Chapter 88

My new girls allowed me to examine each one of them individually. Then they lined up and one at a time I collared them.

I hope that we build the same kind of relationship that I have with my current girls.

The call I'd been expecting came through late that evening.

"Hello Trystan," I said, answering the phone on its first ring.

"Good evening Baron."

"What can I do for you?"

"Well Baron, I'd like my daughter to continue her training for the period that you recommended this morning. I think that it would do her, and her career, good to have such superb skills. It might even quieten some of my detractors who say that she's been promoted above her abilities due to my influence."

"Paula has agreed to continue to train her. It's up to Collette now."

Trystan laughed. "Baron, can you imagine anyone, in either of our country's special forces, passing up a chance to train to such a high level. No Baron, Collette will jump at the chance. I'll write to her this evening. Who knows, she might even stay awake long enough to read my letter in a week or two." He laughed again and this time I joined him.

Still laughing, Trystan hung up. I hung up my phone and settled back in my chair to ponder all of Trystan's words, trying to seek out any hidden meaning, any hidden message.

I gave up after about half an hour. All of the 'I know that he knows' and 'he knows that I know' etc., nearly made my brain dribble out of my ears.

Instead I turned to my whiteboards, specifically the one with the Huntley wedding picture on it. There was one person in that picture that I hadn't identified yet. I wanted to see what her story was.

There was one person to ask about this, Karolina.

"Girl!" I called loudly.

"Yes Master," answered Isabel from beside me; she had been almost as quiet as Umber.

"I need to speak to Karolina. Ask Karolina to come here."

"Yes Master," she answered. She sounded a little unsure of herself, probably because she didn't know who Karolina was or where to find her.

"Ask any of the other girls, they'll show you the way. And remember Karolina is my favourite."

"But Umber..." she stopped, unsure whether she'd broken some unspoken rule or upset me in another way.

I smiled at her. "Umber is in charge of all of the slaves while Julia brings up our child. Both Julia and Umber are precious to me so don't upset them."

"OH NO! Master. This girl won't upset anyone," she looked at the door and I just caught her continue quietly with, "she hopes."

I smiled at her back as she left the office. 'She'll learn, ' I thought to myself.

It took nearly ten minutes for Isabel to return. She knelt by my side. "Karolina is coming Master. She was asleep."

I sat looking at the photo, pondering courses of action. Karolina knelt beside me and waited quietly.

"Karolina, Dearest one, you are to have some form of sign on your door to let us know when you're asleep. Lynne and Ela are to do this too. Isabel, you are to let all of my girls know that when that sign shows Karolina, Lynne or Ela to be asleep, then they're not to be disturbed. You are to come and see me. These are my orders, do you understand?"

"Yes, My Master," said Isobel.

"Yes, me Boss," answered Karolina. Isobel's eyes widened at Karolina's familiarity with me.

I stood and went to the whiteboard, pointing at the unknown woman in the picture. "Karolina, do you know who this is?"

"Yes, me Master. It June Morrison."

"Is she as bad as the rest?" I asked. I needed to be sure that I was taking out a bad guy, and not a good guy.

"She is look to extortion racket, Boss." Karolina thought for a few moments, "Is not baddest one, but is bad."

"Should I deliver her to Cher then?"

"Me Master only owing Mistress Cher 56 pence now, Boss. You did discount give Mistress Cher, three for two, and BOGOF is you said."

I smiled as I remembered that phone call "I'm doing a Tesco," I said, "today only it's BOGOF - buy one, get one free. Tomorrow they'll be pay for two get three, cheapest one free."

Cher had laughed and said she'd take all we could deliver.

I sat and thought for a little while longer.

"Karolina, my dearest, go back to bed. I'm sorry to have woken you just for this."

She smiled, "Me Master free to wake this girl anytime."

"Then go and sleep in my bed, I'll wake you up in there in a while." Karolina smiled and ran lightly away, to my bed. I felt the need for a quick nap coming on too.

Later, I woke Karolina again and we cuddled and talked. Kissing, touching and gentle caresses led to gentle lovemaking.

We revelled in our joy together. It had been so long since I was able to spend any time with dear Karolina that it nearly broke my heart. How could I allow this gentlest of women to be away from me? I didn't know; I just knew that both Karolina and Sasha were convinced that it was worthwhile. I believed them. My love for both of these women would not allow me to do otherwise.

Holding my beloved girl tightly against my chest, we fell asleep.

The pool was quiet at this time of morning. It had been a few weeks since I'd risen this early. I liked the quiet and I swam easily, the past few days of rest had invigorated me. At the penultimate turn, I noticed a wheelchair by the loungers. Of course I took little notice of it; Carol often came for an early swim. At my last turn I spotted Carol wheeling herself towards the deep end of the pool. Now there were two wheelchairs.

I heard Carol enter the water behind me, that and the fact that there weren't bullets already flying, meant that there wasn't any immediate danger around. I knew that could change with remarkable speed, but it was quiet now.

I pulled myself out of the water. That was a little easier today, and I knew I needed to keep up with my resting. This was doing me good.

Something else did me good too.

"Karen!" I cried. She was resting on a lounger beside mine. I hurried over and hugged her. Gail Briant came out of the Chateau with a tray of drinks.

"Tea for you, Baron, green tea for you, Karen, coffee for me." Gail said, taking a long self-satisfied slurp of her coffee. "Ahhhhh."

Karen leaned over to me. "If she wasn't such a good doctor I'd suggest we throw her in," she said sotto voice.

"I let you out of your apartment to come down here didn't I, you ungrateful wretch?" Gail growled back, but her demeanour and voice gave no hint of displeasure.

I hugged Karen, she felt so light and frail.

She hugged me back, but with only a fraction of her former strength.

I lifted her onto my lap and she snuggled into me gratefully. "Thank you for loving me my Master," she said, her voice quiet, soft, almost childlike.

"You are very easy to love, dearest Karen," I told her. "It is me who should thank you for loving me."

"But..." I silenced her with a kiss, then I lay back in my lounger. Soon Karen slept. Moments later I joined her in sleep.

I woke as Ross moved Karen's arm to take her pulse. He looked at me and put a finger to his lips, "shhh," he said almost silently.

I was quiet as he finished his examination. I thought that he could have even drawn blood without waking her, he was so gentle.

The three doctors, Ross, Helen and Gail, moved inside to discuss their patients, including me, I've no doubt. Em came out. I wondered if that was so that she could keep an eye on Karen or me. Probably Karen I thought. I'd been able to swim without a doctor handy for quite a while now, so I was probably off their critical list. Karen though, she was sick. If her breakdown had precipitated any of the more serious diseases then I was sure that they'd all want her kept 'under observation' until her conditions improved. And she wasn't improving very fast. I too was very worried about her.

I held onto my precious girl, hoping that she would feel my love even in her sleep. That she would soon grow stronger and get well.

For a long time I lay holding her; Annette at my feet, other girls moving around, coming and going without needing direction from me. Umber came out twice. The second time she carried another precious bundle, Susan. Umber sat beside me while I looked at my daughter. I wanted to hold her and her mother, but I had a very important job to do right now, hold Karen.

Karen woke just before lunch, horrified that she'd fallen asleep and how long she'd been asleep on my lap.

"Master! Oh my Master, how can you ever forgive this wretched girl for keeping you here so long?" She looked around and saw Umber and Susan. "Is that Julia's baby?" Then a tear fell onto my chest. "I've stopped you from holding your child, my Master! Oh Master..." she wailed.

I held her, rocking gently until her sobs subsided.

"Dearest Karen, yes, I did want to hold Susan. But..." and I lifted her head up so she looked at me, "you needed me. What is your master for, if not to look after his girls when they need looking after? You needed me more than I needed to hold Susan. So I held you. And I enjoyed holding you. Do you understand?"

She nodded, and said a quiet "yes Master," and she huddled against me again.

Annette looked on shocked at what she'd seen.

"Annette, why don't you go inside and talk to one of the other girls about what you've seen? I think that they'll set your mind at rest.

"Yes Master," she replied and started walking into the Chateau, looking back at us every now and then.

I idly wondered what her sister slaves would tell her about me. Exaggerations and half-lies I supposed. I'd try and tell her the truth as soon as I could. If I could remember that is.

"Girl," I said quietly.

"Master," Wendy replied.

"Remind me that I've got to tell these new girls what I am like. So I can dispel some of the fantasies that the other girls will be telling them."

Wendy smiled. "Master, we cannot tell these new girls the full truth about you. They'd laugh at us. No, we'll wait and let them learn what a man, what a Master, you are for themselves."

I growled at her.

"Does my Master wish to beat me? Shall I go to the dungeon and prepare, my Master." She was still smiling.

"No, not yet. Can't you see I'm working?" I looked down at Karen, sleeping again, in my arms.

"And my Master wonders why he is adored by his slaves," she said, looking adoringly at me.

Wendy fed me bites of sandwich and salad for my lunch. What I had, I couldn't say. It tasted good of course, but my attention was on Karen and her plight.

Ross and Helen sat beside me for a while. Shannon came out too, quietly kissed me and laid her head on my shoulder. She looked down at Karen, eyes wet with her concern for the sick girl.

Mid-afternoon Karen woke again. A light lunch was brought out almost immediately. Chef must have prepared it and covered it so Karen could eat as soon as she woke.

I fed her myself, considering it an honour to help in some small way to her recovery.

Annette came out again walking slightly stiffly. I was puzzled about this, then I had an idea.

"Turn around girl," I ordered. Annette did so and there were three cane stripes across her buttocks.

"And what did you do to earn those?" I asked.

"Master, I didn't believe slave Umber when she was telling me what you are like as our Master. I..." she looked scared now, "I called her a liar, Master."

"And she only gave you three stripes? I'm impressed by her restraint."

"Slave Umber said that was all she could give me, Master."

I nodded, remembering that restriction I'd placed on Julia, and now taken over by Umber.

"But Master," Annette started nervously, "I am a Body Slave and slave Umber isn't. Surely that means that I am a higher status slave than her?"

I looked at her, wondering if the others also were confused about the structure of the slaves in my household.

"Umber gave you three stripes across your backside and you're wondering if you are a higher status slave than she?" I asked incredulously.

"But Master, no slave is higher than the body slaves!" she protested.

"And did Umber say that she wasn't a body slave?" I asked quietly. Wendy knelt stiff and formally now. She could tell that this was now the quiet before the storm and she didn't intend to get caught out from under cover when the shit started falling.

"Yes Master, I asked her if she was a body slave and she said 'not anymore.' I know that Karoline is your favourite. So Umber must be a low slave again."

"Did Umber try and say anything else after she said 'not anymore'?" I asked. Annette was proving too stupid to live.

"Well, she was trying to say something Master, but I'm a body slave and I will be obeyed."

Now I knew that something must be done. "Wendy, get Melissa. I want her here as soon as possible," I ordered.

"I am here, my Master," answered Melissa from behind me.

"Annette, Melissa is one of my body slaves. She is higher in status than you. You will obey her orders as though they were from my own lips. Do you understand me?"

"Of course, Master." She was still haughty, even while staring disaster in the face.

"Melissa, take Annette somewhere ... quiet ... She is to remain undisturbed until I call for her."

"Yes, my Master." Melissa's voice was emotionless. I hoped that Annette obeyed Melissa. Things would go very badly for her if she didn't.

"Wendy, call a meeting of all of my slaves for two hours time. In the great hall, I think. Karen is excused. Em must give permission for Julia to attend. Please ask Sasha if she too will attend. I'd like Chiefy there too." I thought for a moment. If I thought that anyone else need be there I'd ask them later. I'd set the wheels in motion. That was enough for now.

Besides Karen was stirring and I needed to look after her.

Sasha and I entered the great hall together, Cecy and Harold walked behind us. There were two large chairs, the closest that I've ever seen to thrones, at one end of the hall. A ring of Paula's girls stood against the walls, Paula herself in a chair by the non-window wall. Chiefy stood behind the larger 'throne'.

My girls, my personal slaves, knelt in two semi-circles, one inside the other. There was a gap in the centre of the lines. I expected that this was to allow Annette to come forward and meet her doom.

Then, to my surprise, Cher stepped forward. We kissed as lovers would. Sasha followed me and greeted Cher just as warmly as I.

"What are you doing here, dearest?" I asked her.

"Karolina called me. She said that I might have to take a slave off your hands," Cher replied.

I understood almost immediately. Karolina, as my favourite, could order such a thing and I'd never think of stopping her. I knew Karolina to be scrupulously fair. If she ordered a slave to be given to Cher, then it would be the fault of that slave and for the good of the whole 'family'.

I also realised that my slaves knew what was going on and what was at stake here. This affected all of them. If Annette rocked the boat, then they could all suffer, and suffer badly.

Sasha and I walked slowly, trying to give this occasion the solemnity and dignity that it deserved, to our seats. We sat and faced my slaves. Then the doors at the rear of the hall opened and Gail strode forward. She walked straight forward, looking straight ahead, until she stood in front of Sasha and I.

"Baron Glastbrooke, owner of slaves, I come with a petition," she spoke out, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

"What is your petition, Gail?" I asked.

"You have excluded one of your slaves from this enclave. The excluded slave petitions for entry. I, as her physician, have examined her and think that she will not be harmed by attending this enclave."

As I sat there thinking about Karen's request, I got a surprise. Karolina strode from her place and stood beside Gail. "I support this petition, my Master," she spoke clearly and without hesitation.

Then Julia and Umber stood and together they walked forward and stood beside Gail.

"We, the leaders of your slaves support this petition," they said in unison.

Sasha leaned across and whispered in my ear. "Go on; say 'no', I dare you."

I looked at her as she sat back, her eyes glinting with merriment, even in this solemn occasion.

"Who will be watching over the petitioner during these proceedings?" I asked.

"I will," answered Ross entering the hall from a side door.