(Author's note: Hi Everyone! Thank you all for checking out my stories. This is a standalone tale featuring Mia, the personal assistant to Elaine Danvers. I had originally conceived it as a sexy story with a sting in its tale, but it went beyond that and became something else entirely. Not a lot of sex in this one, but if you've read some of my other stories I hope you enjoy spending time with these characters! As always, please feel free to rate or comment, love receiving your thoughts! - Chloe xx)
Elaine had sent me off to confirm some locations for the shooting of The Gift, our latest production. Everything was going swimmingly until we had heard the country manor which was to be the exteriors of Camberton Hall in the film was undergoing renovations. Luckily, when I arrived, they were almost complete, and I was assured the scaffolding that currently covered part of the front of the property would be taken down in time to shoot the scenes of Florence arriving.
It had been a long drive, and Elaine had personally booked me into a country inn nearby. Strange behaviour for my mistress, but I was sure she had her reasons to do so. When I arrived, I really took to the place; it was an old coach inn which had been in use for over three hundred years. It was the only building for miles around, surrounded by farmer's fields up to the horizon.
I collected my luggage -- a laptop bag and weekender -- and went inside. Even at my diminutive 5'5, I almost had to stoop through the low beamed doorway. I walked into the bar, where a man in his forties was chatting. I caught his eye, and he made his way over to me.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
"Yes, I have a room booked here for tonight. Mia Marsden."
He stared at me for a long moment.
"Yes..." he looked like this was some awful event that he'd been dreading all day.
"Is there a problem?" It would be unlike Elaine to have forgotten any detail.
"Look... would it be possible for you to choose a different room?"
"What do you mean?" I was really curious now.
"Well... you've been specifically booked into the attic room..."
"Yes?" I was playing along, trying to infer I understood what had been planned and why this man was questioning Elaine's choice.
"Is there something wrong with it?" I asked.
"No... a lot of people have... enjoyed their stay... for the most part."
"I'm sure it will be fine then!" I held out my hand for the key. Reluctantly, the man placed it in my hand.
"Room 30. It's the only one on the third floor. Would you like a hand with your luggage?"
I took the key and looked at it. It was a large, old-fashioned sort, with a large wooden fob with the number 30 etched into it.
"I'll be fine, thank you," I said, picking up my bags.
As I got to the second-floor landing, I heard footsteps coming down from above. As I waited, a young blonde woman turned the corner of the final few steps.
"Oh," she exclaimed, "Sorry! I'm Daphne, I work here. I was just doing a check on the room." she smiled warmly at me. I held out my hand.
"Mia. Pleased to meet you. I'm staying up there tonight."
"Well don't stay in there all evening, Mia. We've got some decent wines, and the kitchen is open till 9 o'clock." She was still holding my hand and i felt her thumb slide over the back of it.
"Thanks, I'll be down shortly," I said. I admit, it felt a bit strange, but I couldn't put my finger on why.
The key turned easily in the lock, and I went inside the room. It was quite large, with a sloping ceiling. There was a large bed facing the door, with a wardrobe, a desk and a set of drawers. On the far side, a plastic curtain covered where the toilet and shower were located.
I plonked my laptop case on the desk, my bag on the bed. I'd packed light, enough for a couple of changes of clothes if necessary. First, I wanted to feel fresh after my long day, so I jumped in the shower.
Much better, I thought, as I made my way downstairs. As I came down to the ground floor however, I could hear two voices in a heated exchange. It was one of those conversations you have when you're angry but trying to keep things quiet, so you end up picking up on the forcefulness of it rather than the words themselves. I made a point of being extra loud with my feet as I came down the last few steps, to be quickly passed by a tall man. He looked sullenly at me, as if my presence offended him in some way, then stormed past me towards the kitchen.
I looked round in the direction he'd come from and saw Daphne, the woman I'd passed earlier.
"Are you okay, Daphne?" Her head span round as she heard me.
"What? Oh, yes... don't mind that, just a difference of opinion." she managed to compose herself and smile at me.
"I took the liberty of booking you a table, Mia. We do get quite busy."
"I confess, I hadn't even thought of that. The place was dead when I arrived!" Come to think of it, I could now hear a lot of conversations coming from the next room and the clink of cutlery.
I followed Daphne through to the dining room, which had about 20 tables, most of which were already occupied. She pulled out a chair for me and i sat down, smiling up at her. There was a menu on the table, and I started to look through it. I could quickly gather why this place was so popular as the dishes on offer were of a good quality. I spotted something on the menu I'd never tried before, so I turned to...
"Oh!" The person stood by my table wasn't Daphne but another young woman, wearing a waitress uniform and holding a small writing pad.
"Yes, hi... um I'll have the guinea fowl please, and a bottle of sauvignon to go with it." I glanced around but could not see where Daphne had disappeared to. I handed the menu to the waitress, and she said she'd be back with the wine shortly.
The guinea fowl was excellent, as was the wine. I declined having a desert but took the bottle with me through to the bar. I found an empty table in the corner of the room, poured myself another glass and pulled out my phone.
Thank God, this place had decent wi-fi; I was checking for messages from Elaine, my boss. My mistress. I missed her. Today was the first time in a year when I hadn't seen or spoke to her at some point. There was a text, replying to one I'd sent from the manor house earlier:
"Glad to hear everything is ok. Just seen the dailies from the barber set and OMFG! When you get back, we'll watch it together! The whole unedited version!"
Then, there was a slightly later text:
"How's the Inn?"
An innocent enough question, but then I remembered that she had specified the room I should stay in. I was about to inquire why she had done this, when...
"Mind if I join you, Mia?"
I looked up and saw Daphne, holding a bottle of red wine and a glass. It occurred to me now that she wasn't wearing the same uniform as the other staff. She wore a black skirt which ended just below her knees, and a white peasant tunic, the sort which would be worn off the shoulder, like she was doing now. I could see the start of her cleavage poking from the top of it. Earlier she'd worn her hair pinned up, which accentuated my assumption she was one of the staff, but now she'd worn it down, with a centre parting long enough to reach her midriff.
"Certainly! Um...sorry, I thought... are you not working tonight?"
She shook her head. "No, I was just helping out for a sec when the bar and kitchen were getting busy."
"I was really surprised when you disappeared in the dining room, earlier."
