Free Forever Scarred by Jackie Williams Page A

you to share with ‘er. Don’t forget that we dine at seven thirty.” Geraldine opened the door at her left and showed her guest inside. She then dismissed him with a glance and carried on along the corridor assigning rooms to each of the guests in turn.             
    Freeman stopped dead inside his room. What the fuck was Collins doing working with a grounds man?
    He stared round at the sumptuously appointed bedroom. Everything was in the best possible taste and of the finest quality. He wasn’t happy that Lucy wasn’t there with him but he was convinced that she would come around to his way of thinking within the next few days and even if she wasn’t that keen, he was absolutely sure he could change her mind with his new contract of employment. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it in the vast wardrobe that graced his room and then he wandered over towards the window, wondering what sort of view they had given him.
    But it wasn’t the view of the gardens or the forest that caught is attention as he parted the shimmeringly soft drapes that covered his windows. His eyes were at once riveted to the woman who stared up at the disgustingly disfigured man in front of her. For a single moment he thought he actually wanted to vomit at the sight of the man’s ruined face, but then he pulled himself together and raised the window a fraction in order to hear their conversation.
     
    “Looks as though your workmates have arrived.” The man’s voice was low but clear.
    Lucy looked back over her shoulder towards the front of the chateau.
    “Yes, I knew that they wouldn’t be late. It’s all part of Carter’s game plan. He loves wrong footing anyone.”
    The disfigured man raised his eyebrows as much as he could in his stiff face.
    “Does that man have any idea of whom he is dealing with on this course. Nothing puts us off our game plan and anyone that thinks they can is in for a huge surprise.” He looked up just in time to see some drapes in an open window above his head, wafting in the breeze. He steered Lucy along the gravel path towards the arboretum at the side of the chateau.
    She returned his gaze and then looked up through the trees to the sky above them.
    “I can see why you love it here. This alone would keep me from going home. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
    She felt the big man raise his face to the bloodshot evening sky.
    “ Yeah. I love it here at all times of the year. It’s always changing. Never static. Some people don’t appreciate nature at its best.”
    Lucy returned her gaze to Joe.
    “So how long have you been here then? I know that the place belongs to Ellen and David, but they must have been here longer than you. David and Geraldine look pretty well established with Robbie and Patrick and Ellen…phew! Did you feel the heat coming from those two? They are positively disgusting in their own happiness.”
    Joe laughed beside her.
    “I know what you mean but they didn’t have an easy start.” He didn’t elaborate further but gave a smile as he carried on. “They are completely in love. I don’t think anything could ever tear them apart again now.” He sounded happy at their good fortune.
    There was a short and slightly uncomfortable silence before Lucy spoke again.
    “So is there anyone in your life Joe?” She sounded slightly strangled and he looked down at her through hooded eyes wondering why she was asking as she had obviously overheard him say not the previous night.
    “No.” His voice resonated around the grounds. “I have everything I need here, I haven’t wanted for anything since I began working for the two of them. I’m not going to start looking backwards now.” He lied as he turned to stare into the forest hoping that she wouldn’t ask him anything else about his personal life. He didn’t want to talk about being blown up or how it had affected his life and he certainly didn’t want to give her the opportunity of bringing anything like cosmetic