Six Masters Island - The Cinderella Syndrome (28 page)

“You think she’s not going to spend the night?”

“She’s buying drugs.
 
If this was a sex thing, she would have parked in front of the room.”

“Cool,” Bridgette said.

“You sure you want to try it by yourself?”

“With this bitch?
 
Absolutely.”

“Okay.
 
Hit her in the arm or shoulder, and it should only take about ten seconds.
 
Usually, they don’t make a sound, but you might want to get your hand over her mouth just in case.
 
Watch out for biting,” he warned.

Bridgette waited by a car parked next to Barbara’s.
 
The young woman returned five minutes later, zipping something into her purse.
 
Bridgette called over, “Do you have a light?”
 
She had seen the woman smoking when she had left the restaurant.

“Yes, hold on a minute,” Barbara mumbled.
 
She fished through her purse while Bridgette walked over to her.
 
“Hold on… hold on.
 
It’s probably at the bottom again.”

Her concentration on finding her lighter made it easy for Bridgette to jab her in the shoulder.
 
“What the fuck?” Barbara asked angrily.

“I don’t smoke,” Bridgette said calmly.
 
The woman’s legs were already wobbling, and Daryl quickly opened the trunk and helped Bridgette get her inside.

“Hogtie and gag her, Bridge.
 
The stuff’s in the wheel well.”
 
Daryl walked over to the woman’s car and sprinkled some of the recently purchased white powder on the ground and driver’s door handle.
 
There would be less interest from the police in searching for another missing addict.

They drove all night to get back to Hawthorne, and Millie was waiting for them with a smile on her face.
 
“Did you have a nice trip?”

“Very nice,” Bridgette agreed.
 
She helped Daryl pull the girl from the trunk.

“Oh my,” Millie said.
 
“Let me guess.
 
Panic?”
 
Millie looked at Daryl’s surprised expression, and she laughed.
 
“Who do you suppose bought little missy’s dolls for her?”

“Thanks for keeping the dungeon up,” Bridgette said.

“Bridgette, do you think there’s a chance you might be coming back here full time?”

Bridgette kissed Daryl on the cheek.
 
“I hope so,” she smiled.

Barbara glared up at the imposing stone building.
 
She struggled in the couple’s grip, and the blonde bitch twisted her nipple until her knees buckled.
 
“Be a good little dolly and come along,” Bridgette smiled.

Barbara looked at the expensive furnishings in the mansion.
 
Everything seemed in place, but it had a deserted feeling about it.
 
She was pulled down to a basement and into the first room on the left.
 
Oh god.
 
Oh my god.
 
Who are these people?
 
While she had been digging for her lighter, she thought the girl had looked familiar.
 
At the time, she decided she might have seen her stopping by Rodney’s for drugs.
 
It was only when her head cleared while she was in the trunk that she remembered seeing her in the restaurant.

The man dragged her over to a chain hanging from the ceiling, and between him and the tall woman, they had little trouble securing her wrists to a hook overhead.
 
There was a knock on the door, and Barbara screamed behind the gag until the old woman that had met them walked in with a small chest in her arms.

“This is all that is left, Bridgette.
 
Your father was running down his supplies, towards the end.”

“Thank you, Millie.”
 
There were three sets of cuffs and collars left.
 
Bridgette chose the brown leather, and they secured them on the girl.
 
They removed the ropes on her wrists, and reattached the hook to newly locked cuffs.

“I need to watch your mother orientate the blossoms,” Bridgette said.
 
“I’m used to getting someone who is already introduced to the dungeons.”

Daryl smiled and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
 
“How would you like your dolls to address you?”
 
Daryl had learned that Bridgette was only twenty, and she did not have the benefit of a mother to teach her.
 
Still, her delightful quirk with the dolls had stolen his heart.
 
He had watched his mother for so many years that he knew he could help his Mistress find her way.

“Mistress would be fine, Daryl.”

Daryl turned and gripped the terrified young woman’s jaw.
 
“This is the Mistress of Hawthorne.
 
The first words out of your mouth will be, ‘Mistress, how can this slave attend you?’”

Daryl had Millie return with a stiff bristled brush, and the old woman sat on the table to watch them bathe the new doll.
 
Daryl was wise enough to understand that Millie had performed most of the functions as mother to Bridgette, and he made sure to meet her eyes for approval.

After the washing, they left Panic in a cage so they could go upstairs to shower and rest before meeting at the Venetia estate for dinner.
 
On their way to her room, Bridgette asked Millie if she could feed the girl.

“No problem… and Bridgette?”

“Yes, Millie?”

“It’s nice to hear sounds from the dungeon again.”

When they got to the other estate, Sloan came down to meet them.
 
There was a look of confusion on his face when they closed the car doors and walked up to the landing.
 
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Daryl turned and said, “What?”

“I said, aren’t you forgetting something?” Sloan repeated.

Daryl looked at Bridgette and shrugged.
 
“I don’t think so, Sloan.”

“Mother’s flower,” Sloan coaxed.

Daryl shook his head at him in total loss of what he was referring to.
 
Slowly it began to dawn on him.
 
“The girl?”

“Yes, Daryl.
 
The girl.
 
I thought Nicky was going to grab Bridgette before she could rip her tits off in the restaurant.”

“You were there?”

“Mom suggested Nicky and I keep and eye on you two.
 
I told you, she has tracking devices on the cars.”
 
Sloan thought for a minute.
 
“Shit,” he whispered.
 
“You took her for yourselves.”

“Have you told mother?” Daryl asked.
 
Sloan nodded.
 
“Well, this is fucked up.”

“What’s fucked up?” Cynthia asked.
 
No one had heard her or Nicolette come to the door.

“Um… the girl.
 
Um… she’s for Bridgette,” Daryl said.

“I see,” Cynthia said.
 
“And where is this girl?”

“At Hawthorne, Mrs. Venetia,” Bridgette answered quietly.
 
She was edging behind Daryl as her shyness set in again.

“And why is she at Hawthorne, Bridgette?”

“Oh god, Daryl,” Bridgette whispered behind his back.

“One thing kinda’ led to another, and…”

“And you collected a girl and left her at an empty estate’s dungeon?” Nicolette asked.
 
“Bridge, what were you thinking?”

Daryl answered nervously, “She was thinking we were getting married, and mother might let us live at Hawthorne.”

“And why would Bridgette be thinking that?” Cynthia asked.

“Because, I asked her to,” Daryl replied.

“I see.
 
Well, I suppose that makes the most sense.
 
The twins aren’t ready for a place of their own, and Sloan will eventually get this estate.”
 
Cynthia walked back inside and she turned in the foyer.
 
“Come on, dinner is almost on the table.”

Nicolette laughed and Sloan clapped Daryl on the back.
 
“We heard you talking over dinner,” he admitted.
 
“We didn’t know you were going to keep the girl, though.”

“Where were you sitting?” Bridgette asked.

“Two tables over from the girl with the stroke,” Nicolette answered.
 
“That’s what was wrong with her.
 
She was breaking up with her boyfriend, because she didn’t want him burdened with her.
 
God, she was only twenty-eight.
 
The guy ended up telling her he loved her anyway, and I think they were going to give it a try.”

While they were sitting at dinner, Calla asked, “Who’s training this girl for positions?”
 
Daryl and Bridgette looked at each other with blank expressions.
 
“That’s what I thought.
 
I can come over,” she offered.

Liam said, “You are not traveling to Hawthorne to train their…”

“Doll,” Bridgette supplied.
 
“I call them ‘Dolls’.”

“I can come over,” Sloan offered.
 
Nicolette’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
 
Sloan leaned over and whispered to her.

Their discussion carried on for a few sentences, and Calla noticed Cynthia began to look apprehensive.
 
There was another ‘big family hoopla’ discussion going on, limited to Sloan and Nicolette.

Bridgette finally asked, “Is that all right, Nicky?
 
I promise I’ll pay attention and learn so that I can do it next time.”

“I’ll come over with him, Bridge.
 
I never got to say goodbye to Hawthorne, and I could use the privacy while you’re working downstairs,” Nicolette replied.

Epilogue

Cynthia stood at her window and looked out onto the night garden where Sloan, Nicolette, the twins and Calla were sitting in a half-moon drinking tea.
 
Alexander came up behind her and put his hands around her waist.
 
Rose had been kneeling beside her, resting her head on stepmother’s knee and gently stroking her shin through her silk gown.
 
She had never seen stepmother so sad, and she had not told Rose to stop.

“It’s not so bad, Cinderella.
 
Daryl and Bridgette are next door, and the twins, Calla, and the babies will stay here.”
 
Alexander kissed her brow.

“I guess I always imagined that Sloan would be the one who stayed with us,” Cynthia sighed.
 
“Though, my heart would break for the twins or Calla to go.”

“Sloan has always been independent.
 
He never joined his brothers in their games, and poor Nicolette spent most of her teenage years taking care of her mother, so it’s no wonder that she wants to leave.
 
It’s a good opportunity for them, Cynthia.
 
Nicolette and Sloan will compliment Chayton’s facilities, and from what I have gathered, they have the whole south end of Chayton’s new island to build their estate,” Alexander reminded her.

“I’m giving them funding to build their home from my account as a wedding gift.”
 
She turned and looked up into her husband’s dark eyes.
 
“We will visit, won’t we?”

Alexander kissed her temple again.
 
“I plan to enter Orchid and Passion in the Six Master Island dressage events, next year.
 
You will be driving your carriage, Cinderella.”

The End