ADVICE: Some people don't like my stories. That's fine. I don't want you to read anything that you don't like. If you have any doubts, please read 'An Apologia' from my submissions page before reading.
This will make more sense if you have read the preceding parts.
Chloe is awakened by the door closing; it's morning, and someone has delivered her a little breakfast - croissants, hot chocolate, orange juice, on a pretty, ornate little metal tray with its own stand.
She looks up, still mostly asleep, understands, slowly, that she is naked, in a strange bed, in a strange room; a luxurious, soft bed, in a beautiful, sun-filled room, well furnished with subdued antiques, overlooking lush greenery, countryside.
But grand as all this is, she is aware, as she awakes more fully, of something, something huge .. and then the memory of the previous night rushes over her, and she is gradually overtaken by a slow, powerful, suffocating panic attack, which has her clutching at the bedclothes around her convulsively as her heart rate accelerates, her breathing gets wilder and deeper, her belly begins to try to turn itself inside out, her legs rigid, cramping, her mind in turmoil.
It can't be. It just cannot be! That .. that she .. that they .. that he ..
And where
is
she? Somewhere M and D have taken her? Somewhere of Lord K's? Delivered to some other stranger?
Naked! She's naked - vulnerable (and now the soreness - multiple sorenesses - of her body remind her how thoroughly her vulnerability was abused last night).
Wildly, she looks around for her clothes, her bag, shoes .. sees nothing, although there is an inner door..
She is up, scampering to the door, clutching the duvet around her, glancing backwards at the main door, checking it's closed, needing safety, something .. something of her own, beyond her naked body, to cling to, to anchor herself ..
A bathroom - luxurious, elegant, sun-filled, but impersonal. A few small hand-towels, no robe.
Heart thumping, tearing up now, feeling small, weak, frightened, vulnerable, she sinks to her knees, her head going down, down, until her forehead is on the cool tile, her hands balled into painfully tight fists either side of her head, and the sobbing engulfs her, fighting with the heaving of her chest for control of her mouth, and everything goes wrong - she is inhaling spittle, mucus, coughing, panic out of control, crying out, inchoate, in her distress...
It can't last - she becomes faint, exhausts herself, rolls onto her side, shivering, shaking, clutching at herself, until at last, some clear, calm voice inside her helps her control the panic - to breathe, to let the feelings be as they will be, but not let them own her - something like that - she's read it in a magazine, maybe. Whatever, it helps.
And gradually, she is calmer. Her heart slows, her breathing too, the unbearable combination of the immediate need to do something physical, set against the absence of anything sensible to do, ebbs away, the sobbing fades, and the tears dry up.
Slowly, actively suppressing thought now, she picks herself up, weak, shaky, and walks back into the bedroom.
Seeing the breakfast she realises that, under all the emotion, her body is demanding food, with urgency, and she sinks to her knees by the little tray, and glugs half the juice before a thought comes to her that it might be drugged, and freezes. Seconds later, she shrugs; 'I'm here, helpless, naked, I did everything they wanted last night - they don't really need to drug me' - manages a little sarcastic smile and takes another swallow, then goes for the croissants. There's a note there.
An elegant, scallop edged card - heavy, soft, like a wedding invitation or something, handwritten - comfortable, precise script, flowing, impressive;
"Good morning, pretty, I do hope you like the room - and the breakfast. When you're ready, ring the bell, and Ginny will come with some clothes for you. There'll be a choice to make, which I am afraid I cannot help you with, save to say that I trust your instincts. I will look forward to seeing you at lunch."
It was signed, simply, 'M.'
This calms her considerably. M is in charge, here, and M is honest and clear - even if what she asks of Chloe is - well - Chloe searches for words .. and finds herself saying them aloud;
"Bat. Shit. Fucking. CRAZY!"