Bought By The Billionaire

Later:
“Can I ask you something Master? Richard?”
He looks at me. I only ever call him ‘Richard’ when we are in company. In private, between us, he is always ‘Master’.
“One of those questions eh?” he says. “Go on then. But I’m not promising an answer.”
“Why didn’t you marry Adele? She’s so beautiful, and obviously more experienced with life. Why did you ask me and not her?”
He looks away, clearly taking the time to choose his words. “She is beautiful, yes, and you’re right. In some ways, she is more
obviously ‘wifely’ material for me, but there was something about her that, as I came to know her well, it.... well, it repelled me.
There is a coldness about her. Beautiful; yes, she is, but beautiful like a statue. You are so much more alive than she. There
were other things too.
“Such as?”
“Well, for a start, she was too obviously after the money.”
“What makes you think I’m not interested in the money?”
He laughs. “You’d be foolish to not be at least a bit interested in the money, wouldn’t you? And you are anything but foolish.
Adele, when it comes down to it, is not all that bright. She is more worldly than you, less naïve, but not nearly so intelligent. Then
too, she tried to make herself dependent on me. You have never done that.”
“I’m living with you.”
“Yes, but it was at my invitation.” He pauses. “Insistence actually, with the danger to you from Mack Kane until we track him
down. Adele tried to simply move in. I arrived one day to find that she’d arrived, with her clothes and goods, and taken over one
of the rooms. I didn’t allow it and she took the huff and left.”
My Master comes to sit beside me, taking my hand in his. “Besides, you are working on your studies. Working hard to make
yourself independent. You want to be your own woman, not a just satellite to me.”
I shrug. “You don’t actually know if I am working hard at it.”

He laughs. “Actually, I do, because I checked with your tutors.” I glance at him startled. My Master has been checking up on me?
He continues “I have high confidence that you will do well in your exams. Now and later. You need to do that.”
Still holding my hand, but looking down, not meeting my eyes. “The fact is Elizabeth that, while having you here is something of a
dream for me, I am older than you. Quite a bit older. When it comes down to it, I can spend the rest of my life with you, but you
can’t spend the rest of your life with me. When the time comes, I want you to be alright. Not just because you have a pile of
money in the bank, although I intend that you do have a pile of money in the bank, but I want you also, to have the knowledge,
the experience and training, in how to handle the money. How to look after the business. How to deal with the people around
you. That way, I know that whatever happens to me in later years, you will have a good life.”
This talk of my Master being so much older than me is beginning to upset me. We should be celebrating today. My Master
suddenly seems to realise that he is sounding gloomy and, almost visibly, shakes himself out of it. Kissing my fingers, he says
“Do you like it? The ring I mean?”
The gold gleams warm at me, the diamond bright. My ring. Given to me by my Master.
“Oh, yes, it’s beautiful. How could I not like it? Can I.... can I wear it in public? I mean, do you want people to know?”
He beams at me. “Yes, of course I do. I’m proud of you. I want to tell the whole world about us. We’ll announce it at the dinner
tomorrow evening with the Thorntons. How’s that? We’ll all celebrate together.”
“That would be lovely.”
The following morning, since my Master wants to celebrate, to announce our engagement publicly, although I have a wardrobe
full of beautiful clothes, I want something new, something really special. How often in a girl’s life does she get to announce her
engagement?
Time to go shopping.
“If you’re going,” he says “Take Ross with you.”
“Oh, do I have to?” I complain. Ross, my Master’s driver, has been my shadow ever since Mack Kane attacked me and escaped.
Whenever I go out and about, Ross is with me. I like Ross. He is pleasant company, but I am beginning to long for a bit of space,
just some time to myself.
“Mack hasn’t been found yet.” replies my Master. “It’s not safe for you to be out alone.”

“I’ll be very careful.” I promise. “If I see any sign of him, I’ll call you immediately.”
My Master looks doubtful. I am sure he is going to refuse, so I press my point. “What can he do if I’m in a public place? So long
as I can call you, I’m perfectly safe.”
“All... right...” My Master is very reluctant. “But I want your promise, that you will have your phone on you at all times.”
“I promise. At all times. And if there is any sign of Mack, I’ll call you immediately.”
He jabs a finger towards me. “Do that.”
Later, Ross drops me off at the department store. “I’ll be back in three hours, Beth,” he says. “I’ll be by the main entrance. Please
do be on time, even if it’s just to say that you want a bit longer. If I don’t keep track of you, he’ll have me skinned.”
I laugh. “Of course I will Ross.” Checking my watch. “Three hours. If anything holds me up, I’ll call you.”
“You do that.” He waggles a finger at me, waves and drives away.
Relieved to have some time to call my own, I wander into the store. I will look for a special dress, then look for shoes, jewellery
and a bag to go with it.
The store has so many beautiful clothes, and I enjoy myself browsing along the aisles, trying on anything that appeals to me.
After going through about twenty different outfits, I am hovering between a sparkly blue number that is a bit over-the-top, but so
pretty, and a rather more demure and classic ‘little black dress’ that would suit any occasion. Deciding to go and have a coffee,
while I mull over which I prefer, I hand over the two dresses to the assistant and explain that I will be back in half an hour with my
decision.
I turn for the cafe bar, to find myself face to face with Adele. As ever, she is immaculately dressed and perfectly made up, but her
beautiful, chiselled features still have that hard edge. Her eyes are cold above her painted-on smile, and I reflect on my Master’s
comments about her.
“I thought it was you Elizabeth,” she says sweetly, although with an edge to her voice that I don’t care for. “I’m so sorry for what
happened when we last met. We got off to a bad start, didn’t we? I’d love to have a chat with you, get to know you better. Can I
buy you a coffee?”
I hardly like to refuse. Adele is being perfectly polite and, well, perhaps we can be friends....

Despite my misgivings, I reply. “That would be nice. I was just going for a coffee myself.”
“Such lovely dresses,” she comments, looking at the clothes I just passed to the assistant. “But you do have the figure for them
don’t you.”
As we stroll to the bar, she keeps up a constant chatter, asking me about my Master, Richard, my life with him, what we are
doing together. At first, I don’t want to talk about him; it is rather personal after all, but by the time we are sitting and drinking a
couple of cappuccinos, I am beginning to relax. Adele is just trying to be friendly. Perhaps I have been mistaken about her.
“Yes, he’s a super person isn’t he,” I say. “Such a lovely man.”
Adele looks a little startled at this. “Lovely? I can’t say it’s a word I would have chosen. I always found him rather domineering,
arrogant.”
“Well, he’s a strong man, yes, but he’s so kind, so generous,” I say. “I mean he’s helped me so much with my training for college
and everything.”
Adele’s mood seems to change, her eyes softening. Sitting opposite me, across the table, she stirs her coffee pensively. “I can
see why he likes you. You’re a sweet kid.”
It is so strange. Adele seems suddenly a completely different person to the scheming bitch I have always taken her for, and
which everyone else seems to agree she is. Baffled by her altered temper, I sip my coffee, hiding behind the cup as I hold it to
my lips.
She gazes absently at me for a moment, just looking, seeming reflective, almost regretful, when her gaze lands on my ring...