Things were escalating and getting out of hand. A hand touched her shoulder, making her spring to her feet and away from that contact that felt as tho...gh she was being branded like a steer on the ranch."Please, don't. I can stand it." Reasoning quickly, Linda added, "Not tonight, please... " I just wanted-" I know, Nikki. I know... Let's just go to bed and get some sleep. I'll talk to the twins tomorrow."Linda wanted to fall asleep, but strange thoughts were swirling through her head. The. I told them of my threat to complain about the Inspector but that I had decided against it, partly because of the type of case he was investigating but mainly because I thought it would do little good. Both women offered their support if I did decide to take the matter further. Another hour was spent discussing my injuries and being forced to display some of the worse ones.The next few days passed in a bit of a painkiller induced haze. I had numerous guests, more than I’d had in the entire. ......therewere piles of dirty crockery everywhere. "You can get that lot cleared away and then you can cook us some dinner.Pasta and chilli, and it had better be on the table by 5.30 or you'll be forit" and with that the two women returned to the lounge. Looking at the clock she realised that there was no time to be wasted andimmediately set to clearing up. As she finished the first bowl of dishes sherealised that she hadn't said anything since arriving, not a word to try andget out of the. She had been young then. Only fifteen? Something like that. Your father had just started to train you for the throne, so she would be around eighteen to nineteen now. Maybe twenty at the oldest? She'd seemed young when you had met her, but that was a trait of her line. Back then, she had already been showing promises of beauty. Her hair had been copper coloured, and long. Vivid in tis colour. Her face had been refined, hinting at the adult she would become. You wondered if she had lived up to.