Chelsea's Twelve Days of Christmas

"May I offer some advice," Isabella ventured.

"You may offer it, I cannot guarantee I will take it," Harry said good-naturedly. He knew of Isabella's relationship with Chelsea. Riley had believed that Isabella had taken advantage of the shy, quiet girl when she had first arrived at Innamorata by placing her in a position that she couldn't refuse.

"Chelsea has always been in need of strong guidance. She flounders when left to her own thoughts and decision-making skills. She will relax and feel secure when she is given rules and expectations as well as consequences when she doesn't meet them. If you haven't or don't follow through with expected consequences that feeling of uncertainty and confusion will only increase for her," Isabella advised.

Harry said nothing as he thought over the events of the past thirty-six hours. She'd broken his rules on a number of occasions, and he hadn't punished her because she hadn't asked for it and he hadn't wanted to push her in the frame of mind he was on the first night and the way she had been during the following evening and day. Perhaps it was time to remedy that. He wasn't averse to dominating her if that was what she needed. He knew from her file that she was well trained in sexual submission. He had just wanted to know that It was something she wanted and would enjoy, not something she did just because he expected it or pushed her into it.

*****

"Chelsea?" Harry inquired as he entered her room. She was propped up on pillows reading, and when she looked up at him, her anxiety clear on her face. "You will come down and farewell our guest appropriately. She has given up her time and day of rest to come and share her information for you and with you." He commanded. "I am sure your headache must have shifted by now," he forestalled any argument she may have and waited somewhat impatiently as she rose from the bed and slipped on her shoes.

Harry took her hand as they walked back downstairs together and Chelsea wasn't sure how to react. She couldn't imagine that a man as stiffly formal as Harry would want a convicted felon under his roof. She had felt physically sick waiting for this moment and being asked to leave with Isabella, but his hand in hers felt warm and comforting. Maybe Isabella hadn't told him yet; she tried not to frown as her thoughts mixed to make her anxiety worse.

"Ah, there you are, Darling. I hope you are feeling better after your rest," Isabella walked toward her with her arms open wide.

"I apologise for my rudeness, but I couldn't have faced lunch with you. I promise I will make it up to you," Chelsea said her words appearing stilted and slightly muddled as she spoke.

"I imagine you will be quite busy over the holidays so let's talk about how you can make it up to me next year," she laughed lightly seeing the surprise register on Chelsea's face. "The new year is only a matter of weeks if not days away, my Darling." She embraced Chelsea tightly. "I have done as you requested and no issues arose, relax, my pet, and enjoy your time here, with a clear conscience," she whispered.

Chelsea didn't know whether she felt better or worse. She suddenly didn't want Isabella to leave, and she looked up at Harry through her lashes to find him relaxed and seemingly happy as he farewelled Isabella.

"How are you feeling now?" Harry asked as they walked back inside.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly and studied his face for some clue of what he must be thinking now that he knew her secrets.

"The past can only hurt you when you give it the power to by not being truthful, I appreciate you trusting me with your secret. I will not bring it up again except to say that it makes no difference to me unless it affects our time together as it did this week," Harry stated. "I understand you do not trust others easily and perhaps that is a quality we both share, a quality that I approve of," he skirted around the revelations of her past. "I am pleased that you have trusted me with your secret," he reiterated knowing she needed to hear it.

"You are not concerned that someone may recognise me?" Chelsea asked.

"I highly doubt that will be an issue in the circles I keep. To be honest, I too have a past I am not particularly proud of, and it has made me moody, arrogant and judgemental of people I don't know. As I am sure you are aware by now, it would be a brave person who attempted to cross swords with me and malign my girlfriend," he smiled knowing the last statement only highlighted his arrogance. "Name any of the wealthy successful families you know of, and I will find you a report of the latest scandalous rumour circulating that is attached to them. I am sure once you accept my proposal formally and we announce our engagement, there will be plenty of rumours about you and your gold-digging ways." he chuckled.

"Oh no they wouldn't, would they?" she asked, but he continued to laugh, and she realised the point he was making. "I guess someone is always going to say something," she admitted.

"That's the truth," he said as they walked back through the house to the rear veranda overlooking the river. It was late afternoon by this time, and he sat in a cushioned wicker chair and invited her to do the same.

"Your behaviour over the last day or so has concerned me, but I trust that you have overcome that hurdle now?" he spoke formally, his already deep voice becoming lower giving her the impression that something more was coming. She looked at him silently waiting for him to continue. "Are there any other issues that will inexplicably cause you to react with such disregard for my wishes and desires where you are concerned?"

"No Drake," she reverted to the title he had given her to use on their first night together, when he had punished her for her mistakes, hearing in his voice that same commanding tone.

"Good, then we will go over all of the guidelines for our time together again. I wish to be very clear about my wishes and desires because any lapse in decorum or breaking of rules will be dealt with very differently from this point on," Harry warned her. "Not because I now know why you acted so childishly but because you need to start trusting me enough to tell me what is going on in that pretty head of yours. I am not a mind reader, and I refuse to play guessing games when it comes to my girlfriend." He had no doubt that there would be little need to punish her once they had spoken about his wants and needs and he found himself considering whether she shared those desires or whether she would only submit to them because he wanted it.

Chelsea felt her mood shift as he referred to her as his girlfriend for the second time. He had said it in such a casual way that she felt like he didn't think of her as just a woman that he had contracted to play the part of his girlfriend for the holidays. His voice and expression had held sincerity, and she realised she had needed that kind of reassurance from him.

"Now should I rack up the billiard table or will you answer my questions honestly while we lay the ground rules for our time together and enjoy the sunset?" Harry asked. He had purposely avoided putting any constraint on that time in relation to the contract as he planned to assume that by disclosing her past to him through Isabella she had already accepted his proposal, if not officially, then within her mind.

"I will be truthful with you if you choose to stay here and watch the sunset," she said quietly. "I like to play pool though if you would enjoy a game after dinner," she added.

"Perhaps, but let's make sure we both understand each other first," he said leaning back and crossing his legs in a relaxed manner. He was pleased with Chelsea's willingness to engage in this conversation, something that had been sorely missing in the last twenty-four hours.

"As you wish," she gave a small smile and was rewarded with a much larger one from him. She too relaxed back into her chair.

"I'm going to have a beer, are you up to drink?" he asked solicitously as Mrs Thomas approached them.

"Juice, maybe a fruit punch please, with ice," she instructed the woman with the gentle authority of being Harry's girlfriend. Could being free of her past be this simple, she wondered. He was so accepting of her time in jail and criminal record that she couldn't quite believe she was still sitting here having his conversation.

"Men like myself are successful because we have put our personal lives as a low priority as we created the companies and lifestyles we wanted to ensure our positions amongst our peers. We don't have the time to endure the messy relationships and even messier break ups that other not so successful men must endure to find their perfect mate," he began to explain. "This is why Isabella is so successful; she fills a hole in the social landscape that men such as myself often fall into, many making bad marriages and having estranged children. Neither of which I want."

Chelsea looked at him as he spoke, not speaking and unsure if it was necessary to say anything until he asked her a question.

"I have said men like myself but much of that is an assumption, I can only speak for myself with any accuracy," he mused. "When I felt I had made my reputation formidable in business and had surrounded myself with trustworthy people, who could manage the day to day running of the various elements of my life in my absence, I began to want the missing pieces of my life put in place. I want a wife and I want children, in that order." He tried to explain why he had made his proposal so close to the failed proposal with Riley and why he had asked for this contract before making it.

Chelsea nodded not sure why he was explaining his motivations to her. She knew that he wanted a family reasonably soon after getting married from the details of his proposal that she had practically memorised this afternoon. She had believed at the time that he would withdraw it, once he knew who she was but instead she was here listening to how the proposal had come about instead of being sent away.

"When I was younger, and my father lived, I dated several women that I met through friends, but they were not the type of woman I wanted," he said unsure of whether to tell her about his relationship with Julia. "It's true I had particular tastes when it came time to find a woman to marry and start a family, and I would like to be truthful with you about that and why I chose Riley originally."

"Thank you," she said quietly feeling like a response was needed at this stage.

"My father died when I was quite young, and I inherited everything. Within his will was an odd request that involved me caring for a woman named Julia. Julia had been my father's mistress and as a young man faced with a beautiful and willing woman I engaged in a similar relationship with her to that which she had with my father." He paused. "She was my first lover and an excellent teacher. I would confide in her about the women I dated and when she thought I was ready she told me about Innamorata."

"She was an Innamorata Alumni?" Chelsea put the pieces of his story together easily enough.

"Yes, and at the time she was the epitome of what I wanted in a wife. She told me of the training available to the young women at Innamorata and the large failure rate because of the intensity of that training. She organised an introduction to Isabella for me, and I began to attend the events Isabella hosted to show off her proteges. Believing all of the young women who attended Innamorata would be like Julia and by first impressions they were, I didn't look closely enough at Riley's file. I couldn't see past her look and bubbly demeanour to know that she did not have the complete training I wanted and required in a wife," he blamed himself once again for the failure of his proposal to Riley.

"She had a look you prefer, though," Chelsea said with certainty.

"She had a look very similar to that of Julia but none of her training and attitude," he explained. "I believe I needed to discover that to know exactly what I was looking for in an Innamorata woman." He said and reached out to take her hand. "I will always care about Riley because of that lesson she taught me. I had wanted my own version of Julia because there is something comforting about what is known. Riley showed me just how foolish that was, and always held you up as the perfect example of the Innamorata woman."

"She still loves you," Chelsea said quietly. "She is happy with Gary, and she is grateful to you for your hand in making that match for her."

"The reason I tell you this is not to compare you to Riley or Julia. It's to show you that I do not care about your life before Innamorata, except that it brought you to this place here, with me, where you belong. I want you to know that Julia had a very big impact on my life when I lost my father and was left orphaned as a young man struggling to find himself. Her look was Riley's look, and Riley held an attraction for me for that reason alone." He took a sip of his beer.

Chelsea could see how having an Innamorata woman at your beck and call from such a young age would taint the way you looked at the world and women in general, particularly if she had completed all of the training as Chelsea had.

"You accused me once of memorising your file, and that was close to the truth," he admitted. "I know that you possess all of the training I am seeking, in addition to many other qualities that I find desirable including your natural beauty."

"Thank you," she said unsure if what he had said was a compliment or not.

"Reading between the lines, I can see that Isabella will not have a conversation with the other men, who offered the proposals that you are considering, about your past unless it is necessary. From that information, I am happy to assume that once our current contract ends you will accept the proposal I have made," Harry stated not asking her to confirm his assumption. "My expectations and rules will change in accordance with this knowledge," he gave her a hard look then as if daring her to deny what he was saying. "We will think of this week as a trial engagement, which will continue into the New Year, rather than a temporary contract with a definitive end."

"As you wish," she said demurely surprised by his reading of the situation when she remained so confused and unsure herself after the last twenty-four hours.

"You will trust me implicitly. If you don't like what I have asked you to do, you will say so immediately, not endure it just to please me. Likewise, if you are concerned about people in our social circle, who may have known you once, you will tell me immediately and not make yourself sick with worry or act out as you have done this week." He began laying out new rules for her.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the situation, his taking control of their immediate future had the effect of giving her clarity. The truth was that she did trust him in some ways. Her feelings for him had been growing since their first evening together when she had met his friends followed by her day with the showman's guild. His acceptance of her past had been a startling discovery, and she felt more trusting of him just from that fact alone.

"I've looked at your training and asked Isabella about some of her personal training," he said without disguising the fact that he knew details of her submissive role to Madame Isabella. "From this point on I do not wish you to share your affections intimately with anyone else, including Isabella. Will not having intimacy with another woman be a hardship to you?"

"No, Drake," she answered honestly. "While I had an intimate relationship with Madame, women are not my preferred sexual partners," she explained. "In the submissive role she gave me I did enjoy it; I do not want you to think she forced me or coerced me in anyway."

"Did you enjoy it because of the submissive role?" he asked looking at her intently.

"Yes," she admitted. "There are quite a few of the fetishes explored in class and with her that I enjoyed and would enjoy exploring with you if you were so inclined." Now that she had begun talking to him about her preferences she became less self-conscious. He had heard the worst possible things about her, the fact that she enjoyed bondage and rough sex was hardly going to shock him now.

"I had assumed as much during our conversations last night, but I needed to hear it from you when you were clear about what you were asking for. I would enjoy exploring your submissive nature, thank you," he said formally. "I am a demanding man and will always be in control of our home and family, but I do not expect you to act as my submissive at all times. I enjoy the intelligent conversations and witty banter we have been developing and would hate to lose that to robotic responses to my commands."

"I understand," she said softly. She too enjoyed the witty banter that had sprung up between them from a love of similar movies and books.

"You have taken note of Trent's advice on your wardrobe and accessories, and I am pleased with what you have chosen to wear thus far. You need not have Trent advise you any further, however; I expect you to consider my wishes when choosing the items you purchase," he said. "Trent is my personal assistant for my home and social needs. He will also answer to you now and coordinate our schedules so that I am always able to reach you and know where you are at any given time. He manages the house and staff here, and if you have requests, they should be put to him."

"May I have my own car if I am to shop and attend to schedules on my own?" She asked.

"You can retrieve your car from Isabella after the holidays. I would rather you made use of Thomas while I am at work and if our schedules permit. Trent can organise a car for you if there is a clash within our schedules," he said considering her request.

"As you wish, I am sure I can manage without my car for a few weeks," she agreed.

"I will give you a copy of my proposal so that you are fully aware of what you have agreed too. Your belongings will be moved into my suite tomorrow, and your schedule will be adjusted to include some extra responsibilities that I would expect from any woman I was engaged to," he told her what would happen in short statements giving her no choices. As Isabella, had predicted, she seemed content if not happy about his demands. He wasn't about to micromanage her life, but if setting strict guidelines to live within was what she needed then he was more than happy to admit his preference for doing just that.

Chelsea listened to him speak as if she had already accepted his proposal. In a way, she had by telling him her story. She admitted to herself that if she had not had this time with him, then she would have chosen his proposal from the three anyway, or at least she thought she would have. It was hard to know for sure if her emotions tainted that decision. As it stood now though she couldn't argue his stance and that small window of escape at the end of the contract reassured her, that unlike Riley if she found she had made a mistake she could end it without any fuss.

He had talked through the sunset to ensure he had been explicitly clear about his expectations of her both socially and intimately. When they rose to go to dinner, he took her hand in his and smiled.

"Now that the business partnership is agreed upon, I want you to know how happy I am. While our agreed proposal ensures we, both get what we want, there is more to a relationship than just compatibility based on a piece of paper and shared ideas about future goals," Harry pulled Chelsea into his arms and kissed her. "I am happy, but we will each need to drop our guard and learn to love if we are to make this a truly successful partnership," he said softly knowing that the walls she had built around herself were beginning to show cracks but would take time to crumble.