Chapter 91

I had Annette's letter passed on to Marianne and then I had all of my girls read it. One thing I was surprised at was that two of my new girls couldn't read. I called Karolina and Umber in for a meeting about the education of my girls.

"Master," Umber started, "what educational level do you wish your girls to attain?"

I thought for a moment. If I just said this level or that, then the girls would be taught up to that level. And heaven help any girl who wasn't capable of reaching the heights I so arbitrarily set.

"I want each girl to be the best that she can be. I would like each girl to follow her passion, like Geraldine." I answered.

"Master, Geraldine is one of those who cannot read." Umber told me. I was surprised at this. I wondered how she could have become so good at music if she couldn't read. But then I realised that, she could have attained her expertise at the expense of all other subjects. It would just depend upon what her previous Master or Masters wanted.

I had to think carefully about this. I wanted ... No, that was wrong. I had to give this problem to someone else and let them think carefully about it.

"Umber, I want you to assign a task to someone." I looked her in the eye, "I don't want any of my girls disadvantaged by a lack of education. Reading and writing are basic skills that I think that everyone should have. If one of my girls cannot read or write, I want them taught how to. But, and this is a big 'but', if they are already showing a high level of skill in another area, I don't want them to have to dilute their time just for my whim. I'd rather let them have another one of my girls with them all the time to do any reading and writing that may be needed. No, I want my girls to be educated. I'm determined in this, but I'm not going to spoil a girl's chances in other areas. I want to know if any of my girls do not have the ability to read and write. And I want to know what I can do with those girls to help them reach their potential."

"Yes Master," said Umber. I could see that she understood what I wanted.

"From now on, I want any girl, who is being considered for one of my personal slaves, to be tested to find their educational level." I waved my finger at both of them, "Test them, don't just ask them if they can. We all know the little buggers'll lie like crazy just to get a chance to be considered one of mine." Both girls smiled knowing the truth of that.

"Thank you, Umber, tell Alison that I'd like to see her please."

Umber frowned again. "Yes Master. This girl will obey your order."

I smiled at her, "And remember that this master often asks his girls to do things. Then when he does order them they know that the order is to be obeyed more quickly than usual."

"This girl understand, me Master. This girl does tell other girl, til other girl understand," interrupted Karolina.

"Master," said Umber a little nervously as I'd just asked her to do something.

"Yes, my precious?" I replied.

"What if a girl wants to learn something..."

"If any girl wants to learn anything, then she is to be encouraged to do so. She is to have as much help as she needs to fit this into her usual daily routine. She is to be provided with everything that she needs for her studies. Is that clear? Because that is an order."

"Thank you, Master," Umber smiled at me. They both rose and left my office quietly.

Alison came in less than a minute later and knelt at my side waiting for me to acknowledge her.

"Alison, is there anyone in the new group who can take over from you as my office manager? I think that you have enough to do just being the Chief Body Slave."

She thought for a moment. "Yes, Master, I think that there is. May this girl ask for Karolina's advice on this?"

"Of course you can," I replied.

"Thank you, my Master."

"Go now, I want to go and see Gerald and Geraldine."

"Yes, my Master," she replied with a grin. She ran lightly out of the office.

And I was alone at last. But with Umber, there was always a body slave at my side. I dropped my hand to my side, nothing. And then I tried the other side, and felt, as I suspected, a head of hair. I looked down, "Hello Catharina."

"Hello, my Master," she seemed a little more relaxed this morning. I wonder how long she's been kneeling there listening to my orders for her and her sister slaves.

"Come," I said, "Let's see what Gerald and Geraldine are doing.

"Yes Master," she answered.

Catharina followed me out of the office and through the corridors. My office was located in the lowest sub-basement. Elastic and Paula seemed to think that this was safer for me. It did mean that I couldn't look out of a window. And I missed being able to just look at a view, watch what was happening.

The music room was almost full. Marines, household staff and my girls, occupied all of the chairs and lined the walls. Some even knelt or sat on the floor. They were listening to Gerald giving Geraldine a master class. He had an acoustic guitar, she was using the piano. The music was heavenly. It lifted your heart one moment, then made you want to cry the next. Geraldine had the same gift as her teacher, she could make you feel emotions. She was going to be an internationally acclaimed pianist. Of that I was certain.

Gerald and his student were obviously busy so I looked round for something else to do.

"Does Marianne have an office yet?" I asked Catharina.

"I think she uses her room, Master," she answered a little doubtfully.

"Let's go and see shall we?" I said.

"Of course, Master," she answered.

I knocked on the door that one of the house maids showed us to. Marianne nervously opened the door, "MASTER!" She quickly backed off into the room. "Master, what can this girl do for you?"

"Marianne, you are free now, you never have to call anyone master again." I tried to calm her a little.

Then I noticed a yellow bag on the table. It had been opened and a couple of Jelly Babies had spilled out.

"Lynne wouldn't take them, would she?" I asked, pointing at the bag.

Marianne sighed, "No Master, you were right. She said that she wanted your Jelly Babies."

"Don't fret about it, Marianne, you tried to do the right thing. Lynne teases me by trying to eat my sweets. I tease her by not letting her have the black ones and growling whenever she does sneak one away. It's just a game we play."

"Oh, Master, I didn't understand." She seemed to slump down a little as her defeat almost overwhelmed her.

"Then you should ask Prof more questions."

"Oh yes, Master, I will." She looked grateful for my suggestion.

"Marianne, call me Boss or Paul."

"But Master! I couldn't be so informal with you."

"Yes, you can. You don't call Prof, 'Master', do you?" I asked.

Her eyes got a faraway look and she smiled, "No Mast ... Boss, I don't."

"Have you spoken with Gail yet?" I asked her.

"No M ... Boss, I haven't. I went to see her but she seemed very busy."

"And I bet that she wasn't. Marianne, if you want freedom there's a price to pay. That price is that you have to ask for the things that you want. I bet Gail was on the phone, wasn't she?"

"Yes Boss, how did you know?"

"It's easy; Gail wanted you to disturb her. You turned up on time, and she fooled you by talking into a dead handset. There wasn't anyone on the other end. Gail wanted you to sit and wait for her, to make your presence known. Then she'd know that you really wanted her advice on how to be free."

"I'll try, Boss, it's just so hard. There are so many things I have to do for myself, I forget things, I get confused and lost." Tears ran slowly from her eyes.

Prof gently put his arms around her and hugged her to him. "So do I sometimes, dear heart. And I've been free all of my life.

Marianne pressed herself against him, her love, her rock, her saviour.

"Come girl," I said and Catharina and I left them.

Julia and Susan were both asleep, so I didn't disturb them. I looked out on the practice ground and saw Katie leading about ten of her fellow marines in Tia Chi. I wandered back into the Chateau, Em, I hadn't visited Em for a while. I'll go and see her.

The sick room had expanded quite a bit since I last saw it.

Em and some other women were scrubbing the walls and floors.

"Hi Em, precious," I said quietly.

"Master!" Em called, delighted to see me.

"GIRLS!" Em shouted, "This is our Master. I know that a couple of you have already seen him," the tall horse-faced woman who had carried Susan's baby box reddened. "Be careful, our Master is kind, gentle and forgiving, but his Gold slaves are not. They will kill anyone who disrespects our Master."

"How are you getting on with the new girls, Em precious?" I asked.

"Some of them are taking their time about learning how to keep a ward clean. They know nursing, but don't practice it to my standards," she looked fierce.

I laughed, "But I bet that they're learning more quickly now," I replied.

"Of course, Master."

I hugged her and she melted into my arms.

"I'll leave you to your pupils then, dearest Em."

"I Love you, Master, come again soon."

"I will do, precious one." I called as Catharina and I left.

"Now, you too can be treated like a princess if you can convince Umber and Karolina that you're worth a gold collar."

I smiled to myself. This idea of being 'promoted' to wear a gold collar was having effects I never envisaged. And a lot of them were good.

I swam, long peaceful lengths, up and down the pool. The exercise relaxed me and I allowed myself to drift into my swimming trance. Before I realised that I'd completed my sixty laps I almost threw myself out of the pool. It was so easy.

I had a surprise when I went to my lounger. Shannon was laying on it, pretending to be asleep. I shook water all over her and she burst out laughing.

"GRANDAD!" she waved her arms at me, "Stop it. You'll get my DSi wet."

The little tyke looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Is David coming here again, Grandad?" she asked, obviously she'd been missing her playmate.

"I don't know, darling. How about asking Jill? She usually knows who is coming and going."

Shannon 'looked' at me. "Mummy Helen told me that you're in trouble with Aunty Cecile."

"ME? What have I done?" I asked, full of innocence.

"Grandad, now I know that you were naughty. Aunty Cecile said that you threw porridge at her!" she was wide-eyed at this.

"How could you, Grandad? Mummy Helen tells me to be more careful if I drop some food on the floor. I'd never dare throw some at someone."

"Well my darling, when you get older, you'll learn that there are times to be silly, and times to be grown up. You're very young now, so Mummy Helen is trying to teach you how to grow up as a nice young lady. You," I poked her in her tummy, "already know all about being silly."

She giggled. "But I don't know when to be silly and when to be good," she said.

"Then you already know more than most grownups that I know of, my darling."

"Oh Grandad, you are silly," she said with a laugh.

"There you are, you little monkey."

"I think Mummy Helen is looking for you, Grandad, teased Shannon.

"I was looking for you," said Helen, picking up her wayward daughter. "We already know that your Grandad is a big monkey. I don't know," she said with a sigh, "Throwing food around the dining room." She shook her head at the antics of the supposed grown-up males in the Chateau.

"And you, young lady, will be in big trouble if you ask for porridge for breakfast tomorrow." Shannon just laughed out loud.

"Mummy, can I go and see Jill?" Shannon asked.

I was pleased to see that she was calling Helen 'Mummy' rather than 'Mummy Helen'. I could see from the look in Helen's eyes that this touched her too.

"Of course you can, darling. Jill is a sensible girl, unlike her Master," Helen replied.

"Oh Mummy, you know that all of Grandad's girls would throw food all over the place, if they thought that he wanted them to."

"Yes, darling, they would. But he would still be the instigator," she said poking me in my side.

"Byeeee Grandad!" Shannon yelled as she raced away.

"Bye darling," I called after her, though I doubt that she heard me.

Helen sat on my lap. We kissed slowly and tenderly. Now was not the time for hot passion, maybe later.

"Where's Ross," I asked, as she snuggled down, making herself comfortable.

"He's interviewing one of your girls. She wants to be a pathologist he said."

"Oh, I'd heard about that. She's one of the new girls I received from Tadeusz," I replied.

We cuddled for a while; I felt at peace and rested for the first time in a few weeks. This resting was doing me good.

"I've got to disturb you though," Helen said quietly.

"What have I got to do now?" I asked, not really minding that my rest was going to be disturbed.

"The Coven wants to speak to you. They're probably up at the windows watching you now."

"Oh." I sighed. "Any idea what they want?" I asked.

"Something about taking over a very large company and ruining its current owner."

"Oh, that's easy enough, I thought I'd have to work at this one," I replied with a grin.

"Oh, go on," said Helen as she slapped my arm.

I went.

"So you see, Boss, the reason why..."

I held up my hand and Carol stopped her explanation.

"I'm sure that you have very good reasons for asking me to do something. What I want to know is, what my objectives are and are there any secondary objectives to bear in mind when I'm planning my attack?"

"Well," said Carol, "Seeing as you put it like that..." She nodded to someone at the back of the room. The lights dimmed and a white screen lowered from the ceiling.

"This is Ernest Sanders, or Ernesto Sanchez, as he's known in his native Spain. He runs Sanders and Co, Import and Export. This is a publicly listed company trading on the London Stock Exchange. He is also a prolific gambler, smuggler, gun-runner and people trafficker. His company supplies about half of the remaining class 1 drugs currently in the country. One in four of the trafficked prostitutes we've rescued were brought into the country by him. And we understand that he regularly sends a pallet load of cash abroad to his bankers. We need his company stopped and him ruined, alive and free but totally bankrupt." Carol put down her briefing notes and looked at me.