by Mark Stanley
"Giles was very good at getting all of the tenders in and then they were sent off to the insurance company. Well, they the insurance company said that the attack was an act of terrorism and that you didn't have cover for that eventuality? Giles wasn't having that so he set your pack of lawyers on them and they agreed, fairly quickly, to rescind their first statement especially when threatened with publicity and to pay in-full, but beyond that I don't really know."
"Yes you do you know everything so stop being coy and tell me."
She pursed her lips and looked away before returning her gaze to me. "I believe that the work is underway or will be shortly, but some prat parked his Range Rover in the front elevation and the work is costing almost four million pounds."
"WHAT!"
"It was structurally unsafe Billy and so it's now been demolished. Most of the furniture has been put into storage but some couldn't be salvaged. I'm sorry I've been meaning to tell you but..."
She shrugged and came and sat on my lap a clear sign that she was scheming.
"So what are we going to do? We can't and I won't leave Daphne to care for the children on a day-to-day basis, only seeing them every other weekend until the house is rebuilt? Ascot Park won't be finished until late 2016 or even spring 2017."
"Well it might be a little earlier than that."
"I doubt it."
"Anyway, neither I nor the children but especially Lulu, want to return to the house even when it's rebuilt, it holds too many bad memories."
"Do get on with it Victoria, I know you've a secret solution it just depends when you're going to let me in on it." She looked at me and kissed my forehead before going back into the bedroom and returning with her laptop. Flipping it open at some estate agents blurb about a house on "The Exclusive Wentworth Estate." Indeed the estate is exclusive and the house that I was perusing looked, fabulous, nine en-suite bedrooms, swimming pool, tennis courts, staff accommodation and a helicopter pad, all for the rather exclusive price of thirty five million pounds.
"What do you think?"
"It looks fabulous, if a tad expensive for a stop-gap solution."
"It has the right number of bedrooms for us and guests plus it has two sets of staff accom, and there’s room to house the CPO’s in the area above the garages, it'll get us through until we move into Ascot Park. It's also close to the children's schools as well as the new house and so we can keep a ready eye on it and the builders. A helicopter pad so that we can commute by air, which will be much safer than travelling by roads..."
"Unless they shoot it down."
"...and so many benefits, I love it."
"But it's thirty five million pounds."
"It's just numbers Billy."
"Big numbers."
She pouted, I swear to God she actually pouted at me. I looked again at the house; everything that Victoria said was true, it was a fabulous home. I looked at her and she made to hang her head, still pouting.
"Are you going to deny me Billy? After sitting by your bedside for months, mopping your brow, plumping your pillows, writing a million thank you cards, are you going to deny me?"
When she put it like that...
"No, of course I'm not."
"Great, because we move in next month!"
Later the same day as I was doing my afternoon exercises, Tom smiled as he passed me a towel.
"What a great new house Lord Mark. Once the security changes are implemented I think you'll be good to go."
I smiled and nodded along before, "When did you find out about the house Tom?"
"Miss Victoria asked me to have a look a few weeks ago and then I had to get the security guys in to see what needed to be done..."
I continued to smile and nod as I looked around the garden before I spotted her. "VICTORIA!"
The holiday was progressing and on the children's second afternoon I joined the family at the pool. Victoria was playing water basketball and so I thought I'd join in. I took my bathrobe off and slid into the water as I wasn't allowed to dive and I couldn't swim in the crash helmet, I did try but it was far too uncomfortable and Victoria had relented, there are firsts for everything. I swam to the far end before turning to make my way back and realised that all three children were staring at me and Lulu was crying, what now?
"Mark, can you swim to the steps please?"
I dutifully complied, a little apprehensive as to the request and what had caused my lovely daughter to start crying.
"The children are a little shocked by your appearance and I think I need to take them on a tour, so if you can pull yourself up to the top step please..."
I did as I had been asked, very conscious of my awkwardness, as I quite literally had to drag my battered body up the tiled steps.
"Daddy's left side is much weaker than the right side but it's starting to get stronger, you can see the left leg is thinner than the right and...Mark can you lift the leg of your shorts please so that the children can see...there, that's where the rod went into his leg. It's a nasty wound and will be a horrible scar but no one, well no one except me and I don't count because I love your Daddy so much because of it, will ever see it. Over here, is where the bullet went into his arm and that's healed and the scar will fade, quite a bit apparently and then there's the one here on his shoulder? That's in a fold of skin or will be when Daddy regains his weight. Now the really scary ones are on his head and if you don't want to see then that's fine."
All three children crowded round as the tour guide began her further explanation.
"The bullet went in here..."
She moved my hair slightly and showed the entry wound.
"...and then it travelled through Daddy's skull and of course it didn't hit his brain for as we all know Daddy has a peanut sized brain!"
Much laughter from all of the children and no little joshing from the boys as they pointed and teased about that comment.
"The surgeons and you'll remember Professor Richards and Mister James? They had to take a part of Daddy's skull away so that they could find his brain. Well it took forever and they had to open another area as its soooo small they couldn't find it! Eventually after much searching and sending for lots more helpers to help with the search they discovered it hiding away and as we know, because he's here chatting away, there wasn't too much damage, it's difficult to damage a peanut, anyway they had to carry out another operation to put a plate into his skull so that his peanut of a brain didn't just...fall-out, these are all of the scars. Now the hair and scalp have been pulled across but there’s still a small area where the plate is exposed and hair won't grow there but you are blessed with the same hair as Daddy and Grandpa, thick and lots of it. Well, once it grows a little longer we'll take him to a very fine hairdressers that I know who only normally cuts ladies hair and he'll cut it so that, apart from when he swims, it'll be covered, think of Donald Trump!"
The laughter was raucous as the image of Mister Trump was visualised by all except me. Then came the stroking, prodding and actual tapping of my plate, followed by the gentle rubbing of my scars and the panic at my appearance had been replaced by laughter. Well done Victoria.
A month in France for me and three weeks for the children went all too fast. As the weather warmed up, I and more importantly, at least for me, Victoria improved. When we had arrived she was nine kilo's less than her normal weight and looked, despite her natural beauty, emaciated, that is no exaggeration. As she had worried over me, I had worried over her, but now almost a month later she had regained all but two kilo's and looks great. We had just finished our twice weekly weigh-in where we confirmed that she had regained seven kilo's and I had gained twelve and looked, much restored.
"Very good Billy, you look so much better."
"As do you."
"Okay enough self-congratulatory pats on the back get changed."
Today we were joining the 'Melissa' for the last three days of our holiday. It had been in the Caribbean and had made the long crossing, before anchoring in
Marseilles for a quick clean and overall before arriving last night off the coast at the deep water anchorage it needed. The children had never seen it let alone been on it and they were in for a treat.
I returned to the bathroom for one last thing. When we had arrived I'd told Victoria that the reason I needed to speak with the Doctor when he attended me after I felt unwell, was that I had haemorrhoids, that was a lie. I had asked him for some Viagra to try and restart another part of my body. David Richards had reluctantly agreed but only if I promised that I wouldn't take them for at least a month and then only if I continued to improve. Well it was almost a month and I had improved in all areas bar one. I swallowed the pill and mentally crossed my fingers before rejoining Victoria.
Superyachts are viewed as the preserve of the rich and there are few richer than The Brompton's and few yachts bigger than the 'Melissa'. I knew she had all of the toys that the children would adore and these had been expanded since my first visit and now there's a resident water-sports guy, Craig. He has the same charm, good looks and abilities as the rest of the crew and was a great substitute Dad as he organised all manner of fun for the children, fun that I sadly couldn't participate in. Water-skiing, jet-skiing, sailing, windsurfing and paragliding were all considered too dangerous and I had no idea why. Victoria on the other hand fully embraced my absence. She has grown unbelievably close to Lulu and even the boys embrace her, which outside of Mummy and Grandma is a first for them. As soon as we had arrived and the children had explored the sleeping accommodation they were anxious to get started. I limited myself to doing my exercises and then standing at the rail viewing them, waving and filming as they enjoyed all that the 'Melissa' could offer. After lunch they went off to take turns in going for a submarine ride and I went to lie down. Victoria came out of the bathroom as I was trying to see if the Viagra had kicked in, but it hadn't.
"What-ca doin Billy?"
"Resting."
"Playing with yourself more like."
"If I was, it's not working."
"Give it time Billy, give it time."
The evening we all ate together and the children went off earlier than I anticipated as the day had exhausted them, sometimes there are miracles and even my children actually get tired. Victoria and I stayed chatting with her parents but I was anxious to see if a second Viagra would do what the first had failed to do. It wasn't smart and it certainly wasn't clever but I was a desperate man seeking a solution, but when we got into bed...nothing. Frustrated by my lack of sexual prowess I reluctantly rolled over and held Victoria, before we both fell to sleep.
I awoke with a very strange feeling and it wasn't just the gentle motion of the 'Melissa'. I rolled over so that Victoria could also have a strange feeling. I moved my hand up and gently massaged her breast as I then tweaked a nipple, she woke. I knew she was awake even before her hand slowly moved down and back to my groin before she said.
"Thank God, welcome back Big Boy!"
The day was great. The children were entertained and after lunch, as Craig took them jet-skiing, I took Victoria to heaven. I didn't have my normal stamina, but that would return, I hoped, but the stress at not being able to sexually satisfy my fiancée was lifted and how.
"Enough Billy, we don't want you having a relapse."
I lay with her in my arms, holding her the way she likes as we lay in post-coital bliss. "Happy?"
She snuggled in closer. "Always and you know what? I didn't know how much I had missed him until he reappeared, but you shouldn't have taken two tablets that could have been dangerous...but I'm soooo pleased you did!"
Chapter 6 – April
It wasn't plain sailing when we returned to London and I hadn't expected it to be so. There was still the exercise and Catherine, at my request, had upped the regime so that it was longer, harder and much tougher. Tom, John and a couple of the other guys joined in to keep me company and when even they started sweating, well, I knew that my recovery was getting there.
Victoria had taken to working from home. Her business didn't need the same level of 'hands on' as my own. That's not to say she doesn't work hard but she seemed to keep on top of it well enough.
"Another hard day at the office dear?"
"My work is more cerebral than your 'doodling'.
"Doodling, I'm a fucking architect or at least I am when people let me doodle!"
"Now, now Billy, cut the swearing out please."
"And its Lord Billy to you...wench!"
She had relented eventually, as my own requests to work, became incessant and now Felicity came in daily with work, which I completed fastidiously and then Giles began 'popping in' and both frequencies became much more regular, which of course didn't go unnoticed. Victoria could see that a very large corner had been turned and I reckoned that so long as my 'bedroom performances' continued she would see it as an acceptable increase in both disciplines.
Today, I had undertaken the first of Danny's tame interviews, this one with The Sunday Times. It had been meant to be tame; perhaps someone should have told the journalist. One hour had been allocated and this had turned into two as he had wanted 'the real Mark Stanley, warts and all' prick. But I had assiduously answered his questions and given 'off the cuff' answers, which of course they weren't, as I had been interviewed, relentlessly by Danny's 'media specialists'. At the end he seemed genuinely and perhaps surprisingly, surprised that I had been so forthcoming. I hadn't enjoyed it I don't know that anyone ever actually enjoys these things. Victoria had ensured that she was out for the morning which hadn't gone unnoticed and when she returned in time for lunch, she was less than pleased.
"So what's making you so grumpy?"
"My Mother, interfering, changes perfectly good arrangements so that she can get involved. I'm not having any of that shit, it'll be my way or no way and I don't care if they don't turn up!"
"Calm down. Of course you care. Look, change them back and move on, it can't be worth more falling out with your parents, I thought we had left that angst back in France."
"Angst, fucking angst! Since Christmas, I've seen what a complete shower my parents are. They lie, they manipulate, they connive and I want no part of it, any of it!"
"But I'm committed to seeing this through."
"Seeing what through and why are you so committed?"
"They asked me, to consider politics, which I discussed with you..."
"But I didn't know it would lead to them trying to takeover our lives!"
"...I feel obliged to carry out my promise. I appreciate that your feelings towards them have changed over the intervening period but wheels are turning and ultimately it's what I want as well." Did I? Was she placated? Not a chance but she let it go. I only wished that I could as I felt The Brompton's influence deepening as each day passed.
For the last two weeks we had been heavily engrossed in buying furniture. Of course I had furniture already and that would be utilised but the new house was much larger and much more...extravagant than the last house and so the furniture needed to be supplemented. We had also been interviewing furniture designers for Ascot Park as that needed everything and Victoria had determined that it would be, just so. The furniture for the new house had been easy compared to Ascot Park. The new house was twenty thousand square feet; Ascot Park was seven hundred thousand square feet. Admittedly a big part of the space was in the basement but the sheer scale of the project was simply staggering. To date we had chosen furniture for the family bedrooms, the main sitting room and our own sitting room. Total cost? A shade over two million pounds; big houses require big furniture and some of this would take a year or more to make. Victoria had laughed when someone had suggested an interior designer and I whole heartedly agreed with her view, if she, with her taste and her soon to be property developer, par excellence husband, couldn't design it then we were probably in the wrong business but to ensure that nothing was missed I’d asked Ellie our head of design to help out as she shared a similar vision to both of us.
A few days ago we had visited the Wentworth house for the first time together and I had been suitable impressed. Adelice and Paolo had already moved into their accommodation and things were moving at pace. The stored furniture was already in-situ in the designated areas and the new furniture was arriving on a daily basis, all being checked over and examined by the highly critical eyes of Paolo. To date he had only rejected, three beds and two sofas as being 'no good'. I didn't question him and we were pleased just to see him and Adelice so happy and so excited about the new project and also that we would all be together again the following week.
Today was my forty second birthday and I reflected on the year past. Last year I had spent the evening celebrating in a local pizzeria with the children and as ever, they would be here tonight as it was a Friday. They were being joined by my parents, brother, sister-in-law, Ludo, Cara, Giles and his wife, Felicity and her soon to be husband, the Burns in fact there were sixty of us and we had taken over a private dining room at The Ritz, to celebrate in style.
We were just about ready; Victoria looked at her ravishing best and had been suitably ravished before she had showered. Now with a little black dress on which enhanced everything and yet could do justice to nothing, I stood, devouring her with my eyes.
"Leave it and me alone Billy!"
"I was just thinking that you needed rewarding."
"What for?"
"For being, self-effacing, dogmatic, pragmatic, formidable and absolutely, totally and with unsurpassed beauty, my soon to be wife."
"Aw Billy. Just for that I'll let you have a shag later."
"And I thought you should have these." I revealed a small but perfectly formed Cartier box from behind my back."