The drive from the Marshall Farm Business Complex to the Marshall family estate and mansion was only about 10 minutes. The Marshall estate was situated well off the main roads of Florham Park, so that none of the buildings on the estate could be seen from any public street.

As the car turned into the gated driveway of the estate, it appeared to be entering a heavily wooded forest, but after about half a mile, opened up into wide manicured lawns. The tree-lined drive led to a stonewall with another large gate. Beyond the stonewall gate the driveway became cobblestone and much wider. Once through the last gate and onto the cobblestone drive, the main mansion became visible.

The Marshall mansion and the surrounding grounds exuded the concept of money and power.
The mansion was a classical early 20th century style. Sweeping copper roofs, turreted towers and gables, four floors visible, expansive gardens and fountains. This was the result of the toil of two generations of Marshall work. Nicholas had read that the mansion had seventeen bedrooms and that Donald Marshall I – the founder – had built it to intimidate the locals. Must have worked, he thought.

The limousine pulled up through an arched cover by the front door and stopped. The front door of the house opened and a uniformed servant stepped forward to open the car door.

“Good morning Dr. Harding, this way please.” Said the servant as he led Nicholas into the house. He was middle aged – maybe early 50’s, obviously British and black. “If you’ll be so kind as to wait here.” He said as they entered a large open room that was obviously a library. “Mr. Marshall will join you shortly.”

When the servant left the room, Nicholas had an opportunity to explore. There were two levels with a mezzanine on the upper level. A large fireplace was on the wall to the right as you entered the room. Across the room, positioned so you could see the fireplace was the largest rolltop desk that Nicholas had ever seen. Nicholas had a fondness for rolltop desks. It was a dark heavy wood with dozens of small drawers and compartments. It was a beautiful piece of furniture. On the wall over the fireplace were two portraits of two middle-aged gentlemen who clearly resembled each other.

Nicholas recognized the two men as the founder of Marshall Pharmaceutical –Donald Marshall I and the II, Don’s father. No sign of the current Don’s portrait anywhere. There were literally thousands of books organized neatly and efficiently as any private library. Some appeared to be rare collector’s items. The outside walls had large eight-foot tall windows with a beautiful view of the manicured lawns. From the mezzanine windows you could make out the faint outline of the New York skyline. The windows had heavy velvet drapes of a rich dark blue that could be pulled to shield the books from sunlight.

The Pharm House is set in the present with the main portion of the story taking place in western New Jersey, the Morristown area. A lot of folks who have never visited New Jersey may have a rather jaded view based on what they see on television (think The Sopranos) or in movies (think Wise Guys). When they think of NJ, they may think of Newark or the Turnpike, but there’s a reason that Jersey is called “The Garden State”.

New Jersey is rich in history; in the winter of 1779/1780, George Washington encamped the Continental Army at Jockey Hollow, near Morristown. As an amateur history buff, I have sprinkled several Civil War references throughout The Pharm House.

Western New Jersey is known for its rolling hills of farmland and horse country; a well-hidden secret. After the Civil War, the US industrial boom created a new class of wealthy industrialist working out of New York. Many of these industrialists and financiers amassed great fortunes and looked to build large estates mimicking European aristocracy. The open spaces of western New Jersey were a perfect locale.

Railroad lines took these captains of industry into New York, while their families remained on their estates in the small towns of western New Jersey, e.g., Morristown, Bernardsville, Peapack, Mendham, Florham Park, etc. Many of the manor homes of these estates, which ranged in size from 50 to 500 acres, have been lost to time and development, however several remain even today.

In The Pharm House, Marshall Pharmaceutical is located in the middle of Marshall Farms, now a sprawling private industrial park, but once the home of a manor house and estate at the end of the 19th century.
Parts of The Pharm House also take place in Manhattan, Washington, D.C. (with a few more historical tidbits), London and Tokyo.

Join Nicholas and friends and see parts of New Jersey that most Americans have never seen.

Jack O’Connor – Nicholas’ boss at Marshall Pharmaceutical

Jack was a Senior Vice President and a member of the Marshall Board of Directors. Tall, barrel-chested with gunmetal gray crew-cut hair, Jack was one of those over-testosteroned manly men who thought that regardless of whose company he was in, his was the superior intellect present and by default, the leader.

O’Connor’s office was on the R&D building executive – fifth- floor. As head of all Marshall R&D, both clinical and non-clinical, Jack ruled his global empire with an iron fist. Nicholas had read an article on James Baker, Secretary of State under George H. W. Bush. Baker was described as ‘the velvet hammer’, someone who welded extreme power, but with finesse and class. Given that, O’Connor’s style could be described as ‘the rusty spiked hammer’. When Jack was in the room, there was space for only one opinion – his.

Nicholas had some degree of technical respect for O’Connor, but felt that his bullying, micromanaging style was about 30 years outdated. As a member of the Marshall Board of Directors, Jack carried considerable clout. He’d long ago wiped out all potential enemies and competition and the rumor was he lusted after the company C.E.O. position.

O’Connor’s lair was spacious and designed to intimidate; a large open anteroom with chairs for waiting victims far away from the workspace of his secretary, Roberta. That way if you’re waiting for Jack, you can’t see what she’s working on. And Roberta was a piece of work. She ruled over all the R&D secretaries like the Wicked Witch of the East ruled her flying monkeys. Roberta was one of those secretaries who took glee from using her bosses’ power to terrorize everyone else in the organization.

Nicholas learned long ago that two people you absolutely never want to piss off are the bosses’ secretary and spouse in that order. So, every Secretary’s Day or Administrative Assistant’s Day or whatever the current politically correct term was, even though he hated it as holiday created by and for Hallmark and the florist industry, every Christmas and on her birthday, Roberta received flowers and candy from Nicholas. Consequently, Roberta, Queen of the Vampires, had a soft spot in her cold, hypertrophied heart for Nicholas.

Beth Cowlings

Beth is Nicholas’ attorney. She is from Raleigh North Carolina and is an old friend of Nicholas’ mother, Dorothy Harding. Beth and Dorothy had met and become friends in the racially charged segregated south in the later half of the 20^th century.

Beth is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and at Dorothy’s request, she comes to NJ to help Nicholas with the mess he seems to have gotten himself entangled in at Marshall Pharmaceutical.

“Beth Cowling was the type of person who became the center of attention, no matter where she was. A tad on the short side, compensated for by high-heels, her favorite color was white. And today, she was a vision of flowing white from her shoes, to her white pantsuit with long floor-length vest. She had piercing grey wolf-like eyes, but the most striking aspect of Beth today and most others was her hair – snow white and shoulder length. Somehow the white hair actually made her look younger than the mid 50’s she was.

Nicholas had quietly entered living room where Beth was holding court with Dorothy, Michael and Andrea.

She had that slow melodious swaying southern accent – the kind used by refined southern ladies. And could lull you into a false sense of superiority. Nicholas had always been fascinated by the fact that the average American hearing a southern accent automatically deducted about 15 IQ points. That same person hearing a refined British accent would add 15 IQ points to the speaker. He suspected that Beth made ample use of this trick and had been under estimated by many a foe – mostly likely to their serious detriment.

“I hope you don’t go skiing in that outfit.” Nicholas said from across the room.

“Not to worry. Why I’d just melt the snow with my charm.” She said walking towards Nicholas, extending her hand.

Waiting for the others to arrive, Nicholas stared at Beth as she sat slowly smoking her cigar and drinking her brandy.

“Why what is it Nicholas, dear?” She purred.

Nicholas laughed. “I’ll bet you have six inch fangs.”

“I’ve never heard it put quite that way, but very perceptive dear, very perceptive.”

Beth turns out to be quite the charmer…