Guardian Girl (The Chronicles of Staffordshire) Read online

  “No, Sonia. I want to speak specifically to your candidacy for a moment. It’s important for you to know this… I didn’t invite you here simply because you have degrees from Paulson and Penn. I haven’t considered a single candidate without Ivy League degrees.”

  “Then… Why did you…?”

  “I invited you here, Sonia, because people I trust with my life told me I would be insane to hire anyone else. Then, I took one look at your photo and I knew I had to meet you for myself.”

  Sonia thought she heard the mother of all veiled compliments. “Sooo… Mr. St. Cloud, let me see if I understand this… Are you saying that you selected me for an interview because you think I’m smart and beautiful?”

  “In a word, Miss Nichols? Yes.” The boss gave Sonia a Mona Lisa smile, not quite a leer, not quite platonic. “I could not be certain until I met you in person, but my Paulson girls have once again presented me with an exceptional candidate.”

  Sonia stared at Rory, folding her arms over her portfolio and pressing her knuckles to her lips. Rory continued his leer-smile.

  The flirt alert came off. She had him so she had nothing to lose. She was going to get the job. And get it again. And probably get it just about every day. Aaaah… What the hell!

  “Then may I ask another question, sir? This might sound a little impertinent, but after what you just said, I’m curious…”

  “I’ll try to answer anything you ask, Miss Nichols.”

  “Well… If you really do think I’m smart and beautiful… If you think I’m smart enough and beautiful enough to be at your side at all kinds of society events… Then why wouldn’t you marry a girl like me? You said it yourself. Your wife and your assistant will have a lot of the same qualities. So why wouldn’t you consider someone… You know… Like me for a wife?”

  The applicant’s fearlessness caught Rory flat footed. He paused, pondered, and punted. “Let’s go to the contract, shall we Miss Nichols?”

  Sonia wagged her index finger. “Uh, uh, uh, Mr. St. Cloud. You said you would answer my questions. So give, big boy. Why doesn’t the Philly girl get a shot at the gold ring? You have a problem with cheese steak breath?”

  Rory laughed, falling for Sonia’s spunk and guts. Sonia was exactly as described. No filter, no fear. “Well… Since you asked so nicely… You see, Miss Nichols, I come from a long line of individuals endowed with exceeding wealth…”

  Sonia glanced at his trousers and smirked at the bulge running down his right leg. “Yeah, and that ain’t all you’re endowed with, boss.”

  “…We marry in wealth, we live in wealth, and we die in wealth. We ferociously protect our wealth, often without pity. I can’t say that I would never marry a less wealthy person of your obvious intellect and beauty, but… I have seen too many such marriages disintegrate to want put a woman through such heartache.”

  Rory opened his palm and pointed to Sonia, returning focus to the real matter at hand. Marriage wasn’t it.

  “Now if you go through the contract language with me and then you still feel comfortable signing it, you’ll understand that there is much more to your question than I can answer until I am confident you are fully committed to protecting my privacy.”

  Musky secrets wafted in the wind. Not yet having won the job, Sonia nevertheless sensed potent chemistry with the boss. The enigmatic Mr. St. Cloud was too intriguing to deny. Sonia wanted more than just a foot in the door.

  “Okay. I’m game. Let’s talk confidentiality, sir.”

  “Good! Let me start by saying that this house — this entire property — is a closely guarded facility. We like our privacy. The deed and covenants attached to this house specifically require that every member of the staff and every adult family member must sign a confidentiality agreement. That is the reason for the ‘onerous’ language in the contract. Put simply, Miss Nichols… Should you choose to work for me… If you bind yourself to my family… You must go to your grave with the knowledge of everything that happens behind these walls and among any of the family or staff members who call this estate home. You will, of course, be compensated far more generously than you would elsewhere in the private sector, and I will always do everything in my power to earn your loyalty, not buy it. But you will never be able to speak about this place or our family outside of these walls unless it is directly germane to your role on the estate.”

  Rory suddenly turned deadly serious, staring into Sonia’s brown eyes with icy firmness. “And I am quite serious about enforcing that confidentiality, Sonia. I need to warn you that if you should ever breach the contract — for any reason — I will use every resource at my disposal to destroy your life. I won’t think twice about it.”

  Sonia gulped. The gentleman boss had liquid nitrogen in his veins.

  As if to salve her angst, Rory touched Sonia lightly on her forearm. Goose bumps popped under her sleeve. “Sonia… I know that sounds frightening. And I really don’t want you to fear me. I simply want you to understand the stakes in our relationship and the importance of this contract before you sign it.”

  Merely touching Sonia’s arm could not wipe away the words, “destroy your life.” Rory saw the look of terror on Sonia’s face.

  “Perhaps I should put this in more positive terms. In exchange for your eternal confidentiality — should if I hire you — you will be handsomely compensated and will build a resume that will empower you to work for any major corporation anywhere in the world. So even though the contract terms are strict, there are still many good reasons to work for me.

  “But before we speak further… Before I answer any of the thousands of questions you must have on your mind… You must sign this document. If you choose not to sign, then we must terminate our interview immediately.”

  Lightly biting the left corner of her lower lip, Sonia thought she heard contract terms that sounded akin to lifelong indentured servitude. One slip, and her life would be “destroyed.” Remain loyal, and her life would be bathed in luxury.

  “Well… I have just one question, sir.”

  “Please ask, Sonia.”

  “If I sign this contract, do I get the job?”

  “Not necessarily. We still need to talk about several delicate issues. For reasons you will understand after our tour, I need to give you every opportunity to withdraw your candidacy before I make you a final offer. But I appreciate the risk you are taking. So simply for signing this agreement and agreeing to hold our conversation in confidence, you will receive a cash stipend of $9,999 for your trouble.”

  Sonia’s jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!”

  Rory smiled. “Just for signing this document and binding yourself to confidentiality about this estate, even if you do not receive a job with me, I will give you $9,999 simply for coming to this interview.”

  “GET THE HOLY HELL OUT OF HERE!”

  Rory laughed. “Well, I’m not used to prospects using the F-bomb or ‘Holy Hell’, during the interviews…”

  “SERIOUSLY? TEN GRAND? Just for keeping my big mouth shut?”

  Sonia disappeared into her thoughts, bombed by the $9,999 cash prize just for signing a stupid piece of paper.

  As Sonia contemplated the implications of the offer, weighing the pros and cons of “binding” herself (“Whatever the hell that means…”) to the property and its people, Rory took a furtive opportunity to appreciate her enthralling attributes.

  Sonia’s Paulson sisters didn’t lie. She was an understated, eye-catching beauty. An aura of feminine physicality confirmed an aggressive fitness regimen - a long-distance runner, perhaps? Tragically short, up-swept and gelled brunette hair framed a bright-eyed, softly alluring, lightly tanned face. Lean, muscular legs ended at delicate feet. With broad, full lips and gleaming, brace-corrected teeth, Sonia’s infectious smile flooded the room with joy.

  “GET OUT!”

  “Miss Nichols, I am afraid I can’t ‘get out.’ It’s my house,” Rory quipped.

  “I’m jus
t… WOW! I mean… GET OUT! I’m just totally blown away! Ten grand just for signing a piece of paper! Really?”

  “Well… For legal reasons, $9,999 to be precise. And you must also agree to confidentiality about everything we experience today. It’s not just a piece of paper, Miss Nichols. It’s a pledge. By signing this document you are pledging me your confidence and your family’s confidence for the rest of your life, even if you are not offered or choose not to accept a job.”

  “DONE!”

  “Please don’t be hasty, Miss Nichols. This is an enormous step.”

  Sonia leaned close to Rory’s face, locked with his eyes, and conspiratorially lowered her voice. She gripped his forearm. “Mr. St. Cloud… I have seen some seriously freaky shit in my life. I’m talking about real, ‘close to the legal limits,’ shit. I’ve never talked about it with anyone. If I can witness seriously freaky, legal limit shit and not talk about it to anyone, trust me… For ten grand I’ll be quite content to serve up your human sacrifices.”

  Rory howled. “Miss Nichols! I can assure you! It’s nothing like that! Absolutely nothing illegal or unethical. In fact, before you sign this contract, I will tell you what it’s not, just so you can ease your mind. It’s not about drugs, it’s not about rum running, and it’s not about human sacrifices or incest. It’s not about any of those things.”

  “Then where do I sign, Mr. St. Cloud? Where do I sign?”

  Rory pulled a fresh, tri-folded copy of the contract from his inside jacket pocket, unfolded it, and offered his back as a desktop. Sonia signed briskly, added a huge dot for punctuation at the end of her name, and handed the contract to the boss.

  “WOW! That was easy,” she remarked.

  Rory bowed and flourished. “And now, I can tell you anything.”

  “Well, before we take the tour, can I ask a few questions?”

  “Ask me anything, Miss Nichols. I will always give you a truthful answer.”

  Sonia laced her fingers, cracked her knuckles, and got her flirt on.

  “Well, Mr. St. Cloud… This one’s a doozy…”

  Thirteen

  With the confidentiality agreement signed and the promise of $10,000 cash in hand, Sonia had nothing to lose. She flattened her interlaced fingers, lifted them, and rested her chin atop her hands, batting her eyes like a silent movie starlet.

  “Okay… So you won’t marry me. Too bad. Your loss. Soooo… Instead of a honeymoon… How about we just have crazy sex instead?”

  Rory gasped, blushing brightly. “Well, now! You’re quite bold, aren’t you, Miss Nichols? How do you know that being so forward won’t lose you the job?”

  Smirking, Sonia tested the boss’s resolve. She turned and started heading toward the door. “Well, sir, if I read you wrong…”

  Rory stepped forward and grabbed Sonia’s arm. “Sonia, wait…!”

  Sonia spun and cocked her head. “Well? Was I wrong? Sir…?”

  Stammering, Rory danced around Sonia’s advance. “Well… Uhm… I don’t think… Uhh… Sex… Would be… Appropriate. Not at this moment, anyway. After all, I haven’t introduced you to the rest of the estate and I haven’t yet offered you the job. But… I think it would be fair to say that you will never want for intimacy in my home. You may be forced to give up many things to serve my family, but I can assure you, sexual gratification is not one of them. Not at this precise moment, of course, but…”

  Sonia leaned in, face-to-face. “Not at this moment, eh? So when, huh? Care to elaborate…? Sir?”

  An adorable little gulp slipped past Rory’s lips. “Well… Uhhh… Not just yet, Miss Nichols. But I promise you… I’ll show you a few places during the tour that will help fill in the blanks.”

  Getting nowhere fast, the tarty applicant heaved up a sigh and took a different approach. “Fair enough. You’re being a gentleman on the first date. I respect that in a man. So here’s my next question. You said I’d be responsible for hiring the staff. Does that mean I get to personally recruit and interview the male staff?”

  Rory shook his head at the applicant’s one-track mind. “Yes, Miss Nichols. You will personally screen, interview, and select of all of the male staff…”

  “YES!” She fist-pumped in delight.

  “And…” Rory continued with a wink, “all of the female staff.”

  Sonia’s eyes popped in astonishment, her mouth dropped open. Did the boss just suggest she would also screen the talents of the female applicants? “Mr. St. Cloud!”

  “As I said, Miss Nichols, you will want for nothing at Staffordshire.”

  As Rory took a pause, it seemed as good time a time as any to share a sticky little stipulation to Sonia’s employment.

  “By the way, Miss Nichols… Since we are speaking so… ‘Candidly…’ There is one requirement every employee must fulfill for the duration of their relationship with my family. This is a game-changer for most applicants. From our little time together I don’t think this will be a problem for you, but I believe you must make an informed choice.”

  “Do tell, sir…”

  “Because we enjoy the freedom of frequent — well, let’s call them ‘intimate encounters’ — here at Staffordshire, we require all employees and all adult family members to submit to weekly blood screening. This applies to all members of the St. Cloud family, including me. Part of your job as my personal assistant will be to maintain a log of all intercourse, supervise our blood screening schedules, and ensure the overall accuracy of our health records.”

  Sonia’s libido chilled. Her jaw dropped.

  “HOH-LY SHIT! Intercourse log? Blood screening? Ohhh… myyy… GOD!”

  “We also insist that women of childbearing age take birth control at all times. This may sound somewhat peculiar - especially given our choice of lifestyle - but we do not condone abortions. All pregnancies, whether planned or unplanned, must be carried to term. Should a woman desire to have a family, we will gladly make all necessary arrangements to ensure her comfortable, continued presence on our staff, including the support of Paulson degreed nannies as necessary. We will also broker adoptions, if desired, with families of the highest social caliber.”

  “No abortions? OH MY GOD! They’re fucking Republicans!”

  “So, Miss Nichols… To put this simply… We do not believe in spoiling the beauty and joy of sexual intimacy with worries about sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies.”

  With a concerned frown, Sonia raised her index finger. “Uhhh… Sir… Uhm… Isn’t it a little dangerous to… you know…?”

  “To what…? Isn’t what dangerous…?” Slightly confused, it took Rory a moment to figure out Sonia’s angle.

  And then he did.

  “Dear God, Miss Nichols! NO! I am NOT suggesting that we do not believe in using protection! I am simply suggesting that we build every precaution into our activities here at Staffordshire. We are well aware that ‘accidents’ do happen, even with condoms and regular birth control. We all accept the responsibilities that come along with our playtimes.

  Sonia breathed a partial sigh of relief. “Phew… You had me worried for a bit. Thanks for clearing that up, sir.”

  “Although… I cannot deny, Sonia… Within the walls of this estate… Among those who willingly limit their sexual partners to members of the staff or family… We rarely use condoms. When a playful moment strikes, we find their use somewhat cumbersome.”

  Sonia sucked her relieved sigh right back into her mouth with a gasp. “‘Cumbersome?’ Condoms? HOLY SHIT!”

  Forcing herself to reign in a raving freak out, Sonia squinted at Rory and pieced together the employer’s “candid” statements..

  “Then again… If they get tested all the time… Maybe spontaneous cum-bustion could be fun? He probably makes love like a stallion if he’s had that much practice. But… ‘Cumbersome’…? Yick!”

  The time for playfulness was over. There was business to conduct. The interviewer was about to dip the interviewee’s libido into a
liquid nitrogen bath. It was time to talk about…

  “The Catch.”

  “There is one more thing you must consider, Sonia and it is not a small consideration. You must think carefully about what it will mean for you as an employee and as a woman. If you attach yourself to Staffordshire you must willingly limit your pool of potential partners. Should you join my staff, your contract will stipulate that you will not have sexual relations with anyone but another member of the Staffordshire staff, adult aged St. Cloud family members, adult family members of the staff, or with pre-screened adult guests who willingly subject themselves to our tracking process before, during, and after their visit to our home. This requirement will also apply to your selection of future partners, fiancés, or husbands.”

  Staring incredulously, Sonia lifted her palm and closed her slackened jaw.

  “There is more, Miss Nichols…”

  “Oh boy…”

  “Your contract will give me the right to personally approve or deny your relationships with any outsider, including potential boyfriends or girlfriends. I keep a private detective agency on retainer that routinely follows-up on staff when they are away from the estate to ensure you maintain a risk-free lifestyle beyond these walls. Your every move, both within and beyond the boundaries of the estate, may be photographed and reviewed by me personally — without your knowledge — at any time I wish.”

  “Good grief. Sonia, dear, you’ve just become one of the ‘Stepford Wives.’ This guy’s perpetually horny AND perpetually paranoid.” Sonia’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute… Did he say… ‘Girlfriends?’ AGAIN with the lesbian angle! Do I LOOK like a lesbian, Jack?”

  “That limitation and a constant sense of intrusiveness has scared off some women, Miss Nichols, particularly those who might wish to have a family someday.”

  Rory stopped, letting the full impact of Staffordshire’s unique opportunities and restrictions sink into Sonia’s stupefied skull.

  “Miss Nichols… I know that is a lot to absorb. How does all of that make you feel?”