This is the fourth and final segment of Quartet. I hope you haven't lost interest in the stories, but I felt the last segment lacked something and I wanted to spend more time on the finale. Thanks for your patience.
Eleanor Charlton married George Sunderland on a rainy, cold day in March, 1970 in Calgary, Alberta. It was an omen. She was twenty two years old and he was thirty seven. She was a junior secretary at a Publicity and Promotions firm and he was the twice-married Manager of the same firm. She was no virgin, but she was not very experienced with men and George was her polar opposite. He saw women as disposable and some say he only married them to legitimize the tax deductions. Their marriage lasted less than a year when Eleanor discovered her husband deeply embedded in one of his ex-wives on the sofa in their living room. It was an enlightening experience for her and another liberating one for George. The divorce was granted and a kindly judge awarded Eleanor a sizeable portion of George's income after noting his previous marital adventures and the reasons for their failure; namely an inability to determine which of his various conquests he was married to.
Eleanor had learned a valuable lesson. George was a philanderer and cared little for her conventional marital sensibilities. She would choose more wisely for her next husband, but that would be a long time in the future. In the meantime, she bent her efforts toward developing her career and with a singleness of purpose as she began a steady rise in the Calgary business community. By the time she was thirty, she was recognized as the most influential Promotions person in the city and was sought after for a variety of projects from Major Commercial Property Development to Shopping Centre Promotions. Her income reached almost six figures and she was invited to be the first woman to join the prestigious Calgary Businessman's Club. She joined, only to find it was a hostile environment for a single woman and she seldom used its facilities. Over time, she indulged herself with occasional male companions and her lusty appetites became the underground talk of the business community. She never lacked for willing companions for any social event.
Eleanor had come from a conventional middle-class family. Her father and mother lived in a modest three bedroom home in the University District and he earned his living as a professor at the University. Eleanor's younger sister, Evelyn, was six years her junior and was a completely different personality. Quiet and shy, she had married a strong willed oil field engineer, John Payton, and when the downturn hit the oil industry in the eighties, he moved his family to the coast and began a successful career as a process engineer with an international chemical company supplying the Pulp and Paper industry. They had one child, Julia and Eleanor thought the world of her niece. There was nothing in the background, family or environment that would account for the contrast between the two sisters.
On a particularly cold winter evening, Eleanor met Robert Thompson at the Calgary Businessman's Club where she was hosting a reception for the Heavy Construction Industry. Robert and his brother Harold were the owners of Thompson Bridge and Trestle, a family business they had founded and built from nothing to become the largest rail bridge and trestle constructors in North America. While it sounded impressive, their business largely consisted of repairing, upgrading and maintaining the myriad of wooden trestles already dotting the Western North American landscape. Both Robert and Harold were single; having devoted almost every waking hour to building and running their business. Robert, the elder, was 44 and his brother had just celebrated his 40th birthday. Eleanor, now 35, was intrigued by these two seemingly rough, self-made men. She had never met anyone like them and their openness and straightforward values were a refreshing change from the posturing and posing of the younger businessmen she was accustomed to meeting.
Eleanor's erect posture and 5 foot 9 inch height caused her to stand out among her female peers. In addition, she chose her business clothes carefully to give a distinctly professional appearance. Her fully developed figure did not go unnoticed despite her dress and it was Robert who sucked up his courage, boldly walked over to her and, when she was finally alone, introduced himself.
"Good Evening. I'm Bob Thompson and I would very much like to get to know you, Miss ...?" He was clearly expecting Eleanor to fill in the blank. She wasn't intending to make it that easy for him.
"How do you do, Mr. Thompson. It's very nice to meet you." she smiled slyly.
"You wouldn't do me the honor of joining my brother and me at our table, would you?" he asked carefully.
"I'm sorry, that won't be possible." The sly smile was still on her mouth.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I would truly enjoy spending some time with you. It isn't very often that I get to have dinner with a beautiful woman." He delivered the 'corny' line with such sincerity that it was all Eleanor could do not to burst out laughing.
"No offense, Mr. Thompson, but I'll be required at the head table. I'm your host this evening."
"Oh, well ... that's understandable. I guess that way I'll learn your name at least." he said smiling nervously.
"I'm Eleanor Charlton and you can call me Eleanor." Her smile was all Robert Thompson needed to see to know he had found what he was looking for.
"I'll look forward to talking to you some more when the dinner and formalities are finished." he said directly.
Eleanor leaned back slightly and took stock of the imposing figure in front of her. Somehow, she was intrigued by what she saw and would like to know more about this big, rough-edged man.
"Let's do that." she said brightly. "Excuse me; I've got to get things started. I'll see you later ... Mr. Thompson."
"It's Bob ... please." he pleaded as she turned gracefully and strode toward the head table without answering his request.
Eleanor smiled to herself as she walked toward the head table. Mr. Bob Thompson was a giant; at least six foot six and he appeared to be very fit. It must be all that outdoor exercise building bridges, she thought idly. During the dinner, she found her mind wandering and she occasionally looked over at the table where the Thompson brothers sat. There were no women at the table, but that didn't mean anything at this dinner; it was pretty much a men-only Association. She noticed that Bob Thompson was looking over at her on a regular basis as well. She tried to be nonchalant and appear to not notice his glances, but she was drawn to his gaze and was sure he knew that. She noticed that both he and his brother were tanned despite the fact it was January. She idly wondered if it was an all-over tan. She had never bedded a man of his size and wondered if he was that big in every department. She finally awoke from her sexual reverie and realized the evening was coming to an end and she was expected to say a few words to wrap things up; thanking the guests and speakers.
As the room broke up at the conclusion of her comments, Eleanor couldn't help but look over to the Thompson table and felt a moment of disappointment when she saw no one there. Almost immediately, she heard a strong, masculine voice behind her and smiled inwardly as she knew who it was.
"You run a very efficient meeting, Miss Charlton." he said in a surprisingly soft voice.
