Lessons in Duplicity

About the Book

John Tamplin is shattered when, during a normal business trip to Central and South Africa in 1970, he finds himself at the Victoria Falls Hotel in bed with Avril Llewllyn-Rhys. They were separated by her parents 26 years earlier when he was 18 and she was 15. He is still unable to resist her, although the sweet young girl has turned into a sophisticated, self-assured and mysterious woman who expects to get what she wants. She introduces him to members of the Rhodesian rebel government, and shoots their way out of a sudden terrorist ambush. They part, not expecting to meet again.

Back in England with Eleanor, his adored wife to whom until then he has always been faithful, he finds that the family shareholders in the company for which he works are squabbling about its future and that he cannot avoid being sucked into the argument. He tries to put all thoughts of Avril out of his mind and get on with his difficult business task with its many complications in which he learns that his normally open and honest way of managing becomes increasingly impossible, even when he is trying to save the livelihoods of most of his colleagues. Eleanor worries that the man she loves is changing, and they are both unhappy that they are ceasing to share a common view of the world.

Unexpectedly, Avril appears in England and attempts to take charge of his life. As he fights his way more and more ruthlessly through labour disputes, takeover bids and merger talks with a German company, he is subjected to the influence of the two women. Eleanor is offering him a future in which he would try to live a good life. Avril is offering one in which you do what you have to do to get what you want. It is Eleanor's determination and the surprising relationship which develops between her and the younger of the two women family shareholders which, in spite of his last treacherous action, enables him to find a way forward.

About the Author

Peter McGregor has retired but is very unlike the stereotypical senior citizen. A chartered engineer and an economist, he has had a varied career which latterly involved a lot of writing and set out to change public policy.

He spent years with the Ferranti Company in which he started as a senior foreman and became a divisional chief executive. He was a non-executive Director of an Italian company. He was then invited to start up a policy foundation created by an Inter-Governmental Agreement between the United Kingdom and the (then) West German Governments. From there he moved to becoming Industrial Director of the National Economic Development Office and, after four years of service, to become the chief executive of the Export Group for the Constructional Industries, dealing with Government, World Bank and EU affairs. He was also an Associate of a management consultancy practice. His career has spanned the whole range of industrial and industrial/political experience.

His bent for lateral thinking has led to many interesting political and business successes. It is impossible to place him on the left or right of politics, although he has views based on his own political, public service and industrial experience. Although this is only his second work of fiction to be published, his previous writings included the suggestion in 1966 that the UK should have a national minimum wage, in 1982 that public capital should be managed properly and not as the ignorant carelessness of the Treasury managed it. He was the first person to promote such ideas, all of which were eventually adopted.

He has been published elsewhere from time to time when he has turned his attention to occasional freelance journalism. One editor told him that he was a born journalist. He is listed in Who's Who. His first wife died in 2001 and in 2006 he married Sheena Macmillan.