The Master's Child のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 131 - チャプター 140

JamesI watch from the doorway: my Jade-Eyes, in the nursery with the daughter she gave me, rocking her, cooing over her, talking to her.She doesn't see me, engrossed with Cara. Our baby goos and gurgles at her mother, a tiny hand reaching for a long copper lock of Charlotte's hair, swinging loose draping over Cara's creamy wrap.So beautiful...Both so beautiful...I think Charlotte must have just given Cara her feed. She still has the towel over her shoulder she uses when she's burping her. Even from here, the towelling looks damp. The top she's wearing, not quite buttoned up, is stained too.As I watch, Charlotte rises from the rocking chair her mother painted so beautifully for her, lays Cara in her cot and brushes herself down. As she turns to drop the shoulder towel into a laundry basket, she sees me."Oh!" And then she laughs. "Sorry, Master. I didn't see you there.""I was enjoying watching you."She looks towards the cot, eyes alight. "I know I'm her mother,

JamesShe looks stunning. I know Charlotte's been worrying about her size. Today's little episode has only been the most recent example of that worry. And it's not escaped my notice that she's been putting in plenty of exercise.Still, her choice of the green silk bodice, emphasising her rapidly normalising figure, is inspired...Wonder when she bought it?With the other outfit maybe...Does she really believe that I find her unattractive?Or that Michael does?Time for some re-education...Richard delves into a pocket. "I have something for you, Charlotte."She blinks. "Sir?""A gift. Actually, a gift from Elizabeth too." He glances towards his vastly pregnant wife. "She asked that I get it for you. She would like to see you wearing it." He produces a small bag, green velvet, with a draw-string fastening, something small but bulky inside."Here..." He offers it to her. Her hand half-held out, she looks to me, as though unsure whether she should take it."Charlo

KlempnerThe hottest part of the day... hot enough to have driven me indoors... In a coolish corner at Antonio's, my back to the wall, I can sit behind my newspaper but see everything around me.Scouring the daily papers for starting points and clues, then following through with my phone and tablet, my researches are yielding a clear picture of rival gangs, the growing power of organised crime in Sao Paulo and, threaded through it all, hints of where I might find my target.Photos, references, events, are all building a picture.A woman, clawing her way to the top, leaving a trail of male corpses behind her. The details vary: sometimes a shootout between rival gangs. Sometimes an 'accident', brake-failure. An overdose of cocaine crops up twice. One has died of some kind of poisoning, although there's no details on what kind. Outright assassination, a bullet in the forehead seems almost too obvious for her methods.Inconveniently, the newspapers fail to publish her home addres

MichaelThe kitchen seems as good a place as any to wait. Given the endless supply of tea and coffee needed, why go anywhere else?Charlotte sits by the fire. "It's going to feel funny having a brother for Cara.""Not exactly a brother," says her mother. Mitch is on a knitting spree again, this time, a small blue hat.Charlotte ponders. "True, but Adam will feel like a brother, won't he."James puts a bottle of Cava in the fridge. "Something to celebrate with," he says."We'll need more than one..." I say... "... And... it's Richard we're talking about. I'll pop across to the hotel and get some champagne." He opens his mouth to protest and I hold up warding hands. "I know, it's the same, but Richard would prefer it. And it's his and Beth's day. Why don't you make sure we have plenty of ice for the bucket." "You're right." James lifts the lid of the freezer, rummaging inside."...Then you could make a pot of tea to take upstairs. If you give Richard any more coffee, the

MichaelJames looks sick at heart. "They sent an email to Charlotte which appeared to come from me. And so of course, she responded to it. And because there was nothing amiss with any of the content and the link was to a trustworthy website, there was nothing for her security to pick up on..."Whoever did this, they've hacked a completely legitimate company, a supplier of lingerie and other perfectly innocent goods. Charlotte could have worked her way all around that website and the only damage would have been the spend on her credit card, until she hit that single image. And they ensured she would hit it by making it look like a request from me."After that, Charlotte replied to my email and I clicked it open. The fucking thing infected my system and I didn't spot a thing because I wasn't paying attention.""I don't follow all this," I say. "So what's this infection done, James?"He sucks at his cheeks, as though trying to work up saliva. Then, speaking as though making a co