Secretaries 4

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

The Rote family & Bethany Cartwright copyright Mr. Simon Barber. Used with permission.

Part Four - Final

Nancy and Alpha Rote had long departed before Louise Witherspoon was healed enough to travel herself. She had eventually spent over three weeks in her borrowed bed. For her tail infection had proven to be stubborn, and required that her mink hostess bring in a much trusted family doctor. Almost three weeks after the initial lancing the half breed squirrel/chipmunk finally staggered carefully onto her feet without help from Georgia or William Rote. Mr. Rote had been informed of their secret visitor the night of his return, and had made excuses to remain home after everything was delicately explained to him.

Including the marriage of his daughter to a certified Cranium Island Mad Scientist. Louise though had been kept out of that family conversation and many more after, but enough had spilled over in her conversations with the two women who had saved her that Louise knew it had been a rocky road for a while. That his daughter had an interest in women the older Rote could easily accept, as both his dearly departed, and his present wife had the same interest. But to actually marry a woman. That had been a shock. Yet over the following days acceptance had replaced anger, and little Alpha had been finally been fully accepted into the family. Privately, for Nancy’s situation could easily destroy his political career, should it become known. But accepted.

Louise’s own situation had been child’s play after Nancy and Alpha’s had been cleared up. The friendly, but quiet Doctor who had saved her tail had been involved into whatever conversation had occurred. Finally Mr. Rote had entered the small bedroom Louise was in and sat down. He had, Louise noted with some humor, a very difficult time at first ignoring her raised tail, currently held up by a cloth rope tacked to the ceiling, and the very shapely legs that were attached to it. Her current situation had her laying on her stomach, the makeshift cloth binding holding her tail up so that her wound could heal, leaving everything from her waist down fully exposed. She needed the air her Doctor had explained.

“You don’t mind me seeing all that” William Rote asked, waving with one paw at her lower body while setting his cup of coffee aside with the other.

“Maybe a little, yes” she admitted. “But after what was done to me, does it really matter? If you want me, take me. I’m not a real woman anymore. Just a warm body to be used when needed.” Even with all her battle against being broken, Louise had discovered that some things within her had shattered beyond easy recovery. Any feelings of self value being one of them. Alpha had examined her in that strange way the shrew had, finally announcing that it would take many years for her to recover fully. But she would, eventually.

“I don’t do that Miss Witherspoon” William had answered. “And that isn’t why I am here. Though I will tell you that if anyone ever tells you that you are not attractive, they are damn liars. Now. You are going to be a secretary for my daughters?”

“They have accepted me, yes sir” she answered.

William Rote leaned back, carefully looking again at that fur on display. Other than her stained bandage the half-breed was very healthy looking. Very healthy. It was a strain not to take the young woman up on her offer. “Then I will accept you as part of my daughters life” he decided, pushing down his interest. Louise was a guest in his home, and had put her trust in him. As much as his dinosaur brain demanded he do one thing, his civilized brain carefully overruled it.

Taking a deep breath he turned his eyes to Louise’s face. “You are very desirable” he admitted. “Now that I have admitted my own weakness, it is time to turn to your problems. Miss Witherspoon, you have expressed a desire for ‘Louise Witherspoon’ to remain buried within Creekside’s cemetery. I have pondered over your reasons, and have come to the decision that this is the best option. There are at least four furs out there that know about you. Your sudden appearance, and with money, will have them after that pretty neck in minutes. With the destruction of the Charles Palace and Jameson’s Farm, along with the records found there, they have lost whatever bases they had in the county. Your death, most likely slow and very messy, would be their only hope for revenge. Even though it would be counter-productive to them in the long run.” He reached over to the desk Alpha had used only recently, so recently that her own scent still lingered. Picking up his coffee cup he took a drink before continuing.

“As Governor of this fair state, I do have some influence. A new set of identification papers will be here in the morning, along with a brand new passport. Never ask how that was managed, and never offer to repay anyone for it. I believe that the name you chose was Beta Louise Gordon. A play on Alpha’s maiden name perhaps?”

“Completely” Louise admitted. “It was her idea though.” Louise moved slowly, making it easer for her to look at Nancy’s father, and harder for him to view her quite bare buttocks and what was naturally uncovered by any fur. Angering Nancy was the very last thing Louise wanted to do. Seducing her father was certain to do that. “My other problems?” she asked softly.

“Exactly half of your money, under your new name, was deposited in the British Overseas Bank two days ago. It will be available to the Spontoon branch of that establishment by Friday. Monday next at the latest. Most of the rest has been put into the stock market, though it is still a bit wobbly at this moment. My man is known for making astute selections. I believe that AT&T, RCA, General Electric and a dozen or so other recovering companies were purchased.”

“And Katherine Winston sir?”

A grimace of distaste came to Mr. Rote at that name. “Her parents have placed her into a state run sanatarium. You good money on her rescue Louise. It was, I am afraid, a complete waste. Her parents have abandoned her, they simply could not accept what she had endured. What had happened too her. Though as with my dear Nancy, it was nothing of her own desire.”

Louise closed her eyes, thinking for a few moments. “Could I get a letter to her?”

“A message? Surely. The men you hired to rescue her are quite competent. They survived the War after all. A letter though? I don’t think so. It is a state run institution, and considering the state, which is not mine, I fear for her life. She is very pretty. What message would you like to send?”

“Ask her. Did she really love Louise Witherspoon. And if she says yes, would she vanish with her. Forever.”

Laughing, the Squirrel almost lost his remaining coffee. “You are as bad as my Nancy. “ He sat his coffee down again. “But why?”

“No man would want me Mr. Rote. Other than as a toy. Those that would, I would not want. I learned something important from Bethany and Karen. A woman’s arms are not as comforting as a loving mans, but they are ten thousand times better than no arms at all.”

“I see. All right. I’ll return when I have information to pass on. Am I right in assuming that you will leave as soon as you are well, and that you will need another set of identification for this young woman?”

“Identification yes Mr. Rote. But simply healing my body isn’t enough. I need to learn how to walk again, and if Katherine does come here. I will need time to bring her out of whatever shell she is in. At least long enough to travel to Spontoon.”

Standing, William Rote smiled at the helpless woman before him. “My wife says that you are healing well. I look forward to your joining us at meals.”

“Dressed, or undressed sir?”

William laughed. “My wife has been talking I see. When we are alone, Georgia sometimes wears only her fur for dinner. But dressed please. It would be the proper thing to do.”

“Proper. Yes” Louise agreed. As her left she smiled gently. “But I am no longer a proper Lady dear sir” she whispered. This was something that she would have to speak to Georgia about. What was it, she wondered, about William Rote. His very presence had sent her heart racing, raised her body temperature. Made her want to open her body for him. Just as being alone with Nancy had. Was that how Nancy had captured Alpha so quickly? Was there some eldritch power in the Rote bloodline? Working for Nancy Rote the rest of her life, certainly she would eventually discover their secret.

William Rote though would be shocked that second supper, when he walked into the dining room to find his wife, and their visitor, quite in the fur. It was a surprising event. And the entertainment that, and other nights to follow even more so. Though Louise always slept in her bed alone.

A month more passed before Miss Beta L. Gordon and her traveling companion, one Miss Sandra G. Azrua, arrived at the Creekside train station. Traveling with them were both Mr. & Mrs. Rote, as they were all headed to the capital. There Gordon and Azrua would say their goodbyes and catch a train to San Fran. From there a tourist ship to Spontoon. Spontoon, and a completely new life for the two of them. They would arrive only weeks before Nancy and Alpha were due to return.

“Passports please” a tired raccoon asked of the two women who stepped up to his window. As two brand new passports were placed before him he glanced up, and groaned. Two more American women. Come to Spontoon for a marriage no one would accept in America. Wouldn’t they ever learn? Opening the books he started looking for clues that they might be false.

Marriage though, was the very last thing on either Gordon or Azrua’s minds.

A week later Beta was standing before a heavy desk, an older female bobcat sitting across from her. “You claim that you work for the Rotes” the twenty-seven year old bobcat asked. Her people had notified her of this Americans subtle attempts to locate her. She had been using contacts Nancy had been given, explaining her need to locate ‘Mrs. Rotes native employer.’ For a week she had been kept under watch, and in all that week she approached no one that Nancy would not have known. Nor did a search of her room at the McGee resort find anything worrisome. Only a letter of introduction that could have been to anyone, except for the special code words that Elizabeth had given Nancy to use. Elizabeth though, had given no name for her visitor to use.

“I do Mam” the half breed before her answered. Beta stood quite still, her paws held in front of her. Not that for a moment Elizabeth Sapohatan believed that the name this woman was using had been given her at birth. Then there was that scarring one of the McGee girls had spotted. “I have been employed as the Rotes secretary and research assistant.”

“As your letter tells me. And the rather vacant minded young vixen with you?”

“Sandra is not empty minded Mam. She is very intelligent, talented as well. She wished to become an actress, until she was bound by a drug. I have helped her come out of her shell, yet I do admit that I need professional help to return her fully to this world.”

“And what drug would this be Beta? Opium?”

“I do not known Mam. Only that, for her. One moment she was with friends at a diner, the next it was years later. Years Mam, and she remembers nothing. Not even the pain that had to have been, what with the removal of all her claws, and a brand only I and a pawfull of others know the placement of.”

Elizabeth started. Could it be that drug? Was their another source for it? “Tell me Miss Gordon. When she awoke from the drugs, did she try to scratch through her fur?”

“She tried to rip her pelt off” Beta answered. “I was not there, for I was ill myself. A friend of her’s arranged her escape, at some cost. I was told that the men who rescued her had to bind her, else even clawless she would have at least ripped all her fur out. Do you know what drug this is?”

“We have some experience with it, yes. And her captor.”

“Was left missing quite a bit of his brain I am informed. Along with all his guards. His home was left in flames I have been told. Please, do you know how to help Sandra? She is almost like a baby. I can only leave her alone when there is someone to watch her. For she has twice tried to kill herself. “

Elizabeth smiled, understanding now this woman. “For a price, yes. I think help can be made available.” She watched as the half-breed thought over her answer. Intelligent, very intelligent the Bobcat decided.

Beta took a deep breath, then gave her answer. “As long as it does not harm her, and does not impact my duties or loyalty to the Rotes. Name your price.”

Standing, Elizabeth approached the waiting half-breed. “Information. I want to know who you both really are, and exactly what happened to both of you. Plus anything, and I mean anything that you might know about this drug. Is that too high a price Miss Gordon?”

“Not at all Mam.”

“My name is Mrs. Elizabeth Sapohatan. Say that name in public and your pretty little throat will be slit ear to ear before you take two steps further. Your girlfriends as well. If you understand, and accept this. Start talking. There are three others listening, and they are very fast transcribers.”

“Yes Mrs. Sapohatan.”

And Beta began talking. Eventually a chair was brought, then water, finally food. It was very late in the evening when Beta Gordon found herself back at the McGee resort. Back, and with orders to travel to Main Island with her friend in the morning. To go to a place called the Great Stone Glen. A woman named Oharu would help her. If not her, no one.

While Sandra was being treated there was a building to locate, crates to recover from the customs shed. An office and laboratories to set up. Though Beta knew little of Chemistry and such, she knew how to read instructions. By the time Nancy and Alpha returned to Spontoon, their office was ready. Clean and spotless, with the vixen now called Sandra carefully cutting out newspaper articles that their secretary, now known as Beta, carefully placed into scrapbooks.

All was ready. Their greatest surprise though was to discovery a well known bobcat in Songmarks first year. That though is a story for another time.