A Legacy of Shadows

"Don't worry about taking notes. This isn't that kind of meeting."

"What kind is it?"

Isa sighed and looked down briefly. Others wouldn't have been able to tell, but I knew that as a tell of hers. She felt guilty but her pride prevented her from just up and saying what she wanted to. I decided that after yesterday, I'd give her a chance to speak.

"Reuben, I'm sorry," she began.

"You're going to need to be a little more specific," I said, a bit testily. Sarah looked a little startled. I suspected that no one spoke to Isa in the tone that I used. I expected a witty remark back form my sister, but she remained in silence for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"For all of it, I suppose. I really do think that it's best that you've returned here, for the reasons that I mentioned, but...also for my own. I missed you. I missed just talking with you and being with you and the times that we...we spent together. I hope you missed me as well, but..."

"I did," I said cautiously, "but honestly, this has been a bit of a shock. You're not the same person that I knew. You've made that abundantly clear."

Isa sighed deeply before speaking again. It was hard to know if it was sincere or just some kind of emotional manipulation.

"I should have started out by telling you how much I've missed you. Perhaps you feel that I'm paranoid, unfair, or even cruel. I assure you that I am not. For the time being, I just want...I need you to trust me. I know that's a lot to ask, given yesterday but...if you can, then I promise that I'll do my best to...to let you live as you want. Once you have a true involvement in the family's interests and have demonstrated your good intentions, I'll step back. I don't want to hold you here against your will for the rest of your life. I'm hoping that given time, you'll see my side of things, and perhaps even enjoy your time here."

I blinked for a moment, stunned. I only spoke again because I realized that the other two people were expecting an answer.

"Isa, you must know how that sounds, right? You're making vague promises of 'stepping back,' but what does that mean? Yesterday you threatened me. Not just me, but my friends as well, the few that I have. I've built a life. Perhaps it doesn't seem important to you, but it's mine. It's what I made after having to leave everything behind. If you want my trust, then you'll have to give me something to work with. The thing with the binder for example. That's a bit excessive, don't you think?"

"Oh," Isa said, "That. Believe it or not, that's not just for you. It's for me as well. Certain documents remain checked in by security in certain rooms. Even in this house. There are things in here which I may not remove. Granted, I wrote the policy with our head of security, but I follow it. We had thefts and some rather...extraordinary incidents while you were gone. It probably is excessive, but for now, we have to keep things this way. I hope you can understand."

I was very curious about what she had meant by "extraordinary incidents." Still, I knew that if I asked, I'd just get more diplomatic evasiveness. I hated myself a bit for it, but in a way, I was kind of excited about the situation. Even if I was being forced into it, I was seeing my sister now, and probably would every day. Maybe time would explain what she would not.

"I don't understand, but it's nice to see you, at least. I'll ...do my best to assume that your intent is positive."

That was true, and Isa actually blushed ever so slightly. She nodded, and we sat for just a moment in what had become an oddly comfortable silence. Then my sister held out her left hand in an offhand gesture, and Sarah stepped forward.

"I have a great deal of material to go over with you, and we'll get into business, money, and all kinds of ugly stuff soon, but this is a bit delicate. Please try not to be angry, all right? I know none of this is fair to you, but I also want you to enjoy your time here. I want you to relax, and maybe even spend some money on yourself. Get a car, maybe even, um, have a fling."

The words were so strange coming out of Isa's mouth that I almost laughed. I was glad that I didn't. There was a lot of emotion hidden behind her reserve, I knew. There were real feelings that both of us had for each other. Some healthy, some less so, but all were bonds that could be broken with the wrong word or act. I was torn between calling her out and taking a deep breath and biding my time. In the end, I decided to try the latter course.

"Um, all right. I saw that you'd stocked some of my favorite foods in the fridge. That actually felt oddly welcoming."

Isa smiled again, and a little more of that too-formal-but-kind girl I knew escaped from her mask. I noticed then that her left hand had drifted behind Sarah. Clearly, she had been caressing her personal assistant on her ass, and now Isa was stroking her inner calf. Sarah blushed and looked down, but it was hard to say if she was more embarrassed or aroused.

"So you've met Sarah, obviously," Isa started, "she's been vital to both my success and my well being here. She'd tell you that she wasn't any more important to me than any other of my staff or employees, but that would be her modesty. The truth is somewhat different."

I found myself sitting forward, suddenly very interested in where this conversation was going. As I did, Isa's hand slid up under Sarah's skirt and disappeared on her inner thigh. Sarah didn't pull away, but I heard the tiniest whimper escape her. She was most definitely more aroused than ashamed, and I bet that the latter contributed to the former.

"What is the truth?" I asked, almost blandly. I was incredibly turned on by this display, however, and Isa probably knew it.

Isa's arm moved up a bit more, and Sarah moaned.

"Sarah is my trusted friend and my lover. She has proclivities that match well with mine and...well, there is a depth of feeling that I feel for her that I never expected."

I made a mental note not to flirt with Sarah. Despite my urges and frustrations, I did not want to ruin Isa's happiness or complicate matters, but it turned out that my sister was ready to do the latter, at least.

"So," Isa began, looking sidelong at her lover/assistant, "when I showed you my brother's picture and explained that he'd be coming to live with us, do you remember what you said."

Sarah bit her lip and wobbled just a bit. To my shock, I realized that Isa was most likely fingering her, right there. I was harder than I'd been in years.

"Tell Reuben what you said, please."

Isa's voice was kind but very firm. I could tell that Sarah responded to that kind of instruction.

"Yes, Ms. De Heer. Mr...um...Reuben, I told her that you were very handsome and that I was looking forward to meeting you."

"And?" Isa said, arching one eyebrow and smiling wryly.

"A-and...that I would be amenable to being...used by you, in whatever way you so desired. Please. S-sir..."

Sarah leaned forward then and steadied herself on the table, as Isa withdrew her hand with faint amusement and great affection in her gaze. I wasn't really sure how to react, so I simply sat quietly and enjoyed Sarah's flushed panting.

"Well," Isa said finally, "no one is asking you to answer now, or ever. I feel Sarah is very beautiful and giving as a lover. While it may be unorthodox, I have no qualms about sharing her with you, if she wants. And she does want, Reuben. Quite a bit. If and when you want to take things to that next step, just let her know, and she will be most pleased to serve you. I know that you have misgivings about using the staff as father would. While quite a few of them would welcome your attention, you are correct in that they tend to be very young and unworldly. Sarah is young, but she is not foolish, and she has made me very happy. I think that she will be good for you as well."

"I'm ...happy to hear it, although I'm not sure if there is proper etiquette to respond to an offer of this nature," I said, meeting Sarah's eyes, "I will note that I am very interested in seeing where this goes. Sarah made quite a strong impression on me last night."

Isa's eyebrows raised as she was evidently unaware that we had met the perilous evening. It didn't seem to bother her, however.

"All right then. I'll let you get to your business then. No euphemism intended, unfortunately. You'll get your own assistant soon, one of your choosing, but for now, I have meetings, and I need to be in Chicago by this afternoon and New York by early tomorrow morning. I won't return until tomorrow evening. While I'm gone, Sarah will take you through your training, guide you in your first decisions, and help you get settled."

"All right," I said, eager to get started, "but I assume that we'll actually be spending time together when you get back, right?"

"Yes. I have many questions for you, about your life, your work, even your marriage. I'm sure you have some for me as well."

We made small talk then, idle, not deep, about Isa's travel arrangements and what hotels she liked. I was unsurprised to discover that she preferred to fly under the radar and stay in reasonably standard lodgings, with our own security close, of course. She had always been modest. After a few minutes, Isa left, and I followed Sarah back to what was my mother's office, although now it was plainly mine.

We spent a pleasant if somewhat dry day together. She was so professional and focussed that I found myself able to mostly ignore the proximity of her body or the way she occasionally touched my forearm or shared a smile before blushing and looking away. In any case, I did learn quite a bit about the De Heer operations, and I understood it much better than had I simply read about it in the binder.

"Well," Sarah said, looking at her phone, "It's about five pm, and I think I've probably worn your brain out. Isa actually asked me to stop sooner but I thought you might want a complete picture. There are still a lot of details to fill in, but this should get you started. Your first big decision will what parts of the business you want to be involved in."

"How so?"

"Your attention is like any other resource: finite. You only have so much time and energy. Most things run smoothly if you put the right people in the right positions. Still, if you want to divest from, um, less ethical interests to more ethical ones, you'll need to have your hand on the wheel if you don't want things to spin quickly into chaos."

"Huh. And before I can decide, I need to understand what we're doing everywhere and how it all ties together? And what the risks are for the family and the employees."

"Exactly!" Sarah said, smiling at me, "I will, of course, help guide you, but I can't make the final decisions."

I closed the binder for the last time that day and was relieved that I had to leave it in the secure office.

"Do you want to eat dinner with me? This is a request, not an order. I'd love to, but if you want alone time, then I'm fine on my own as well."

The question surprised Sarah as well as me. I hadn't planned on offering. Honestly, with Isa gone, I just didn't want to be alone that night. And I will admit that the more time I spent with Sarah, the more I wanted to know what she looked like out of that skirt and blouse.

"Yes. I would love that, sir. Sorry, I meant Reuben."

"Great, meet me in the foyer in about an hour."

"Oh, we're going out? Should I dress up?"

I laughed.

"No, you should dress down."

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Sarah

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As promised, Sarah was downstairs and ready. She hadn't dressed down, not really, but I hadn't expected her to. She wore a sleeveless white shirt, a pair of simple capris that hugged her ass just right, and some very high heels. It was a big step up from my worn jeans and black Danzig t-shirt.

"You look great," I said sincerely, "I love your choker."

It was white, which matched her typical color scheme, but it also had what looked like a single black pearl in the front. When I mentioned it, Sarah touched it reflexively and blushed.

"Th-thank you. The choker was a gift from your sister."

I smiled wryly. I had assumed as much. Isa always did like to mark her property.

Per my merciful sister's instructions, I had been granted access to use the cars in the garage, many of which were ridiculous toys collected by my father. They were beautiful and fast, but nothing like practical, and they drew too much attention. I ignored them and chose a black Nissan. The keys were all kept on a neatly arranged board by the door, and no one had ever dared to even attempt to steal them.

Sarah sat quietly, hands in her lap as I waved at the security checkpoint at the main gate. I didn't bother looking back, but I knew that we would have at least one car following us. Nothing I could do about it, and I wasn't looking to piss off Isa, so I drove cautiously and relatively slowly.

I took us in the opposite direction from town, down a long winding road which followed the small river that emptied into our private lake, then took a right turn onto another, slightly straighter street. Eventually, the silence got to be too much for Sarah, as I knew it would. Training could only take you so far.

"Um, where are you taking me?"

I heard it then, a slight fear in her voice. She was eager, yes, but this was unusual, and maybe she'd heard horror stories of what had happened to staff in the past. I wanted to surprise her a little, but not like that.

"We're going to a diner out in Capucin. We're coming up on the outskirts now."

Despite living close to it, Sarah may never have even so much as driven through Capucin. It was a tiny main-street town with a little historic downtown and not much else. It was in the opposite direction from the main town, the interstate, and the closest big city. There was no reason to come here unless you lived here, or you knew about Earl's Place.

When I pulled into the parking lot, Sarah's eyes lit up with delight. So much different than my sister, she was open in all things. I was happy that they'd found each other and again wondered why Isa had encouraged her lover to go out with me.

"This place is out of the 1950s!"

I got out and opened her door for her. I was going to give her the full traditional date experience. When we entered, we seated ourselves. It really was a typical diner, but it was packed already, and that was because of the quality of the food. It had been on at least one tv show, and I'd missed living near it.

We sat in a booth with red vinyl that had been repaired many times, and there was a tiny jukebox with a coin slot on the side closest to the window. Sarah saw it and giggled.

"How did I never know about this place?"

"I doubt Isa would remember it to tell you. We used to come here sometimes, and I'd come here by myself, often just to get out. It's got good burgers, but uh, I never asked if you were vegetarian."

"I'm not. I love meat! All kinds."

She winked then, and it was so ridiculously lewd that it made me laugh. Earl himself then ambled up to our table. He was a big man, kind and respectful, but not to be trifled with in his own establishment.

"De Heer," he said, by way of acknowledgment. He'd never call me mister or sir, but I was honestly just flattered that he had remembered me. "Ma'am. Do you know what you want?"

"Um," Sarah said, "no, but you could order for me?"

Sarah looked at me hopefully, and I began to understand more of her relationship with Isa.

"Sure. We'll both have the bacon cheeseburger with fries with large chocolate shakes."

"Coming right up," Earl said, walking off like a friendlier version of Bigfoot.

I looked over at Sarah, inquisitively.

"How do evenings go with Isa? I mean, I'm not looking for the details. I'm just curious."

"Oh, we usually stay in and eat together. It's actually pretty informal. If we're traveling together, we stay in, um, adjoining rooms. I sleep near her but not with her. And we'll go out to nice places together. Sometimes, um...she takes me to places where she can show me off a little."

Sarah touched the pearl again unconsciously as she told me how things were.

"Like private clubs? BDSM places?"

Sarah nodded and blushed, looking down.

"We don't have to talk about that. I was mostly curious as to how things are between you. I may want, um, more from you, but I don't want to ruin anything."

"We're very close, Reuben. I love her, I think. She's never said anything like that to me, but she cares for me a lot and makes sure that I know it. No one, man or woman, has ever been both so...so vigorous in giving me what I needed but then also so concerned with my well-being. Before I met your sister, I was successful professionally but a mess romantically. I kept getting involved with men who, um...well, the sex was often good, but that was because they were just jerks. There was no love or even consideration there. I had just gotten out of a relationship with an abusive asshole, and then I saw the posting here. I think that the hints of danger were what sold it to me. I had virtually no self-esteem left, and I was looking for an easy way out of everything."

That was a lot of information, but it didn't surprise me.

"And Isa and you hit it off?"

"Not at first. At first, things were strictly professional. Your mother was still alive, and she was distant with me but kind. Isa wasn't all that kind. She was harsh when I failed, but her demands weren't impossible. I got better and better at anticipating her needs. Each time she yelled at me, I got turned on. When she praised me for finally succeeding, I got even more turned on. I was kind of a wet mess."

Sarah laughed.

"What happened?"

"Isa got drunk. No, really. She rarely drinks, but that night, she and I were working late in her hotel room. I think not being in your family home helped. She downed most of a bottle of wine by herself. I was afraid that she was having too much, but then she just leaned over, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and kissed me. I'd never been so helpless with anyone. It wasn't that I wanted to stop her or say 'no.' It was that I couldn't. I was aroused and just hers. I knew then."

I probably should have stopped asking questions, but this was getting good.

"Knew what?"

"That I loved her. She tore my clothes off. Really tore them. And forced me to, um, pleasure her. The thing was, it was perfect. It was exactly what and how I needed it, and I wondered if she'd been checking my internet activity. You know, what kind of sites I visited and the stories I read. What was different from all the other people was that I felt safe, too. Isa had never really been cruel to me, and she'd mentored me when others would have fired me. I knew that if I had asked her to stop, she would have, right away. I didn't, though. I did whatever she wanted. When she was done with me, she got me off too, and she was just as merciless. That time I did have to beg her to stop, it was just too much."

"Wow."

"Yeah, that was um, probably too much information. I'm sorry. I'm a talker, and I like to share, but you're the first person I've really been able to talk about Isa with. She told me that you're safe and that I can tell you anything, so it's not like I'm breaking confidence. She's amazing, you know. I just wish I could take her to meet with my parents."

"Why can't you?"

Sarah's face turned briefly sour.

"They're religious and stuck in the nineteenth century. I haven't bothered asking Isa because of it, although I think, probably, she would go. The irony is my family is incredibly proud of me. Working for the famous De Heer family. If they only knew that I went down on the boss."

I laughed, and she did too. From that point on, we kept things pretty light, joking, flirting. She asked me about what teaching was like, and I asked her about living in the house. She told me that she worked out early in the morning most days and when she found out that I did sometimes as well, she invited me to go with her. I got the impression that the worst part of the job for Sarah was the isolation. She loved crowds and having lots of friends, and, at least ask things stood now, that was impossible. I wondered if Isa knew how she felt.