She had only been cooped up in the manor for a couple of days, and already she felt like she was going stir-crazy. A serious bout of cabin fever as Rob came and went. He had business to deal with and oversee the work that had started on the grounds; there were contractors, vans and strange men milling around, trimming back foliage and trees in various garden areas. From the windows, she could see an army of men erecting wrought iron fences; diggers and excavators in the far distance down the side of the house, before the forest tree line, and a van with security cameras and scrolling script printed on the side.
Men were trailing wire and boxes around in plastic wrap and placing them evenly along the fence line every twenty meters. Workmen to start the renovations upstairs had also arrived, making lots of noise and mess and banging about over her head. The hum of power tools and sawing for hours slowly sent her out of her mind. The never-ending trail of people, mess and chaos as they carried things up and down. Half the house was covered in plastic to protect the walkway they had created, and every inch felt invaded by strangers and noise. Alice was having a breakdown with all of it.
Rose was tense and head-achy. Unable to work surrounded by all this chaos and never-ending trundling of strangers in her personal space. Muffin had had to be confined to the cosy room indefinitely and was currently howling his little lungs out in protest but letting him loose would be disastrous with all these trampling feet and open doors.
Alice was fretting and moaning about it all, wandering like a headless chicken, nagging her poor husband to death, sweeping up and hoovering aimlessly. Hamish was staying well clear of all the changes and had barely been seen since the party, while Abby was completely AWOL.
It was okay for Rob. He got to leave and go to his office in the nearby city to escape it all. Even Abby had deserted her, unable to cope with the huge invasion and packed a bag. She had skipped out, completely unaware of the reasons behind the security, with a kiss and a wave, before getting into Duncan’s beat-up jeep and disappearing amid the machines.
There were three huge round men, all dressed in black, continuously trailing around like they belonged in a ‘Men in black’ or an ‘MI5’ movie. Checking in with her every time, she looked even close to venturing near the door, driving her insane. It would have been amusing, their radios crackling and obvious mouthpieces, like cheesy commandos or police wannabes, had it not been so damn frustrating for her.
The house had run out of rooms to explore, and even starting lists for her plans on decor had been abandoned quickly. She could not think straight with all the noise and find a single place that was not affected in some way by tools, sheets, men, or all of them.
She called Rob for the fifth time, agitated and on the verge of a tantrum, complaining about the lockdown he had her under and how much she needed to get some quiet in her cottage and work.
‘I’m going out.’ Rose didn’t even give him a chance to say hello this time.
‘Baby, you’re not going anywhere today. We talked about this.’ Rob kept his tone friendly, that hint of stubborn peeking out, but he knew better than to give her attitude today. Five previous calls had taught him to handle her with kid gloves while he wanted her to do as she was told.
‘You can’t keep me prisoner in this house!.... Especially when you’re not even home to keep me company.’ She started to feel emotional, tears welling up in frustration and stopping her temper from moving in. ‘We didn’t talk about it... You made me promise and then seduced me.’ She sniffed dejectedly.
‘Rose.’ Rob sighed down the phone. Having a stressful day himself and trying to appease her on top of it all was taking its toll.
‘Don’t Rose me! Like you’re my father, and I’m some petulant child, you have no idea how crazy I am going here with all this upheaval. I need to work, Rob.’ She snapped at him, temper flaring and then quickly abating as she returned to tearfulness.
Rob sighed heavily again, a slight edge this time to his voice.
‘I know this isn’t ideal, but it’s temporary... I love you. I need you to have faith in me for a few days and do as I ask.’ His voice faded a little as he moved the phone from his ear, voices in the background taking his attention for a moment.
‘I’m going out.’ She yelled at him this time, angry that he was distracted and even more furious that he was grounding her without conversation, just ‘NO’.
‘Rose, you agreed to stay put for a few days until I secure the place. We’re just talking around in circles.’ Coming head-on with his tightening voice and contained anger, sparks were simmering between them. Rose was pacing around, her mobile stuck to her head and gripping it with ferocity. Banging in the rooms behind her was grating on her nerves, and as she tripped over yet another cable, she snapped again.
‘You made me agree when naked and being distracted. That was hardly fair, and now you’re treating me like I get no say.’
‘I’m not doing this to keep you prisoner. I’m doing it to keep you safe.’
‘It feels like the same thing right now.’ She was being childish, frustration oozing from every pore.
‘Baby, why are you being difficult?’ His voice was strained, a tiny tinge of pleading, all anger fading away and turning to indulgent sighing.
‘You said all of this was for your peace of mind, right? That you’re being over-cautious. That tells me that you don’t think it’s probable that she is a threat, so why can I not just go to the cottage for a few hours?’
He was silent for a moment. His brain turned over, trying to devise a strategic plan or an argument to appease her.
‘Look, fine.’ He sighed heavily for the tenth time. ‘But if you go, take one of the security guards with you, and you don’t leave his side.’ Another voice on Rob’s end informed him of a meeting he was late for.
‘Not a chance!’ How could Rose relax with some stranger sitting there, aware of his presence, this large black-clothed steroid freak she barely knew? Some looming man filling up her sitting room.
‘Look, he can drive down behind you and sit in the garden for all I care. Just have him with you.’ Rob was moving around, probably getting his papers together to leave and trying not to rush her off the phone.
‘No!’ Rose snapped, folding her arm across her chest and putting her foot down.
‘For the love of god Rose. You do realise I am in the middle of a meeting and standing outside a conference room squabbling with my girlfriend over house arrest.’ Despite his obvious agitation, he was still trying hard to be gentle and probably clenching his teeth to hold his temper.
‘Then let me go, and I will leave you alone.’ She replied sassily, smiling as she could sense his resolve weakening.
‘OKAY, look... I want you to stay put when you get down there. No little trips to town or walking Muffin. Stay inside and don’t go anywhere until I come home and lock the doors. I’ll come for you when I’m done here and drive you back myself.’ He sounded defeated, unable to deny her anything that she wanted and knowing this could go on all day if he didn’t give in.
‘You love me.’ Rose felt victorious, a smile spreading across her face.
‘That is the only reason I have not strangled you so far!’ He was quick to reply.
‘You wouldn’t. You would miss me far too much!’ She felt happier and lighter, and her earlier tantrum subsided.
‘I mean it, Rose. I’m not playing... For me... Please don’t go anywhere else for today.’ The pleading tone of seriousness in his voice made her take note. She felt a little guilty for being mad at him when the root of this was his need to protect her because he loved her. She couldn’t be mad at him for that.
‘I won’t. I need to work on these commissions, I just need some peace, and I will be an extra good girl.’ She beamed, twirling in the room and almost falling over that darn cable for a second time, kicking it away sharply.
‘Well, the cottage has plenty of that I guess. So, we are sorted? No more crazy calls to give me a hard time over having you locked up like Rapunzel?’
‘I promise!’
‘Just be careful, baby. Be alert. For me. Just humour me!’
They finally said their goodbyes, and Rose hung up feeling pensive. She shook her head, feeling irritated at how much he was taking this to heart, how much he had let Morag mess with his head. This was not like him at all.
Rationally what could the woman possibly do?
Morag didn’t even know where she lived, right?
* * *
The cottage was a welcome relief. Her eyes had taken in the road on the drive down suspiciously, aware of the paranoia inside her from the recent events. No matter how often he had told her it was just caution, it didn’t help. He had wound her up into a twisted tight ball, afraid of her own shadow, despite Rose trying to tell him how ridiculous he was, which annoyed her. She needed to get a grip. She knew she couldn’t stand another second walking around those rooms like that. She needed just to carry on. They had plans and a life to get on with, and she needed to stop letting her imagination run wild.
What could Morag possibly do? She wasn’t that out of whack with reality that she would be so stupid as to come after Rose.
She sunk into the couch, stretching out with relief; the calm and peaceful quiet surrounding her was badly needed, like a moment of pause inside a crazy whirlwind lately.
Muffin was running wildly back, and like he was possessed, sniffing out all the familiar scents and rolling and rubbing himself on all the furnishings. He had missed this place and was happy to be back, away from restrictions and strangers.
Rose wasn’t ready to work. She needed some breathing space to unwind. Some chill-out time to soothe her frazzled nerves and sore head and enjoy the solitude after the last few days. Knowing Rob would be hours and she had as much time as she needed, his meetings were back to back as he was finally getting the French contract back on track. She had no reason to hurry and no intention to do so either. Her day was pretty much her own. She first opted for a bubble bath in her old familiar tub; its shiny white ceramic call was as alluring as a siren.
God, I missed this place.
She threw Muffin a juicy bone from the fridge her parents had left behind. Some leftover takeaway food and snacks were a welcome treat, with a note listing the use-by dates for Rose. They assumed she still spent a lot of time down here, unaware that she had moved into the manor permanently.
As she left the bath running, she moved to her old room, the fresh scent of already-washed bedding filling her senses as she entered... Typical of her mother. The place was spick and span, sparkling clean. She had guessed her mother had nursed her hangover the way she knew best, with a mop in hand. Her dad was most likely on the couch for the duration, acting like he had a serious bout of man flu. She smiled affectionately at the image the smell had conjured up in her mind.
Tipping out a can of food for Muffin so that he would leave her in peace, she headed through, stripping off quickly and sliding into the hot water. Easing away her tensions and listening to the familiar sounds of the house, the creaks and groans, the birds outside and the distant sounds of machinery digging up the manor tree lines.
Turning their home into a scene from the bodyguard. He was taking this a little too far. She couldn’t blame him, though. Maybe he was right. Perhaps it was time they thought about making it more secure. The house was full of valuable things, and the family were known to be wealthy. It had been unprotected for too long, and they had been lucky to date. Counting on the fact they knew the small community and locals and trusted that no one would dare break in or steal from the manor.
Times were changing, and maybe it wasn't bad to have it updated inside and out in readiness for future children. She would feel better knowing her children would be safely tucked inside high fences and state-of-the-art security in the coming years. Rose relaxed a little in the hot soapy bubbles, the quietness giving her mind time to rationalise and put all of this into perspective. She had missed this, her own space to take a bath or vegetate while surrounded by girly things.