by Jack July
“We were just happy to get away from the cameras and the madness. They chase her everywhere,” said Pippa motioning to Kate.
“Besides,” added Kate, “We couldn’t wait to meet you.”
“Me?”
Kate reached over, grabbed her hand and said, “Oh yes, are you kidding? The brawling Lady Amy, defender of the weak and downtrodden?”
“’Scuse me?” replied a surprised Amy.
“Oh yes, you are as famous as you are mysterious. William adores you.”
“He what?”
“Oh yes, very much so. Bogus sent the family a wedding picture. He looks at it a bit more than she likes,” Pippa said motioning to Kate.
“That’s because you look a lot like his mother, and you know boys and their mothers,” said Kate.
“Thank God for Diana,” said Pippa. “I think she managed to breed most of the crazy out of that family.”
“Oh, rest assured, if you weren’t already married to Bogus, you might be the next Queen of England.”
Amy sat shaking her head, then said, “Wait a minute. How come I haven’t heard any of this?”
Pippa looked at Amy in disbelief and said, “Are you serious?”
Kate said, “Well, it makes sense. Bogus keeps this place locked up tight. He told the press in no uncertain terms that anyone caught trespassing would leave in pieces. If you go somewhere, it’s usually in a plane.” Kate started to laugh and said, “Then there was this morning.”
“What do you mean, this morning?” asked a shocked Amy.
Claire had been quiet, just taking it all in. She finally said, “I think they mean our trip to Ennis in the Ferrari.”
Pippa nodded and said, “Precisely.”
“Oh, yes,” said Kate with a laugh. “The Garda chasing you all over Ireland in a Ferrari? Your legend continues to grow.”
Amy put her head down and said under her breath, “Oh my God. That would explain why Bogus was so angry.”
“Oh, I imagine he was. They would hang me from the Tower of London if I did anything like that.”
“How did they find out so fast?” asked Amy.
“May I?” asked Pippa.
“Sure,” said Kate.
“Well, the commissioner told the Prime Minister of Ireland, who told an assistant to the Prime Minister of England, who told the Royal Liason, who told William, who told Kate who told me. It took about an hour.”
“Well done, sis.”
“Thank you.”
“May I change the subject?” asked Pippa.
Amy sighed and said, “Please do.”
“So, ah, Bogus. How did you pull that off?”
“Yeah, I answer that question quite a bit.”
Pippa nodded and said, “I’m sure you do. Every woman in the world wants that magic.”
“I think he was at a time in his life when he wanted to settle down. I really couldn’t stand him, at least his persona. He chased me for a couple of years and over time I met the real man, so I let him catch me.”
“How romantic,” said Kate.
Pippa nodded in agreement. “Very much so. Is it true what they say about him?”
Amy knew where this was going but she asked anyway, “What do you mean?”
Pippa didn’t mince words, “In the bedroom, is he the lover he is rumored to be?”
Amy didn’t like that question in front of Claire. “First of all, that’s personal. Second, it’s inappropriate in front of a child.”
Kate shot Pippa a look then said, “That wasn’t very smart.”
Claire spoke up and said, “It’s okay, go ahead.”
Amy shot Claire a hard look and said, “No, it is not okay.”
“I apologize for that,” said Pippa.
“Apology accepted,” said Amy with a forgiving smile.
Then Pippa gave Amy a coy smile and said, “But now that it’s out there…”
Kate backhanded her on the shoulder and said, “Oh good God. Pippa, stop.”
Amy sighed and said, “Fine, can I consider us friends?”
Kate said, “I don’t know about her, but I’m coming here as often as I can. If we are not friends now, we soon will be.”
Amy looked at Claire and said, “Okay, here’s the truth.” Then she looked back at the sisters and said, “I don’t know, because I have nothing to compare him to.”
The sisters both leaned back in their chairs, Pippa shaking her head and staring off in the distance, and Kate with the grin of a person who just discovered they were as smart as they thought they were. Pippa nodded and said, “You were right.”
Kate responded with, “Yes, I was.”
Amy looked a little confused when she said, “I’m going to regret asking this, but what?”
Kate leaned forward and said, “You, my dear, are a woman of virtue. Bogus looked for you his whole life. That is why you are here. It’s why you are surrounded by all of this. That’s why he would do anything to keep you. He would change his very nature for you. That is also why you can drive a Ferrari 300 kilometers per hour across Ireland and nothing happens to you. The truth is, you knew nothing would happen to you. Isn’t that right?”
That made Amy think. Am I becoming the people I have always despised? What an easy trap to fall into. Time to check yourself, young lady. How could you do that to him? Bogus deserves an actual apology.
“I suppose you’re right. You know, I’m very happy you both joined us today. What do you say we go riding and ah, keep talking? I’m learning quite a bit”
“Absolutely. Does Bogus still have Greta? I love that horse,” asked Kate.
“Yes. Where did you ride Greta?”
“At Bogus’ ranch. Sky and I are really good friends. She loves you, by the way.”
Amy nodded and said, “Yeah, I like her too. I think Claire has claimed Greta for the day.”
“Kate looked at Claire, thought a moment and said, “Claire, would you be willing to trade your claim to Greta for an audience with Prince William?”
“DEAL!” exclaimed Claire.
As they walked out, Amy whispered to Kate, “You make this all look so easy.”
Kate shook her head and, with a very serious look on her face, she whispered back, “It’s not. trust me, It’s not.”
Chapter 45
Later that evening Claire went to the gatehouse to have dinner with Micky and Princeton, leavimg Amy and Bogus alone for the evening. Bogus was in the library working on business concerns as Amy stood in her bathroom, touching up her eyes and painting her lips to match Bogus’ favorite set of lingerie.
It hadn’t taken Bogus long to unleash something extremely volatile that had remained hidden under her stoic façade: her entire life, her sexuality. She loved being a woman—his woman—and, as with all things in her life, she worked to perfect it. She knew what he liked. It tiptoed up to the edge of classy prostitute, with the difference being that she was never objectified. As soon as she slid the red silk stockings up her long legs and fastened them with garters, she felt the heat rising in her body. Tonight would be a little different; tonight she would spend some time talking to him about the things she had learned, things he had taught in the subtlest of ways
She put on the red silk robe that barely covered her hard-earned perfect muscular bottom, donned the red strappy stilettos, and took a smooth feline strut to the library. As she approached the door, Richard came from the other way. He froze and sucked in a deep breath. She stopped about a foot from him. From her nine-inch (in heels) height advantage, she leaned down and said, “Richard, do you think we could have a little privacy in the residence this evening?”
Richard tried hard not to take his eyes off of her face, but he was clearly all man and made the world’s fastest elevator eyes down to her feet and all the way back up. He grunted something uni
ntelligible. She gave him the smile and said, “What do you think...will Bogus be pleased?”
“My Lady, angels would follow you to hell.”
She lightly stroked two fingernails down the side of his face ending under his chin, then gently lifted it and gave him a kiss on the cheek that brushed softly as a butterfly wing. “Good enough. Goodnight, Richard.”
His cheeks flushed but he still managed a, “Goodnight, My Lady.”
Bogus pretended he didn’t hear the heels slowly clicking across the stone floor. She made it about halfway when his eyes glanced up over the file he was reading. The flames from the roaring fireplace reflected in her eyes. He couldn’t look away. He was sitting on a leather couch with his feet on an ottoman when she stopped in front of him. She reached out for the file and took it. After picking up a small stack of papers on the couch next to him, she place them in the file, closed it, turned and placed it on the desk. Every move was slow and deliberate, intended to build the moment. She turned back to him, bit the edge of her lower lip and watched for his reaction. He stared with a combination of pride and wonder, clearly impressed with what he saw, and said, “Hello, my love.”
She undid the sash of her robe and let it fall to the floor. She crawled over the ottoman to him and straddled his lap, grinding her hips, working her way forward to get as close to him as she could. She put her hands on the back of the couch and rested her forehead against his. “So,” he asked, “would this be payback for my wife’s little adventure today?”
“No, this is your wife enjoying her lover and her best friend.”
“Oh?’
“Oh yes.”
He leaned forward to kiss her but she pulled back away from him at the same speed. He stopped, tilted his head and asked, “What?’
“You’re pretty smooth aren’t you, Mr. Zielinski?”
“Whatever do you mean, Mrs. Zielinski?”
“Something about the person who could be the future Queen of England sitting across from me at a table and calling me a petulant child. She did it with such grace and class that I enjoyed hearing it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. She made me think about who I was, where I was and what I was doing. I didn’t understand, or for that matter care about, the effect my behavior had on others. I didn’t understand what it meant to be the Lady of Castle Dunn. I do now. I am very sorry.”
He was in awe of her, right then more than ever. He whispered to her, “I truly believe you could be Queen if you wanted to be.”
She pressed her body against his and kissed him, soft at first then gaining in aggression. She suddenly stopped and moved her mouth next to his ear. After playfully biting and tugging on his earlobe, she whispered, “Oh, but I am a Queen. I am your Queen.”
“Well then, maybe my Queen needs a spanking.”
She sat up straight and looked him in the eye. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He rubbed her panty-clad butt cheek with his right hand and in a low voice said, “Wouldn’t I?”
The following morning, Amy woke up in her favorite way, wrapped around him with her head on his chest, listening to his heart. She looked up and saw his eyes were open. She lightly took a playful bite at his nipple, which made him smile. “Am I to gather you have not had enough?”
She moved up and lay on top of him, her fingers running through his hair, her eyes still flashing like lightning, “No, never. I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Well then, if you insist.”
Two sweaty hours later they lay next to each other panting like marathoners. Bogus took his fingers and brushed the sweat soaked hair out of her eyes. “Are we ever going to leave this room again?”
Amy laughed. “Do we have to? I thought you were rich.”
“Yes, but I’m not a machine.”
“That’s too bad. I hear they have pills now.”
He leapt on top of her, pinning her down, kissing the salty sweat from her neck. “Yes they do, but I don’t need them. A little food, however, would be nice.”
“Yeah, that does sound good.”
“Let’s go out to lunch. I have something I want to show you.”
“What?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“I like surprises. Follow me into the shower and there may be a surprise or two in there.”
Bogus shook his head and sighed, “Do you ever stop?”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No.”
She got up, walked toward the bathroom, looked over her shoulder and shot him a wicked grin. “Good, then get your ass in the shower.”
“Oh my, vulgarity, that’s new, and coming from you, very sexy.”
She stopped in the doorway of the bathroom, wiggled her rear and disappeared through the door.
When Amy was alone she always wore jeans, a hoody and boots. However, when she was with Bogus, it was a dress and heels, clean and classy. Thank goodness her Aunt Carla Jo taught her how to walk in heels when she was a teenager. When Amy was a little older, Carla Jo would nudge her, point out a woman who teetered on them like she was walking a tightrope, and say, “The only time she should be wearing heels is when she’s on her back.” Amy was so sheltered she didn’t get that reference till years later, then she laughed for two days.
Bogus was one of those rare men who didn’t burden his lady with the question, “Where do you want to go?” He took her where he wanted her to go. He kept a mental note, alternating between where he liked to go, then where she liked to go. It was her turn. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek when he made the turn onto highway M20 toward Kilmeedy. There was only one thing out there: Snow’s Burger House and Texaco. It was hard to be the dignified Lady of Castle Dunn and wife of Boguslaw Zielinski while wrestling with a bacon cheeseburger loaded with everything and a plate full of onion rings, but she pulled it off.
Amy, on occasion, would take great joy in assaulting Bogus’ proper European sensibilities. The percolating force of raw onions and Dr. Pepper was the impetus for a belch that rattled the car windows. Bogus turned his head slowly then shook it with a cartoonish disgusted look. “Am I going to have to set up another play date with you and Kate?”
She giggled, “Sure, I can teach her to burp ‘God Save the Queen’.”
“You’re going to bring down western civilization single-handedly aren’t you?”
“Probably. Now where is my surprise?”
“One surprise, coming right up.”
They drove through Shannon and just past the airport a little outside of town, then Bogus pulled into a long driveway. At the end of the driveway was what appeared to be an older mansion, not in the greatest of shape but with lots of green space very close to the Shannon River. A car sat in the driveway and as they pulled in, a man got out and greeted them.
Bogus introduced him. “This is Donald Watson from Limerick Reality.”
It took Amy about another thirty seconds to figure out that she was looking at her children’s shelter. Donald unlocked the door and they went inside to look around. The house had seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a huge kitchen, spacious dining room and lots of living space. It needed work but Amy didn’t see what was, she saw what could be. She imagined warm bright colors, new furniture and with some reconfiguring, room for at least twenty children. She began to get emotional as she turned to Bogus. “When did you find this?”
“While you were at work, I looked at several properties. This one made the most sense. There are others if you don’t like this.”
She stood and looked some more, imagining the lifesaving hope she could generate with something like this. “What do I need to do?”
“Mr. Watson has some paperwork you need to sign. Then you get busy.”
Amy nodded, walked over to him, put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “You are the most wonderful man I
have ever met.”
He whispered back, “Well, yes, I know that.” She giggled. “Just know this: I would have never considered anything like this before I met you. You have made me a better man.”
She locked eyes with him for a moment then leaned in close enough that he felt her breath on his ear. “You know, you should really consider getting some of those little blue pills.” After a soft kiss on the cheek and a wink, she turned around. “Mr. Watson, you have some papers for me to sign?”
Watson smiled. “Yes, My Lady.”
Chapter 46
Early the following morning, Amy eased out of bed and let Bogus sleep. She had set up a little workout room just off the library and spent an hour and a half circuit training, then went off on a four-mile sprint. Before she had gone to Toronto she had finally met the night security, her night security, Kratos Athan. He wasn’t much to look at. Five feet eight inches and 160 pounds, but she had chased slower deer. She made it a point to run with him at least two or three times a week. He ran her into the ground and she loved it. Her security force members were just as secretive about their past as Amy was about her present, but she looked up his tattoo, Cyprus Delta Raider Forces. Yeah, he’s a bad dude.
She had an appointment with a general contractor from Baskin Construction at 9:00 a.m. at the children’s shelter in Shannon. She was in front of the mirror brushing her teeth when the probing hands of her husband decided to visit. “I have an appointment in an hour in Shannon. You should have gotten up earlier.”
He was kissing her neck, “He’s,” kiss, “on the,” kiss, “clock,” kiss, “he’ll wait.”
“Is that how you conduct business?”
He sighed, “No.”
“I’ve never done anything like this. If I expect these people to take me seriously, maybe I should behave like it matters.”
“Agreed. I have to leave for Poland tonight; I have meetings in the morning.”
“You’ll be here for dinner?”