Chapter 2 The Cottage

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

"Spank you." He said without batting an eyelid. Her mouth hung open and she stared at him. And Dominic wasn't in the least bothered. if anything, he was growing impatient.

She took off her pants and stood in front of him in her cotton knickers.

"Come here." he patted his thigh for her to lie on.

This was by far the worst humiliation she had ever experienced. She lay her stomach flat against his thigh and waited.

The first slap came fast and hard. She bit inside her palm to keep from screaming.

After the second one, she struggled away from him and tumbled down to the cold floor.

"Anything but this, I'll take any punishment but this," she said rubbing her sore backside. His grey gaze had turned a darker shade of silver. He looked at her for a minute and then took a swing from his bottle.

"You too young for anything else." He put the bottle down and fixed the sleeves of his shirt.

"I'm twenty-two, I'm old enough."

Isabella blurted out, making Dominic stop what he was doing and take a look at her properly.

"You should have eaten your vegetables, you look twelve. Get dressed and unpack whatever it is you have in that bag. I hope you have learned your lesson." He said as he stood. Even through the dark material of his pants, there was no mistaking how muscular his legs were.

All of his legs.

"I have." She didn't need reminding, she was sure her behind was toasted red.

There was no better reminder than that.

He walked over to the door, but before his hand could grab the handle, he looked back inside the room.

"Isabella, I'll be watching you." he pointed to his eyes and then at her.

She nodded her head, unable to form words. The horror of being watched by the cruel Dominic unnerving.

Once the door closed, she got up and rubbed her burning behind, oh for the love of god, her behind felt like the king's furnace.

She unpacked her backpack. She hadn't realized she was crying until she tasted salty tears.

In the meantime, Dominic walked from the maid's quarters and stopped on his way to the castle.

He found a nearby bench that faced his mother's rose garden. Why was his pulse suddenly racing? He took in deep breaths to calm himself.

Had he taken things too far with the little girl, he should stop thinking of her like that. She did say, she was old enough.

He looked at his palm under the moonlight light. He could still feel her flesh as it came into contact with his hand.

Bloody hell.

***

After the incident with the jacuzzi, Isabella hardly saw Dominic, which she was grateful for. Because if she did, she would have cried her lungs out.

Seeing that Isabella was amongst the youngest maids. Everyone talked freely around her. Because she never bothered with the gossip mill. But today, one of the older maids, who was called Jessica had gossip that even she wanted to hear.

"Before they left, I heard Madam Rosetta tell Sir Montego..." Jessica started

"Which Montego?" Emilly, another maid, cut her off and they all glared at her.

"Anyway…" said Jessica rolling her eyes for special effects.

"She was telling the senior Montego that they should celebrate Sir Dominic's coming birthday. There have been some struggles lately with the family business, so they need something to celebrate." She spilled the beans.

"But I heard that he and his younger brother, Eric, don't get along. They once tried to kill each other." Emily interjected.

"What are you all doing here, Emily you know better than to be spreading rumors about the family." Mrs Bronws came from nowhere. And they all scattered about like cockroaches.

Mrs Browns had been with the family for decades. She knew all the secrets. She saw and heard everything that happened around these walls.

With the gossip party over, Isabella made her way back to her room in a jovial mood, they were going to have a party. She wondered how old Dominic was, he must have been ancient, not that he looked ancient, but his brooding made you feel like he had been around thousands of years before.

She almost laughed at her idiocy.

"I'm glad to see you having a merry time." She looked up to see Joseph, one of the drivers coming up her path.

"It's nothing like that, it's been a good day, that's all. What are you doing here?" Nothing could spoil her mood.

"I'm here to help you with your luggage. You moving." Joseph said.

"Me? Moving to where?" she didn't remember Mrs brown saying anything about moving. She was the one in charge of their movement. They couldn't sneeze without her knowing about it.

"Behind the castle, off that beaten path, there is a cottage there surrounded by the castle flowers, It's a lovely cottage if I say so myself." Joseph looked dreamy.

She'd seen that cottage before. It was out of the way, hidden from sight, too isolated for her liking.

"No, I've seen it, it's too far away from everyone, how will I ever manage in that scary place."

"Have you ever looked at it inside, maybe that will change your mind, what do you say we have a look at it while there's still light outside?" He suggested.

"But why must I move at all?" she felt a tingle of irritation.

They walked back to the castle and past it, to go to the other side. The hedges were overgrown on that side. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while, if at all.

"Sir Dominic thinks you will be best suited this side." she couldn't believe her ears, he had been to her room once and now he felt he could move her up and down as he saw fit.

"Sir Dominic? What could have given him that crazy idea?" …or if the rumors were true. He was going to make her disappear.

They reached the cottage but the flowers covered the entrance of the cottage, any other day she would have found this place enchanting and magical. But because Dominic chose it, it suddenly looked haunted.

"Do you need me to clear away the flowers or you can manage?" Joseph raised an eyebrow as he asked.

"I kind of like the look." The flowers were in their season and they made the place look like something from a fantasy book.

Joseph opened the door and after making a small opening for Isabella to pass through, she walked inside the cottage. Half expecting to see spiders lining the wall and skulls covering every inch of space.

Against her best judgment, she gasped out loud and Joseph gave her an approving nod.

The cottage was charming. It transported her back a hundred years ago and she guessed that was what made it special.

"The fireplace looks like it's been used recently." she pointed to the ashes.

"Sometimes Sir Dominic comes here in the evenings when he wants some quiet time."

Joseph stood next to the fireplace.

"If I move in here, where is he going to have his quiet time then?" the last thing Isabella needed was Dominic to think he could visit her.

"He will have to find another secluded place for that," Joseph reassured her.

"The castle has plenty of rooms that are not currently in use." he continued.

"And why is that?" Isabella was curious about the rooms that were locked.

"Less work for the maids," he said and she nodded. Not fully convinced.

She moved to the closed door and opened it. It was a bedroom, simple with a single bed, a cupboard to hang clothes, and a dressing table, fully equipped with a mirror and a chair.

The mirror looked like it hadn't been used in ages. So…Dominic didn't like looking at himself.

"Who do you think this place was built for? It's too out of sight from the main house."

"Maybe the King's mistress." He shrugged and looked around the place. It did make sense.

Everything was intact and in its place, it couldn't have belonged to a noisy man with dirty boots.

It must have housed a true lady, she wasn't sure about Dominic's true intentions of housing her there, but if he thought she would play the role of a mistress. He didn't know her at all. Which he didn't.

Isabella was so excited about her new living arrangements that she let it slide that Dominic had arranged it for her.

Good thing she wasn't working at the house tonight, she could focus all her energy on moving into her new place.

Two hours later. They had moved in all her small belongings and had dusted the place and put away everything in its place.

After Joseph had long gone, she was still high about her new place. She sunk into an old chair and looked at the stars through her window.

Tonight they shone brighter than she had seen them from the maid's quarters.

When morning came, she felt like a princess. But as soon as she walked into the kitchen, everyone gave her funny looks before walking away.

Mrs Browns gave her a stern look and pressed her lips together. Isabella looked at her uniform, but it was without any fault.

Suddenly aware of the looks she received from the other maids, she went for the large tea pot but Mrs Browns walked over to her.

"That will have to wait, dear. You need to get to the main house and help Master Dominic with his…" She looked embarrassed "Bath and anything he might require of you." she said avoiding eye contact with her.

"Since when does Dominic need a maid for his bath?" The Montego family members didn't have personalized maids. Everyone cleaned but no one was assigned any special tasks.

"Maybe since he moved you up into a private cottage behind the castle." Emily glared and Mrs Brown gave a rebuking look and turned to Isabella.

"It's not my job to question orders and I suggest you do the same. By the way, since when did you start addressing him as 'Dominic'?" Mrs Brown raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"I suggest you hurry up before he wakes." she took a tray of silver and left her standing there.

Isabella walked out of the kitchen feeling like a kitten that had been drenched in water. Why was Dominic being so mean? He was still punishing her for being in the jacuzzi.

She walked into the main house, the house was cold and quiet at this time of the morning. The rest of the family was still on holiday.

It was a wonder how Dominic was able to sleep all by himself in such a big house. But then again, what could scare him?

She raised an unsteady hand and knocked softly against the heavy door. When no sound came, she turned the handle and walked in quietly, careful not to wake the beast.

"If that's how you have been walking, it's no wonder you're late," Dominic said, he was standing in the doorway between the bedroom and his bathroom.

She stopped and faced him.

"I'm sorry Sir," the words felt bitter on her tongue. He took two strides and he was standing in front of her, his hair still damp from his bath.

His bathrobe was open, revealing a hairy chest, her fingers tingled with an urge to touch him. He clicked his fingers and Isabella woke from her daze.

"...the bed.", said.

"The bed?" her cheeks burned up, she hadn't heard what he had said.

"Yes. I said you should be here early. I need you to take that suit on the bed to the dry cleaners. It got stained." He raised an eyebrow and Isabella moved as if she had been injected with life.

She was getting dumber and dumber around him, she attributed everything to fear. but even she had to admit, she enjoyed the view of the hard chest.

Isabella moved to the side of the bed and took the grey suit. She instantly understood why he wanted it cleaned.

She put the suit on a reclining chair and started making the bed but a knock on the door had her pausing from her work.

She looked around but Dominic was no nowhere seen. She walked to the door and opened it.

It was Joseph, her chest settled but he raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Isabella, I didn't expect to find you here. Is Sir Dominic still sleeping?" he looked around behind her.

"No. I think he was-" she pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

"I'm right here, anything the matter, Joseph?" Dominic said from behind her.

Isabella took her cue and scrambled away. She didn't like the look on Joseph's face. He seemed confused at her presence.

She also knew that Joseph and Dominic's relationship went beyond that of an employer and employee.

She strained her ear to hear what was being said at the door.

"...you having breakfast with Miss Collins this morning," Joseph said and Isabella stood still and pumped a pillow.

"Hmmm…" She heard Dominic hum in response.

"You have been pumping that pillow for the last five minutes now." Dominic said next to her, she had been so lost thinking about him and 'Miss Collins' that she hadn't heard the two men finish their conversation