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Chapter 133: Confidants, Part 12
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Mastering Charlotte Chapter 134: Confidants, Part 13
MichaelJames drives us........ the three of us........ to the Haswell's' home........ and I'll admit, I'm nervous.James and Charlotte at least know Haswell. Not well, but they know him. I, on the other hand, have met him only briefly and that was not on a good occasion.He is a man of wealth, power and presence and Charlotte reacted to him as any woman still breathing is likely to react. James did not take that well….... and for that matter, neither did I….... Enough already....That is behind us. We have dealt with the incident and its consequences....But still, meeting the man himself and his wife is giving me pause for thought.He said something about Charlotte and her looking alike....I brush the thought away........ just in time for James to pull up the drive....Whoo.... hoo....So, this is how the other half live........ of a small but perfect country house."Wow!" says Charlotte. "What a gorgeous place."The original owner of the p
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 135: Confidants, Part 14
MichaelBlessingmoors?That place?Charlotte is white. "That's the one," she says through a mouthful of food. Clutching her wineglass, she knocks back the contents. Ross appears behind her, bottle poised and clearly listening to the exchange, cocking his eye at Haswell. Richard, almost surreptitiously, nods and Ross refills her glass.She sits, gripping the glass in one hand. I slip my hand over the other. She's cold.... More than that, clammy....Scared Babe?Don't be. You're safe….... We're here for you....It comes crashing in over me....The affair at Blessingmoors, having drifted from rumour to rumour over years, largely ignored or somehow, shushed, finally burst out a couple of years ago. Tales of trafficking, child prostitution, paedophilia, it all came out. Sick stories, tales of the worst possible side of humanity........ and Charlotte was in there....Oh, my God....Leaning back so she doesn't see, James meets my gaze, his eyes wide, then stares upwa
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 136: Confidants, Part 15
MichaelJames and I exchange baffled looks. Richard hovers, indecisive for the first time since I have seen him. He takes a step or two towards the rear of the hall, then stops and turns, and turns again."Richard...." begins James...."Oh, fuck it!" says Richard. "I saw you two at the club. You're about to get your own back. Come on."Mystified, we follow him to a door towards the back of the house. As he opens it, a chill musty smell billows up....A cellar?..... and the laughter becomes louder....We descend a set of stone steps into a long basement corridor, stone built and vaulted. Doors lead off from either side, the scents of boiler rooms and laundries as we pass. At the end of the hall, a door is slightly ajar, light casting out, drawing a long finger across the stone-flagged floor.Richard looks first at James, then at me with an expression I can't read, then pushes the door wide. And from within, shrieking female hilarity spills out, echoing down the corridor
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 137: Confidants, Part 16
JamesThe following morning, I see no point in disciplining Charlotte. She and Beth got drunk together. With the best will in the world, she needed the release after the evening's revelations....And when all's said and done, nature extracts its own revenge in these situations.Beth descends the stairs first, pallid, and walking as though each footstep might crack the ground under her. She enters the kitchen, seating herself slowly and with exaggerated care."Ah, good morning, my Love," says Richard, his voice loud. "What can I get you? Coffee to start, I think." He pours a mugful.I wonder how she will react to it. I like it strong and black myself, but the brew he's produced is the kind that cracks cups and eats spoons. I tried one mouthful, then abandoned the drink while I had a few teeth left.Beth sips, then sits bolt upright, a small sound escaping her throat. Apparently robbed of the power of speech, she grimaces and then gulps down half the mug.Charlotte follows
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 138: Confidants, Part 17
RichardJames finally regains the power of speech. "You will find that Charlotte feels strongly on the subject of men who won't take a hint. The last time I saw her do something like this, a man six inches taller than she is wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. She felled him with a single blow."What?This little girl?"You mean, this has happened before?""I just believe in sticking up for myself...." mutters the scarlet-faced Charlotte.And finally, I see the funny side. "And you paid for this woman?" I laugh to James.He snakes an arm around her, reeling her in, smacking a kiss on the top of her head. "Worth every cent," he says, eyes twinkling.I turn to my wife, her hand still holding Charlotte's....Girl-power?.... Don't be an idiot man....Friendship and loyalty...."Elizabeth, will you please go home now."She nods. "Thanks, Charlotte," she says, turning to leave.Now make it up to the girl....I wave James and Charlotte to the coffee table. "Sit do
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 139: Champions, Part 1
James"I killed a man."Charlotte's voice is barely above a whisper, but her words ricochet inside my head. Reflexively, my chair grating backwards over the expensive flooring, I stand, staring down at her, thunderstruck.Richard's eyes follow me, solemn and giving no clue to his thoughts. His voice impassive, "Go on."She doesn't look at me, or at him. Her eyes are wide and staring, seeing other times, other places perhaps. And her skin has a pallor beyond her usual paleness."I was fourteen. It was at the home. There was a man…" Her words stumble, and she swallows hard, licking her lips. Richard reaches for a jug and pours water. "As the girls got older, and sometimes the boys.... they would take them away...."Richard slides a glass of water across his desktop to her, and she gulps it down, spluttering between swallows."He took me out, tried to get me into his car. He was telling me that I was being taken to a party where.... He was enjoying telling me what they we
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 140: Champions, Part 2
MichaelAs I step from the elevator into the lobby, the sniffing Charlotte tucked under my arm, Ross meets me....Of course…… he was there the other night, when we learned about Blessingmoors....How much do they tell him…?His voice low, "I moved your car to the rear underground; more private for you." He nods down to the weeping Charlotte. "Come on, I'll show you where it is."I get her in the passenger seat, then move around to the driver's side. Ross says, "I heard you all talking about Blessingmoors the other night." He touches my arm. "Try not to worry. From what Francis told me, I think Mr Haswell has decided to help her, and she's not going to have a more powerful ally than that...."Trying to speak quietly enough for Charlotte not to hear me, "If she's up for a murder charge, I don't think he can help with that, can he?"Ross shrugs. "We all know the stories about Blessingmoors. I'll give long odds it was self-defence...."*****RICHARDJames paces the r
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 141: Champions, Part 3
James"The bones of her story stand up, but there are some differences," comments Will Stanton, police commissioner, waving a yellowed report, one of many from the stack of fading files and folders he has with him."It was before my time in the job, but the records show that Charles Jenkins, supervisor at Blessingmoors, died while in pursuit of one Jennifer Conners, then a fourteen-year-old… um.... inmate, of Blessingmoors. Whilst giving chase he was hit by a truck, pulled under, then dragged some distance."He takes another fading paper, brown at the edges, from the top of the stack, pushing it across to Haswell. "The autopsy lists cause of death as multiple injuries resulting from that event. No mention is made of any stab wound."The girl was recaptured two days later and returned to Blessingmoors as per the normal practice at the time. This was not the first time she had been in police hands. She had made numerous attempts to run away and was described as a trouble-maker: d
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Mastering Charlotte Chapter 293: Family, Part 21
JamesMichael takes a moment before speaking, then, ".... All through your life, you've had everything thrust upon you. Even meeting James and me, you chose to enter the auction, but you did that out of necessity. I'd like to know what you want. Now that you are free to choose for yourself, what is it that you want?"And he falls silent, watching her, and waiting as she looks around at everything about us....And I wonder what she sees. With everything that life has thrown at her, the horrors of her childhood, the terrors of her adulthood, and now to be here, in this lovely place, with the home she always yearned for.And is that enough for her?She gestures around, hands trying to encompass it all. "What more could I want? We're all here, at last, together. I have you both. I have what I want."Yes!Result!Michael's eyes shift to mine....Definitely....She sees us, knows what is going on, and leans in to Michael as he kisses her. "I think I'm going to ask you to
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 292: Family, Part 20, Three Years Ago
Charlotte sits in the office facing Mr Chambers. He's middle-aged and pleasant enough, and clearly doing his best to make her feel at ease. Nonetheless, her embarrassment is excruciating and she can't look him in the face."Can I get you a cup of tea, Miss Conners? Or coffee perhaps?"Her throat tight. "No, thank you."If she tried to drink right now, she would bring it right back up again."Very well. I understand you would like to enter our auction for the sale of...." He picks up a sheet and reads.... 'The services of 'Charlotte' for the period of one week, those services to include anything required of her by her purchaser and also to include the sale of her virginity.' Is that correct?"She squeezes the word out. "Yes."He places the document on the table. "I should explain Miss Conners, that whilst you might find it easier to have a female representative to work with right now, here at the auction house we feel that a girl who cannot go through this interview with a m
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 291: Family, Part 19
RichardAt one of these interminable 'drinks dos' I am expected to attend, I do my best to put on a polite face. But I'm having trouble.I have the mayor on one side, "Since the plans were made public for the new City-Scape layout the share value has soared, Richard...."And my head of corporate law on the other. "There are still some legal obstacles to overcome...." argues Lazenby.I am unsympathetic. "That's what I pay you for."What I pay you a lot for........ So, stop whining and do your job.Listening to the mayor droning on, I nod politely, trying to appear interested but, in fact, my attention is half on the gathering at the other side of the room.As Charlotte and Elizabeth are chatting by the bar. Michael arrives, strolling across the lounge with that easy half-smile that is his habitual expression. Charlotte spots him and moves aside to make room for him."Hi, Michael." Elizabeth's eyes are bright as she looks up at him.He returns the smile. "Hi, Beth. L
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 290: Family, Part 18
Richard"But you've been running 'Life and Fitness' in the City for years.… and turning a healthy profit, surely?""Yes, but you know how it is since two thousand and seven. All the banks have tightened up the rules."Bloody bastards at the banks....Pretty perfect for me though....How to approach this…??James said he has a problem accepting help........ Carefully...."Ummm.…Take this the right way, but I'd be happy to help."Glass in hand, Michael freezes, knuckles. His voice is barely polite. "Thanks, Richard, but I'm not a charity."James' meets my eyes again with a 'Told you' look. He laughs softly. "Now, who's suffering from stiff-necked pride?" Michael gives him a look that should have dissolved him on the spot, but James simply gives him a mild look, sucking at his teeth as he tries to extract a bit of peanut.I follow Michael's lead, keeping my own tone cool. "It wasn't a charitable offer, Michael. I'm a businessman. It was a proposal."He flush
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 289: Family, Part 19
JamesAs we leave, Richard murmurs, "Keep your face straight.""You might have warned me....""What? That you were my ace-in-a-hole?" Despite his advice, Richard's mouth is twitching. "Not a chance. It worked out so much better that you were surprised when he finally realised who you are."I glance over my shoulder to see that we are safely out of range, then stop and turn to face him. "Richard, who am I? I'm an architect. A good architect granted, but...."He lays a hand on my shoulder. "You, my friend, are the architect who will have changed the face of the City. Not many can make that claim. Your immortality is going to be standing as evidence around us for generations to come."It's an interesting thought."I never expected to be famous."He rocks a hand back and forth. "Perhaps not with the Common Man, but I looked through those Get-Well cards at the hospital. Did you?""Er, no.""You should. I asked Michael to keep them for when you left the hospital; for when
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 288: Family, Part 18
JamesMy mobile rings: Richard."James, I was having a word with Charlotte earlier. She's a little upset that the university is kicking up a fuss over the way her course options are moving around. The training periods, academic time and so on. It was all supposed to be arranged, but apparently, they're giving her a hard time over it.""Yes, I thought something like this might crop up. Did you have something in mind?""Absolutely. I know where this is coming from. The Chancellor, Wilmore, is fine, but the Bursar is an interfering busybody with an inflated sense of self-worth, who pokes his nose into every aspect of university life, whether it belongs there or not. If he didn't have tenure he'd have been out years ago.""So…?""First, I like you to have a word with Charlotte...."*****The crook of my thumb and forefinger under her chin, I force her face to mine, "Charlotte, is it that you want to attend the university? Or that, in a couple of years' time, you simply want
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 287: Family, Part 17
James"So how did it go?"Michael prises the cap off a beer bottle on the edge of the table then gulps down from the neck before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "It was.... surreal."I'm up and about and able to walk now, at the level of using the bathroom without the intervention of a nurse. Nonetheless, Michael's return is an excuse for me to climb back into bed, take the weight from my aching leg and draw a surreptitious sigh, which he pretends not to notice.And I'm happy enough to be here. Back in the beach house, the environment is soothing and convinces me to sleep more than I could have done in the renovation/building site which is our mountain home, even were we able to return there.I prop myself up against the pillows and Michael reaches around, rearranging them for me. When I'm settled comfortably, "Go on. I'm listening.""Cutting a long story short, Klempner admitted to murdering Charlotte's father, seemed to have some kind of crisis over her looking
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 286: Family, Part 16, The Present
KlempnerJennifer's face....The loathing there when he says that....The idea that she might be anything to do with me........You're Conners' daughter........ Not mine…Blondie's still speaking… "And your final revenge on her was to steal the child, to force her to grow up into slavery herself.... To fit your idea of...."I claimed you........ Mine........ My due........ My redress....Blondie is still talking.... "And when you found she'd grown up to look like her mother, you became obsessed with it again, determined to have the daughter forced into a life that the mother had already told you repelled her...."And I remember the disgust in her eyes....My beautiful Mitch........ Looking at me like shit on a shoe...."Is she alive? Charlotte's mother?" Blondie asks.I can't stomach looking at him. "I've no idea. The police gave her a new identity, hid her from me. I couldn't find her, and I've not seen her for over twenty years. But if she's not s
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 285: Family, Part 15, The Present
KlempnerHer face twists...."You still don't want to believe me? She was very good at her job. Good enough that, at first, we didn't realise she was a professional. We thought she was just being.... friendly. And I'll admit, when I set eyes on her, I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen...."..... Mitch's daughter....Blondie's knuckles on her shoulder whiten. ".... So did Frank. We took a room for the night and.... well, you know the script from there. You've had two guys together often enough I'm sure...."Her face sets. "So, what then?""She was fun to be with. Not just a good fuck, but actually good company. We both liked her. And she seemed to like us.... Really like us I mean, rather than just pretend to because that's part of the job description. In the morning, we took her number, and later, we called her back. It went from there. We'd meet up with her a couple of nights a week. It became regular. And then.…"Blondie breaks in, his voice low. "A
