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himself,’ he said, a slight furrow in his brow.
    â€˜Seriously, CIA . . . FBI, that old rivalry is ridiculous. They really should learn to work together.’
    â€˜True, but that’s like asking the Red Sox to work with the Yankees.’
    â€˜Except in this case they really do bat for the same team.’
    â€˜Right, as usual,’ he said with a consolatory smile just as they were interrupted by a knock on the door marking the entrance of a turndown housemaid carrying clean towels and refreshments.
    â€˜Come on in,’ said Bradshaw, ever the genuine people person. ‘I’m Tom Bradshaw. It’s nice to meet you.’
    â€˜It’s an honour, Mr Vice President,’ said the fresh-faced housekeeper. ‘I hope you don’t mind, your personal secretary said it was all right for me to . . .’
    â€˜Of course not. What’s your name?’ asked Bradshaw as he rose from the sofa and walked across the room towards the marble foyer to shake her hand.
    â€˜Maeve. Maeve Barlow, sir.’
    â€˜It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maeve. That’s a great Irish name by the way. Did you know it came from the Gaelic name Meabh – who was a warrior queen, if I remember correctly.’
    â€˜Yes, sir,’ smiled Maeve. ‘In fact, according to my grandmother the name actually means “intoxicating”. Apparently the warrior queen used her wiles to orchestrate the demise of a mythological villain.’
    â€˜Good for her.’
    â€˜Yes, sir,’ beamed Maeve.
    â€˜Darling,’ interrupted Melissa, smiling graciously at the young woman who, obviously afraid she had overstepped her role as ‘turndown housemaid’, nodded briefly towards the Vice President before going about her duties.
    â€˜I have to check in with Oliver. Promise me you and Dick won’t . . .’
    â€˜Ten minutes,’ he said reassuringly as he walked her towards the door. ‘Dick and I will be ten minutes tops. I promise.’
    â€˜All right,’ she said, lowering her voice. ‘But if you insist on forgoing a rest, I am going to insist on asking Stuart to come up and check on you.’
    â€˜I’m fine. Besides, you know we had a falling out.’
    â€˜Yes, another silly tiff. Honestly Tom, you’re like two little boys. He’s been your physician for years. Your blood pressure has been high and I think you should . . .’
    â€˜Montgomery and I will get over it. Just allow me the pleasure of watching him squirm for a while. It’s part of the fun of sparring with a pompous English professor. Besides, like I said, I feel fine. Better than ever, in fact. This is going to be a good night.’
    â€˜Yes. Yes it is,’ she smiled, lifting her hand to his cheek before springing back into action. ‘But nevertheless I am going to ask Stuart to make a quick stop, and I am also going to tell Don to put you and Dick on timer. And then, no other visitors until I come for you.’
    â€˜Dan.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜The Secret Service Agent on the door, his name is Dan not Don. He is originally from Dallas, has a wife named Stephanie and two kids – twin six-year-old boys named Eric and Paul.’
    â€˜I knew that,’ she said.
    â€˜Of course you did, Gladys.’
    She opened the door a fraction before hesitating, turning to say one last thing before she slipped away: ‘You know, the next time you fly into Logan it will be as President.’
    He shook his head.
    â€˜All right I know,’ she said. ‘Counting, chickens, hatch, all that.’
    â€˜Yes that,’ he said. ‘And this . . .’ He held her then, feeling an almost compulsive need to kiss her deeply before releasing her.
    â€˜Now look what you’ve done,’ she smiled, pulling back and instinctively blotting the smudges from her top lip.
    â€˜Go then, before I decide to blow off this dinner for a night