SECRETS

Episode 39 of the Lymp Duhdashian series

The topic of conversation changed again when Pru excused herself from the Man Cave shed and returned to the cottage. Khan remarked how beautiful the cottage was, lit up in the dark Dorset night. Frank explained that it is his mother’s bolt hole from London and she uses it mainly in the summer months. “I spent a lot of my childhood here.” he explained. “I had to kidnap Diamond to get her here though. It was a short notice thing…..” and he gave an hilarious account of his ninja skills.

“I don’t want her going anywhere near that Dribbly Dick character!” he burst out and the others squinted at him through the thick smoke in the shed. Frank was then obliged to explain that old Dribbly was retired KGB agent, Dimitri Olenski and why that was significant. A brief and sketchy outline of the Duhdashian fortune roots in Russian oil was necessary too. And then, the presence of old Dribbly at the deaths of the girls’ parents - even though they were unconnected and 5 years apart…..

Khan and Dave had already tried to find the origins of the colossal Duhdashian wealth but they failed miserably online, there was virtually nothing about them to be found anywhere. They glanced at each other and Khan took the lead:
“How do you know all this, Frank?” and Frank replied, “I am a civil servant, in the footsteps of my parents.” - all the humility and yet dignity of the title was evident in the set of his jaw. He loved his job. It was not a job to him. It was serving his country which had been the original impetus but now, well….. After so many years in the service he knew its shortcomings and its slow boil tactics. He did not like globalism and he was seeing it in everything. He had wanted to discuss all this with his mother but she was taking a rare holiday, visiting his younger brother in New Zealand. He was not comfortable discussing ministerial matters with anyone outside of the service.

Dave asked what kind of ‘civil servant’ and Frank replied grinning “Very civil!” Dave had noticed that Frank had the body of someone who trains to a high standard of fitness. He gestured to a bike and some weights in the corner of the shed, “You like to work out? So - you haven’t exactly got a desk job, have you Frank?” Dave was too astute to expect an answer, so he launched into an account of his career with the Royal Navy. In this way he conveyed to Frank that signing of the Official Secrets Act was not unfamiliar to him. Neither were the flaws in authoritarian statesmanship.

Frank, Khan and Dave had a rapidly solidifying friendship developing. Khan wanted to tell his secrets too….

“Don’t tell Olympia but….. I am not a poor beach bum, living on fish and seagrapes!” He blurted from under his curtain of unruly blond hair. “I have my own construction business, all over the Caribbean…. head office in Mexico.” Dave and Frank roared laughing. “Are you serious, man?” they chimed together, “Holy hell, you are toast when madam finds out!”

Olympia could hear the laughing coming from the shed. “They are getting on really well, aren’t they?” Diamond grinned. “Don’t trust Frank. He is always up to something! And now that he has two compadres we can expect triple the trouble!”

Pru asked if it was at all possible to prevent the men from playing any more of their ‘music’. Olympia agreed that might be a good idea, so she covered over the piano and slipped the guitar and bongos out of sight beyond it, just as the men burst back into the room.

Diamond selected some music and changed the lighting. She sensed that the men were brewing something between them and wanted the right atmosphere to encourage waggly chins…. She saw that Frank was getting more relaxed and was looking out the windows less and less. She knew he was bodyguarding her. She just did not know why. As soon as he heard the first few notes, Frank got the message loud and clear. He grabbed Diamond up from the couch and danced her into the dining room, with flourishes and twirls as if he were a ballroom professional.