Carrington Mansion Ch. 03

"What's brought this on?"

"My desire to be a rancher/portrait painter. I'm sick of traveling."

"Be careful about buying a ranch Hayden. Many in-debt Americans have ranches no one wants to buy."

"Okay, I hear you."

"You know, I would think you cannot sell your inheritance until probate is granted and you've said that could be two years away. You may also have to pay heavy taxes and duties before you gain title to your inherited property."

"Father paid heavily in fees for estate planning and to set aside huge funds to ease the tax burden on immediate family beneficiaries."

"Well, that is a relief," Kitty said, "but you cannot count on a quick sale and certainly not quick release of sale proceeds should you find a buyer such as the council. Of course they could commit to a settlement date linked to the title to the property becoming available."

"Damn."

"Frustrating isn't it -- the property is yours but not actually yours until the legal wheels come to a conclusive ending. "It's a good time to purchase that ranch with cattle prices presently at a low but on-ranch costs rising. If you purchase it as a going concern I suggest you tack on running costs for two years to the purchase offer. I figure $3-$3.2 million sounds about right."

Hayden gulped.

"And remember as you don't yet hold title to the mansion and land that property is not available to you as collateral for a big bank loan through regular sources. You may interest a fringe lender who'd require a complex contract and with risk involved your interest rates would be loaded, making them punitive."

"Shit."

"Crap is a nicer word darling. I know you suddenly have captured this romantic notion of becoming a rancher and at the same time freeing me of direct connections to Clement Carrington by settling on that land. But Hayden, ranching is hard grind and you need to go through some sort of apprenticeship to learn about it. I really can't image you riding through the dust of drought to pull out mired cattle too weak to move out of diminishing water holes or pulling calves from snow drifts only to find one out of every two is dead or dying. It's not for you Hayden, believe me."

Hayden eyed Kitty plaintively, probably like one of those dying calves she'd just talked about. "What should I do?"

"Hayden, you're a grown man and..."

"I wouldn't have asked unless I wanted to hear your opinion."

"Go home and talk to you family and lawyers Hayden and get your head around everything so you see the track ahead and know what the obstacles are. It may be possible to work a deal allowing quicker release of a foreign owned property, particularly as you are a minor beneficiary."

"I would be better off in Africa."

"I know Hayden but that's running away."

Hayden's head dropped and he said he realized that. It was just his frustration talking. "I'll take a flight home before the end of the week."

Kitty bit her lip and then smiled. "In that case Hayden stay with me tonight. I'd welcome trying you out in bed."

"Come to England with me."

"Hayden!"

"I know, you have a business to run. Look, come over and have a swim and then dinner and I'll some back with you and stay the night."

They swam in the nude and Kitty didn't like that, not with Mrs Wilson probably peering out at them. Well, she couldn't see anyone peering and just when she got used to thinking 'what you don't see can't hurt you' and had relaxed enough for Hayden to begin fingering her when Mrs Wilson arrived, calling, "Well young folk, here are your cocktails."

Kitty, who'd not wanted to get her hair wet, dove underwater and swam to the far end, coming out bursting for breath and with her back to the intruder.

"Don't you worry about Mrs Wilson seeing you nude," Hayden whispered when swimming up to Kitty to cup her breasts. "She seen me many more times than I can remember. She came to us when I was born. We brought her back to England last year so her parents and two grandmothers could attend her sixtieth birthday. We were having trouble out here keeping quality senior staff so dad sent her out here with five juniors eight years ago just after he husband ran off on her. Because all the staff stayed on under her influence father promoted her from housemaid to house manager and dispersed with the management company that was running the property on contract. Mrs Wilson turned out to be an exceptionally good front line manager. She's smitten by you. Reckons you've just right for me."

Unbearably embarrassment Kitty pushed Hayden away and sank to the bottom. She couldn't believe the rather frozen-faced Mrs Wilson would like her let alone approve of her.

That night Hayden knew he had a tiger by the tail because Kitty was all over him and dealt with him bang for bang until he groaned enough, that Kitty had him legless.

"I shall always remember you. God, you can fuck," he panted and slowly fell asleep.

In the shower Kitty thought "I shall always remember you" had an air of finality about it. It translated to bye-bye Kitty's kitty. She was sad but not heartbroken. She'd not given him her heart because he'd not yet proven worthy of that. Sensible girl, she thought and switched her mind to other things.

Kitty went to work, leaving Hayden asleep and a note he'd see on the way to the bathroom. In it Kitty wished Hayden a happy arrival back home and said he'd find his breakfast ready for cooking and he'd find the door out was self-locking. 'You were such lively company and I had a great time. XXXX.'

All day Kitty waited for Hayden to call her or to burst through the door. But nothing. She shrugged and worked on late.

Four days later at 3:00 Kitty's PA opened the door and said, "Mrs Wilson is not a client but says she's from Carrington Mansion and you know her personally."

"Yes, I do. Please come in Mrs Wilson." Kitty called, hurrying around the desk to be in position to meet the unexpected visitor.

Mrs Wilson smiled. She had a thick roll of paper under one arm and a paper parcel under the other.

"Oh my goodness, I wouldn't have thought you'd dare. You are a most unusual young lady Kitty."

Mrs Wilson of course was looking at the framed nude of a redhead on the wall behind kitty.

"Please sit Mrs Wilson. Two coffees please Gina."

Mrs Wilson handed Kitty the parcel and placed the roll on the desk.

Kitty knew it was a painting and thought it would be a crayon sketch of her again, this time with black hair.

Unwrapping the artwork Kitty looked at it, mouth open in shock and her hands shook the painting.

"What is it?" Gina asked, arriving from the alcove with coffee.

"Ohmigod -- it's wonderful."

Kitty nodded in agreement with Gina.

"On Sunday night when Lord Carrington stayed with you Kitty he awoke and saw you on you back, head turned, moonlight shinning on to the bed and giving you an eerie glow. He found your door access card and raced home and returned with his digital camera and took a number of photographs. For the next two days and three nights he painted you and sent me out to choose the frame. He finished it at 3:00 this morning and left at 7:00 to catch his flight to New York and then on to Gatwick. Lord Carrington says it's probably his best ever and if you wish to sell it find an agent in New York and it could fetch well in excess of $10,000. He says he's captured your brilliant essence over-laid and softened by translucence of moon glow."

"I am truly humbled Mrs Wilson, it is a very beautiful painting. He's such an excellent painter, rather brilliant."

Gina added, "Very brilliant."

"May I take it and show it to the others Kitty?" Gina asked. "I'll try to keep a finger lightly over you-know-where."

"No Gina, they see it as the artist intended to be seen and please don't allow anyone to touch it. The paint won't be completely dry yet but in transit has been protected by the frame."

When Gina had left Kitty said, "From what you've told me Hayden must have been a wreck when he left, working all those hours and I suspect with few breaks."

"He looked rather tired when he arrived home on Monday morning," Mrs Wilson said dryly. "He worked as if he were possessed. He told me he'd been privileged to have sighted a goddess."

"Well, whatever. I assure you I didn't give him any illegal substances. Do you ride Mrs Wilson?"

"Yes, it goes with my duties."

Kitty invited Mrs Wilson to the ranch on Saturday and after the third refusal Mrs Wilson accepted. She looked relieved when Kitty said it was simply a courtesy invitation, not an American threat to the accepted structure of British gentry.

"You have a wild streak just like my Hayden, I mean Lord Hayden," Mrs Wilson said, turning a little white.

"What was that -- I didn't catch what you said?" Kitty winked.

They finalized details about Saturday and as Mrs Wilson stood she pointed to the roll of paper. "They are the floor plans of the mansion and plan of the grounds Kitty. Lord Hayden requested I hand them to you for you to suggest possible changes to the mansion and grounds if he retains the property. I'm to say you should be aware that the land is zoned open space excluding the permanently fenced area around the mansion including the entrance driveway."

"I wonder why he wants such involvement from me?"

"I wonder," Mrs Wilson replied a little sarcastically. "Good afternoon Kitty."

To Be Continued