“If you’re faking it, you should go on the stage,” commented Trewin.
“That’s when everything went up a level. He started spanking me and tying me up. I liked it. It went further and further. In the end, he insisted that I tell Jim. Because Jim was still on the rob, and Cordwainer knew it, he made Jim watch us at it. Poor old Jim had to sit there and watch Charles whip and fuck his wife, all night long. In the morning he was sent on his way with a broken jaw and the clothes he stood up in. I don’t think he’ll cross Charles again. I haven’t seen him since, just hear a bit of gossip here and there about him and his new floozy. I ought to file for divorce, really, but I kind of want to forget all about that part of my life.”
“You should get a divorce. I know a good lawyer. Sorted me out after Babs deserted us.”
Michelle sighed. “Maybe I will.”
“So how long ago was all that?”
“It’s been two years since the meeting. Two amazing years. Belonging to Charles has woken me up. I feel as if I was sleeping before I met him. Do you know what I mean? Did you always know you were kinky?”
“Me? Yes. I thought I’d found my dream woman in Babs when she let me gag her and so on, but it turned out she was just humouring me. Threw it all right back in my face in the end. Told her lawyer I’d forced her into all my disgusting pervy ways. Lying cow. She came hard enough when we were at it. Thought she could take me for half of everything, but my lawyer did a great job. And she couldn’t stay in Goldsands after the divorce. My friends made sure of that.”
“You drove her out of the country?”
“She wanted Laura. I wasn’t having that. She wasn’t taking my girl.”
“I wonder what Laura would say if she knew half of what you get up to.”
“Don’t go there. I make sure my girl’s protected. She’s untouchable. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as she’s happy. To paraphrase the song, everything I do, I do it for her.”
Does that include your little performance here tonight? But Michelle left the thought unsaid.
“That’s nice.” She yawned. “So I’ll save the artichokes for Mr. Cordwainer’s visits, then.”
“Visits? He isn’t coming here anymore, love.”
“What?” Michelle twisted in the chains, suddenly feeling horribly trapped. “What do you mean?” If she could have sat bolt upright, she would have done.
“Didn’t he say? He’s signed you over to me. You’re mine now, love. Totally mine. He’s got his eye on somebody else.”
“I…but…he didn’t say…”
Michelle felt panic bubbling up inside, constricting her throat, causing her to tug harder on the chains.
“I thought it was understood, love.” Trewin sounded surprised. “These last few days were the handover period, y’know. A chance for me to watch Cordwainer and learn from how he handles you. Before becoming your sole owner.”
“He didn’t…” Michelle thought she was choking, the words coming out in hoarse leaks of sound. “He didn’t say goodbye. He didn’t say…”
Trewin, alarmed, uncuffed her from the bed and held on to her wrists, willing her to calm down and start breathing properly.
“Hey, hey, it’s not so bad. I’m not so bad, am I?”
“He didn’t…say…goodbye…” The words shuddered out, accompanied now by tears.
“I thought he would have told you,” Trewin said helplessly. “He’s a right bastard when he wants to be. I’m sorry, love.”
“You…knew…”
“I thought you wanted it. Do you want me to…?”
“Go…please…go…now,” sobbed Michelle, and Trewin needed no second bidding. He raced into his clothes, dragged a comb through his hair and was on the phone to the cab company before three minutes had elapsed.
“Michelle,” he said, as if desperately needing to say something to her. “I hope we can still…”
“Just go.” she wept, and he went.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, she thought, wet face buried in the pillow, shoulders heaving with grief. Perhaps I should have expected it. She tried to think back, to remember those small gestures of affection or esteem that had duped her into thinking Charles Cordwainer had ever cared about her.