CHARLOTTE

“Er… How Richard and Beth met. Er…. Beth…”

Richard holds up his hands. “Spare my blushes. Wait until I’m not around before you tell him. Elizabeth and I need to be going anyway. Do meet up with her and her friends in the City next week, Charlotte. Get yourself a change of air.”

We see him out to his car, where Ross is sitting, eyes closed in the driver’s seat, listening to music. Michael and Beth join us after a minute or two, Beth looking as fresh and beautiful as a newly picked daisy. As they drive away, we wave them off.

My Master swivels to me, eyes crinkling. “Spill the beans, Charlotte.” Michael frowns in puzzlement.

“Um.… Beth was working as a maid in the hotel, cleaning the rooms. I think it was the one where you had the apartment. It was hot one day, and she used the shower in the Penthouse, where Richard was staying. He’d gone out, but he came back early and caught her in his shower, um, naked…. then…. er…. he tied her to the shower and um…”

My Master creases up with laughter. “I get it. No wonder he was so relaxed about you and me.”

“There’s a bit more to it than that.”

“Really?”

“Er…. He offered her a contract, and she accepted. She was um… at his beck and call, if you know what I mean, and in return, he funded her through college and trained her up.”

My Master sobers up. “You’re kidding? So, when he knew that I’d bought you….”

“Yes, he was comfortable with it once he knew that I went into it willingly. Because he did essentially the same thing with Beth.”

Michael is shaking his head, arms folded, a broad grin on his face. “I definitely think you should cultivate your friendship with Beth.”

*****

“Charlotte, can we talk about something?” My Master’s face is serious. Michael is here too, and I can see by his unhappy expression, that he knows what my Master wants to discuss.

“Is something wrong, Master?” My heart sinks. “Have I done something to upset you?”

“Oh, no. No.” he says hastily. “No, nothing like that. But…. we wanted you to have a couple of days here, relaxing before we mentioned this to you.” He swipes a hand through his hair. “Um, why don’t you sit down.”

He waves me to where Michael is patting the seat of the chair next to him. As I sit, he takes my hand, holding it tightly.

Beginning to feel really anxious, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s about that home you were in as a child, Blessingmoors ….”

My throat tightens, and I stare at the ground.

My Master hesitates, but then, “The Police still have the inquiry open from the original events there. They are trying to collect evidence on some of the original gang-members that ran the operation, but who they never succeeded in convicting at the time.”

Michael, holding my hand, is all but squeezing the blood out of my fingers.copy right hot novel pub