I don’t think that you have endangered to national security to any appreciable degree.” He sighed, “I am a little annoyed by the fact that you’ve pulled our rival’s technology up by about three years. The fact that you did it before we worked that kink out of the design is a little compensation. I imagine that’ll start hurting the performance of their device in the next six months.”
He sat back down in his leather chair. “Let’s make a deal. I won’t report this to any law enforcement agency, as long as you can pay me back.”

“Pay you back, sir?” Paul murmured.

“Yes… whatever it is that you were paid. I think that is a small recompense for what you have cost this company.”

“I… I don’t have it.”

“*sigh*… What about your assets? Your house is rather nice. It must be worth the appropriate sum, even after the tax I would pay when you transfer it into my name.”

“My house? But… but…”

“Oh don’t worry Paul. I wouldn’t see you homeless. I rattle around in my place on my own. You can move in with me.”

Paul blinked in surprise, “Move in with you?”

“Good! That’s settled then. No need to break your schedule. I know that you are busy. I’ll have the legal department get in contact with you and arrange everything. I’m sure that we can put this into effect by the end of the month. Then we can put this nasty business behind us…”

Redmond had ushered Paul out of his office, with his head still spinning. It had kept spinning over the next three weeks. The legal department was very efficient. Within a fortnight they had transferred the deeds of his home to the company. It had been placed on the market soon after that. They had even arranged the removal van. All Paul had been required to do was explain what was happening to his wife as best he could….

_________________________

The Barlow family car pulled up behind the removals van just as their antique dresser was being unloaded. Paul opened the door for his wife. “Well… here we are.” He said, trying to sound cheerful.

 

[lonelycollegegirl]

Amy Barlow: Paul's Wife

Amy Barlow stared in awe out of the car window as she pulled behind the moving van in front of the most gorgeous home she'd ever seen in person. If the circumstances were different, she would have been delighted, but the fact that her family had been stripped of their home and assets made this day the worst one of her life.

But it was a close competition between today and the day her husband told her he'd been accused, rightfully, of espionage at his company, and for some reason his boss wanted his home, and offered them a place to stay. She thought it was quite ironic, and a bit weird that this man would offer his home to them after being betrayed by Paul.

She put the car in park and looked next to her at Hannah, her 20 year old daughter, and tried to read the look on her face. It was one of annoyance, not hurt like the rest of the family was feeling. No doubt Hannah was upset about having to move from the only home she ever knew, but Amy couldn't deny the spark in the girls eye when she saw the mansion. Maybe it's a good thing, living in this mansion. It'll be like an adventure for the girls, she told herself. Despite the young girls attitude and recent rebellious streak, Hannah was still her daughter and she loved her regardless of the countless nights she spent out without even a phone call home, or the three classes she was failing this semester, putting her college fund to waste. But she couldn't think about that now, she had to put on a happy face for her girls.

She glanced in the rearview mirror at Kate, and opposite of Hannah, Katie had a look of pure excitement. Being only 18, Katie was still very much the innocent young girl she was ten years ago. She'd never been hurt by anyone in the world yet - never been lied to, abandoned, or had her heart broken. She was innocence in every sense of the word, which is what made telling her what had happened all the more difficult.

Of course they hadn't told the girls that their father had committed a serious crime; they'd blamed it on the economy, telling them that Paul's boss was only doing this as a favor until they got back on their feet. They couldn't tell their daughters that they had no choice in the matter and were being forced to live here. For all the girls knew, Anthony Redmond was a saint.

"Well are we going to get out or sit in the car all day?" Hannah spat in her typical attitude. Amy just smiled and put the car in park, shutting it off. Kate jumped from the car first, her dark brown curls flowing behind her as she ran to meet her father.

Slowly, Amy made her way from the car to her husband, who for a brief moment she had considered leaving after what had happened. But that thought went as fast as it came, and standing next to him now, even in the predicament they were in, she still loved him as much as she ever had.

 

[adirtysecret]

Paul Barlow had kept his smile on his face as his wife and daughters had climbed out of the car, but he was tense and bruised by the experience of the last few weeks. He kept glancing at Amy, his wife. He knew that he had let her down very badly, and he could see the worry behind her smiles too. The only betrayal of his mood was the deep sigh he took as he walked ahead of his family into the large doors of the mansion to meet his new ‘landlord’.
Redmond leaned against the window frame and watched the Barlow girls climb out of the car. They all had their own different personalities and looked quite different, but he could see the family resemblance. Something in the mannerisms too, the way they moved. He half smiled as he watched them, his technical mind comparing them in as many ways as he could think.
He checked his watch. Most of his days were scheduled in minute detail, and he had planned just enough time to welcome the Barlows before he had to leave home. He walked briskly down the staircase as Paul and his wife and daughters stood in the entrance hall, looking around at the place.

"Ahh! Paul, I'm glad you got here before I had to go. Welcome!" Redmond shook Paul's hand warmly without giving a hint of the circumstances in which he was moving in. Then he turned and smiled at Amy, taking he hand and kissing her on the cheek. "Welcome. Please treat this place as your home. I have completely vacated the ? Wing, so it's all yours."
He clapped Paul on the shoulder, "I have to be rude and shoot off, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you need some time to settle in." he pulled on a coat and headed towards the door. In the doorway he paused and turned back.

"Oh, now I would like to welcome you all properly. We should have dinner together this evening."

Paul, disconcerted by the whirlwind of activity that was his employer, answered hesitantly. "ahem... Really, we wouldn't want to put you to any trouble..."

Redmond batted the words aside with a wave of his hand. "Nonsense! It's no trouble at all. I insist. Anyway, I already have the champagne on ice. We'll make an occasion of it." he took two more steps towards to door before turning again, apparently remembering something. "Oh, I know that your clothes are probably packed, so I've taken the liberty of laying out some clothes for you..."

Before any of his new housemates could reply he had turned and dashed into the courtyard. The Barlows could see the helicopter touching down on the lawns beyond the removal van. Within minutes Anthony Redmond was gone leaving his new houseguests in sudden silence.

 

[lonelycollegegirl]

Kate/Katie Barlow

Katie was ecstatic when she saw the new home they were going to be living in. She couldn't wait to meet Mr. Redmond and thank him for being so generous to her and her family. Amy's mother had told her how they were going to lose the house thanks to the tanking economy, and that Mr. Redmond, her father's boss, was going to let them stay with him until they got their feet off the ground again. She was amazed at the kindness he showed already; inviting them into his home was such a wonderful gesture. I guess all rich people aren't greedy jerks, she'd thought to herself as she caught up with her father.

Walking to the front door Katie stared in amazement at the house, and then at Mr. Redmond when he met them to say hello. He looked like a character straight out of a movie. She'd never seen someone in such a nice suit before. She looked him over, and came to the conclusion that he was a very handsome man, and oddly looked younger than her father. She thought that part was weird, but whatever.

As he spoke Katie listened in amusement. He spoke so properly and so kindly. Every time he looked at her she blushed, smiling, and occasionally twirling a finger through her brown curls like a schoolgirl. Her family hadn't grown up poor by any counts, they were the average middle class family, despite her father working for such an important company. They were struggling to pay for Hannah's college and save money for Kate's when she decided to go. Her parents did the best they could, and Katie loved them for that, but she'd never experienced anything like this before.

Kate, although 18, was still a child at heart. She was beautiful, with piercing blue eyes (like the rest of the family) and brown curly hair that fell just to her mid back. Although a woman, she didn't look it. Katie had been very athletic throughout childhood, so she stayed very thin and fit, unlike her sister who was curvy and gorgeous. To add to her girlish appearance was her spirit. She hadn't seen the world, and she had huge dreams to do so. She hadn't experienced any heartache in her life, she'd never had a boyfriend or anything close. Boys weren't her priority. She'd never been hurt by anyone, and she still had the innocence of thinking the world was a wonderful place. She approached everything with zest and excitement, ready to take on the world.

Before Kate had the chance to introduce herself, Redmond had walked away, getting onto a helicopter. Kate stared in amazement as it flew overhead, and when it was out of sight she bolted into the house, eager to explore.