Mistress for Masters

By Jim Chandler

'Mistress for Masters' A romantic drama that opens in Venice with the main character, Geraldine Graham, enjoying a European holiday with a fellow uni-student, Anne Marie, who meets and falls for an old boyfriend from her village in France. They leave Venice to return home and get married, leaving Gerry alone and very apprehensive about travelling on through Europe by herself. Since she was quite young Gerry seemed always to be having accident-prone happenings. These incidents, sometimes inviting trouble and at other times offering humorous interludes, occur throughout the story. One such happening is on the first day she is alone in Venice when she finds herself trapped in an unknown, naked man's apartment, with a strange Italian waiter. It is then that she meets Brad Masters, a rich and successful, international hotelier. After several romantic and acrimonious incidents, she knows she is falling in love and, against her better judgement, agrees to travel with him, initially, only to Sicily. The love story continues to develop while in Venice and Sicily and eventually in Greece with our heroine encountering romantic, exciting and sometimes, frightening experiences. As well as the traumatic, she also experiences extreme happiness. However, after arriving at Brad's luxury hotel in Greece, she is devastated when seeing him embracing and kissing a beautiful Greek woman. That evening she also stumbles upon them together on the beach. Without a word Gerry and her broken heart depart for England where she throws herself into her previously planned, teaching career. She secures a good position with a girl's college and slowly begins to bury the painful past, making a new life. However, although she is enjoying this new life it is blighted by a colleague, Jim Bryce, who, on her first day at school, rescues her from one of her embarrassing happenings. He falls for her and his relentless pursuit places Gerry in an unwitting, 'eternal triangle' situation with Rosemary, another teacher whom Gerry learns had previously been enjoying an intimate relationship with him. This invidious position makes an enemy of Rosemary, an otherwise much needed friend. There are many twists and turns until a vengeful, meeting, engineered by Rosemary, results in Gerry's dismissal. She is left empty, lonely and desperately unhappy, with no way out of her miserable existence....and then something happens!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Chandler
• Release date: Aug 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476354286

Jim Chandler

I have been a musician, writing songs and playing in bands, for most of my adult life. For some years I have been a film actor, and have also played fringe theatre. However, a few years ago I started writing my memoirs. I found I enjoyed it so much that I tried other genres; first a screen play and then some stories. I realized, to my delight, I had discovered a new-found skill, and a hitherto unknown passion – writing! Or to be more precise, storytelling. I recently made my publishing debut on Kindle, and now on Smashwords, where, so far, I have two books published: 'Mistress for Masters', a romantic drama, and 'Some Untall Stories' a compilation of shorts. I very much enjoy the writing of short stories; meeting the challenge of presenting a well-rounded tale with an unexpected twist or two, within 3000 to 12000 words, I find tremendously satisfying. It is my intention to increase my collection, and my fervent wish that readers will continue to enjoy my books.

Book preview

A Mistress for Masters

J G Chandler

Published by Jim Chandler

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 J G Chandler

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Thanks to my dear wife who, with patience and confidence, left me to it.

And also to my readers who made it all happen.

Please let me know your thoughts at:

[e-mail]

drop in at:

http://www.jgchandlerstoryteller.com

Prologue

The story opens in Venice with the main character, Geraldine Graham, enjoying a European, touring holiday. She is on a gap-year with a French, fellow-university student, Anne Marie, who meets and falls for an old boyfriend from her home village in France. They leave Venice to return home and get married, leaving Gerry alone and very apprehensive about travelling on through Europe by herself.

Since she was quite young, Gerry seemed always to be having accident-prone happenings. Throughout the story these incidents sometimes invite trouble and at other times offer a humorous interlude. One of these occurrences is on the first day she is left alone in Venice.

She finds herself trapped in an unknown, naked man’s apartment with a strange Italian waiter. It is there that she meets Brad Masters, a rich, international hotelier.

After several romantic, as well as acrimonious, occurrences, she knows she is falling in love and, against her better judgement, agrees to travel with him to his various hotels throughout Europe.

The story continues to develop in Venice, Sicily and Greece, where our heroine encounters romantic, exciting and sometimes frightening, experiences. One particularly terrifying episode is when she is marooned alone on a small Greek island during a powerful electric storm. When the storm subsides, she finds herself being chased by two men who corner her in a boat house.

As well as the traumatic, she also experiences extreme romantic happiness.

Over many weeks their relationship becomes stronger and after arriving at one of Brad’s luxury hotels in Crete, Gerry is totally devastated when she witnesses him kissing and embracing a beautiful Greek woman. He is not aware of his exposure but, without a word, Gerry, with her broken heart, immediately leaves for England where she throws herself into her previously, planned, teaching career.

She secures a good position with a girl’s college and is slowly beginning to bury the painful past and make a new life. However, although she is enjoying her new teaching career, it is being marred by a colleague, Jim Bryce. On her first day at the college, he rescues her from one of her embarrassing happenings. He falls for her and relentlessly pursues her, placing her in an eternal triangle situation with Rosemary, another teacher whom Gerry learns had been enjoying a relationship with him. This invidious situation is making an enemy of Rosemary, an otherwise much needed friend.

There are many twists and turns until eventually, a vengeful, calculated occurrence engineered by Rosemary results in Gerry’s unfair dismissal. She is left empty, lonely and desperately unhappy with no career or future and no way out of her miserable existence. And then something happens!

CONTENT

Chapter One: The Happening

Chapter Two: Consenting Adults

Chapter Three: Rough Passage to Paradise

Chapter Four: On Nightmare Island

Chapter Five: The Betrayal

Chapter Six: A New Start

Chapter Seven: Hell Revisited

Chapter Eight: Goodbye to Love

Chapter Nine: The Proposition

Mistress for Masters

Chapter One: The Happening

Geraldine Graham was a twenty-four year old singleton, with a teaching degree. She had grown up in South-East, Middle England. Her father, a solicitor, had bestowed her with a tall, well-proportioned frame. Her mother, not a professional person but always busying herself with a diary full of charity events and local community work, had endowed Gerry with the kind of shapely form that made heads turn.

Slate-green eyes slanted gently upwards in harmony with her cheek bones, complimenting her dark, red-lit hair. Her straight slender nose and luscious, full lips meant nature had sculpted a classic beauty.

Suddenly, she had found herself alone in Sicily. Her travelling companion, Anne Marie, her friend from Uni’, had bumped into an ex-fiancé from her home town in Biarritz and after two highly charged, romantic days had accepted his new proposal and decided to go home to France and marry him.

Gerry felt disconcerted, wondering if she too should go home to England and take up her planned career in teaching. She wouldn’t lose financially because this holiday was intended to be very much ‘on the hoof’ allowing them the flexibility to come and go, as and when, they pleased. Not being a worldly person, she felt very apprehensive – even a bit scared – at continuing on alone.

These were the thoughts drifting through her mind as she walked.

She was now marvelling at the great ornamental Palazzo; remembering her recent discovery that they were supported under the canals, only on wooden piles.

The famous and picturesque, white Rialto Bridge came into view; resplendent against the cloudless, cornflower sky.

For the moment Gerry felt warm and happy. The sun was hot on her back and she could not resist the large, cooling ice-cream that was being offered by a street vendor.

I gelati? he called, holding out the cornet to passers by.

Gerry walked up and smiling, took the ice-cream. She licked the side that was already beginning to melt. With her one free hand, she rummaged in her bag for her purse. The Italian could see her plight and took back the cornet enabling her to use both hands. As she searched, panic started to surge through her. She felt her face flush along with the familiar, anxiety prickle on the top of her head.

Then the cold, hard truth became apparent – she had left her purse back at the hotel!

If only she hadn’t licked it, she moaned to herself. Quanta Costa? she asked him – only to delay the moment of truth.

One – eighty signora, he muttered. But he seemed hardly conscious of her question, or his automatic reply, or the ice-cream that was now dribbling down his elevated hand. His concentration was elsewhere.

Gerry was supporting her handbag on her bent knee as she peered into the dark pocket hoping to find some loose Euros among its numerous contents. This caused the low neck-line of her dress to billow and the ice-cream vendor’s eyes to be riveted on her braless breasts.

She looked up and was about to explain her impecunious situation when she saw his glassy-eyed stare and became aware of her unwitting exposure. She glared back at him hoping to embarrass him into submission. But this did nothing to avert his mesmeric, lecherous gaze.

Parle Englese? She asked angrily, knowing her Italian was not good enough to help her out of this predicament.

Scusi? Ah…yes signora. What seem-a to be the trouble, eh?

"The trouble is…" She started to explain, but realizing that an elderly, American couple had now started to form a queue, she started again, in whispered tones. The trouble is…"

He had, of course, already assessed her predicament and considered that the display of those gorgeous breasts were more than worth the cost of an ice-cream.

Is-a no big problem, eh? You pay nex-a time. Si?

She wished he’d spoken a little quieter and had not handed her back the messy cornet.

She made a hasty retreat and, at the first opportunity, dumped the ice-cream in a waste bin.

She walked back to Saint Mark’s Square, and into her hotel. She stepped out of the lift and offered her key to her door. To her surprise she found it was ajar and assumed that Anne-Marie must have returned.

As she entered, she placed the key back in her handbag, and pushed close the door with her bottom. It slammed shut with a bang.

When she lifted her eyes she was totally bewildered by her surroundings. She blinked hard and then realized she was not standing in her apartment at all. It was much larger – and much more luxurious!

Aghast, she turned to leave, but froze in her tracks when a man’s voice called out from behind one of the apartment doors.

Is that you Pino? I’m in the shower…put it in the lounge, will you…and if you wouldn’t mind, you might as well pour me one while you’re at it!

She went cold! She believed it was not true to say she was accident prone, but she had to admit that she was for ever finding herself in these awkward situations. They seem to happen all too frequently to just pass them off as ‘Just your imagination, darling’, as her mother would suggest. She was now quite furious that two such happenings should occur, one after the other.

Her first instinct was to leave – quickly and quietly. This she proceeded to do. But just as she was about to gently turn the front door latch; someone on the outside began to knock, furiously. She jumped out of her skin!

The knocking was accompanied by an Italian accent: Hello! It’s-a Pino…with-a your drinks Signor The voice continued. But-a the door-a…she close, Signor! Then more rapping – and the voice becoming even louder,. Signor It’s-a Pino…with-a your drinks – Si?

Then to her horror, the first voice, from the shower, retorted irritably, Alright, alright, I’ll open the damn door!

She was reduced to jelly! The thought of being confronted by a strange, naked, man, who was about to discover a strange and uninvited female in his apartment was more that she was prepared to endure. She panicked!

Before she knew it, an involuntary, survival reflex made her yell out, No it’s okay, I’ll do it! The second the words left her mouth she knew it was not a smart move; the man in the shower must, by now; be totally alarmed, not to say, confused by the third party, female voice.

However, she calmed herself by deciding that she should now make her escape. She would hot-foot it down the stairs and out of the building and by the time he emerged from the shower she would be long gone. She flung open the door – only to find, standing on the other side was a very surprised, bow-tied, diminutive waiter holding a very large cardboard box. He immediately stepped in, completely blocking her escape route.

Oh my God! She moaned.

The waiter, struggling under the weight of his burden and eager to rid himself of it, tottered into the hall. Gerry was obliged to step back and allow him to squeeze by; his the heavy box looking ready to collapse with its contents clinking loudly.

Grazie Signora! Grazie! He said, and breathlessly staggered past.

While this manoeuvre was taking place, to her horror, she heard a door handle rattle behind her. A man’s voice boomed out, And who the hell are you?

Both she – and the waiter - froze!

The expression on the Italian’s small features became one of total astonishment; believing the question – that was demanding an immediate answer – had been directed at him.

Gerry shut her eyes tightly, and clutching her bag to her breast, froze to the spot like a burglar caught in the act! She could not believe this was really happening. Only minutes ago she had been leisurely strolling along in the Venetian sunshine. Yet, suddenly, here she was, trespassing in someone else’s apartment and was about to come, face-to-face with a strange man straight – straight out of his shower! Her scalp prickled alarmingly!

What in God’s name gives here? The voice demanded.

She opened her eyes to see, in front of her, the slight figure of Pino, the Italian waiter, still panting and red-faced under his heavy load and wide-eyed with increasing bewilderment that was fast turning to fear.

It’s-a me Signor! Is-a Pino…Si? His eyes blinked furiously, imploring to be recognized. Issa your drinks…Si? I bring-a your drinks…jussa like-a you tell me…huh? The very nervous Italian continued. But-a you not leave-a the door open like-a you say…no? So I knock-a…and your-a signora…she open-a the door…si? Beads of sweat were starting to appear on his forehead and he was now almost collapsing under the strain of his box of drinks. Without waiting for a response from ‘Signor’ and with only one desire in mind – to relieve himself of his burden – he struggled off towards a door at the end of the hall.

At the same time the man behind her – whom she was hoping against hope would not be a naked – yelled after him, "My what? Isn’t she with you?"

A bump, accompanied by a clinking of bottles and a sigh in the form of an Italian curse, was all the reply that returned.

I really don’t believe…I’ve got to be dreaming! said the voice.

Gerry knew there was no chance of running now. Very slowly, she spun on the balls of her feet. With downcast eyes, in fear of what she may encounter, she uttered, No, you’re not dreaming…just sharing my nightmare!

She was now staring at a pair of wet, bare feet that, as she began to lift her eyes, became knees. Slowly, her eyes panned upwards. An inaudible groan left her lips – at least she hoped it was inaudible. She was awestricken by the vision before her. Standing in the doorway, dripping with water – and sexuality – was a bronze God! His tussled, raven hair still had globules of water clinging to the strands that flicked over his forehead.

Minute droplets glistened in eyebrows that had an almost quizzical expression; with pointed arches that looked like they had been painted with the flick of an artiste’s brush. Striking, steely-blue eyes darted and sparkled within a frame of thick black lashes.

Her voice was feeble as she stammered, I can explain…really I can… But she didn’t want to be distracted by wordy explanations; she only wanted to feast her eyes upon the manly loveliness before her. I mean…really…it could have happened to anyone.

He remained standing in the doorway. He folded his arms and leaned on one shoulder, quite happy to examine this very attractive intrusion into his life. He listened, intrigued, as the explanation of how he came by it, was delivered.

His firm, square jaw jutted out defiantly. His deep attractive eyes conveyed a mixture of curiosity and pleasure, rather than anger. He wore a bathrobe of black towelling with white braid around its edges, tied loosely at the waist with a thick white cord. The large V of its lapels exposed his torso down to his navel and a diamond of black curly hair hugged his chest, also glistening with droplets of water. He was tall, broad-shouldered and sun-bronzed.

She stood there for a moment, unable to say