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Chapter 19: Rose

Rita yawned, squeezing Ellie close. She recognized Edgar's scent, and her eyes popped open: Ellie wasn't there. Rita felt a sinking feeling in her stomach and lifted her right hand; the empty end of the pair of handcuffs dangled in front of her face, open. Rita's eyes focused on the sleeping pine marten as the flames of anger leapt in her chest. Edgar. Grabbing the pine marten roughly, she rolled him onto his back and threw herself on top of him, pinning him by the arms.

Rita snarled into the sleepy pine marten's face, "Where is she?"

Edgar's black eyes popped the rest of the way open, and he stared up at her fearfully. "Sh-she's gone," he whimpered.

Baring her teeth, Rita leaned in until her snout was nearly touching his face. "Gone where?" she growled.

"I-I d-don't know!" Edgar stammered.

"You did this!" Rita accused. "She didn't escape; you let her go!"

The pine marten swallowed nervously. "I, I did, Your Grace," he whined.

Rita was shocked he'd admitted it so easily, but she didn't let it show. "I could kill you for

this," she snarled. "I could skin you alive!"

Edgar trembled underneath her, "I-I'm sorry, Your Grace. I had to," he whimpered. "Why?!"

"B-because Ellie's my friend. I had to help her."

His friend. So Edgar did care about the rabbit, and he'd chosen his loyalty to Ellie over

his loyalty to her. Rita was angry at herself for trusting him, and she was hurt by the infidelity of the person who'd seemed to be the most devoted of her servants. Rita shook her head bitterly, "You chose her over me. Why are you still here?"

"I-I didn't choose her!" Edgar protested in distress. "I love you! I, I just couldn't see Ellie miserable. You'll always have me, Your Grace!"

Rita felt her anger ebbing to a simmer, "You betrayed me, Edgar. You'll never have my complete trust again."

Edgar nodded nervously, "I-I understand, Your Grace."

"But I understand you felt you owed Ellie; she helped you after the estate was attacked. You're even now. I'll get them back, her and Jason, and I won't be giving you another chance to betray me. But if, somehow, you ever manage to help them escape, I will kill you. Is that clear, Edgar?" she finished in a low, warning growl.

"Y-yes, Your Grace."

Rita flopped over onto her back beside the pine marten, turning her head away from him. "Now get out of my bed," she growled. "And don't expect to be welcome in it anytime soon."

She felt Edgar scrambling off of the bed and watched angrily as he hurried into the other room. She sighed frustratedly. You can't trust anyone.

Rita was still lying listlessly in bed when Rose exited the other room.

She looked at Rita worriedly, "Are you going to work today, Your Grace?"

Rita groaned as she pushed herself up; she still had duties to attend to. She thrust her

legs over the edge of the bed and dropped onto the cold marble. Edgar had left the handcuff key beside her clutch on the dresser, and Rita shuffled over and removed the handcuffs from her wrist.

"Is the rabbit gone?" Rose asked nervously.

Rita nodded. "She's gone," she muttered grumpily.

"D-didn't she want to be your pet?" Rose asked curiously.

Rita heard an odd, cheerful cadence in Rose's voice and turned her head to scrutinize

the red squirrel. Is she mocking me?

Rose quickly turned her eyes to her feet. She shuffled them nervously, "I-I'm sorry, Your

Grace. I can see you're upset. The, the truth is I," she met Rita's gaze. "I was terribly jealous!" she blurted.

Rita stared at her in shock, "You were?!"

Rose looked back at her feet and nodded sheepishly, "Y-yes, Your Grace."

Does she want to be my pet instead? Rita contemplated the squirrel. While Rose had

always been shy, Rita liked her well enough. And I wasn't able to kill her. Maybe she liked her more than she realized. "Are you saying you'd like to be my pet?" she inquired curiously.

Rose looked up at her hopefully, "W-would you want me?"

Rita wasn't sure. She didn't feel the same about Rose as she did Ellie. She wouldn't be a replacement. "Why do you want this?" Rita probed. "You comprehend what it means, yes? You would belong to me, forever."

Rose shuffled her feet, swishing her bushy tail back and forth behind her head. "I, um, I just thought it must be wonderful to, to be with someone so wise a-and brave and beautiful! I don't care if I'm your pet; I just want to be with you!"

Rita smiled, pleased to have engendered such overwhelming desire in someone, in prey no less! "We'll consider it," she replied indulgently. "I'll have a contract prepared. If we can agree to the terms and you're willing to leave Maplesburg and reside at my estate, then I suppose I wouldn't object to acquiring another pet. I do intend to get Ellie back though, and Jason. You won't have me all to yourself."

"B-but I'll be with you, and, um, you'll hold me, won't you?" Rose asked anxiously.

Rita grinned and nodded, "If you're content to be my toy, I'm sure you'll be very happy." Rose smiled shyly, "Thank you, Your Grace. I'll do my best to be whatever you want me

to be."

Rita grinned even wider, "I'm sure you will," she replied amusedly.

Rita was quite tickled by the entire exchange, and it went a long way to dull the

bitterness of losing Ellie. Once they were in her office, she contacted her attorney. He was another red fox, a minor lord, who other members of the nobility often employed in preparing wills or settling minor disputes between them. Given her status and disinterest in the affairs of others, Rita rarely had need of his services. Even now, she could have done without; however, she had decided that permitting Rose to sign her life away would be an appropriate test of her devotion. If she wavered, Rita would reject her.

Rita had completed the call and was hanging up the shiny black office phone when she noticed Rose peering at her furtively. Rita turned her head to make eye contact with the squirrel and smiled pleasantly, "Having trouble concentrating this morning, Rose?"

Rose looked down at her desk, "N-no, Your Grace."

"I can have Miguel bring us some coffee if you're feeling sleepy. Perhaps you had a lot on your mind last night," Rita intoned suggestively.

"N-no thank you, Your Grace. I'm not tired," she squeaked.

"Would you like to come sit with me a moment?"

The squirrel's head shot up, and she stared at Rita in shock. "C-can I, Your Grace," she stammered.

Rita sat back in the springy mesh office chair and patted her left thigh, "Just for a moment."

The squirrel jumped up and scurried across the room. Rita bent down to grab the tiny squirrel under the arms and lifted her into her lap, sitting Rose on her left thigh. Thus situated, the top of Rose's head only came to the middle of Rita's chest. She was much smaller even than Ellie, perhaps only six-tenths of a pound in weight to Rita's twelve. Rita gently stroked her three middle fingers between the squirrel's tufted ears. Her rusty fur was coarse, not kit-soft like Ellie's. Rose leaned her head back to gaze up at Rita. Her dark eyes were wide and a little fearful, but her glowing admiration shone through.

"It's gratifying to provoke such adoration in my subjects," Rita divulged. "Tell me, were these feelings instigated by my affection for Ellie, or had they been brewing for some time?"

"B-before. I, um, truthfully, Your Grace, I've known since the first day, or almost."

"It was love at first sight then, hmm?" Rita jested.

"N-not quite, Your Grace. Of course, um, I'd heard about you before, and I, um, I very

much admired you for what you'd done. But it wasn't until we were, uh, downstairs together, with the records. I, uh--it was foolish--I thought you were going to eat me when you took me down there in the dark. I-I was terrified, but afterward, I, um, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And after a while, I realized that, that I wished you had kissed me!"

Rita stared down at the squirrel contemplatively. Her instincts had been correct in sensing the danger if not the ultimate outcome of that tenebrous encounter, but somehow, after avoiding the grisly fate she'd expected, her erstwhile emotions had been supplanted, rescripted: mortal tension had become romantic. Was it her mind's way to rationalize what had happened, or had her peril itself awoken those deeper feelings? She was a peculiar prey to say the least; it would be stimulating to explore her proclivities further. Rita bent down to touch her snout between Rose's ears.

"Perhaps it's not the kiss you want," she murmured. "But I appreciate your being honest with me. It seems you can be very forward once you're seated in my lap."

Rose stiffened nervously, "I-I'm sorry, Your Grace! I didn't mean to be impertinent!"

Rita gently petted her head, "Don't worry, Dear. Why don't you head back to your desk, and we can discuss it more later if you're so inclined."

Rose quickly scooted off of Rita's leg, dropping her own height to the floor before scurrying back to her desk.

Rita's attorney worked quickly. It was likely that he'd set aside whatever he'd been doing to prepare the contract right away. There were advantages to being among the upper echelons of the nobility; and given her disdain for her peers, Rita was all too happy to take them. She read over the contract he'd prepared and then printed it off. Upon returning to her office from the printer, she set the form on Rose's desk and crouched down to address the diminutive squirrel.

"Our contract is ready," Rita informed her. "Take a few minutes to read it over, and then we can discuss whether to amend it."

"Th-this will make me your pet?" Rose asked anxiously. Rita nodded, and the squirrel grabbed a pen.

"I'll sign!"

"Just a moment, Dear!" Rita pulled the paper away. "We need a notary to witness our signatures, but first, I want to make sure you read it. It isn't long, only a page."

Rose nodded, and Rita returned the form to her. She watched attentively as the squirrel read the text; she wanted no sign of doubt.

After a minute or two, Rose looked up from the contract resolutely, "I'll sign it, Your Grace."

"There's nothing you'd wish to alter?" Rita pressed.

Rose shook her head.

Rita smiled, "Very well, let's ask your aunt where we might find someone to notarize this

for us."

Rose's tufted ears lay down against her head, and she shrank in her seat. "D-do we

have to tell her?" she whined.

Rita gave her a curious look, "Does that bother you?"

Rose looked at the desk, "I, I don't know," she mumbled.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

Her head shot up, "No, Your Grace! I'm, um, just afraid Aunt Heather won't understand." "You're afraid you'll disappoint her," Rita concluded.

Rose nodded miserably, eyes downcast.

"Well then," Rita piped cheerfully. "We won't tell her what it's for! Do you think she'd be

pleased if you were to become my personal assistant full-time at my estate."

Rose smiled slightly, looking up a little, and nodded again.

Rita smiled warmly, "Let's go see her then."

Rita took the contract and led the red squirrel to Heather's office.

The older red squirrel looked up in surprise as they entered, "Your Grace! Did you need

something?"

"We're in need of a notary. Rose has accepted a full-time position with me, and we need

to sign her employment contract."

Heather's face lit up with a pleased smile, and she looked at Rose proudly. "It seems

you've made quite an impression with Her Grace," she chirped. "I'm sure your parents will be proud to hear you've been offered such a prestigious position! And right out of college too!"

Rose smiled shyly and nodded.

"I believe it will be a very advantageous arrangement for the both of us," Rita declared theatrically. "Do you know a notary we might employ?"

Heather scrunched up her nose dubiously, "I've never heard of an employment contract that requires a notary," she replied with some concern.

"When you have a position such as my own, you must take every precaution," Rita replied haughtily.

Rita didn't really care whether Heather read the contract, but she had decided to attempt to spare Rose's feelings. A pompous display of offense would either provoke Heather into demanding to read the contract or annoy her into sending them away as quickly as possible. Fortunately, it produced the latter effect.

Heather rolled her eyes. "I think Terrance can do that," she told them snippily. "If not, he should know someone. I still think it's ridiculous. Hiring someone isn't a life-altering event."

Rita smiled amusedly at the irony of Heather's complaint. "Perhaps not," she conceded. "I apologize for my ostentatious behavior. Thank you for your help, Heather."

The squirrel nodded tersely, and Rita ushered Rose out of the room and to Terrance's office.

The gray fox smiled at them pleasantly as they entered, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your ladies' visit?" he asked smoothly.

Rita returned a pleasant smile, "We have a contract we need notarized. Rose here has decided to take a new path in life, and we've come to this little agreement."

Terrance smiled warmly at the squirrel before nodding to Rita. "I can handle that," he stated. "Is it ready? Shall I read it over before you sign?"

"It's not filled in yet," Rita informed him. "Do you have a pen?"

He motioned to a cylindrical wire basket full of pens, "Take your pick."

Rita selected a pen and handed it, along with the form, to Rose. "Print your name where

it says, but don't sign it yet," she instructed.

Rose looked around worriedly.

"Use these," Terrance grabbed a stack of thick, maroon and black bound books from the

packed bookshelf behind him and carried them around his desk to set them on the floor for the squirrel.

Rose smiled shyly before setting the form on top of the makeshift desk. Once she had filled in her name, she handed the form and pen back to Rita. Rita dropped the pen in the basket and handed the contract to Terrance, who smiled politely. The gray fox began to read over the contract, and as he did, his expression shifted from amused to baffled to disturbed.

He looked up from the form uncomfortably, "Is this some kind of joke, Your Grace?" Rita smirked, "Not at all. Is there something wrong?"

He picked the contract up and read aloud, "'I, Rose Fletcher, hereby submit my life,

possessions, mind, body, and soul to the Duchess of Gooseberry, Rita Belmont, and irrevocably waive all constitutional and natural rights to which I may at present or in the future be otherwise entitled, including my right to future litigation against the Duchess of Gooseberry, Rita Belmont. I, Rose Fletcher, affirm that I have not been coerced nor has any compensation been offered to myself or any other person in relation to this contract.'" He set the form down and looked at them blanky. "That's only the worst bit."

"I think that part about her soul is meant as a joke," Rita stated lightly.

"This isn't a joke! If she signs this, she's agreeing to become your slave!" Terrance barked angrily.

Rita shrugged, "Slave, pet, whatever you call it, she knows what she's doing."

"I want to speak with her without you here, and I want Heather here as well!" Terrance demanded.

"N-not my aunt!" Rose cried. "I-I'll talk to you, but not her!"

Terrance frowned at her a moment before nodding his head once, "Alright." He looked at Rita darkly, "Please step away, Your Grace. I'll call your office when we're through."

Rita bobbed her head in agreement and trotted out of Terrance's office. It was immaterial to her whether he convinced Rose not to sign. She could always get another pet. Rita returned to her office and sent Miguel to fetch her an iced latte.

Rita was slurping the dregs of her latte when Terrance arrived with Rose. He hadn't called as he'd said, and Rita knew instantly from his haggard expression which way the discussion had gone. She smiled amusedly as he dolefully set the contract on her desk. Rose's signature was already present. With flourish, Rita signed her name, agreeing to take possession of the squirrel. She checked the printed entries and dates then turned the form around for Terrance to sign. The miserably drained tod added his signature without comment. Rita took back the contract, examined his contribution, and smiled amiably.

"Thank you, Terrance," she chirped.

Terrance scowled and turned toward the door.

"You're wrong, you know," Rita called.

Terrance turned around to stare at her in disbelief. "Wrong?" he growled. "I just let a

twenty-three-year-old consign herself to slavery! That's what's wrong!"

"You understand the technicalities, but you misunderstand the intention," Rita rejoined. "I

don't plan to mistreat her. She wished to live with me; this arrangement was agreeable to both of us."

"Someone can live with you without being your slave!" Terrance shot back. "It's monstrous to take advantage of her feelings like this! What's she going to do when she realizes this was a mistake?!"

"You assume I'd want her to be miserable. If she decides this was wrong, perhaps I'll release her from our agreement."

"'Perhaps!'"

"It is my decision," Rita responded haughtily. "I'm growing weary of our exchange, Terrance; you may go. I only have so much patience for a sore loser."

Terrance scoffed, whipped around, and stomped out of the room.

Rita smirked at Rose, "It seems you upset him," she quipped.

Rose looked at her feet shyly, "I, um, I tried to explain it. I said I didn't care what I was so

long as you'd hold me. He didn't listen."

"He's blinded by his own preconceived notions," Rita replied soothingly. "Now if you like,

why don't you come sit with your new owner?"

Rose eagerly bounded around Rita's desk, and Rita bent down to scoop her up, holding

her in one arm with her hand under Rose's tail and rear. Rita booped her nose with her free hand.

"You know what? I think you're a very brave little squirrel arguing with a fox like that. I'm sure Terrance was very angry, and I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd been too afraid to disagree."

Rose smiled shyly, "I had to, Your Grace. To be with you."

Rita nuzzled her head. The squirrel's scent was reminiscent of cloves. "You won't regret it. It's quite a peaceful life on my estate. We'll read and play cards and go for rambles through the woods; you won't have anything to worry about: no bills, no work, no responsibilities. Perfect repose and room for the growth of our mutual affections."

"I love you already, Your Grace," Rose breathed. Rita petted her head, "I know you do, Dear."

Rose snuggled her head against Rita's shoulder and sighed contentedly, but their moment of peace was short-lived as a livid Heather charged through the door with Felicia on her tail.

"Rose, what have you done?!" the squirrel screamed in a shrill squeak.

Felicia lunged for Heather with a massive, sharp-clawed hand.

"Felicia, stop!" Rita barked quickly. "Leave us! Ms. Fletcher is merely in a state of shock!" The puma stopped an instant before closing the powerful hand that probably would have

crushed Heather and put her in a body cast if not killed her outright. Slowly, she stood with a scowl at Rita and then plodded out of the room. Heather nervously looked to see the puma retreating before turning back furiously toward Rita.

"How could you?!" she shouted.

Rita blinked, "She was just about to-"

"Don't play the idiot!" Heather snapped. "Terrance told me what that 'contract' was really

for! How could you make my niece your slave?!"

"It'll sound so much more reasonable if you say 'pet'," Rita answered lightly. "But 'how

could I?' I gave her exactly what she wanted."

"It's the same thing!" Heather shot back furiously. "And she doesn't want this! You

tricked her! I trusted you, and you tricked my niece into becoming your slave!" "Despite your insistence she was tricked, she hasn't asked me to rescind our

agreement," Rita returned mildly. "I think she understands perfectly, better than you."

"She's a child!" Heather screamed. "I thought she was adult enough to handle a simple

secretary job, but clearly, I didn't anticipate the depths of vulpine treachery!"

Rita frowned, "I didn't mean to betray you, Heather. I only didn't tell you beforehand

because Rose was embarrassed."

"Then rip it up!" Heather demanded. "Rescind your agreement!"

"Please don't," Rose whimpered.

Heather turned her glare to her niece, "I never thought someone of my blood could be so

stupid!" she growled. "Terrance tried to stop you, and you still signed your life away!" Rose whimpered again.

Rita sighed resignedly, "Come now, Heather. Don't be so hard on her. If I'm truly the evil genius who tricked your niece, then it mustn't be her fault. But if you believe she understands, then do you really think you know what's best for her better than she does?"

"Obviously, I do! I didn't want to think she couldn't make decisions for herself at this age, but clearly, common sense wasn't part of her college curriculum!"

Rita lifted the contract from her desk. "She is your niece. I don't wish to ruin our relationship. If you really believe you know what's best, I'll let you rip it up, and I'll consider our agreement null and void."

"N-no!" Rose cried. She reached for the document desperately.

"Give it to me," Heather growled.

Rita tossed the piece of paper, and it drifted down to the floor where Heather snatched it. "Aunt Heather! Please don't! I-I want to! I want to be her pet!" Rose wailed.

Heather glared at her, "This is for your own good," she growled. With that, she furiously

shredded the paper. When she was done, she was panting in a pile of confetti. Rita held the sobbing Rose to her chest, "I'm sorry, Dear," she whispered.

Heather seemed somewhat calmed by having destroyed the offending contract, but she scoffed disdainfully, "As if you really thought you were doing what's best for her!"

Rita looked down at the older red squirrel mildly, "I never said it was what's best; I merely stated it was what she wanted. But let me ask you this. Say I offered Rose a job as one of my servants. I may need to replace many of them when I return. Would you object to that?"

"Paid?" Heather asked suspiciously. "A real job she can quit when she likes?"

"Or be fired from," Rita confirmed. "All of my servants are provided with the basic necessities, but anything else, they must purchase with their salary."

"I would have been fine with that," Heather answered pointedly. "I don't trust you with her now."

"I promise we won't sign a contract like that again," Rita assured. "But you would have been fine with her toiling for a wage. What you object to is her receiving all the comforts I can offer for no work whatsoever, unless you consider being my companion work."

"I object to you robbing her of her freedom!" Heather shot back irately.

Rita shrugged, "What's freedom worth? Is it so valuable that someone shouldn't be able to trade it even if they want to? And freedom in what sense? If she has to work, is that freedom? I offered her another choice; you're the one who took that choice away."

"I'm not listening to your silver-tongued sophistry!" Heather snapped. "Leave my niece alone! As of today, she's no longer your personal assistant! Put her down! She's coming with me!"

Desperately, Rose grabbed fistfuls of Rita's white chest fur in her tiny hands. Rita winced as she pulled her away, and the squirrel collapsed when she set her on the floor. Rose covered her head with her arms and sobbed, her body shaking as she wept. Heather tromped around the desk and roughly lifted her niece to her feet.

"You're coming with me!" Heather repeated.

"N-no," Rose sobbed. "Let me stay with Her Grace. Let me stay as her assistant, please!"

Heather glared at her, "You swear you won't do something stupid like that again?" she questioned harshly.

Rose nodded, "Y-yes."

"Fine, but your parents will hear about this! I honestly don't know if she thought this was acceptable, but I know you should know better!"

Heather let Rose go, and she collapsed to the floor again. With an angry huff, Heather turned and stomped out of the room. Rita waited until Heather was gone, and then she quietly got up and shut the door. She returned to her desk and crouched down by the weeping Rose.

"Shh," she soothed. She put a hand on top of the trembling little body. "I only told her we wouldn't sign a contract. You can still be my pet if you want."

Rose sat up, and Rita took her hand away.

Rose sniffed wetly. "I-I can?" she whined.

Rita smiled softly, "The contract was just a formality. I wanted to test your commitment. I'm the Duchess; I don't need a contract to make someone my pet. I can simply say so."

Rose blinked at her in confusion, "You can just say so?"

Rita smiled wider. "That's right," she soothed. "You're all born my subjects. I can take

anyone I want if I so choose, but I wanted to make sure you were serious, that you'd be happy. I

don't care to live with miserable people, but more importantly, I want to know that, if I give you my affection, you won't betray my feelings by trying to leave. That's why you have to be my pet to live with me. I show my servants affection on occasion but only those I trust to stay with me. As my pet, you can never leave, so I know my affection is safe."

"I-I want to," Rose squeaked. "I want to be your pet! I'll never leave, I promise!"

Rita scooped Rose up and sat in her chair, placing Rose on her left thigh. "Then you can be. When I leave, I'll take you with me, and we'll be together for the rest of our lives," she promised softly.

Rose gave a little squeak of joy and looked up at Rita with beaming affection and admiration. "Thank you, Your Grace!"

Rita smiled back warmly. Even if she didn't get Jason and Ellie back, she had at least one pet, and this one already adored her.