The distant barking of dogs somewhere in the castle brought Blue back to reality
"Have to be fed" she thought. "Where the hell is the kitchen again.?"
She made her way down the staircase and searched through the labyrinth of passages until she found the dark cavernous kitchen. It was warm in there. The AGA stove was still alight. Over in the corner was an ice box.
"God...have to get electricity installed. Very next step. Gloomy without it." She was speaking to herself in a whisper. Her small voice echoing around the kitchen giving her comfort against the spirits that she imagined lurking in the shadows.
She found the meat and started cutting it up for the dogs. In the pantry was a packet of Meaty Bites but she couldn't find a dog bowl anywhere.
Searching through the cupboards she found some beautiful Waterford crystal glasses and some fine bone china dinnerware. But no dog's bowls. The dinnerware caught her eye.. It was white; so fine it was translucent and at one edge there was what appeared to be a family crest laid on a background of tartan. It looked strangely familiar, and then she remembered that it was the same pattern worn by the foreboding muscular stranger whose picture was in her room.
For some reason a shiver ran down her back. Blue couldn't work out if the shiver was one of foreboding or anticipation.
"Oh well my doggie friends...You're going to eat in style tonight!" She scooped the meat onto two plates and bore them out to where the dogs were waiting at the back step.
She placed a bit of meat on her palm and the dogs fine nuzzle tickled her as he ate it out of her hand.
The sensation was very pleasant, but it reminded Blue that she had not been caressed for a long time now and it brought on a yearning in her. That was the trouble with work. You worked so hard you forgot about the finer things in life...Like Brendan.
Suddenly in her mind she was back in the luxurious New York hotel room. She remembered how after one particular energetic bout of lovemaking they had been having a quiet cup of coffee. She had been lying in a bed of tousled sheets and well remembered body warmth. She looked at him and saw his fine smooth chest and taut stomach glistening with the perspiration of pleasant exertion. His nipples so small and bud like were surrounded by a thin ring of body hair. In devilment she poked one of them with her long red fingernail...(courtesy of some acrylic manufacturer, she thought wryly)
Coffee went everywhere.
"You bastard, me girlie" he said. "I'll get you for that!" and he lunged at her; reached behind her and put her arm in an armlock. Then he placed his strong body over hers again so that she could not move...
