Chapter 3

"Are you sure this is the place? It looks awfully fancy so far."

Kate looked down again at the instructions that Sam Dagon had written out for her. "Yes, it says turn right... I keep telling you, it probably is very fancy. Mr. Dagon has a great deal of money, I'm sure."

"O.K., O.K. It just seems like we've been driving forever, that's all!" Tim felt in a very ill humor, although he was glad to have liquidated all of his problems with the apartment back in San Francisco without having to borrow to do it. Dagon had given them enough money as advance on both of their salaries to take care of everything. But now he was having second thoughts... wondering if he would really be able to write here as both Dagon and Kate, had assured him he would.

"Darling, will you relax..." Kate said. "Please! Everything is going to be all right!"

"I guess you're right, honey. I'm sorry... You've just got to admit, it's not everyday that a fellow... I mean a couple gets an offer like this!"

They had been driving for about five minutes when suddenly there appeared over the hill a weathervane atop a high turret, and then the turret itself and then rest of the luxurious Tudor mansion of stone and rough hewn wood.

"Whew!" Tim let out a long low whistle.

Kate drew in her breath sharply. She had expected it to be beautiful, but nothing like this! She shifted excitedly in her seat, peering out the window as the car continued along the winding road that led to the mansion. They passed horses grazing in fields and what appeared to be stables. Kate could hardly contain herself, it was fabulous! And she had told Tim to relax!... For days now she had been in high state of nervousness that she made every effort to conceal. When she had mentioned the whole project to Tim, she had never in a million years expected him to agree to it. And then she had to face with the problem of telling Sam about it when he appeared on schedule at Alfie's.

It had been hard to face him... to tell him that she would work for him after all when only the night before he had behaved like such a monster. How to reconcile the two things? She decided that a firm approach was the best, and she had launched into a long harangue about her morality which Sam Dagon promptly put an end to by telling her, "Kate, don't worry. You won't have to do anything you don't really want to do. Contrary to appearances last night, I don't believe in forcing people to do things against their will!"

Then after telling her he would meet with her and her husband the following day to arrange everything, he had abruptly returned to his lobster, leaving Kate a little bit embarrassed by her school girl speech. And now it looked as though everything was going to be just fine. They pulled up in front of the house and stopped, uncertain whether they should be going to that entrance or one of the others. But the big wooden door of the main entrance swung open and Sam came out to greet them. He was wearing a navy blazer and gold-colored foulard tied around his neck. His dark wavy hair glinted in the fading sunlight. Kate couldn't help noticing how handsome he looked... the Lord of the Manor! He was completely at ease, almost so casual that he made them nervous as he showed them around. He maintained a steady patter, almost as though he were a guide who had repeated the same phrases many times, while they tried not to gawk like tourists at the opulent surroundings.

A castle in the Tudor style... Dagon was saying, "My grandfather had these stones brought over piece by piece from England... a lot of the paneling, too. This room we call the Princess' suite because my grandfather had a lady friend who was a princess whose name I am not at liberty to tell you just now. There are twenty-two rooms here, each one specially designed for the people who used to inhabit them at various times... that includes the old servants quarters, which I have had remodeled to make a rather comfortable apartment with offices on the second floor. This grand hall is rather wonderful isn't it... Those stained glass windows always give me pleasure. We keep the piano in good condition, although I don't play it, but my mother used to. Actually, the place is pretty much empty most of the time, except for the people who stay here to help me take care of it. Of course, I entertain fairly often, at which time the rooms may be filled for a day or so. Downstairs we have what I call the dungeon..." he continued leading them into a cavern-like area with rough rock walls. "It's the bar... you see... my own personal discotheque!" He flicked a switch and loud rock music came pouring out of hidden speakers in the walls.

"There is more... but you'll see all that later. Right now you must be tired... and we'll be having dinner shortly."

He led them back up stairs to the top floor where he showed them a luxurious suite of rooms that they were to call theirs for the duration of their stay.

"I want to get this straight right at the beginning," he told them just before he left, "I don't consider you as servants or even employees at all... you are my friends... and we will have our dinners and meals together as do my other guests. As for your functions in this household we will go into complete detail about enjoy yourselves while you're here... THAT is one of the primary rules of the house! Dinner in an hour folks... in the big dining room... oh yes, why not wear something special for your first evening here... after all, it is kind of a celebration."

He closed the big oak door behind him with a smile and he was gone.

"Whoopeeee!" Tim grabbed Kate up from the bed where she was sitting and whirled her around the room. "Oh, baby... we hit the jackpot this time... look at this room... and that sitting room... look at this place! It's a dream... don't pinch me whatever you do... I don't want to wake up." They pranced hysterically for a few minutes, giggling and shouting their excitement. Then they went through the three rooms and bath that they would occupy, looking in all the cabinets and drawers, examining the delicately carved woodwork and furniture. The windows were of leaded glass and the entire suite opened out over an enormous azure blue swimming pool below. Each room had French doors leading onto a stone terrace on which were placed colorful tables and chaises.

They were ecstatic and Kate was doubly happy because it was the first time in a long time that she had seen Tim so happy. Things had seemed to go wrong from the day or rather the night they were married, and he had shown her a dark, sullen side of his nature that she had never dreamed existed. She was inwardly proud of herself for having arranged this for them, and she hoped that Tim was giving her credit deep down inside for their good fortune.

While she relaxed in the deep, old-fashioned tub filled almost to the brim with water, she pondered the irony of her adventure with Sam Dagon, sending forth a silent prayer of thanks to the powers that had made her reconsider his offer.

A few hours later Tim and Kate were sitting at the long lace clothed table in the main dining room. The dinner had been prepared by a Parisian Chef, Pierre, who had lived with his wife and daughter in the apartment that had been created out of the former servants' quarters.

Dot, their eighteen year old daughter, was the maid whose sole function seemed to be to serve meals as decoratively as possible.

Tim and Kate sat facing each other across the table while during the dinner of stuffed pheasant and wild rice, Sam sat at the head of the table. They were rapidly overcoming the nervousness they experienced in the unusual situation due to the copious filling of their crystal glasses with vintage wines, one for each course, ending with a dessert of delicate lichee nuts served with warm cognac. At the end of it, Kate felt slightly tipsy, and she could tell that Tim was downright drunk, although he was holding it very well. She felt flushed and excited by the dinner, and Sam's elegant, sophisticated dinner conversation... it was very similar to a book she had read once, or was it a movie... in any case, she remembered that Sam's part was played by some romantic star and that she had been very impressed with him as an impressionable teenager.

Sam proposed that they retire to the drawing room for coffee and brandy. As they rose from the table, Kate noticed how Tim staggered and frowned across at him. Her look was lost on him, however, since nothing could have marred the dazed good mood he was in.

As they entered the drawing room, he clapped his hand confidentially on Sam's shoulder, "I've got to hand it to you, Sam," he said... "You're a damned good host."

Kate winced, but noticed that Sam did not seem taken aback by this familiarity. Then she remembered his stern speech earlier about their being his guests, and she relaxed a little. And as she sank into a big leather chair she was glad she had decided to wear her silver dress. She knew she looked good in it, but she had had very few chances to wear it. She crossed her legs and noticed that she was sunk so far down in the chair that a great deal of her thighs showed below the short skirt of the dress, and both Sam and Tim were sitting directly opposite her. She tried to shift her position so that not so much of her stocking flesh was exposed, but after wiggling a bit, she realized that there was nothing to be done for it so she forgot about it. Before turning the conversation to the many specially bound books lining the room, she did attempt to signal to Tim that they should be going upstairs soon. The large brandy was making her dizzy, and yet, there was a warm, tingling at the base of her spine that made her want to snuggle up in the big double bed with her husband. She hoped that he wouldn't fall asleep right away.

"Well, my friends, I've told you quite a bit about the house and about myself this evening... now... if you're willing, we can discuss the future... what help I'll be counting on you for... how we can best work together... etcetera."

Sam sat in his favorite chair contemplating the splendid view of Kate's upper thighs... if he just leaned forward a bit he knew that he would be able to see the tender vee at the crux of her legs. "Mmmmmmm," he thought... mentally licking his lips, for he knew that it wouldn't be long before he would once more be touching her there. He wondered if she ever thought of that evening in the car, and how it affected her if she did.

She looked even better than he had thought in the setting of Dagon Manor... and she would look even better as time went on, he mused. Now he hoped the subtle additions he had made to Mr. and Mrs. Tassel's brandy would soon have the desired effect. He knew that the best thing he could do under the circumstances was to continue talking in his low monotone until Tim had to leave,

"So you see, you, Tim... we'll have all the time you like for your writing... I just need to make sure the grounds are kept in the finest shape possible... I'm a Capricorn... do you go in for that sort of thing? Well, whether you believe it or not... l like order around me... A Capricorn trait... You will have people to help you plan and organize and people to do the manual labor that you don't care to do yourself... The main thing that I want to know is that you are responsible for these things... right?"

Sam could see that Tim's eyes were heavy lidded and that his perfunctory nod was about all he could muster as an answer.

"Now as for the house, the pool, the stables... You will largely act as a sort of overseer... Crockett... the caretaker who has been here since my father's time will help you out and show you everything you need to know about the place, from the billiard tables in the attic to the Cabanas below the swimming pool. Is there anything you'd like to ask me this evening?"

"Uh... !" Tim could barely speak, his words came out in a garbled rush... and then he fell silent realizing that he was making no sense. "Better... bed... sorry..." he managed to blurt out, lurching forward from his chair.

Kate jumped up and ran to help him, and Sam grabbed him by the arm. Together they helped him up the large, sweeping stairway, richly decorated with hanging tapestries and got him into the bedroom where he collapsed on the bed.

Kate stood by, not knowing what to do first..." I should get him out of his things... Oh, I'm sorry... Mr... I mean Sam. I'm sorry this had to spoil our first evening here. We're not used to alcohol, you know... and Tim..."

"My dear, the best of us have these little mishaps. Now I'd suggest you help him out of his clothes and in the morning I'll have a special breakfast drink prepared for him that will make him feel as good as new! Meanwhile, if you feel up to it and wish to continue our little talk... I'll be downstairs for another hour. Otherwise... have a good night's sleep... and I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night Sam... Thank you so much for everything... the dinner... everything..." She tried to encompass all the gratitude she felt, but the whole situation was too much for her. She had never seen Tim this way and to have such a thing happen now... And she wasn't feeling any too well herself. It wasn't that she felt ill, it's just that she was beginning to feel so strange. She couldn't quite put her finger on it... it was a way she had never felt before. As Sam closed the door behind him, she looked with dismay at her sleeping husband. Dead to the world! And a wave of resentment rose within her. Was their life together to be like this always!... Slowly she bent over to help him undress. It was hard, he was like dead weight, but finally she had gotten him under the covers. He never wore pajamas so she at least didn't have to go through getting him dressed again once he was nude.

Kate pulled the covers up over her husband, and, as she bent over she got a sudden 'rush' in her head. It seemed to get everything going in her brain, and suddenly she was not only wide awake, but she had so many thoughts in her head that she wanted to get them out. She just had to talk to someone!

Downstairs in the library, Sam poured himself a brandy and soda from the well-stocked bar, glanced at his pocket watch which told him that if all went as he had planned it, Kate should be appearing in the doorway within five minutes. The mild stimulant he had given her contained a minute portion of a powerful aphrodisiac. Not enough to make her do anything she did not really want to do... just enough to make her let her guard down a little. Sam sat down in his chair facing the door. He had placed a soothing Bach prelude on the record player and its music swelled, filling the room with melodious sound. Sam did not expect to have to resort to the use of drugs after this evening. It's just that he could accomplish in one evening what it might take him several weeks to accomplish otherwise, and he was a very busy man.

He heard a rustle at the door, and from his vantage point he watched as the brass door handle turned slowly and the door opened a crack.

"Why, Kate," he said... "I'm so glad you decided to come down! This is the most peaceful part of the day for me... when the whole house is still... Come in... don't just stand there!"

Kate pushed the door open further and stepped into the room. She was still wearing the short silver dress with the low back she had been wearing earlier, but now her hair was curled softly on her shoulders the way she had left it when she was brushing it and decided she wasn't ready to go to bed yet.

"I... I just wasn't sleepy yet, somehow..." she began nervously. Her eyes already shining with the brightness of the drug's effect.

She moved over toward the chair she had been sitting in earlier but Sam, as he stood up to greet her, insisted that she join him on the sofa.

"My mind seems so full of questions to ask you..." she began, even before she had sat down, her words coming quickly. "You know we never did get to discuss the details of what you want me to do here..."

"Yes... of course... and what better time than now?" Sam rose from the sofa and went to the bar... "What will you have?"

"Oh, anything... what would you suggest..."

"Having what I'm having... a Courvoisier and soda... wonderful for the nerves!" He began to mix and pour and in a short time returned to her, holding a tall glass filled to the brim with dark honey colored brew.

Kate took the glass and sipped at it cautiously... "Oh, it is nice," she said... "I've never had that... In fact, I think I've never had so many new things as I've had tonight!..." She laughed gaily and Sam laughed with her, carefully observing her actions for further signs of reaction.

"You know..." she began, completely wired now... "I wanted to apologize to you... I mean I never would have thought that before this moment I would be saying this... but well... I'd like to tell you that I seriously misjudged you... I guess you know that..."