Possessing Bella Ch. 09

"You had your own apartment when you first moved to the city, didn't you?" Stephen asked into the silence of the car.

"Yes, Mum and Dad helped me organise it. Dad wanted to make sure it was in a nice neighbourhood and Mum used giving me some furniture to remind me of home as an excuse to redecorate," she smiled at the memory.

"So your office at work is the first place you have made your own, from scratch," Stephen mused.

"I hadn't thought about it like that, but yes, I guess so," Bella agreed.

"Did you enjoy it?" Stephen prompted, "Having final say in your surroundings at the company, your own space so to speak, must be nice."

Bella chewed her lip and thought about his words before speaking. "I think because I had dreamed of this business idea for years that I had firmly in my mind how I wanted it to look, I am not sure I consciously realised I was making my own space it was more I was building the business space, if that makes sense. While it is my dream, I share the responsibility for the business, so it is a communal space of sorts."

"You didn't answer my question," Stephen said letting an edge of sternness creep back into his voice. "Did you enjoy creating that space the way you dreamed it," he rephrased the question.

"I really did," she turned her head to face him showing a wide smile. "It's better than I dreamed though because I didn't do it alone. Dorothea and even Andrew had a hand in a lot of it. I will have to call Dorothea and let her know I am back early. I would like to spend some time with her away from work." Bella chewed her lip as Stephen looked at her briefly his brow furrowed as if the thought worried him.

"Dorothea loves you like a daughter," Stephen said, "She would do anything you asked of her, but I know she is starting to feel her age. I know it seems she has an ever-lasting energy about her but try not to put too many demands on her time," Stephen was careful with his tone keeping it neutral.

"I love her so much for all she has done for me and all the advice she gives me. She never judges or commands, she just talks and by the time she is done, everything is alright with the world again," Bella smiled.

"She is a wise woman; it is why so many men heed her advice as well. I remember a time when she really scolded Mel," he gave a chuckle. "I think that was the first time I saw him back down from the stance he had taken." Bella laughed with him. She couldn't imagine Mel is not being in total control of everything he did.

"Back to the original topic," Stephen said. "Now that you have taken steps to move on with your life it might be time to consider what you will do with the apartments you own, particularly if you are considering moving."

"I own apartments?" Bella chewed her lip and tried to remember. So much had been said about what Mel had gifted her in his will that she had forgotten the details. She knew she had a great deal of wealth along with shares in both his company and the club. She could not remember any tangible assets.

"Mel did not leave you homeless. His half of the third floor is yours, though you refused to stay there, and Rob moved your room to the one beside his apartment," Stephen explained patiently jogging her memory.

"Who is living in them now? I wouldn't want to disturb anyone," she wasn't sure she was ready to face those rooms again, but it was something that would need to be done, she guessed.

"No one lives there. They are as they were when Mel alive. Jake and I occasional sleep there if we have back to back shifts. In the last month I have been staying there more often so I can be available as one of your guardians now," Stephen explained. "If you wanted to you could gut the entire floor and start from scratch like you did with your office."

Bella chewed her lip not saying anything but rather deep in thought, dreading the time she would have to face all of those memories. She had obviously blocked out the knowledge that the apartments were hers thinking that they, as part of the building would now belong to the club. She remembered now that she thought about it that there were a gym and a spa on the top floor that she had also totally forgotten about. Maybe she wasn't doing as well at getting her life back on track as she thought she was. She needed to put more time into personal life along with the work and lifestyle balance.

"Are you all right?" Stephen asked wondering if he had pushed her too far.

"Yes, sorry I was just thinking about juggling," Bella gave a short laugh. Stephen gave her a quizzical look but let the silence resume in the car as he took a turn off for Sanctuary Cove.

They skirted around the Marina and resort where Bella knew the shopping centre to be and continued on a little used narrow road that ran parallel to the shoreline.

"I thought we were going to Sanctuary Cove," Bella said softly.

"We are. I told you I had an errand to run here," Stephen said. "Do you know how Sanctuary Cove got its name?"

Bella saw a large stone building come into view that was reminiscent of the churches of Italy with its stone towers and spires. "Because of that church?" she pointed ahead.

"Monastery actually, but yes," Stephen nodded. "In the days of the penal colonies out on the islands in the bay, those who made the swim to shore alive would be given sanctuary here." He pulled the car up on a gravel drive. "An abbey was added at some time but no actual church, just a small chapel."

"It looks like a lot of things were added over time," Bella said as she stepped from the car looking up to survey the large building that was obviously under renovation. Stephen took her hand and guided her past the scaffolding to the side of the building where he was greeted warmly.

"Welcome home Sir Stephen, the old girl is coming along nicely. She's weather tight now, just some cosmetic touches to enhance her beauty, and we will be done." The man turned to Bella with a smile, "It is a pleasure to behold such beauty, fair Lady," he brushed his dirt encrusted hand on his pants before taking hers and kissing it.

"Sir Jarod, knight of the Cove and stone mason extraordinaire," Stephen began the introduction formally, "May I present the Lady Bella, friend to the house of Cove."

"The pleasure is all mine fair lady," Jarod said releasing her hand.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Bella smiled amused by the archaic speech of Jarod and Stephen.

"Where's Pete?" Stephen asked. "He should have been expecting me."

"Where do you think?" Jarod motioned his head skyward, and Stephen chuckled.

"Why don't you give Bella the grand tour and I will go get him off the roof," Stephen smiled and turned to Bella. "I'll be back in a few minutes," then he began to climb the scaffolding and disappeared over the roof edge.

"Kane," Jarod called to the younger man who was standing some distance away, "Keep stirring the mix, so it doesn't dry out, we'll finish this later." Then he turned and placing a hand in the small of Bella back guided her back to the front of the building. "Bear in mind this is a work in progress my Lady," Jarod said as he open the large front door.

The initial rooms they walked through were large and cavernous, mostly due Bella thought to their unfurnished state. Cathedral ceilings loomed high above her, and enormous fireplaces filled space on the walls. As they progressed through the building, it became more liveable with furniture and warmth. The kitchen was obviously in use and a few women moved around the space preparing what appeared to be a meal for a small army.

"Do a lot of people live here?" Bella asked.

"Twenty to thirty people live here at any given time while the rebuild is on. The tradesmen oversee the work, and we hire in people who need the experience or retraining in a different field. Mostly the down on their luck or mildly disabled who need the opportunity to live independently. They get food and lodging and a small base wage while they are here. It's a good program, my off-sider out there, Kane, is a good lad. He's slow-witted, but he understands the stone and that's all I need," Jarod smiled.

"It sounds like a wonderful program, does a charity sponsor it?" Bella asked. They had walked almost the length of the ground floor to the inner courtyard and stopped momentarily as Jarod explained further.

"It's privately funded mostly, some donations and a biannual fund-raising event. There are several medieval re-enactment groups who will pay for the privilege of doing war on each other in a place like this or banquet together like old friends." He chuckled. "Of course up until year or so ago this place was a crumbling shell, the fundraising was barely enough to make the minor repairs to the structure so that it didn't come down on our heads."

"What happened a year ago?" Bella asked fascinated by the place and the story Jarod was telling.

"The wife and I made a deal with Stephen that if he kept the integrity of the sanctuary and what we were trying to do to help those people who couldn't help themselves he could buy it from us, and we would stay on as care-takers," Jarod said.

"Sir Stephen owns this place?" Bella was incredulous. "He's always in the city, how does he find time to oversee it all."

"He does his best, the wife and I take care of most things and his brother, Pete, lives here with us. Pete's a good kid just a bit quirky," Jarod seemed to think about his description but said no more. "Anyway, with the big injection of funds things have moved right along. This place is being rebuilt from the bottom up."

"It's amazing," Bella said. "I visited some castles in Italy last year, and this is on par with them."

"I think the founders were Benedictine monks, from somewhere in Europe, I have a feeling it was Germany though," he scratched at his chin. "The wife keeps all that history stuff; she will know."

Jarod pointed out the monk cells around the courtyard that had been renovated into small rooms for the workers with a shared bathroom close at hand. The two side towers belonged to the brothers and Jarod and his wife lived in the one at the rear. They ascended to the second floor which turned out to be an odd rabbit warren of a place with poky rooms and storage areas. The people seeking sanctuary stayed here in this place. Most of them needing to be nursed back to health or comforted in their final days. It seemed the monks added to the building as was needed but Bella gasped with delight as she entered a centrally located round room with a domed roof that held a library.

It was here that Stephen finally caught up to them with his brother following along behind. "I'll get back to work then," Jarod said when he saw them, "Need to get that mortar on before it goes dry. Play nice now Pete," Jarod ruffled the young man's hair.

"I always play nice," Pete said as if he was confused.

"So you own this wonderful place," Bella said with a smile.

"Just my tower," Pete answered her. "But it's the best one so he can have the rest." He had indicated Stephen.

"Gee thanks," Stephen rolled his eyes. "Once it's all fixed up it will be just as good as your tower."

"Pffft, you wish," Pete retorted and looked at Bella again. Bella watched the two men together. Both were tall and broad, and there was no mistaking they were brothers but where Stephen large frame was filled with well-toned muscle Pete seemed leaner and wiry in contrast.

"Hi, I'm Bella," she held out her hand to Pete.

"I know who you are, Stephen told me," he looked at her hand but didn't take it. "I'm not stupid you know." He turned to look at Stephen, "I thought you said she was a princess, I can't believe you got me down here to meet a common girl. Where is her tiara, she should have a tiara at least."

"I only wear it at important event's, I think I have a photo with my mother and father where I am wearing it," she offered picking up her phone and scrolling the images she had stored there. Finding a picture from her parents party where she could be seen from the waist up only she passed him the phone. Stephen looked on with an odd smile.

"They look like a good and kind king and queen," Pete said as he studied the photograph. "Where is your castle located?"

"In Italy," Bella replied easily. "It is open to the public these days. I was never lucky enough to have a tower of my own."

"Can I see it on the internet?" Pete handed her back her phone.

"Yes, it's only a small castle, and my aunt and uncle still live close by, I was there just last year," she began to tell him of the small town and castle and he rushed off to look it up before she had finished speaking.

"Most people are not that good with him," Stephen chuckled. "He has Asperger's. It makes him a target in the real world."

"I went to school with a girl like that; she was obsessive about maps and travelling," Bella smiled. "Super smart though, she used to help me with my classwork. She had absolutely no filter though, said the first thing that came into her mind. Got her into a lot of trouble over the years, but I guess you know that with Pete." Stephen nodded with a crooked smile.

"He's happy here though," Stephen added. "Jarod and Sophie are good to him."

"What made you decide to turn a crumbling monastery into a castle?" Bella asked.

"One of the things Mel and I had in common was a love of medieval history. I just took it that one step further and joined the brotherhood of sword here at Sanctuary Cove. Then when I finally had the means to rebuild this place I made Jarod an offer he couldn't refuse," Stephen grinned. "Now I am Lord of the castle and all those that dwell within her."

"My Lord," Bella made an attempt at a courtesy.

"That will require some practise," Stephen said watching her critically as she giggled.

"It is good to see you relaxed enough to joke with me," he said with a smile.

"I think it is the nature of our roles in each other's lives that the opportunity has not existed before," she said. "You have always been there to watch and report back. This afternoon I am not being tested or trained, I am not under scrutiny for anything except maybe my taste in books and movies when we finally go shopping."

"It is not just a role, or a job. I care about you, Bella and because of that I will always watch over you and try to keep you safe," Stephen moved closer and stroked her cheek lightly. "I am sorry if I made you think otherwise."

Bella looked up speechlessly. Stephen was the stern authoritarian who meted out discipline and punishment when she required it. He escorted her as a body guard would and was austere and stern in his dealings with her. This softer side of him confused her, it was like meeting a whole new person and for an unknown reason it frightened her a little. She was saved from responding by Pete appearing in the doorway with his laptop.

"Look she told the truth, it's all here just like she said," Pete bubbled with excitement and looked up at Stephen. "She really is a princess isn't she?" Stephen chuckled and nodded.

They stayed some time at the castle as Stephen spoke with both Jarod and Sophie about several projects that were being undertaken. It seemed that time flew past all too quickly and pulling himself away from the place he seemed to love. Stephen and Bella bid everyone farewell and returned to the car.

*****

Bella and Stephen had been shopping for about an hour and a half when the shops finally began to shut. She had been enjoying the experience of getting to know Stephen in this usual setting. The tender touch of earlier that had confused and disconcerted her faded into the background as he discussed her purchases and choices with a dry wit that made her laugh.

As they walked back to the car, Stephen stopped at a small boutique and looked in the window before motioning for her to follow him inside. After talking briefly with the sales assistant, he selected a pale coppery pink corset style dress with heavy beading in lines following the bones of the corset.

"Try this on," Stephen held the dress out to Bella, who took it and looked at him curiously. "I thought as it is getting late I would take you to dinner before we went home." She looked down at what she was wearing and nodded moving to the change room.

"Yes, Sir Stephen," she said softly.

It fit her like a glove but was a little longer than she would usually wear with a pencil skirt falling mid-calf. Her diminutive size did not often lend itself to off the rack buying but the bodice fit perfectly. She stepped out of the changing room and spun for Stephen, who seemed to appraise her critically.

"We'll take it," Stephen said to the sales clerk, "She'll wear it now if you could place her other clothes in the box." He wrapped an arm around her waist and snapped the price tag off the garment with a jolt making Bella jump.

It was Bella's turn to stop when they had almost reached the car as she spotted a pharmacy still open that she knew carried her brand of cosmetics, or at least the brand she used to use. She bought several items and borrowed a mirror quickly to repair her make-up and her fingers through her curls.

Smiling she returned to Stephen, who had waited outside feeling more complete in the new dress now that she had done her make up. He took her hand and walked with her to the car. They drove for a while before pulling up in front of a brightly lit restaurant seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

"This restaurant survives merely on reputation alone," Stephen smiled. "It is among my favourite places to eat."

Despite it being early in the evening the restaurant was already quite crowded but Stephen was welcomed and shown to a table near the dance floor. Bella looked around at the opulence décor and was reminded of a stately ballroom in some English manor house. Bella deferred to Stephens experience and asked him to order for her, and they enjoyed the soft music and spoke quietly about her purchases and if she would like him to escort her on another shopping trip.

Bella explained that Jake, who had been unable to take her this time had offered to take her on Wednesday and was taken aback by the disappointment that showed briefly on Stephen's face. She wasn't sure if it was declining the shopping trip he proposed or if he realised that he had not been her first choice of shopping partner today. She felt a pang of guilt for not thinking before she spoke. The Stephen she had gotten to know today was very different from the one she had known for the last six months.

After the main course and before dessert Stephen took Bella's hand and led her onto the dance floor, the slow, soft music rose and fell around them as he expertly guided her across the floor. She felt weightless in his arms and allowed herself to become caught up in the moment leaning her head against his chest and hearing his heartbeat. The music slowed and came to an end, and she looked up at Stephen as he still held her close to his body.

His head lowered, and he kissed her gently, without force or depth but rather a chaste melding of lips that sent tingles down her spine. He then let her go abruptly and led her back to the table and their waiting dessert.

They ate silently; Bella still stunned by what she had felt, and Stephen trying to gauge her reaction without asking outright. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he excused himself momentarily seeing that it was Rob who was calling him. Bella watched as he stepped a few feet away toward the wall and conversed in hush tones.

"Dorothea had another episode. You need to bring Bella back now, how soon can you been here?" Rob voice sounded strained.

"If we leave now, we can be there in an hour," Stephen said his deep voice rumbling with concern not only for Dorothea but Bella.

"Good, she is stable but they want to operate first thing in the morning. Bring Bella straight to the hospital," he gave further directions and room number.