The Rich Guy

The Rich Guy - Chapter 1

Rosalind alighted the first floor and hurried down the corridor, aware she was breaking protocol, well Madeleine's protocol anyway.

She tried humbly to identify a bathroom but the corridor was so long and the doors to the rooms were enormous that it didn't look like there would be a bathroom on its own for guests.

Although it was called Brockenhurst Manor it was clearly in the wrong category thought Rosalind. The carpets and ornate fittings were extensive and lavish, and she suspected that behind each door she passed was a suite of rooms with a study area, lounge and en-suite.

Even for Rosalind, who had seen much of high society back in Warwickshire, Brockenhurst Manor was in a different league.

She felt like she'd walked too far and so she decided to give it up before she tried her luck and pushed open the wrong door to see another couple getting a quickie in before the dancing started.

She turned abruptly to head back and then stopped in her tracks as a man appeared before her, exiting one on the rooms into the hall.

'Sorry,' she mumbled, realising she'd almost collided with him.

He was tall and athletic with bright blue eyes and a mop of brown curls down to his chin. He'd loosened his bow tie and the top of his shirt was undone. His blazer hung over his arm and he casually placed one hand in his smart tailored trouser pocket and smiled at her.

'No problem. Are you looking for a bathroom?'

'Er, yes,' said Rosalind, regaining her composure. 'There's two guests shagging in ours. Oh ...' She blushed violently aware how rude her explanation for wandering the halls sounded.

The man chuckled and his eyes crinkled. He wasn't offended at all but Rosalind was too embarrassed to laugh along.

'That's unfortunate, people get silly at weddings don't they?'

'Not all of them, but there's always someone who lets the rest down I suppose.'

The man acknowledged her theory with a nod. 'Well I'm afraid the nearest bathroom on this floor is miles away but you're welcome to use mine, however you probably don't want to go into a room alone with a man you've never met.'

Rosalind smiled. He was obviously trying to be helpful, but he was correct.

'Um,' she said, trying to think of a polite response.

'I'll show you where the bathroom is,' he said kindly, gesturing for her to follow him.

Rosalind followed, she felt like she ought to have declined, if Madeleine caught wind of her hassling the guests she'd have something to say about it, but it was nice to step away from the chaos of the kitchen for a few moments, and the guy seemed alright.

'Have you had a good shift?' he said politely.

'Not too bad, I'm about four hours in. I'm on until three in the morning though.'

'Oh dear. That sounds like torture. Will you get a break?'

'Probably, in a couple of hours at about ten o'clock.'

'Well, I hope it's a decent break and that you get to put your feet up.'

Rosalind chuckled. 'It's highly unlikely, there's not really anywhere to sit, except on the back steps.'

He adjusted his pace slightly to accommodate her shorter stride then glanced at her curiously.

'Have we met before?' he said.

'I don't think so,' said Rosalind, searching her memory banks just in case they had met before. It didn't happen very often, but every now and then she'd bump into an old peer and the initial pleasantries would turn into enquiries and commiserations about her new, much less affluent life. Occasionally she'd get the rude question about how much longer her parents had left in gaol.

'You seem familiar,' he said, as he too searched his memory.

Rosalind's stomach churned at the thought of being recognised, but she was pretty sure she'd never met this extremely good-looking man before.

'I'm afraid, I don't recognise you,' she said politely.

'And I'm afraid my brain is on overload, the amount of people I've met here today.'

They'd turned the corner at the end of the very long hall. 'Just through there,' said the man, gesturing to a small discreet door tucked away from the main hall.

'Thank you,' said Rosalind, with a smile.

The man smiled.

'Er, regarding your break later, if you'd like somewhere to sit there's a hammock in the midnight garden. I've just come from there and since most of the guests here are more interested in getting hammered, I'm sure you'll find it on the quiet side.'

'Oh, thank you. I might try that.'

'Wait, what's your name?'

Rosalind nodded politely, 'oh, my name's Rosalind, what's yours?'

'I'm Jay, Rosalind, it was a pleasure to meet you.' He smiled again and nodded farewell.

Rosalind watched him go and wondered why everyone couldn't be as polite as he was. Never mind. She opened the bathroom door carefully and switched on the light. Thank goodness—no unpleasant surprises.