Chapter 13

Sinclair

S itting in the nook in the kitchen, I watch Stanley speaking quietly with Rosemary, who I have employed as cook and housekeeper. She has, in turn, hired three people to help her keep everything as it should be. Stanley removed the gardener and his son as they were sitting smoking and drinking out of a thermos all day long. It was fairly amusing to watch Stanley making sure they left the property before he interviewed and hired new ground staff. That's what he calls them and I'm okay with that.

Things around here have changed quite a bit in the last few weeks, and I'm feeling this could be home to me now. The place feels warm rather than a mausoleum. It is a mansion, with a heck of a lot of rooms, but I'm good with it. It will work well with my business and when I have a family. Hopefully, a large family.

"Do you need anything else, Mr. Edwards?" Rosemary asks, and I give her my best frown for calling me that again.

"How many times do I have to tell you Rosemary to call me Sinclair, and if you really must add on Mr. then it is Mr. Sinclair, but I hate it? Please, just call me Sinclair." I look at her now with more of a begging type of expression and hope it's going to work. We go through this rigmarole every time and it's become a game, but I'm ready to put a stop to it once and for all.

"Okay, I'll call you Sinclair." Rosemary doesn't wait to see if I reply to her original question so I get onto my feet, step over to her and smile, "Can I have a coffee brought to my office, please?"

"Of course you can. Go, and I'll bring it for you."

Passing Stanley on the way out of the kitchen, he gives me a smirk and a wink. I roll my eyes because that seems to be a habit I've picked up from my new female friends. I'm going to blame Liv as she has it down dead to rights.

Settled in my office, I fire up the computer and open the top drawer, taking out the contract I'm working on for a new, and I'm sure, going to be a large and successful business. They need the polish for their software presentation at this point. In time, they will sell millions of dollars from the game they have produced.

A soft knock on the door has Stanley stepping into the office and placing a mug of coffee on my desk. "Here you go, boss. Do you need anything else?"

Now, I have noticed that Stanley calls me boss, but he does it in such a way that I cannot have a complaint with it. "Stanley, take a seat a moment."

Once he's seated, I continue speaking. "Are you happy with all the new staff we have in place?"

"Yes. We now have people that are happy to be here and work as they should. The groundsmen are doing an excellent job and I've doubled-checked the shed, and they have cleaned it, rearranged everything so things can be found. Rosemary has the household staff covered. They are doing as they should, and I'll tell you she is watching them closely. I have two catering companies that are happy to be on call if we do any type of event. All told boss, things are good."

"That is excellent news, and thank you for taking over all the hiring, firing, and organizing. It has made the move to the mansion easy for me, and with all the business things going on, I really did not have the spare time to do and complete what you have."

"My job, and I love doing it. I have to say I'm feeling much better than I have in a long time. Working for Holly's parents had not been easy, but with a limited income and no family, it left me with no motivation to make the move."

"What do you mean, limited income?" This perks my interest.

"Well, I only had a minimum wage as they counted accommodation, food, etc, as part and parcel of my salary."

"That is about what you would expect from those people. They really are toxic, and all the while pretending to be benevolent, as they've been giving dollars to the charities making out they were such good people." Sighing, while thinking although karma has kicked them now, it'll be good to see what happens in the future. "Keep your ears to the ground, Stanley, and if they step out of line, I'll make sure they step back again."

"Will do, boss."

"Okay, I better get some work done. Oh, have you settled into the cottage?"

"I have, thank you. I love it, and Holly has been to tea twice now, which is lovely. She's more my daughter than her actual father's daughter. She calls me Pa now."

Stanley gives me the brightest smile I think I've seen on a person in one heck of a long time. This means a lot to him, and it shows. I know Holly loves this man dearly, and she has thanked me many times for getting him away from her parents.

Two hours later, I rub the back of my neck when the door to the office opens. Rosemary walks inside carrying a tray, which she places in front of me on the desk. I only just push the paperwork to one side in time.

"Lunch, and you stop working and eat. You'll give yourself an ulcer if you eat on the run, so you need to push your work to one side and relax for a minute."

"Okay, I'll eat. Thank you, Rosemary."

I watch as Rosemary exits the office before looking at the tray where there is a mouthwatering club sandwich and a piece of chocolate cake. Very nice, I can get used to being waited on I'm sure, but I'll have to use the gym that was installed after I purchased this place. If I keep eating as good as this I'll end up with a pudding stomach, and not the six-pack I've worked damn hard to achieve.

Knocking on the door has me look up from the lunch, and sigh with frustration. The door quietly opens and Stanley pops his head inside. "You have a visitor at the front door. I left him waiting outside," grinning at me with a look of mischief, "It's someone called Colin and he said he needed to speak with you."

"Bring him up, Stanley, but don't allow him to be anywhere but right here. If you think you need it, get one of the security team to walk with you."

"Oh, it's okay. He's not a problem. I know quite a lot of ways to stop someone in their tracks if need be."

Watching Stanley leave the office, I'm sure I only know the tip of the iceberg where he is concerned. But, he is solidly reliable and I already feel a friendly relationship with him developing.

Remaining in my seat, I take a bite of the club sandwich and savor the taste. As the door opens and Stanley ushers Colin inside, I wait for him to speak.

Stanley gives me a smirk before turning to Colin. "Take a seat, be respectful or you'll be out on your ear, or on your ass, depending on how disrespectful you are."

Clearing his throat, he looks very uncomfortable, but I'm not easing his stress. It's his to wear, after all. "Sinclair, I wanted to come and apologize for what I did. I'm moving out of state. In fact, I'm looking at a job I've been offered in Canada. But, before I leave, I wanted to apologize for being that friend that does something that cannot be repaired."

Pausing, I presume waiting for me to speak. He's going to be waiting for quite a while as I've nothing to say to him. He's a friend I can live without. As sad as it is, a betrayal is something you can never ignore or put on the back burner.

Standing when he realizes I'm not going to interact with him, he gives me a weak smile. "I wish you well, Sinclair, and again, I'm sorry."

Stanley, who has been standing just inside the office door, gives me a small nod as he follows Colin out and I take an intake of breath before blowing it out slowly. That's a chapter in my book of life closed, I'm thinking. But I learn, and it only takes once for me to learn the lesson from an incident like this.

Draven and Rebecca stroll into the office mid-afternoon. Obviously, they have traveled together and I can see they are getting along like a house on fire, which is perfect and now I have peace of mind with them both.

"The last three accounts are all set up, the clients are happy, and their first payment has gone through without a hitch. The virus checker Brandon has created is nearly completed. It's in the last stages of trials before we launch it to the public. Nothing for you to worry about, Sinclair." Draven grabs the last quarter of my sandwich and stuffs it into his face as quickly as he can.

Rebecca tuts at him before giving me a shrug like she's saying, ‘What can you do!'

"Did you have to bring him with you, Rebecca?" I ask, all the while having an amused smile on my face.

"Well, he was carrying some plants I brought for Stanley, who wants them for the front of his cottage. I was thinning them down, so I was more than happy to let him have them. That's the only reason I'm here, and I saved gas money by coming with Draven." Rebecca is giving me a conspiratorial smile as she walks out of the office, turning to say she'll see me later.

"Did you hear the latest gossip about Michelle Graves?"

"No, what's going on?" Now my interest is piqued because I've seen and heard nothing since she was dragged away that day.

"Her father has her all but under house arrest. He's lost business through the gossip that has run rampant. He isn't allowing her off the property and has security on her twenty-four-seven." Draven is finding this highly amusing, and I have to admit I'm struggling to hold back my laughter.

"Honestly, it's the best thing he can do for her. She really is certifiable."

"I also heard her mother wants her taken to Europe, where they have family. She thinks it's the unhealthy obsession she has with Benjamin that is escalating the problems. If she does that, Benjamin can forget about her, and it would be a good thing, because nobody wants to live with a cuckoo chasing them around."

We finish discussing business, check on Rebecca and as I watch them leave, I can't help but think I'm lucky to have people around me that care.

Rubbing my hands together, I'm going to get a shower, change and go to the conference room ready for the WAR meeting.