Woods, Stuart - Stone Barrington 26 - Unintended Consequences by Woods Stuart

Author:Woods, Stuart [Woods, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781410457714
Amazon: 0399159878
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

30

Stone checked the weather again before leaving the hotel. No change. He wished now that he had accepted Marcel’s offer of his car. He got into his trench coat, unpacked a folding fedora, and carried it down to the lobby and out the front door. “Taxi, please,” he said to the doorman.

The man was dressed in a yellow slicker with a hood. “I’m sorry, Mr. Barrington,” he said, throwing up his hands. “There are no taxis, except those that might drop a passenger at the hotel. It could be half an hour or more.”

“Then I’ll walk,” Stone said, putting on his hat and buttoning and belting his trench coat.

The man held out an umbrella. “Compliments of the hotel,” he said.

Stone trudged down the street in the general direction of Marcel’s building, leaning into the wind and sheltering himself as best he could under the umbrella. Twenty minutes later he walked into the building, dripping water onto the lobby floor. He gave the doorman his coat, hat, and umbrella. The man received them gingerly and hung them in a closet.

Stone’s trousers were soaked from the shins down, and so were his shoes. He rode up in the elevator, adjusting his tie and making himself as presentable as possible. He arrived at Marcel’s floor and was greeted by the man himself.

“My dear fellow!” Marcel cried. “Your trousers are soaked. Were you unable to find a taxi?”

“I should have accepted your offer of your car,” Stone said.

Marcel turned to his butler. “Victor, find Mr. Barrington a robe and press his suit. Is your coat downstairs, Stone?”

“Yes.”

“Dry everything and press his garments,” Marcel said. “Please, Stone, go with Victor.”

Victor showed him to a guest bedroom. “There is a dressing gown and slippers in the closet,” he said. “Please give me your suit and shoes.”

Stone got out of the clothes and turned them over to Victor, then he got into the cashmere dressing gown and soft leather slippers and went back to the living room, where Marcel waited.

“Come into the study,” Marcel said. “Lunch will be ready shortly. Would you like a drink?”

“Perhaps some Perrier,” Stone said. He took a chair and the footman brought him the water.

Marcel joined him. “Now,” he said, “I hope you are comfortable.”

“Quite comfortable,” Stone said.

“The storm is very bad. De Gaulle is closed—until midnight, they say.”

“I hope I might be able to get a flight to New York tomorrow,” Stone said. “I hope we can conclude our business, one way or another, before then.”

“I, too, hope so,” Marcel said. “Have you thought about my offer?”

“Yes, and I’ve discussed it with two of our directors, as well. Here is what I am willing to propose to the board: to sell you fifteen percent of our stock for three hundred and fifty million dollars and to invest our net proceeds in a new company, which would operate hotels in Europe and, perhaps, elsewhere in the world.”

“Well,” Marcel said, “now it is my turn to think.” The waiter entered and announced lunch.

“I thought some hot soup would be appropriate for the weather,” Marcel said as they took their seats.

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