How not to win friends

…

Here’s the thing

It is far harder for people who are not used to keeping secrets to keep a secret from someone who has been trained to uncover them.

Whilst David had been to the castle before, there seemed to be new people there, as well as those he remembered, and he took an instant dislike to some.  The estate manager, the construction manager, and the cook.

Perhaps the cook was possibly the wrong person to get on the wrong side, but David never had any qualms about rubbing people up the wrong way.  If only he could shoot her and get away with it.

A private tour of the estate would require the subtle sidelining of his shadow, whom he discovers is really part of the surveillance team, and a secret way in and out of the castle, not all that hard because all castles have a secret, and not so secret, passageways, and this was no exception.  The construction within the castle walls turns out to be useful camouflage.

But, like any sortie under the eyes of the enemy, he nearly gets caught.

And cops a rebuke from Susan when his shenanigans are reported.

Not that he learns any real intelligence from what seems to be run-of-the-mill repairs and enhancements, though the new stables seem to be much bigger and more sophisticated than he would have thought necessary.

But Susan does like riding, and the estate is large enough to indulge that passion.

…

Words written today, 2,583, for a total of 19,788

While the cats away

…

While David promises to be good, and not give the staff at the castle a hard time, Susan whiles away the time overseas tending to business.

Or is she?

A familiar sound from a familiar place tells David his wife is not where he says she is.

But, that’s a problem for another day.  He has a mission to plan and execute, and it’s going to involve the unwitting assistance of a most unlikely accomplice.

First, there’s a rather uncooperative and snotty cook to take care of.

And like all sorties, no amount of planning can cover every eventuality, but quick thinking saves the day, leaving him with more questions than answers.

And the household wondering if he was having an affair.  A talk the following morning with Susan, who seems to have a version of events, finds that, no, he can’t take his shadow back home when he leaves the castle.

Whether or not she is checking up on him, she arrived at the castle in person and makes an attempt to let him know she has not forgotten him.

Pity then she is gone the next morning before he wakes up.

Finally tired of meddling in castle affairs, it takes a very odd message from an anonymous source to get him on his way to Monaco to see what it all means.

…

Words written today, 2,171, for a total of 21,959

David needs a sojourn

…

The Featherington empire has residences in various places, including a castle and estate in the country.

Susan’s mother tolerated it, and Susan hated it.

David thought it was all very Old English.  Since the castle now belonged to Susan, and he was currently her husband, a title that could become very tenuous unless he started behaving like one, he got the notion he could be almost lord of the manor.

But it was not with that intention he was going there.

He just liked the idea of living, if not briefly, in a real castle.

Sadly, the fantasy does not live up to reality, and he is instantly submersed into a new chapter of the ever-evolving conspiracy.

What conspiracy?

It’s old, draughty, almost out of a dream, or nightmare, especially if it had dungeons and he ended up in one, and it brought a whole new cast of characters.

Fiercely loyal to their mistress, and very sceptical of their new master.

An initial inspection shows endless repairs and improvements being undertaken, not unexpected since the place was a few hundred years old, but what was really going on, under the surface?

All he had to do was shake off his constant shadow, as beautiful and she was beguiling, and like everything else, too good to be true.

…

Words written today, 2,387, for a total of 17,205.

How not to win friends

…

Here’s the thing

It is far harder for people who are not used to keeping secrets to keep a secret from someone who has been trained to uncover them.

Whilst David had been to the castle before, there seemed to be new people there, as well as those he remembered, and he took an instant dislike to some.  The estate manager, the construction manager, and the cook.

Perhaps the cook was possibly the wrong person to get on the wrong side, but David never had any qualms about rubbing people up the wrong way.  If only he could shoot her and get away with it.

A private tour of the estate would require the subtle sidelining of his shadow, whom he discovers is really part of the surveillance team, and a secret way in and out of the castle, not all that hard because all castles have a secret, and not so secret, passageways, and this was no exception.  The construction within the castle walls turns out to be useful camouflage.

But, like any sortie under the eyes of the enemy, he nearly gets caught.

And cops a rebuke from Susan when his shenanigans are reported.

Not that he learns any real intelligence from what seems to be run-of-the-mill repairs and enhancements, though the new stables seem to be much bigger and more sophisticated than he would have thought necessary.

But Susan does like riding, and the estate is large enough to indulge that passion.

…

Words written today, 2,583, for a total of 19,788

Some people just don’t go away

…

Why do all the heads of clandestine operations look like they’re a hundred years old?…

Prendergast is no exception.

David thought once he had inexplicably exited the service, he would no longer see or hear of the old man again.

Susan had to disappear, and David has to go after her, and yes, he needed the old departmental resources.  And, it didn’t take long to realise taking anything from Prendergast came with a steep price.

Except for Alisha.  She takes more than a passing interest in David and has him on her radar, so when he gets into trouble, she’s there.  More than once.

Like himself, she was not a resource that Prendergast could completely control, and she is investigating, off book, an interesting relationship between Susan and Russia, so it was inevitable David and Alisha’s paths should cross again.

David is also intrigued that Prendergast is apparently more involved with Susan than ever before, an added complication to his path back into her life.

And with everything Prendergast did, there was always an ulterior motive. 

It might be to police that promise he made, that he got back together with Susan, or go back to work for Prendergast, or it might not.

It was yet another layer of intrigue surrounding the mysterious enigma that was the new Lady Featherington.

…

Words written today, 2,011, for a total of 14,818.

David needs a sojourn

…

The Featherington empire has residences in various places, including a castle and estate in the country.

Susan’s mother tolerated it, and Susan hated it.

David thought it was all very Old English.  Since the castle now belonged to Susan, and he was currently her husband, a title that could become very tenuous unless he started behaving like one, he got the notion he could be almost lord of the manor.

But it was not with that intention he was going there.

He just liked the idea of living, if not briefly, in a real castle.

Sadly, the fantasy does not live up to reality, and he is instantly submersed into a new chapter of the ever-evolving conspiracy.

What conspiracy?

It’s old, draughty, almost out of a dream, or nightmare, especially if it had dungeons and he ended up in one, and it brought a whole new cast of characters.

Fiercely loyal to their mistress, and very sceptical of their new master.

An initial inspection shows endless repairs and improvements being undertaken, not unexpected since the place was a few hundred years old, but what was really going on, under the surface?

All he had to do was shake off his constant shadow, as beautiful and she was beguiling, and like everything else, too good to be true.

…

Words written today, 2,387, for a total of 17,205.

Your friends are not my friends

…

So, integration into the Featherington empire is not going according to plan.

Whose plan, it might be asked.

Instead of just settling into a life of luxury and being the plus one for a woman who simply needed a consort, David has the nagging feeling everything around him is not as it should be.

He could cite the pain-killing drugs sending him into a world of conspiracies and hallucinations, that not everything around him was suspicious.

Take, for instance, her new business partners, far too handsome for their own good, and why is Susan flirting so openly with them?

Then there are the three Russian maids.  See no evil, hear no evil, speak evil, if they’re maids, why did they look and act like Russian spies?

Perhaps an old friend might be able to clear that up for him/

And why does the old family Butler, the only authentic person, other than the housekeeper who truly is both British to the core, and as genuine as they get, whispering in David’s ear that the mistress has changed, and he is concerned/

On day one in the London residence, it doesn’t take long to realize the walls have both eyes and ears, and thus the games afoot.

Once more he finds himself back in the murky world of lies and deceit.

…

Words written today, 1,917, for a total of 12,807.

Some people just don’t go away

…

Why do all the heads of clandestine operations look like they’re a hundred years old?…

Prendergast is no exception.

David thought once he had inexplicably exited the service, he would no longer see or hear of the old man again.

Susan had to disappear, and David has to go after her, and yes, he needed the old departmental resources.  And, it didn’t take long to realise taking anything from Prendergast came with a steep price.

Except for Alisha.  She takes more than a passing interest in David and has him on her radar, so when he gets into trouble, she’s there.  More than once.

Like himself, she was not a resource that Prendergast could completely control, and she is investigating, off book, an interesting relationship between Susan and Russia, so it was inevitable David and Alisha’s paths should cross again.

David is also intrigued that Prendergast is apparently more involved with Susan than ever before, an added complication to his path back into her life.

And with everything Prendergast did, there was always an ulterior motive. 

It might be to police that promise he made, that he got back together with Susan, or go back to work for Prendergast, or it might not.

It was yet another layer of intrigue surrounding the mysterious enigma that was the new Lady Featherington.

…

Words written today, 2,011, for a total of 14,818.

A triumphant return, not!

…

Whether a spy or an ex-spy, for some, nothing ever goes according to plan. 

And, fortuitously or otherwise, David is saved from the press conference at the airport, relegated in his absence to become the forlorn husband struck down by a mysterious malaise.

It’s a bit hard to explain being cut up in a knife attack in an airport restroom. Especially when the perpetrator is still resting in a broken toilet stall.

David never expected that life with Susan was going to be normal, whatever normal was or could be.  The fact is, David never really got to know the Susan that he married, somewhat out of convenience to her, other than that he loved her.

With the mother she had, the friends she had, and the constant battle with all of them, it had been hard to find a reason why he had chased her all over Europe, much less what to get back what only could be described as trouble.

Perhaps it had been the opportunity to dive back into that murky world, one that he had hated, and yet quite possibly loved, and missed.

The chase over, it was either time to get reacquainted or move on.

And what better way than to dive headfirst into her heady lifestyle, move into the Featherington London residence, go to parties, meet her new friends, and try not to upset the house staff.

Those who were genuine servants and those, alas, who were not.

…

Words written today, 2,609, for a total of 10,890.

Your friends are not my friends

…

So, integration into the Featherington empire is not going according to plan.

Whose plan, it might be asked.

Instead of just settling into a life of luxury and being the plus one for a woman who simply needed a consort, David has the nagging feeling everything around him is not as it should be.

He could cite the pain-killing drugs sending him into a world of conspiracies and hallucinations, that not everything around him was suspicious.

Take, for instance, her new business partners, far too handsome for their own good, and why is Susan flirting so openly with them?

Then there are the three Russian maids.  See no evil, hear no evil, speak evil, if they’re maids, why did they look and act like Russian spies?

Perhaps an old friend might be able to clear that up for him/

And why does the old family Butler, the only authentic person, other than the housekeeper who truly is both British to the core, and as genuine as they get, whispering in David’s ear that the mistress has changed, and he is concerned/

On day one in the London residence, it doesn’t take long to realize the walls have both eyes and ears, and thus the games afoot.

Once more he finds himself back in the murky world of lies and deceit.

…

Words written today, 1,917, for a total of 12,807.