A Legacy of Shadows

"Do you really hate me that much?" Isa asked.

I took a deep breath. I was too tired to lie to myself or her.

"I don't hate you. I hate myself. I'm just taking it out on you. I'm sorry."

Isa looked less sad, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because," I sighed, "because I almost attacked someone at the party. Because I took this girl, Isa. I really took her. I was brutal with her. I couldn't stop myself. And when I was done with her, I felt fantastic. I lost control, Isa. I could have really hurt her. In fact, I just let her fall asleep afterwards. I never even asked if she was okay."

I felt a dim sort of panic and made to stand up, but Isa smiled at me, very gently, and pushed me back down. She sat next to me, close, like she would have many years ago.

"Then perhaps you need to think less. If she would have been hurt beyond what...what she wanted, then I would have been informed. If she wanted you to use her and you did, then both of you are happy. This was consensual. I was also informed of the verbal altercation. You didn't attack him. You were ready, and you didn't back down. Normally both of us would think that to be juvenile behavior but I know that you did it for the appearance of strength. For the family. For me. Don't think I'm not appreciative. Besides, Tonya did leave a rather glowing review, as it were."

Isa smiled again. She had obviously had some kind of report from Rachel or someone else at the Brigantine, but I had expected that. Without thinking, I put my arm around her, as I would have many years ago. She flinched back, hard, almost standing up. It was so fast that I was stunned. I was hurt for a moment before I saw her eyes. There was real fear there. I was suddenly aware that I had been gone for many years, and had no idea of what might have happened to the girl that I knew and loved all those years ago.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. I...I don't like to be touched by men without warning first. I swear it's not you at all, it's something that... I've developed."

"Then I won't touch you again without your permission," I said, feeling stupid. Isa nodded and smiled again. Then, cautiously, slowly, as if she were deer exploring a place to spend the night, she moved into me. She leaned into my arm, wrapping her own around it. After a moment, she moved it, so I was holding her around her shoulders, and she curled into my chest.

Isa was, at that moment, the most vulnerable I'd seen her since I left those many years ago. She cried softly, for reasons that I did not understand, but I could tell that she was grateful for the contact. I held her close to myself, and we sat there for a long time before we went to our separate beds.

I felt, not for the first time that something else was going on here, something that I couldn't quite see.

I had to figure out what I was missing. If not for my sake, then for Isa's.

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Clues

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If I was going to live in the family home, then I couldn't afford to be naive or ignorant. I started digging. I wasn't subtle about it, but I didn't exactly tell anyone either. My residency before this had focussed on getting acquainted with the business side of things, and that continued. I had a flight early the next week that would take me through the east coast holdings and then out to the Caribbean for a few days. I'd get about a half-hour of sun because I'd be there to meet the various shady bankers and fund-managers that we relied on to keep our wealth secret and safe. I found out on the way that the entire island was a De Heer property, vaguely associated with the Bahamas but ours in reality.

In the meantime, I started my investigation by getting to know the numerous staff in and around the manse. It wasn't truly all in use. The west wing was closed, and we wouldn't re-open unless we had a lot of overnight guests. It was something like a hotel over there if hotels had bespoke rooms for different tastes and requirements. Outside the manse, there were around twenty buildings in various states of use. I visited most of them, especially the barracks, where the security staff stayed when they were "on assignment." They typically worked here for two weeks and then rotated out for a month. They were intentionally insulated from the inner workings of the manse, even at the level of security for the De Heer organization. The closest thing to someone "in charge" was Rachel, and I would have to be very careful about how I approached her. She was professional enough to protect the secrets of her employers and friends.

The groundskeepers were polite and efficient, but they were even more isolated from the manse than the security staff. They mostly lived in town. Also, if they saw something, they were so well paid (and had actual benefits in an age where corporations continuously canceled pensions) that they wouldn't talk about it.

That left the people who worked inside the house itself. There were around 20 "general staff." This included maids, assistants, and cooks. All wore black and white uniforms that varied according to their roles. The suit was necessary. It told us, and any privileged guests, who was available for free use.

They knew that they were there to do a job and to be our sexual servants. It was that simple. All were attractive, although they varied tremendously in look and personality, save that they had a predisposition to submission and service, and a tendency to avoid monogamy. That might change later in life, but it was an excellent way to make a lot of money in a relatively short time. Most stayed for five years. There was one particularly attractive woman named Senga, tall, olive-skinned, blonde, and very fit, who had been here even when I was a child. She had been one of Father's favorites, I think, because she could take anything he threw at her and be back up and ready again in under a week.

Since everyone else was new or simply had no frame of reference for the questions I needed answered, I started with her. She had a room in the northern tower, towards the top. I waited until she was off duty and ensured via the simple and frankly intrusive RFID card scanning app on my phone that she was in her room. Then I walked up the spiral staircase and knocked.

Senga answered quickly and smiled broadly. She was in her mid or even late forties, but she still looked stunning. Perhaps not in the Cosmo fashion, but she was slender, athletic, and tall. She dressed in simple tights and a pullover for the night. Every part of her looked toned, and her brown eyes were as I remembered them, soulful and intelligent. The room was large, but that was all there was, except for a bathroom. Her bed was on one side, a kitchenette on the other, a small set of shelves was scattered arranged in the remaining free space, filled with a wide variety of books. She didn't have very much space at all. What she did have was one of the best views in the building; three-quarters of the walls had windows.

"Sir," she said with an appropriately demure smile, "Would you like to come in?"

She didn't miss a beat. From surprised to inviting and welcoming in seconds. I entered.

"Thank you," I said, "It's late, and you're off duty, so I'll try to be quick."

"I think we both know that I'm never really off duty, and there's no need to rush," Senga said, running her hand down my chest.

"Oh, uh," I said, having had no thought whatsoever as to how my visit would be interpreted, "I, um...actually, I'm here just to ask some questions."

"Oh," Senga said, with an adorable pout, "well come in. I'm making some tea if you'd like some."

"Thank you. It's cold up here."

She smiled as I sat down at her small table.

"It is, but that's how I love to sleep. And the view is just wonderful."

"I was surprised to see that you were still here. Pleasantly so."

Senga laughed, pouring steaming water into a mug for me.

"Did you expect me to leave after your father passed? Oh, I hope you like mint."

"I love mint. Thank you." I sipped the tea carefully as Senga sat down, then looked up in surprise. "This was my father's favorite."

She laughed again, delighted.

"I thought you'd like it. I'm pleased that you remember. You're a lot like him."

I managed to only flinch a little bit at the intended compliment.

"I suppose I am. What made you stay after my father passed?"

"Well...to be honest. I never intended to. I was going to do five years and then leave. But...I fell in love with this place...and at least a little bit with your father. Is that weird to hear?"

It was my turn to laugh.

"It might be, but this is a weird family."

"I guess it is. The thing is, I knew that I never would be your father's only woman. I never intended to replace your mother. I had no illusions about romance, in any case. It started as a job, then turned into more. When your father died, it was hard for me, and I was honestly preparing to leave. I thought most of us would be fired. But your mother kept me on, even promoted me. I'm good at organization and administration, and I guess she knew it. The money is still good, the benefits are wonderful, and I get to live here. It won't last forever, but nothing does."

"Hmm...and you don't have any problem with...with the arrangements?"

"You mean with having to fuck whoever you want me to? No. I date, of course. A lot of us do, but I keep it casual and tell them that I'm not exclusive. And...I mean, let's be honest. You haven't exactly been taking advantage of our services."

"It feels...wrong."

Senga laughed at that as though it were the funniest thing in the world.

"I mean...wow. You're so much like him. You look like him when I first met him. I was eighteen then, you know. But you're also so different. It's all right to use us. We're here for that. Some people love it. I know that I do."

Senga put her hand on mine, and I didn't move it.

"So...you've probably seen a lot then."

For the first time, I saw her smile fade. I got the impression that she was a very open person. My father would have found that uniquely appealing, given all the false fronts he dealt with.

"Yes. I guess you're not really here to get to know me."

"No. I'd like that, though."

"All right. What do you want to know about?"

"What happened while I was gone. Specifically, in my family, not the business or the manse."

"A lot happened, Sir."

"Call me Reuben. Please."

A faint trace of her earlier smile returned.

"Your father told me to call him Rudi. Anyway, Reuben, a lot happened."

"What about with my sister, Isa?"

"There was something...I...Reuben...I don't know if I should talk about this. I don't want to violate her privacy. I know that you're my employer, but..."

I didn't disabuse her of her notions of who controlled the money.

"I'm not doing this because I want to have something over her or to hurt her. I'd never do that. I want to help her, or at least understand what's going on. I feel like I'm missing something, and while I understand that what happened in her work life, I'm concerned that it's having a severe impact on her life."

"You won't tell her that I spoke to you?"

"If she asks, I'll say I just came here for amazing sex."

Senga laughed, then grew more somber.

"Fine. At some point, after you left, your father changed. He got darker. I know he hurt your mother. I don't think it was precisely abusing her, or at least she wouldn't have described it that way. He loved her, you know." I nodded, and she went on. "He hurt her more. He was much rougher with me. I thought I'd done something wrong, but, again, I could take it. It took me longer to recover, and once...once, he choked me out completely. I really thought that I was going to die. When I came to the on-duty nurse was there with me, and your father was standing behind her. He looked very concerned, which worried, and if I'm honest, flattered me a little. He never allowed himself to show that."

"He must have been...out of control." I couldn't help but think about my incident with Tonya. How close had I come to choking her just a little too much, or hitting her a little too hard? "So, he got worse. Do you think Isa knew?"

For the first time in our conversation, Senga looked away, out the window.

"Yes. She definitely knew. He hurt her or allowed someone else to. I don't know how or why, but...he did."

"As badly as he hurt me?"

"You mean the beatings? God, that was awful. I'm sorry that you had to go through with it. No, I don't think he hit her...at least not so bruises would show but...Reuben, this is very hard to say. I loved your father, but I think someone was sexually abusing your sister, and he knew about it. Even allowed it."

I must have looked like an idiot with my jaw open, tea forgotten halfway to my lips. My mouth was dry, and I could hear my blood pulsing in my ears.

"Did you witness this?"

"Somewhat. I caught him leaving one of the drawing rooms that he used to entertain small groups of guests. He was with someone that he obviously thought was important. Older, obviously being treated like a VIP, but I never learned his name. I went in to clean up after them and save some work for the maids. Isa was in there, sort of sitting on the desk. She was crying, her shirt was torn, and she was pulling her skirt back down. Of course, I recognized the smell of sex right away. I didn't know her well, and I didn't want to make things worse, so I left before she noticed me. Around that time was when Isa started to get more distant. She probably thought she was hiding her feelings well, but I'd known her or at least observed her for a long time. The difference was obvious to me. I know what you're going to say. Why didn't I do something or call someone?"

I shook my head.

"I'm not going to say that, Senga, because there was nothing you could have done, not really. Whoever you called would have likely been in Father's pocket. Whatever you did to intervene might lead to your death or Isa's situation getting worse. I...I think I feared this was the case. I wonder if...if it was happening while I was still here." It would explain why Isa wouldn't leave with me, but Senga shook her head.

"No. I mean, she was depressed after you left. You were close, obviously. But she recovered as best she could. This happened maybe a year or so later. Honestly, your return has been the best thing for her. She's been more open and outgoing then I've seen her in years, even with your mother's death. Please...please be gentle with her. Whatever the circumstances, I guarantee you that she was under duress and alone."

If what I was seeing was an improvement in Isa then I had reason to be worried. I looked at Senga. Did she know about Isa and me? It was possible. We tried to be secretive, but we were basically hormone-driven eighteen-year-olds. No, she simply feared that my response to finding out about what happened might be the same as my father at his worst: punish everyone, ask questions later.

"I won't, Senga. You've been a big help, and I won't forget it."

I finished my tea and stood up to leave. She caught up with me at the door.

"If you want to pay me back, come visit me some night when you're not on business. I promise I'll make you happy, and if what Sarah says is true, then you'll make mevery happy."

She giggled charmingly and closed the door. I hadn't expected Sarah to gossip about me. Ironically, Senga had mentioned my other nagging concern. Sarah. What did she know? Isa trusted her, but could I? Did she have an agenda? Perhaps I was paranoid, but I had a notion that she was holding something back from me.

I had to find out what.

* * *

"So," Sarah said at dinner a few nights later, "I found out who the jerk was like you asked."

I smiled at her, and she blushed under my pleased reaction. It was hard not to like someone so cute.

"Really? That was fast."

"Who is the, uh, 'jerk'?"

Isa looked at both of us in confusion, and I chuckled. Sarah answered for both of us.

"The 'jerk' is the man who tried to start trouble with Reuben last week at the Brigantine. I made some calls today. They were all about denial and discretion until I demonstrated that I was calling on behalf of the De Heer family. Then I got the security footage and gave it to Rachel. She ran it through the facial recognition programs that our security staff has. The masks made it difficult, but I asked her to just run them against people of a particular net value or higher, you know, people that your father might have offended or been in business with. The only person who matches his height, weight, and facial characteristics is Vincent Trevante."

I didn't know who she meant, but Isa did.

"Hmm," Isa said, "he's young. About our age. And if I'm not mistaken, he recently inherited access to the Trevante Syndicate. That's what they call themselves. They're a bit like us, in that they have a polite legal facade and then a deep connection with various unsavory types. I think that they specialize in smuggling and human trafficking. They don't have the kind of wealth and influence we do, but they certainly aren't to be ignored."

"Well," I said, "then I suppose we should keep an eye out for any moves he could make against us. I have no idea why he wanted to cause trouble with me, however."

"He's a man, driven by arrogance and insecurity," Isa said bluntly, "He probably just wanted to make himself look more powerful by bringing you down. It certainly backfired on him."

"You're probably right," I said in return, then added, "Good job, Sarah. I expected that to take a week, not a day."

Sarah blushed and locked eyes with me. She was pleased by my praise, and I knew by the look she had just given me that she'd visit me later that evening. I looked forward to it.

* * *

I heard the knock at my door, perhaps a little later than I had expected. That wasn't the only surprise. I wasn't prepared for the sight I beheld when I opened the door.

Typically, Sarah and I were reasonably causal in how we dressed for our night encounters. Whether I went to her or she came to me, we were basically just in what we liked to sleep in. One of us might bring a bag with toys or a change if we intended to stay the night (the house was big enough to feel like less like a mansion and more like a series of apartments). Sarah usually slept in an oversized tee-shirt and boy shorts-style underwear. There was no doubt that she made that outfit look amazing, but she was really dolled up tonight.

Sarah had her hair done neatly, and her makeup was simple and in a "natural" style that I knew took a lot of time to get right. Her lipstick was a bright, shameless red that I loved on her. She wore a loosely belted and very short black robe. As I watched, she indeed the belt and let it open to reveal what was underneath. She wore a white, lacy bustier, which pushed her small breasts up as if holding them for display. It only had a half cup for support, so all of the top and half of each nipple was revealed for my enjoyment. Her panties were tiny and sheer. I could easily see that she had shaved entirely, and the transparent material couldn't hide how swollen and wet she was. I didn't know what the occasion was, and to be honest, I didn't much care. I knew that I wanted her badly.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her inside quickly. She yelped and giggled in surprise, and then slipped out of my grip as I shut the door. I was left holding only the black silk robe, which I carelessly cast on a chair. Sarah sat down on the bed, crossing her legs with false modesty, before sitting back and posting as pretty as any pin-up. She patted the bed next to her, and I sat eagerly. It was a bit unusual to see her taking charge, but we both were enjoying it. Sarah leaned in and whispered into my ear.