Chapter 20

The girls had all discretely bolted when the others came inside, and Seline let Trudy take their guests through to her drawing room whilst she went to the kitchen to confer with Marcie.

“The dining room, there are a few of them, so the seating in there would be better, it will mean preparing more food – a lot more food, but you are used to cooking for numbers?” Seline murmured hopefully.

“That’s right miss Seline ... I will get a couple of the girls to carry it through, we can put the food onto the hotplates on the sideboard, and then they can help themselves to what they want, as they want it.”

“Excellent.” Seline approved gratefully.

Seline joined Jonathon and the medical staff and several other people, in the dining room, even though she was happy to just sip a cup of coffee, since she had already had breakfast. Paul – Jonathon’s assistant was nowhere to be seen, and Trudy decided that she needed some fresh air and slipped out the main door, to stroll around the grounds.

The situation was resolving itself, and any danger to Seline and the girls was now past too.

Trudy was talking herself into the idea that leaving this morning was really the best thing for all.

As she came to the edge of the grass, she saw Paul, talking on his mobile phone.

She walked closer and then listened curiously to his end of the conversation.

“You have the modules? They will be used for ... two as clinic – labs ... yes, let me see, five as living – sleeping quarters ... I believe you do smaller liveable modules as well, yes, we will have three of those ... yes, two for office space ... yes, two for food preparation and a general eating – meeting space ... yes ... yes we will require the equipment and furnishings as well, and all with plumbing facilities and power facilities, we have the points this end to pipe it all in and hook it all up ... yes. Now then, these things need to be installed and running by end of day tomorrow at the latest ... you can do that? Excellent, Mr Richards will be so pleased, yes, the delivery address ... that’s right ... by one thirty tomorrow – very good we shall expect your trucks by then.”

“That was very efficiently done,” she grinned.

He smiled politely as he slipped his phone into his pocket.

“Mr Richards, had already ordered a large quantity of those modules, they were being held for the time they would be needed.”

“Still ... to have them delivered so quickly – that was a neat trick.”

“Mr Richards, needed this sorted in a hurry, and when he needs things done in a hurry, I often find that his name alone tends to motivate people.”

She laughed. “I like the way you get things done, Paul ... if you ever decide to leave Jonathon Richards’ employment, please come and see me – I can think of several positions you could fill in my company.”

“Thank you, Ms Beaumont – that’s very kind of you to say.”

He was just so polite and none-emotional.

“But you won’t take me up on my offer, will you?”

Paul shook his head. “I can see no reason ever that would see me leave Mr Richards’ employment ... he values all of his staff, he treats us with respect and courtesy at all times, the prestige of being on his staff is extremely rewarding and he pays us very well ... but more than that – my loyalty to Mr Richards is on a more personal level, he is responsible for the saving of my pack – my family – we owe him a great deal.”

“Ahh,” she sighed in resignation. “I can see that you won’t change your mind, so I won’t push it further. Any way I just thought that I would mention that breakfast is ready in the dining room to the left when you walk in through the main door.”

“Thank you, Ms Beaumont, but there are several other things to get organised before I can even think of that ... perhaps a snack or something a little later.”

She tut tutted a couple of times and then took his arm. “Breakfast,” she insisted. “And then you can settle at the separate house if you need privacy and space to sort things, it’s all switched on and pretty much ready for use in there.”

He looked across at the house. “Now that is a very good idea.” he murmured thoughtfully.

He looked to go in that direction, and she gripped his arm more firmly.

“Come to the house long enough for Marcie to make you up a basket, then you can do what you need to and enjoy sustenance as well.”

He grinned – the first real smile that he had given her. “That is a plan indeed Ms Beaumont – thank you.”

As they walked quickly towards the house, Trudy shot him a glance.

“Paul ... that was a large number of modules you were ordering, just how many people will be here, and just how many of them are males?”

Paul shrugged. “Almost all of Mr Richards’ staff are male ... certainly most of the ones who came down with us – with the exception of course of the medical team.”

“How many – other than you and the medical three – how many will be here as well.”

“Well now let me see – Gavin, Phillip, Steven and Robert the drivers – I think two will go back though, perhaps three and just leave the vehicles, Shaun and Colin, Mr Richards’ personal staff, cooking, clothing and cleaning his home, room or other personal spaces – as needed ... and others who will come and go.” He looked down at her. “If your concern is for the young ladies in this residence please do not worry, Mr Richards’ staff are all very professional and mostly older and married with children of their own.”

“The girls have been insulated from all males for quite some time now, due to their past, they are naturally shy and timid around any strangers. I worry that things around here are changing very quickly, perhaps too quickly.”

“Mr Richards will ensure that no harm will be suffered to the residents here due to his plans.” Paul reassured her confidently.

His phone began to ring, and he pulled it out his pocket with a grimace.

“Go on ahead to the house,” Trudy said. “And I will bring breakfast to you.”

“Thank you, Ms Beaumont, you are very kind.”

He walked back to one of the cars, answering his phone as he went, speaking in a quiet confident tone, and pulled out a large holdall from the trunk, and Trudy headed for the main house.

Marcie – as usual was more than helpful.

“They have running water at the house, a kettle and a percolator ... I’ll put in, tea, coffee sugar milk ... the bacon is still warm, so bacon sandwiches ... fruit...”

She was efficiently stuffing things into a basket, and a short while later, Trudy was trudging across to the other house lugging a rather heavy bag with her.

The back door was open, so she walked through straight into the kitchen.

Paul was sitting at the kitchen table, and he had been productive already.

He had a laptop open in front of him, and a large notepad and pens. He had put a hands-free headset on and was typing and discussing and occasionally writing as well.

He shot her a quick absent smile, but carried on his conversations, and so she filled the kettle with water, and unwrapping the hot bacon sandwiches, she popped them onto a clean plate, and put it on the table in front of him. She pulled out the little fruit bowl that Marcie had put in and put that on the table as well, and then she made a hot cup of instant coffee for the two of them and put the mugs down on the table as well.

Paul finished his conversation just as Trudy sat across from him.

“Thank you,” he murmured and bit into one of the sandwiches, as Trudy took some of the fruit.

Paul quickly demolished all the food, and Trudy could only conclude that he must have been very hungry indeed.

He sipped the coffee, and then looked across at her. “I am most grateful for the food, and for the trouble you are taking for me, but please do not feel like you need to stay any longer?”

She laughed. “You sound like you are trying to get rid of me!” she exclaimed playfully.

Paul looked a little awkwardly away from her. “I just don’t want to put you to any more trouble.”

“I am at a loose end at the moment,” she shrugged. “And I hate feeling useless.”

She looked at the large note pad.

“That is a lot of phone calls listed, you could be here till next week with that lot ... I could help you with some of it?”

He looked at the list doubtfully for a moment, but then sighed. “I should really do this myself ... but ... very well...”

He pulled out a smaller pad and jotted down some of the numbers, and names and then pulled-out cards to go with them.

The cards were like memory or revision cards with the name of the contact and the number and a brief note on what the call was to be about.

“Make a note on the card about what the conclusion is and then tick it off your list,” he advised.

Trudy nodded, as she compared cards with the list. “Yes, I know how this game is played ... I do it like this myself sometimes.”

He pulled out a second phone and handed it to her. “Mr Richards’ number comes up and everyone always answers – almost immediately.”

She nodded again. ‘I just bet they do!’ she thought to herself.

The next hour went in a blur, and Trudy began to enjoy herself.

“Hi this is Trudy calling on behalf of Mr Richards’ assistant ... yes, he just asked me to chase up those textiles ... yes, next week? but Mr Richards was hoping for sooner – much sooner ... yes, this afternoon? That would be perfect – Mr Richards will be soooo pleased.”

And each, and every call ended the same way, with Mr Richards getting exactly what he wanted exactly when he needed it.

She ate away at the cards and ticked them of the list until there was nothing more, and then looked across at Paul with twinkling blue eyes.

“That was so much fun!” she laughed as he ended his own call. Her long golden hair was falling across and down one shoulder, and her face looked fresh and rosy, with her smile and her bright blue eyes she looked years younger and very beautiful.

Paul’s calls had all apparently gone the same way as well, as he ticked off the last on his list.

He met her gaze and laughed at her expression. “I have never thought as my job as fun ... not until now.”

He leaned across suddenly and wiped a smudge from her cheek. “You had a ... mark,” he murmured absently. His hand felt warm and gentle on her face, and their eyes met, and the atmosphere in the room changed subtly, as their gazes locked.

“Just what the hell is going on here?”

Trudy did not need to turn around to know who was glaring at them in the doorway. She did not have to turn around to know that he was actually glaring at them ... just who the hell did he think he was – talking to them like that?

Paul looked horrified and the colour stained his cheeks.

“I ... I”

Trudy smiled kindly at Paul and turned to look at him.

“You are awake I see ... have you seen your brother yet?”

His nostrils flared at her cold tone. “No, he is with Seline in her study – and the door is decidedly closed.”

Paul’s phone started to go, and he pushed back his chair as he answered. “Westerly here,” his voice had just a little too much relief in it as he walked further into the house – and away from the storm brewing in the kitchen.

Matt moved further into the room, and the kitchen suddenly shrank, at least it felt like it did, since it brought him closer to her ... much too close for comfort, especially when he had that dark menacing look about him.

She turned to tap her note cards together and made a job of neatly placing them on the notebook and straightening the pens.

He was silent for a moment but she knew his gaze was fixed on her.

His breathing had been tight and controlled but as the seconds ticked by, she heard it ease and level out. He had been angry – furious, but as quickly as it had flared that was now gone, and he was trying to get back to where they had been last night.

“So,” he said trying to force a light and friendly tone. “What have you been up to this morning?”

She shrugged her shoulders, refusing to look at him. “Nothing much.” She snapped.

Matt sighed and moved closer to her. “Look...”

She heard that reasonable tone, and knew that he was going to try to mollify her.

She quickly scraped back her chair, and nipped out the door storming past him.

She was quick, but he’d been power running for years.

He easily caught up with her.

“Trudy!”

He grasped her arm and she turned on him, angrily.

“You had no right to talk to us like that!” she hissed. “You made Paul feel so uncomfortable, and he works so hard, for your brother, he certainly did not deserve that.”

Matt clicked his tongue impatiently. “Yes, I know how hard he works, I also know how hard he is. I have known Paul for many years and count him as a very good friend.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “But what is your sudden concern for him? You can hardly know him ... do you?”

She sniffed disdainfully. “He is your brothers constant shadow; I know him as well as I know your brother.”

Matt frowned and suddenly looked uncertain. “Just what are you trying to say?”

Trudy shrugged uncomfortably. To tell the truth she was not sure herself. The conversation had gone down a direction that she had not expected.

She was annoyed with Matt, had been looking for a way to fight with him all morning, an argument where she could storm off and he would not chase after her.

Anything to prevent the conversation he wanted to have, the conversation and the memory trip that she was desperately trying to avoid.

“Nothing ... I was just concerned for another’s welfare, that’s all, nothing more nothing less.”

“Oh, well you needn’t worry about Paul, he will understand ... I will catch him later and apologise for snapping if that will make you happy?”