The Countess

There was an announcement over the PA system "Ladies and Gentlemen would you please make you way to your seats. The auction will begin in ten minutes."

I was in the Gimble and Gimble Auction house for one of their art sales. I walked around the gallery with a glass of domestic sparkling wine looking at some of the art for sale. I was looking at large paintings one to go on one of the walls of the great room and another to go on one of the walls in the dining room. I consulted with our decorator and he suggested that a detailed still life would be perfect in the Dining room. For the great room he suggested some kind of impressionist style, but a large work at least fifty inches wide. The painting for the dining room needed to be almost that same size. I was clutching the catalog and looking at the art on the wall.

I moved to the auction room, stopped and took another glass of the wine and found a seat. In my coat pocket was a bidder's paddle with my bidder number on it. It cost fifty dollars to buy the paddle. That would be credited to me if I bought something. I looked around and thought that there were about fifty people attending. There was another announcement about the auction start time. Just as I settled down my phone went off with "Love is All You Need" indicating that Sara was calling. I rushed out of the room before the third ring.

"Hello Darling, what are you doing," said Sara when we connected.

"Do I always have to be doing something?"

"Bit testy today Mr. Rogers."

"Sorry darling, but it came over in an accusatory tone," I replied.

Sara decided to go to the UK to check up on her Mother and Father. She was also going to bring him up to date on the legal status of the ranch. The former manager was suing even though he was charged with embezzlement. I was finishing up some work and could not get away.

"Well I was wishing you were over here so I could..."

"Yes, Sara I also wish I was there, or you were here, flying solo is no fun,"

"That is all well and good, but you didn't answer my question, Paul."

"I am at an art sale, darling, sipping bad sparkling wine and looking at art."

"Anything worth buying?" asked Sara.

"A couple of things but I am not going to go crazy."

"Make sure that you don't"

"Yes Ma'am," I said.

"Alright darling, I will see you in a week," said Sara and then the connection went dead.

The phone went on silent and then back in my pocket. The auction was under way, but I was not interested in the first lot, three micro paintings. The price for that lot surprised me $5000 for that I wondered if I was in the same league with the other bidders. The fourth lot was one that I was interested in. I found a seat and waited until it came up. A nice-looking woman about Sara's age sat down beside me. She had a bidder's paddle also. I hoped that she was interested in other items besides the ones I wanted.

"Lot number 4, ladies and Gentlemen a large-scale painting on Masonite approximate size 50 x 37 by James Hodges. Beach scene with nude."

In the foreground was a table on a veranda with three wine bottles one empty, and two wine glasses. In the background was a nude woman on a slight hill and beyond that was the ocean.

"The painting is offered with no reserve, but we would like to start the bidding at $5000.00," said the auctioneer.

There was silence in the room and the opening price was dropped to $3000.00. Again, silence and again the opening price was dropped to $2500.00. At that price I raised my paddle. The bid was accepted and there was a call for 3000. The woman next to me raised her paddle and the bidding was off. My next bid was 3500, and she went to 4000. I went to 4500 and she didn't respond. The auctioneer called for any other bids and the hammer came down and I won.

A member of the staff walked up to me and handed me a slip of paper with the total price of $5400.00. I forgot that there would be a bidder's premium. I had ten days to make good on the sale.

"I hope that you and I are not going for the same things ma'am," I said to the woman next to me.

"We might be I almost raised your final bid on that painting, I am Charlotte Rhodes, by the way."

"Paul Rogers, nice to meet you."

Several more lots went under the hammer and my seat mate bought two of the works. I was waiting for the still life that I saw during the viewing. I was clutching my catalog to the page it was on.

"I hope you brought a lot of money sir that will go high," said Charlotte.

"Are you interested?"

"Not my style, but I know a few folks that are,"

The tenth lot came and went with no one in the audience was interested in the painting. Lot 11 was the painting that I wanted. A detailed still life in oil of a banquet table. It was a little smaller than the first one I bought but it would fit between the two windows in the dining room. It would also break up the large swatch of the deep red in the room. The auctioneer described the painting and opened the bidding at $3000.00. One bidder's paddle shot up and was accepted. The bids were in increments of 500 dollars. I raised my paddle taking the price to 3500. A third bidder raised her paddle and the price went to 4000. There were no other bids and the auctioneer began to count down. I raised my paddle again taking the price to 4500 and waited for another raise. Just before the hammer came down the third bidder raised her paddle taking the price to 5000.

"If you want it raise it," whispered my seat mate.

I raised my paddle during the countdown and the room stayed silent. The auctioneer again called for bids and when she was satisfied that no other bids were coming brought the hammer down and I won the item.

"How did you know that she wouldn't raise?"

"I know her, and I knew what her budget was," said Charlotte.

The Auction house rep again gave me a slip with the total price $6600.00

My night at the sale totaled $12000. About 2000 over my budget. I would have a hard time explaining that the Sara. I just hope she likes them. Since the money was coming from me and not the household account, she could complain and tell me that I was wasting money, but it was my money.

My phone started to vibrate, and I picked it up and saw Sara's name on the screen.

"Yes, darling what can I do for you," I said.

"What I want, you can't provide right now. Did I hear you say you were at an art sale?"

"Yes, I told you very plainly that I was at an art sale."

"Buy anything good?"

"Yes, ma'am I think so."

"Paul I am going crazy not being near you. You go to art sales without me, you probably buy the ugliest thing on sale, and there is nothing I can do."

"It is nice to know that you have confidence in me. You'll be home soon Sara," I responded.

"Paul, I love you, and yes you have good taste, it is just my being away from you and dealing with the family that is driving me crazy."

We said goodbye, and I went to the auction office to arranged for payment and delivery. My seatmate Charlotte was ahead of me and she turned around and handed me her card. I pulled mine out and handed it to her.

"Oh, you're that Paul Rogers, I know your wife. Where is Sara?" she asked.

"Across the pond visiting her parents, I had work to finish up, so I had to stay."

I looked at her card. Charlotte Rhodes Attorney at Law. Art appraiser was in the corner.

"Your wife keeps suing some of my less than honorable friends, that is how I know her."

"She only sues those that need to be sued," I replied.

"So, going out and sharing a drink would be a bad thing?"

"If it were just the two of us, yes. If there was a larger group, I would be happy to attend."

"Wow an honorable man, very rare in this town."

I shook the woman's hand and said that we needed to keep in contact. The auction said that they took credit cards or certified checks. It would be tomorrow before I could get to the bank to get the money. I walked out with my two slips of paper and got in my car and drove home.

It was nine o'clock when I heard the gentle knock of Mrs. Kelly on my door announcing breakfast. It felt good having nowhere to go. I did need to go by a branch of the bank for a certified check to pay for the paintings. But that was the only thing on my schedule.

"Do you have a plan of the day, sir?" asked Paula, after she served me breakfast.

"I need to go to the bank but other than that I have nothing on my schedule."

Just as I stood to go to my office, someone tripped the video doorbell. Mrs. Kelly looked on the monitor and saw a delivery person at the front door.

"We will be there in a minute," she said.

Mrs. Kelly moved to the front door and came back with the delivery person pushing a dolly with four cases of wine. The man handed her an envelope, and she pointed to the wine room door.

"Stack the cases over there, please," she said and watched as the man moved the stack of boxes and pulled the dolly away leaving them in a stack near the door. She accompanied the man to the door and then came back into the room.

"Here Mr. Rogers I think that you need to open this," said Paula.

"Happy Birthday to my lovely girl, Dad" was on the card.

Mr. Solsbery never struck me as a person who would be called "Dad," but that was on the card. Paula pulled a large pocketknife from her pocket and slit the tape keeping the box closed. She pulled one of the bottles and almost dropped it. It was a very old very expensive Bordeaux. We moved the other cases and opened them and found other very expensive wines. I directed Paula to find space for the wines, in the wine room. Also, we may need to move some of the bottles around because I want to let folks see these bottles. Paula said that she would get on it.

"By the way I don't think I am going to get cross with you," I said pointing at the knife.

"I have been carrying this old thing around for ten years."

I pulled my phone out and touched Sara's entry in my phone book. It took a few seconds, but I heard her phone ring.

"Yes darling, what can I do for you?" said Sara.

"Tell your father that we received his gift."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sara.

"Your father sent you four cases of some very expensive wine. Paula almost dropped one of the bottles when she found out what they were."

"He didn't say anything to me, but I will tell him."

"I met someone that knows you a Charlotte Rhodes, she says that you sue her friends."

"She is an art appraiser now, but we have taken some of her clients to court."

"Yes, she said some of her less than honorable friends. When you get back, I might get her to evaluate the art that I bought for insurance purposes."

"What are these paintings for, why the interest in art?"

"I bought one for the dining room and one for the great room, I was tired of looking at blank walls."

"And how much did you spend?" asked Sara.

I thought for a moment and decided to pull the scab off get it over with.

"The two paintings cost 12K, it all came from me."

"Can you find me the real Paul Rogers, so I can talk to him."

"There is only one of me and yes I spent that money."

"Will I like them Paul?"

"You were there when Victor gave his recommendations. I think you will."

"Got to go Paul see you in a few days," the connection dropped, and I put my phone in my pocket.

Paula was busy cataloging and storing the wine. I noticed that she left a grocery list on the kitchen counter. Instead of having it delivered I would order and pick it up at the store. I went up to my office and ordered the groceries and indicated that I would pick them up. I left Paula to the wine and I went to the bank to see about a certified check.

I had the check in hand and went to the auction house to pay for my purchases. The painting would be delivered the next day. The auction house recommended several firms who could hang the paintings. I got a hold of one and he said that he could have someone at the house when the paintings arrived. My last stop was the grocery store for pick-up of my order. I waited in the car while store personnel loaded my order in the back. I called Paula when I hit the entrance to our development, and she was waiting when I drove up.

After we finished bringing the groceries in Paula asked if she could have the night off. I told her that I could fend for myself and she left shortly after she finished storing the groceries. Before she left, I took her to the dinning room and showed her where one of the painting were to hang. I also showed her the location of the painting in the great room. About thirty minutes later my phone started playing Ruffles and Flourishes indicating that Bret was calling.

"Do you have plans this evening?" asked Bret.

"No Paula asked for the evening off, so I am either going to get delivery of go someplace. Do you have something in mind?"

"George and I want to keep you away from bars, so you won't fall for some floozie and get in trouble with Sara," replied Bret.

"Your inviting me to dinner? What are the kids doing?"

My mother took the older two and the nanny will handle Mary Megan, so we are free and want to kick up our heals."

"The only fly in that plan is William is with Sara so either I drive, or George does. Not much heal kicking."

"Look you might be a fancy director, but I am an executive producer I have perks we will be by in forty-five minutes."

This is the first time that I heard that Bret used a driver. It looks like she was growing into the position. I looked at my clothes and decided that I needed to change and went up to the bedroom and my dressing area to put on something else. I was just walking down when the rear video doorbell went off and I looked on my phone and saw George standing at the back door. I answered the door and waived to Bret to come in. I wanted to show them Mr. Solsbery's gift to Sara. I took them into the wine room and pulled one of the bottles and showed them.

"I tasted this three years ago when I was working on Dan Pearce's film. We had dinner at the Solsbery mansion, and this was one of the wines. Mr. Solsbery casually mentioned that the bottle was two thousand dollars. It has appreciated since then I think."

I carefully put the bottle in the rack after I passed it around. We went to the car and found Philip driving. I sat in the front seat and Bret and George were in the back.

Love is All You Need started to play and I answered the phone.

"What are you doing, darling," said Sara.

"I have been kidnapped by two suspicious people I guess this is the end, darling I love you."

"Would you get serious, what are you doing?"

"Bret and George decided that I didn't need to go bar hopping so we are going to go out to eat."

"Like I said darling you are a loon, but I love you. Let me talk to Bret please," asked Sara.

"Her Grace wants to talk to you, Bret." I said as I passed the phone to her.

There were a lot of yeses and of courses and we will keep him in line, no ma'am no wandering eyes. The last comment from Bret was "That's fabulous" and she handed the phone to me.

"I am done here, and William and I are taking the next plane to New York after a day of shopping I will be back in LA day after tomorrow so please get any of your lovers out of the house before then."

My only reply was "Yes, darling." We repeated that we love each other and then the connection was dropped.

My antenna should have been tuned when I heard Bret say, "That's Fabulous." That usually meant that there was some plan afoot and I was usually the fall guy. Philip pulled into The River's parking lot. This is another new place and when Philip Stopped the doors were opened and hands were helping us out. The three of us went to the hostess station and a very beautiful young lady took our party name handed George a pager and directed us to the bar.

"The wait will be fifteen to thirty minutes," said the woman at the hostess station.

Bret took the lead and we all walked to the bar and found a table. Another strikingly beautiful young woman approached and took our drink orders.

"Sara has me hooked on Martinis," said Bret.

"She is a bad influence on you madam, rebel order something else." I said.

"I think I will have a Scotch on the rocks," said Bret.

"Good choice," I said.

The woman took our orders and George and I commented that the female staff were some very beautiful women.

"Remember I promised Sara that I would control your wondering eyes Mr. Rogers," said Bret.

"Madam, my eyes were not wandering I was just stating fact."

"Would you two quit busting each other's chops, we are not in the office," said George.

"George now you see what I had to put up with when she worked for me," I said.

"Yes, but we love each other and would do anything for each other," said Bret.

That was true, Bret and George were my best friends. Over the next two hours we had three rounds of cocktails, dinner with three bottles of wine. I was not feeling any pain. It was a good time accept that Sara was not there. Somehow, they poured me into the car, and it took off. I was not noticing where we were going. Philip pulled the car up to a building and Bret said that this is where I was to get out. My door opened and a uniformed person reached for my hand and assisted me out of the car.

"Paul we will see you in a week and a half," said Bret.

Philip pulled the car away leaving me standing beside the man who assisted me. The jet engine noise gave me a clue that I was at the airport, but I did not know why. The gentleman got a hold of my shoulder and directed me into the building. We continued walking through the building and stopped at the steps of a private jet.

"Do you need further assistance sir?"

"Am I supposed to get on?"

"Yes sir. This is your plane."

The flight attendant stuck his head out of the cabin and motioned me to come aboard. Well I had no way to get home, so I climbed on the plane. I found a seat and my head stopped moving for the moment.

"Do you know where we are going?"

"Yes sir, but I was told not to tell you."

This had Sara Jane Solsbery written all over it.

"I don't have any documents with me other than my driver's license."

"I was told that that is all you will need. Let's get your seatbelt on and after we are in the air, I can get you some refreshment."

I think that the flight attendant will have an easy trip because all I wanted to do was sleep. I heard the engines spin up and the plane lurch as it started to taxi. I looked out a window and saw a few planes lined up at the start of the runway. After a while we turned, and the engines were put too full throttle and the plane moved down the runway gathering speed and then I heard the wheels leave the ground and get folded into the plane. I must have passed out because when I woke up there was sun coming through the windows and we were over water. There was also a different cabin attendant, so we must have stopped for fuel.

"Good morning sir, could I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, orange or apple Juice no alcohol. I would need to speak to Bret when I got home to see if getting drunk was part of the plan. The attendant brought the orange juice along with scrambled eggs and bacon and toast.

"You know where we are going but it is a surprise for me. How long before we arrive?"

"Sorry sir but I can't tell you that, because I don't know."

"I trust the pilots know where to land?"

"Yes sir. Just relax, everything is under control."

For the rest of the flight I just napped. I woke up several times and had a soft drink used the restroom. The plane finally started to descend, and the cabin attendant picked up the cups and glasses. I didn't see the airport, but the pilot came in perfectly. The wheels touched down and the engines speeded up with the reversers deployed. The plane taxed to the only building I could see on the airport.