by Jack July
“Yes, however she had other matters to tend to.” Bogus also wanted her there, but he knew there were far too many reporters and cameras.
“Micky, reporters may ask questions. Smile and say nothing. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
The mayor, city fathers and a throng of press stood in front of the newly remodeled mansion. People clapped as Bogus took a seat behind the mayor, who prattled on as politicians do. Bogus was invited to step up to the podium. He gave a very short speech, thanked everyone but himself, introduced the director who Amy had hired to run the shelter, and said, “This shelter came straight from the heart of the Lady of Castle Dunn. She loves her home, she loves her town and she loves her people. With that said, I present to you, the Claire Davis House.”
They waved, took pictures and bid farewell. As they walked back to the car, several reporters were shouting questions at Bogus. They wanted to take a tour of the facility but were denied because it had actually opened three days earlier and was half-full. One of the main goals of the shelter was to protect the children. Many came from violent homes. They became frustrated when Bogus ignored them, so they shouted things like, “Is it true you are paying off British politicians for political favors?”
Bogus had learned over the years not to react. He barely even heard them. Micky on the other hand...
“Is it true the Lady was a prostitute in America?”
Then Bogus heard, “YOU DARE QUESTION THE VIRTUE OF THE LADY OF CASTLE DUNN?”
Bogus turned in time to see Micky fly through the air and land on a reporter, fists swinging.
Oh good Lord. “Luther!” Bogus called out. Luther appeared, grabbed Micky by the sport coat, lifted him off the reporter, and dragged him roughly toward the car. Bogus opened the back door and Luther sat him in the seat. Bogus climbed in after him, Luther shut the door and Princeton drove them away.
Bogus grabbed Micky by the shirt and gave him a little shake. “What in God’s name is wrong with you?”
“That man questioned the Lady’s virtue,” exclaimed an angry Micky.
“He’s an idiot reporter. If I attacked every reporter who insulted my family, I’d be broke from being sued.”
“Mr. Z, I took an oath.”
Princeton looked back over his shoulder. “He did take an oath, Sir.”
Bogus looked at Princeton, “Thank you, Princeton. Drive the car.” He looked back at Micky. “Being a knight is a status, um, thing, and a huge honor. Elton John is a knight, but you do not see him jousting.”
Princeton looked back. “Least not with his clothes on, sir.”
“Princeton!”
“Yes, sir.”
Micky cracked a smile, then so did Bogus. Bogus shook his head, calmed down a little and said, “Do you like the way you live? The horses, the castle, all of the luxuries- do you enjoy it?”
Micky nodded. “Yes, sir, very much.”
“You are now discovering that everything in life is a trade for something else. You are a member of my family, and like it or not, the luxury we give up is the luxury of public anonymity. Everything you do is seen. Everything you say is heard. You certainly do not have the luxury of losing your temper in public. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, for your misstep, you will be docked a month’s wages. That will help cover the legal fees to keep you out of jail and the sum of money I will have to pay that reporter to drop the criminal charges. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, all that being said, it is an honorable thing to want to defend the Lady. Knowing her, she will undoubtedly be entertained by your actions. But Micky, you can never do that again.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
Princeton looked back over the seat and said, “I have always wanted to thrash one of those wankers.”
Bogus shook his head. “Thank you, Mr. Princeton.”
Later that evening, Bogus sat in the library working, when a newly energized Amy, fresh from a workout and a shower sauntered across the library in a seductive state of undress. “Hey, handsome, you busy?”
“Not anymore.”
She straddled his lap and gave him a long kiss. He stopped and asked, “Did you happen to see the news?”
“No.”
“Oh, sit back, let me entertain you for a moment.” He picked up the remote and played a recording from the six o’clock news. It started with Bogus’ speech that made Amy smile. “That was sweet,” she said and kissed him again.
“Oh wait, there’s more.”
The reporter’s voice narrated the scene. “Immediately after the dedication, things took a turn for the worse when a donnybrook broke out between an employee of the Castle Dunn and a reporter from the Morning Star. The young man identified as Micky Regan,” the scene changed to Micky on top of the reporter, pummeling him, “attacked the reporter, causing minor injuries.”
“What? Is he all right?”
“Yes, he’s fine.”
“Why did he do that?”
“The reporter, trying to get a rise out of me, asked if it was true that you were a prostitute in America.”
Amy grinned. “So he, ah, defended my honor?”
“I told him you would be amused.”
Amy laughed. “That’s the Lady’s knight, takin’ care of his business.”
“Your brave knight will cost us about forty thousand Euros to keep him out of jail. It’s not funny. He can’t be doing that.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“I already did. I docked him a month’s wages and explained to him that with this life comes responsibilities. Along with his loss of anonymity come expectations of exemplary behavior.”
“A month? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
“He needs to understand the consequences of his behavior.”
“Okay, but um, next time, do you think we can talk about it first.”
“Sure, absolutely. After all, you are his, well, mother.”
Amy sighed and sat back. “I know how he feels. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a cage.”
Bogus gave her a curious look. “Well, it’s a very nice cage.”
“Yeah, but it’s still a cage.” Amy pondered something for a moment and said, “Bogus, I, um...” then she stopped and shook her head.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”
“It’s something. I see it in your eyes.”
“I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“Is it about your life with me?”
“No, I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you.”
“When you are ready, I am here.”
She smiled. “I know.”
“Your family will be here the day after tomorrow; are you excited?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait. I miss them so much.”
“Have they seen the castle?”
“No.”
“Well then, it should be a Christmas to remember.”
“No doubt.” They sat quietly for a moment. She climbed back up on his lap, kissed him and said, “Now, where were we?”
The Final Chapter
Amy’s family walked down the stairs of Bogus’ pearl white G-5 flagship to squeals of joy, hugs and kisses all around. All were there: Amy’s dad, brother Joseph, Uncle Jack, Aunt Carla Jo, best friend Kelly, Granny, stepmom Carol and half-brother Sam. She hugged her Aunt Carla Jo who said with excitement, “I cannot wait to see your house.”
“Oh, I think you’ll like it. It’s something else.”
“I’m sure.”
They loaded up the two limos and Thirty minutes later pulled into the front entrance and stopped by the Gatekeeper’s house. They got out of the cars and looked up at the house, Granny said, “You must stay busy trying to keep this big ole t
hang clean.”
“Actually, this is the Gatekeeper’s house.” Amy explained. “He decides who is and isn’t allowed to come in.”
Princeton walked out the front door with a big smile. Amy introduced him to everyone. Jack leaned over and whispered to Amy, “Security?”
“Yeah, the head of my detail. They’re pretty strict.”
He nodded his approval. “Good.”
They piled back in the cars and continued down the road until they passed the tree line. The vista was spectacular in the afternoon sun. Amy nudged her father and said, “Welcome to the Castle Dunn.”
The cars drove into the inner courtyard and parked. Everyone stood and looked around in stunned silence. Jack smiled and said, “Well, cuz, I reckon ole Jr. Gossett’s house don’t look so big anymore, does it?”
“Nope.”
Amy introduced Richard as the castle staff unloaded the family’s things. “If you need anything, ask Richard. The staff will escort you to your quarters and when you are ready, they will bring you to the great hall where I’ll explain all of this.”
Carla Jo sidled up next to her and whispered, “I can’t wrap my brain around this. You live in a castle.”
“There is a lot more to it than that. We’ll talk later.”
Micky galloped Renaldo around the corner and stopped by the gathering. “Hi,” he said with a big smile.
“You have horses?” asked an excited Kelly.
“Yep, we can go riding later if you would like.”
“I’d like, oh yeah, I’d like.”
“This is Micky Regan, the Knight of Castle Dunn and, well, my son.”
A chorus of, “Your what?” bounced off the castle walls.
Amy laughed. “We have a lot to talk about.” Then she turned and motioned toward Richard.“Richard?”
“Yes, my Lady,” Richard gave her family a little bow. “Right this way.”
Bogus joined them in the great hall. Granny saw him, put her finger in his chest and said, “Lucky fer you, I was able to save some of them vines.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I felt really bad about that.”
Richard gave a history lesson as the family walked around the great hall. He stopped at each painting of the former occupants and told their story. When he came to Lady Roisen, Carol whispered to Leon, “That looks just like your first wife.”
Leon didn’t speak; he just stared with his mouth agape.
“Leon, Leon?” said Carol
“Oh, ah yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
She reached down and took his hand, “It’s okay. I never asked nor would I expect you to forget about her.”
He smiled at her and gave her a hug.
Carla Jo looked back and forth between the painting and Amy, then it clicked. “Oh my God, you’re royalty?”
“Well, it’s more a title. It’s not like I’m a queen or something. I’m just the Lady that lives here.”
Richard cleared his throat and did something he rarely did; he spoke out of turn. “Lady Amy is indeed royalty, and in her short time here has become much beloved by the people of Ireland as well as throughout the British Isles. With immense grace she has shown kindness to others and has brought honor and life to what was an organized pile of stones. She is the epitome of what royalty should be.”
Amy, with a meek smile and a little blush, said, “Thank you, Richard.”
Jack nodded and said, “Yep, that sounds like her.”
Chef Donatello walked in and announced, “My Lady, dinner is served in the dining room.”
“Thank you, Marie. Let’s eat!”
As they were walking down the corridor toward the dining room, Kelly caught up with Amy. “So if you’re royalty, that means he’s royalty?” She asked, pointing to Joseph.
“Well, yeah, I reckon so.”
“So that means my children will be royalty?”
“Yep, I suppose so.”
“Yes!” she said with a fist pump.
She spoiled her family for four days. Bogus and the men shot clay pigeons while Amy took the ladies to Dromoland Spa. They rode horses, saw the sights of Ireland and had a wonderful Christmas together as a family. On the last day, Amy and her Daddy took a long walk beside the Shannon River. They made small talk for a while, and then Leon said, “Looks like you got a lot goin’ on here. Bogus told us ’bout that children’s home. I’m proud of ya, honey.”
“I was glad I could do it.”
“I guess that Bogus has turned out to be a pretty good ole boy.”
She smiled. “I knew you’d grow to like him. He takes very good care of me.”
Leon looked over his shoulder at the castle. “Yeah, I’d say so. Are you happy?”
She paused a moment and then said, “Yeah, I’m happy.”
Leon shook his head. “That took too long to answer. When’s the last time you went huntin?”
“The last time I went huntin’ with you.”
“Fishin’?”
“Same.”
“Still wanna tell me you’re happy?”
“It’s different now, Daddy.”
He let loose a little laugh. “You know, when you were a little girl you didn’t hardly sleep the week before deer season. You ain’t changed that much. We took Gene’s boy Franklin out for the first time.”
“Did’ja get one?”
“Nope, probably would’ve went better had we had that wild little blonde-headed deer dog shakin’ the brush for us. We all miss her somethin’ fierce.”
“Yeah, she misses you too.”
“You’re missing Sam growin’ up.” Leon laughed again. “Your other Daddy, he ain’t getting no younger. Granny’s gonna be eighty this year. Everything Joseph does he wonders out loud what you’d think about it. Carla Jo? She still thinks you’re comin’ home.”
“What about you?”
“I pray about it.”
“Well, Daddy, here’s the thing. Bogus is my husband and my first thought is to stand by him.”
“Yeah, I know that too. You’ll do the right thing, whatever it is. You always have.”
They walked without speaking for a few minutes, then Amy stopped and said, “Thank you, Daddy.”
“For what?”
“Reminding me who I am.”
Two days after her family left, early on a chilly Sunday morning, Amy stood on top of the highest tower wrapped in a blanket, sipping coffee and watching the sun come up. Bogus walked up behind her and put his arms around her. He moved her hair, kissed her on the neck and said, “You’re up early.”
“Yeah, I have some things on my mind.”
“Do you wish to share?”
“Yes, I’m just trying to figure out a way to say it.”
“Keep it simple, that’s the best way.”
“Okay, I want to go home.”
“I’ll have Garrett warm up the jet.”
“No, for good. I want to go home to stay. I want a house next to my Daddy’s. I want to watch my brother grow up. I want to be around my family. Most of all, I want you there with me.”
They stood silently for a moment when Bogus said, “I saw this coming. You’re the least royal thing in Europe, which is why they all love you. This is my fault. I put this on you without considering what you wanted.”
She turned to face him, “Do you mean that?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” He thought for a moment. “Do you know the difference between a gift and a present?”
“I never gave it much thought.”
“A present is something a person gives to another, because he wants the person to have it. A gift is something a person gives to another, because he knows that person wants it. I gave you a present when I should have given you a gift. It’s never too late for that, is it?”
“If I said I didn’t enjoy parading you around with a title, I’d be lying. But the title that works the best for me is Mrs. Zielinski. And hurt? No, the only way I would be hurt is to see you sad.”
Amy jumped into his arms and said, “Thank you.”
A few moments later she turned back to look out at the grounds of the castle. “What about these people who work here? Will they lose their jobs? What will happen to the castle?”
“No, no one will lose their job and the castle stood long before you showed up. Maybe we could turn it into a tourist destination. It would be a wonderful place for weddings and honeymoons, business meetings, things such as that. Actually that would employ more people. You do know the staff will miss you.”
“Maybe we stop in occasionally, say hello and spend the night?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“What about Micky? He loves it here.”
“Micky loves being with you. I doubt he will be too broken hearted, as long as we take Mathias with us.”
“So, when do you want to do this?”
“We can start now. I will call my builder and you can design away. What kind of house should we build?”
She gave him a long kiss and said, “One that holds a lot of love.”
Four months later, Bogus stepped out of their trailer, stretched, yawned and took in the springtime smell of the south. He had returned late from Poland the night before and had slept in. Wearing his camo pants and a T-shirt, he walked to the construction area. Most of the rough carpentry was done on the 4,500 square foot ranch with an exposed basement and a gigantic wrap-around porch. Amy looked up at him and smiled, “It’s going to be beautiful.”
“Yes, you are doing a good job.”
She hugged him and gave him a kiss, “Thanks.”
Amy’s Daddy yelled to her from Granny Patches’ house across the holler, where a large crowd was gathering for Granny’s 80th birthday party. Granny had a lot of friends in their part of the county. Jack and Leon had been up all night cooking a pig, and the aroma of pork wafted across the hill. Bogus and Amy made their way over, followed by the galloping of Mathias with Micky and his Uncle Sam on board.