The Grayson Trilogy

by Georgia Rose

  As the credits appeared Trent jumped up saying he was going to run me a bath – doctor’s orders apparently. I was feeling too tired to argue that I usually had showers so I left him to get on with it. He came back down, unwrapped me from the blanket, and helped me up as my muscles had stiffened and it took a lot of effort to get me upstairs and into the bathroom.

  “I’ve put some muscle relaxant salts into the water as the doctor suggested. The idea is to bring out the bruising but also to warm up your joints and muscles and make you feel a little more comfortable for a while,” he explained.

  “Okay, you go and get on with something then while I get in then,” I said, but he made no effort to move and when I glanced at him he appeared uncomfortable with that idea.

  “The problem is you can’t be left in the bath on your own in case you pass out in the water,” he explained.

  “Okay…but I’m not comfortable stripping off in front of you so we’ll have to find another solution won’t we?” I paused as I pondered the situation. “How about if I get undressed and into the bath while you sit outside and we’ll keep the door open.”

  “Works for me, but you’ll have to keep talking while you’re in there – if you stop I’ll be in to check on you. Give me a shout if you can’t get out of any of your clothing,” and he turned to leave the room.

  I managed to undress myself although it was extremely painful and got into the bath, which was deliciously warm, and as I lay there I could feel its magic relaxing my muscles.

  “What shall we talk about?” I heard from the landing.

  “We could use this enforced time together to find out a bit more about each other,” I suggested, feeling a little odd to be talking to an empty room.

  There was a slight hesitation before his response. “Yes, we could.”

  I imagined him sitting, leaning up against the wall outside the bathroom door.

  “You obviously have the advantage of having had a background check done on me so I’ll ask the questions to start with, if that’s okay with you?” Another hesitation and I imagined him contemplating whether or not he was willing to risk the inevitable loss of privacy if he concurred before being surprised by his reply.

  “That’s fine with me, Grayson, fire away.”

  “Where do you live?” I asked him.

  “I have an apartment in the Manor. It has its own entrance from the rear courtyard opposite the kitchens so is essentially a separate property. Quite a few of the staff live on site actually. Forster and Mrs F have a cottage attached to the Manor, similar to my place but larger. Then there are several small flats that the younger ones share in groups of two, three or four, depending on the size of flat. A few live elsewhere, especially if they’re married as they generally buy a house off the estate, but no one lives very far away.”

  “Have you always lived there alone?”

  “Yes,” and he hesitated. I thought for a moment I’d asked something too personal, but then he continued, “I moved onto the estate after my marriage broke up and since then I’ve been on my own.”

  “How long have you lived there?”

  “About five years.”

  “That’s a long time for you to have been on your own.” I was suddenly only too aware of how similar our situations were.

  “Yes, it is – and you should know.” The hypocrisy had not been lost on him either then. I was going to ignore his remark but then couldn’t help myself.

  “But, we’re not talking about me are we?”

  “Indeed we are not. Consider me duly reprimanded, my apologies for interrupting your flow.” I couldn’t see him but I sensed him smiling and I couldn’t help but wind him up a little more given the opportunity.

  “Well…you’re not that bad looking,” I mused, smiling to myself, considering the understatement I’d just made.

  “You’re too kind – but that’s a statement, not a question, and I believe you’re laughing at me again, Grayson,” he chuckled.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it!” I replied, feigning innocence. “It begs the question though doesn’t it? Why no one else? In that length of time, makes you wonder what’s wrong with you.”

  “I hadn’t considered the possibility before now that there was anything wrong with me, but thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Then surprisingly he continued, “It’s simply that no one has come along who’s sparked my interest – at least no one who has been enough of a challenge, which is what attracts me.”

  Oh, I thought. The silence following this statement was deafening and I had nothing to fill it. I grasped around in my mind for something to ask as the silence stretched out. “What was your wife’s name?” There we go, safer territory, back on the past, a bit personal, but safer than the present, definitely.

  “Zoe.”

  “Do you still see her?” Stop sounding like you’re fishing for information, I warned myself.

  “No.”

  That was definite. Time for a complete change in direction, I thought, in the hope of catching him off guard. “What work do you do with Cavendish off the estate?”

  He hesitated before answering. “I think you’ve asked enough questions for one evening and it’s time you got out before you shrivel up like a prune. I’m just popping downstairs to grab the towel I’ve left warming for you on the range and then I’ll be back. Do not drown in the meantime,” he warned as I heard him run downstairs, effectively distracting me and ducking the question – again. He was back a moment later, coming towards the bath with the towel unfolded and held up so he could not see me.

  “Right, stand up and wrap this round you – be careful not to slip getting out.” He left me to get dry and although being in the water had made my body feel much better I was now exhausted. The pain intensified in my head, accompanied by an unpleasant spinning sensation when I bent down to pull on my soft, comfortable, cuddly set of pyjamas – the ones I wore when I felt a bit sorry for myself – before shuffling through to the shower room to clean my teeth. Trent dosed me up with painkillers and I climbed into bed, practically falling asleep before my head hit the pillow.

  I woke once during the night, the pain of turning over causing me to wake, and when I did I looked up briefly to see Trent sitting in the armchair in the corner of my room, his head resting on his hand as he watched me, but I was asleep again before I could say anything.

  Chapter 14

  I woke the next morning to see sunlight streaming through my window. As I lay there I assessed my injuries. I hurt all over, and needed to dose up with painkillers, but when I went to move my limbs complained more than they had the previous day. The shock of the impact now resonated throughout my body, my joints feeling like they’d been shaken loose and were now bruised, complaining with every move; my muscles were stiff and sore, every movement seeming to be a mammoth effort.

  I needed the bathroom so I managed to get myself into a sitting position and off the bed. I shuffled to the bathroom as if I were ancient to do my business, before returning to bed and sinking gratefully back into it, welcoming the softness on my battered limbs. A few minutes later Trent appeared, looking sickeningly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and carrying a tray.

  “Morning. How’re you feeling?”

  “Sore and grumpy,” I replied, trying to get into a comfortable sitting position, but as I was not succeeding he put the tray down and came over to arrange my pillows behind me.

  “Pills first,” he said, and handed me the pills and a glass of orange juice before announcing, “I’ve made you breakfast in bed.” I smiled at him.

  “How do you know what I like for breakfast?”

  “Let’s see how I’ve done, shall we,” he said, smiling, gleefully putting the tray on my lap, then standing back to await my verdict. I looked down: a mug of tea, builder’s strength with very little milk.

  “No sugar?”

  “No sugar.” Two pieces of toast with marmalade – perfect.r />
  “Well done, good guesswork.”

  “Good detective work you mean. Can I sit down?”

  “Of course,” I mumbled through my first bite of toast, and he came round to the other side of the bed and sat on it with one leg folded under the other, facing me. I’d been expecting him to sit in the armchair so was somewhat surprised and suddenly acutely conscious of him on my bed. He was wearing a white tee shirt and soft brushed cotton bottoms in a large checked pattern of varying shades of red and white. He appeared comfortable and relaxed, and as if sitting on my bed in his pyjamas was not at all weird.

  “How did you sleep?” he asked.

  “Okay, although I woke once to find you watching me. What was that about?”

  He grinned boyishly at me before replying, “Well the snoring stopped so I thought I’d better come in and check you were still alive.”

  I glared at him in horror before saying indignantly, “I do not snore!”

  Trent laughed at my horrified expression before responding, “Good to see you focus on the important part of what I just said.”

  I finished my piece of toast but my appetite had disappeared and I couldn’t eat the other one so I offered it to Trent who took it happily, wolfing it down as I sat drinking my tea and watching him eat.

  “What plans do you have for the day?”

  “None, other than to look after you.”

  “I’m going to get in the shower as I need to wash my hair. I presume you don’t need to watch me do that as the likelihood of drowning is minimal.”

  “Your sarcasm is not lost on me, Grayson. That’ll be fine though, but don’t lock the door will you, just in case? Also you’re likely to be stiffer than yesterday so if you need help in dressing you’ll have to call me. I’m going to leap in your shower first though if that’s okay?” He moved to get off the bed and wandered off to his room to get his towel.

  I sat in bed finishing my tea as he showered and once I heard the shower stop I started in my efforts to get off the bed so that fortunately I was facing away from him when he walked out saying, “It’s all yours.” Which was just as well, as when I looked round he was leaving my room and the sight of his strongly muscled shoulders and well-defined back with the towel slung across his narrow hips was a distraction as it was and hardly fair on someone in my weakened condition.

  I didn’t have too much difficulty getting out of my pyjamas as they were loose-fitting and it felt good to get in the shower once I got it hot enough again, as Trent had adjusted the settings. I managed to wash my hair, though doing so caused stabbing pains down my neck, but I persevered as I couldn’t face the thought of having to ask Trent to do it. When I’d finished I towel dried it gently as my head was still feeling fragile, then dried myself and left the bathroom with the towel wrapped around me. Managing to get my pants and tracksuit bottoms on, I dug out a tee shirt which I got over my head, but was grimacing as I tried to get my arm up through the arm hole, groaning aloud with the pain.

  “I told you to call me if you needed help. Ouch…that looks painful,” commented Trent, who’d appeared in the doorway, making me jump. Looking over at him angrily, I covered my chest.

  “Why are you looking at me?” I snapped, questioning more softly, “What looks painful?”

  “I was only looking at the bruising on your back, nothing else. Don’t worry, your modesty is intact,” he said, and coming towards me he offered to help me dress.

  “I can’t turn my head round enough to look at it in the mirror. How bad is it?”

  He was standing behind me as he answered, “I’ll show you…excuse me a moment,” as gently he eased my tracksuit bottoms down a little so the band of them sat just below my hips. I felt my breath catch with surprise.

  “There’s a particularly blackish band as wide as this,” he said, and he opened up the gap between his thumb and first finger to about four or five inches to show me, bringing his hand round in front of me so I could see it. A distracting whisper of breath caressed my neck as he did so.

  “Stretching from here,” and he put his fingers gently on my shoulder and then ran them down and across my back to my opposite hip, “to here,” he finished, letting his fingers rest on my hip for a moment. I sensed him still behind me, silent for a moment, then clearing his throat he carried on quietly, “The bruising extends out from that line through various changes of colour from purple to a yellowy-green – very attractive. Then there’s another bruise extending up from your other hip from where you hit the ground.” As he said this his fingers trailed across my lower back to the other hip, where again he paused and I sensed, rather than heard, his breathing deepen. I’d been completely absorbed by the feel of his fingers on my skin and as they settled on my hip a shiver went through me.

  “Are you okay?” he murmured.

  “Yes, sorry…just ticklish,” I explained, trying to find an excuse, feeling flustered as I turned towards him. He gazed at me for a moment.“Let’s finish getting you dressed then. Promise to close my eyes,” he teased. It was certainly easier with his help and considerably less painful. He finished by putting on my socks then excused himself, disappearing downstairs while I finished drying my hair with the hairdryer.

  My thoughts and feelings towards him were all over the place. I sat on the bed trying to get my mind straight, wondering if it was only a physical reaction I was experiencing or was it, as I was imagining, something deeper – and that thought frightened me. I’d closed down all those possibilities in my mind when Alex left me – I didn’t want to have that feeling again, that connection, that vulnerability to someone else’s influence. I don’t want this, I told myself firmly. It was just as well he’d be leaving the next day.

  Going downstairs slowly I greeted Susie, telling her to go and eat the breakfast Trent had made her. I looked out of the kitchen window to check on the activity in the yard. Carlton was there on Regan, and about to lead Monty out for exercise. Going through to the sitting room I found Trent reading the papers which someone had kindly dropped off for us. Taking a section, I curled up on the other settee to read and we spent some time having healthy, and in some cases rather robust, discussions on topics that caught our eye, which I found stimulating. It was, I thought, an unusual experience for both of us, to have someone to do this with.

  We’d just finished lunch when I heard a message come in on Trent’s phone. He took it out of his pocket and reading it he frowned, and I thought turned a little pale before looking up at me.

  “I need to make a call, I’ll go outside. Go and rest next door, I’ll clear up when I come in then watch a film with you. I won’t be long.” He walked out the back door and I stood watching him for a moment as he paced up and down near his truck, listening, and then speaking animatedly into the phone. Normally he was so confident, calm and in control, but this was all gone as he now ran his free hand through his hair as he talked, seeming less self-assured, and instead filled with concern and worry. I’d never seen him like that, and feeling as if I was intruding I went and sat in the sitting room, not wanting him to catch me watching, not wanting to be involved but feeling for him in his obvious discomfort anyway.

  I heard him come in a short while later, moving around the kitchen as he put the lunch things away, and I got the second film in the trilogy ready for him to watch. When he came to join me I asked if everything was all right but he shrugged it off, replying that it was. He sat down, saying he was ready, but I was concerned for him. He seemed distracted, troubled even, and sat deep in thought throughout the film.

  I walked painfully slowly over to the yard when the film had finished, checking in with Carlton. When I looked back at the cottage I could see Trent on the phone again and wondered who to. Carlton was on good form, however, and soon distracted me from this train of thought. The horses were all fine so I left him to it and returned to the cottage in need of more painkillers.

  About half an hour later Cavendish arrived, bringing our dinner with him. I would have thought he
would have been too busy to be delivering meals himself and I got the distinct impression that something was up. I didn’t miss the concerned looks that passed between him and Trent on arrival but Cavendish quickly focused his full enthusiastic attention onto me and could not apologise enough for what his horse had done to me. I reassured him it had been nothing whatsoever to do with Regan and went on to explain to him what had happened. He questioned me at some length about the woman, not that I could tell him much, particularly as I was doubting my own recollection of her anyway, and had even started to question her existence, so faded was she in my memory. However, I was pleased that he seemed to take my account considerably more seriously than Trent had. He had all but dismissed it initially, but now I couldn’t help wondering if something had happened that was making Trent see more credence in it and that was why Cavendish had got involved. Maybe Trent had brought him in to deal with whatever it was. Or maybe that was just my overactive imagination at work.

  When we’d finished I saw a look pass again between the two of them. Cavendish said he’d send the boys out to see if there was any evidence that might shed some light on who this mystery woman was and he’d let me know if there was any news. He left soon after, insisting I was not to go back to work until at least the following week and only then if the doctor had signed me off. We said our goodbyes and then Trent and I were alone again.

  Trent’s thoughts appeared to be elsewhere as he told me to go and rest and he turned his attention to our dinner, which was ready about half an hour later.

  “Are you up to coming and eating at the table or would you like dinner in there?” Trent called from the kitchen.

  “The table will be fine – would you like me to come and set it?”

  “No, that’s fine, I’ll sort it out, be about five minutes.”

  When I got up a couple of minutes later and went through to the kitchen the table was set and there was a candle alight in the middle of it. I smiled as I told Trent how nice it was and looking pleased with his efforts, he seemed more relaxed than he’d appeared earlier. As I sat down Trent put a plate in front of me of beef and ale pie with mashed potatoes and vegetables then held up a bottle.