Free Tides of Truth [03] Greater Love by Robert Whitlow Page A

back.”
    “Yes, sir. Zach was kind enough to pick me up in Athens and bring me. I’m staying with Margaret Fairmont.”
    “How’s she doing?” Mr. Carpenter asked, then continued without waiting for an answer by saying, “Come to my office so we can chat.”
    I looked at Zach, who pointed up the staircase toward his office on the second floor.
    “I’ll be upstairs,” he said. “Come see me when you finish.”
    “I won’t keep her from you too long,” Mr. Carpenter replied smoothly.
    The principal partners in the firm had offices on the first floor. Mr. Carpenter led me down a hall covered in a thick carpet and through his private reception area, then held open the door to his office. The litigator liked boats. The walls were covered with pictures of yachts. The one in the picture that hung over his credenza belonged to him. Mr. Carpenter sat behind a large desk with a leather inlaid top and motioned for me to sit across from him.
    “How’s your family?”
    “Fine,” I responded, not remembering a time Mr. Carpenter had previously asked about my family. “I saw them last weekend. I also went by to see Oscar Callahan.”
    “Oscar’s a fine lawyer.” Mr. Carpenter nodded. “I always thought his talent was wasted up in the mountains, but he liked to play the gentleman farmer role. To each his own.”
    “Yes, sir. You like Savannah; he loves the mountains.”
    Mr. Carpenter put his fingers together in front of his face. “But the important question is whether you like Savannah, isn’t it?”
    “Oh, yes, sir. I like Savannah. And I want to come to work here.”
    It wasn’t the way I had intended to give my acceptance of the job, but the words were out of my mouth before I could edit them.
    “Splendid.” Mr. Carpenter clapped his hands together so sharply that it made me jump. “You and Vince Colbert make the best pair of young lawyers who’ve joined the firm in years, maybe ever.”
    “Thank you. It’s very kind of you to say that.”
    “And I’m sure you’ll prove me right.” Mr. Carpenter glanced down at a legal pad on his desk. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt too much of your weekend fun. Ms. Patrick will be in touch with you about your schedule upon graduation. Of course, we’ll allow ample time for you to prepare for the bar exam and won’t expect you to start until after the test.”
    Mr. Carpenter stood. I remained seated.
    “Is there anything else?” he asked.
    “Uh, I want to make sure that I work on cases that I think are just, the kind that I can put my heart into without compromising my ethical beliefs.”
    Mr. Carpenter stared down at me with a slightly puzzled expression.
    “No lawyer who’s worked here has ever been reprimanded or sanctioned by the state bar for an ethics violation. If an ethical issue comes up, we’ll go to the rules and find the answer. I might even ask you to develop extra expertise in that area so you can be the firm’s de facto ethics expert.” Mr. Carpenter paused. “Yes, that would be a very helpful niche. We all get rusty over time about some of the nuances of the rules and opinions.”
    “Yes, sir, but I was thinking more broadly than that—”
    Mr. Carpenter dismissed my comment with a wave of his hand. “Don’t jump ahead to hypothetical problems. The practical issues that come up in real cases will provide enough stimulation.”
    Mr. Carpenter looked at his watch. “I’m so glad you could stop by and give me this good news in person. The reason I came to the office today was to participate in a conference call that’s scheduled in a few minutes, and I have to get ready. We’ll have plenty of time to talk ethics once you’re here on a permanent basis. See you in a few months. You’re going to be a great addition to our litigation team.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Mr. Carpenter went to the door and held it open for me. There was nothing else I could do now but leave. I backed out of the office. He shut the door behind me.
    I returned