Red Phoenix

  ‘I can drive with that licence?’

  ‘Yes. You just need to sign a statutory declaration to apply for your Hong Kong licence. Gold can organise that.’

  ‘Do you own the Mercedes dealership or something? Why only Mercedes?’

  ‘One: it’s the most common luxury car in Hong Kong and therefore less of a target, despite what you said. Two: I may not own the dealership, but I am very good friends with the Tai Pan of the company that does.’

  ‘Okay, whatever you say. Want to come with me?’

  His face went expressionless.

  ‘Oh my God, you are such a typical male sometimes. Bad driver, and worse passenger.’

  ‘I have been driving automobiles for nearly seventy years,’ he said stiffly. ‘During the 1930s the Tiger and I took European form and raced each other on the Grand Prix circuit. He kept winning because it was easier for him to stay white. I had to concentrate to keep the shape, and it ruined my performance. We only stopped because the competition became too professional. I am not a bad driver.’

  I turned away. ‘Leo has a completely different opinion on that.’ I wondered what he looked like as a European. Probably not nearly as attractive.

  ‘Leo thinks that everybody else in the world is a bad driver,’ he called as I walked to the car. ‘He will never let you drive him anywhere.’

  Simone jumped up and down with excitement as we waited at the arrivals hall for Charlie. She fell over and I helped her up.

  ‘Try to stay on your feet, Simone.’

  ‘There she is!’ Simone squealed, and raced to Charlie who stopped, crouched and threw her arms out to catch her.

  Charlie rose with Simone held tightly in her arms and smiled over the top of the little girl’s head. She hadn’t changed at all; her cheerful soft face was still rosy, round and smiling. Her greying light-brown hair had come out of its bun but she didn’t seem to care. She rocked Simone in her arms. ‘I missed you, Princess.’

  Charlie lowered Simone and pushed her trolley as I led her towards the car park. ‘I love this new airport.’ She bent to speak conspiratorially to Simone. ‘Have you been on the little train inside yet?’

  Simone shook her head, eyes wide. ‘We’re not allowed in there. We have to take the silly small plane.’

  Charlie laughed. ‘I missed you, darling.’ She patted my shoulder. ‘I missed you too, Emma.’

  ‘Let me take your trolley.’

  ‘No, Leo can do that.’ She looked around. ‘That’s not like Leo to leave you alone, Emma. Where is he?’ ‘Leo’s teaching at the Academy.’ ‘What Academy?’

  ‘Oh, dear Lord, John hasn’t told you anything, has he?’

  ‘John?’ She continued without waiting for an answer. ‘All Mr Chen said was to come to Hong Kong, help look after Simone, and brush up on my cooking while I was here. That’s all, Emma.’

  ‘It’s Lady Emma now,’ Simone said with relish.

  ‘No it isn’t, Simone, not for Charlie.’ I saw Charlie’s face. ‘Don’t worry about it, Charlie.’ I paid the parking ticket and guided Charlie to the car. ‘We need to talk. But we should wait until we have you settled in.’

  When we reached the car Charlie stopped.

  ‘Daddy bought it for Emma,’ Simone said proudly.

  Charlie glanced sharply at me.

  ‘I needed it,’ I said. ‘Simone starts school soon, and I’ll be taking her. I’ll be sharing it with Leo.’

  Charlie nodded, but she was obviously unhappy. We put her bags into the boot and she sat in the back of the car with Simone. ‘How are you, my little Princess? You’ve grown so much. Starting school soon, eh? You’re a big girl already.’

  ‘I’m really good, Charlie. I’m learning energy work with Emma. Emma’s teaching the Disciples. She’s really good too. She’ll be in charge.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that, Simone,’ I said, not wanting to take the conversation in a difficult direction. ‘We’ll talk about that later.’

  Charlie appeared very uncomfortable.

  ‘Charlie, I’ll tell you all about it when we’re back at the Peak. In private,’ I said pointedly, and she nodded. But I could see she was concerned.

  When we arrived at the Peak I took Charlie into one of the student rooms behind the training room. ‘Is this okay? If it’s not good enough, you can go in with Simone, or you can have my room. I don’t mind.’

  ‘You can’t do that, Emma,’ Simone squeaked. ‘You can’t give Charlie your room, it’s not fitting.’

  Charlie didn’t miss that. ‘This will be fine, Emma, I’ve had this room before.’ She put her bag down and folded her arms over her chest. ‘Please tell me what’s going on.’

  ‘Simone, could you go to Monica for a while?’ I said. ‘Call me if you need me, I’m right here.’

  ‘Okay, Emma.’ Simone waved one hand as she went out.

  ‘She’s very grown-up for such a little girl,’ Charlie said.

  ‘She’s been through a lot lately. We all have.’ I gestured for her to sit on the bed and I sat on the student chair next to the desk. I leaned my elbow on the desk and rested my chin on my hand.

  ‘I heard about the Attack,’ Charlie said. ‘I heard that most of the Mountain was destroyed. It’s awful. I hope Mr Chen is okay.’

  ‘We nearly lost him, but the White Tiger helped and managed to pull him back. It was a very bad time for all of us.’

  ‘How is he now?’

  ‘He’s fine. We moved the Wudang Academy from the Mountain to here in Hong Kong. The students are staying and learning in buildings that he owns here.’

  ‘That’s wonderful! It’s fantastic he can teach again.’ She became serious. ‘He’s teaching you?’

  ‘Apparently I’m very talented. He already has me teaching energy work to the juniors, as if I didn’t have enough to do already.’

  ‘Well, a nanny’s job is never easy,’ she said cheerfully.

  I stopped and thought about what to say. This would be hard. I dropped my head and didn’t look at her. ‘I’m not the nanny any more, Charlie. He asked me to marry him.’

  ‘He can’t marry you. He can’t marry anyone.’

  ‘He promised to come back for me. And I promised to wait for him. When he comes back, we’ll be married.’

  ‘And in the meantime?’

  I dropped my head even lower and mumbled, ‘I’ll be Regent, Charlie. I’ll be in charge of the Mountain, of Simone, everything.’

  Charlie’s face screwed up with fury. ‘I knew it!’ She threw herself out of her chair and stood over me, shaking with rage. ‘You cow? I knew you were after his money!’ She stormed into the hallway. ‘I don’t know what you did to him, but I’ll find out!’

  I rushed to follow her. ‘Wait!’

  She ignored me. She charged straight out the front door and slammed it behind her.

  I poked my head into the kitchen. Simone sat at the table with Monica. ‘Simone, could you call Jade or Gold for me?’

  Jade appeared behind me in the hallway and I closed the kitchen door. ‘Jade, you know Charlie? The housekeeper from London?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  ‘She just raced out the front door, furious with me. Could you follow her and make sure she’s okay? Don’t let her know you’re there. If she doesn’t come home by herself, bring her home in about an hour, but she needs time to think so leave her alone.’ I hesitated. ‘Also, could you ask Lord Xuan to come home? I think I need him.’

  Jade bowed slightly. ‘My Lady.’ She disappeared.

  I sagged. Nothing I could do now except wait. I went back into the kitchen. Simone and I could read a book together or play with Lego until Charlie came back.

  I understood completely how she felt. I would have been that protective of him as well. John was so insensitive sometimes; he hadn’t even considered what Charlie would think, or warned her about the situation. He’d just expected her to follow orders.

  Half an hour later Simone and I had nearly built a complete castle
on the living room floor when my mobile phone rang. It was John.

  ‘I’m going to be late, Emma, I’m stuck in traffic at the bottom of Stubbs Road. There’s some construction work at the bottom here and the traffic is banked back to Ruttonjee.’

  ‘That’s fine, John, whenever you’re here is okay.’ I dropped my voice. ‘This is all your fault. You could have at least told her what was going on.’

  ‘I know.’ He sounded sheepish. ‘I’ll make it up to her. I keep forgetting that Westerners need to be treated differently.’

  ‘What, with a reasonable amount of respect and care?’

  ‘Exactly,’ he said with a smile in his voice, and hung up.

  About half an hour later I heard arguing outside the front door and sent Simone into the kitchen with Monica. The front door opened and Jade entered, holding Charlie’s elbow.

  ‘She’s hypnotised all of you!’ Charlie said. ‘I don’t know what she’s done, but I’ll get help!’

  Jade wore her usual pale green tailored suit but her hair had come out of its tight bun and fell over her shoulder. ‘Charlie, it’s true. Everything I’ve told you is true. She’s worthy.’

  ‘Worthy my eye.’ Charlie saw me and glared.

  ‘Come into the dining room and talk, Charlie,’ I said. ‘I really do have everybody’s best interest at heart.’

  Charlie didn’t move.

  ‘Go with her,’ Jade said gently. ‘Let her explain. It’s true.’ Her voice softened. ‘She loves him, Charlie, a truer love than any love I’ve ever seen before. And you know how old I am. She loves our Lord and his daughter more than her own life.’

  ‘Thanks, Jade,’ I said.

  Jade smiled slightly. ‘Go with her, Charlie. Listen to her. Ask what she did in Guangzhou.’

  I gestured towards the dining room. Charlie sighed with resignation and went in.

  ‘Good luck, Emma,’ Jade said, and disappeared.

  I followed Charlie into the dining room. She sat stiffly at the table and glowered at me.

  ‘Please believe me, I’m only doing this for them,’ I said. ‘This was all John’s idea.’

  ‘John!’ she said sarcastically. ‘Lovely.’

  ‘It was his idea. I didn’t want to teach, I don’t have time.’

  ‘I’m sure it was his idea about you taking over everything as well.’

  ‘I don’t want this at all.’ I looked her right in the eyes. ‘You have no idea how hard this has been for me.’

  ‘It wasn’t hard for you to order Jade to come and get me.’ Charlie leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. ‘You had her follow me around without any trouble at all.’

  I sighed. She had a point. I put my elbows on the table and my chin on my hand. She glared at me as if I was some sort of demon.

  ‘Charlie, listen to me. I love Mr Chen more than my life. I love Simone more than that. All I want is for us to be happy together. But you know the situation.’ This was very hard; normally I didn’t talk about how I felt for John. ‘He can’t even touch me. But he’s promised. And I’ve promised. And that’s the way it is. He wants me to mind everything for him while he’s gone. I don’t know why, there are so many people who would be much better at it than me—’

  ‘No, there aren’t,’ John said. He was leaning on the doorframe and listening, holding a teapot and some tea cups. He came and sat at the table, and poured tea for Charlie, who tapped the table in thanks. ‘You are absolutely the best person for the job.’

  ‘Oh, give it a rest, John.’ I wanted to slap his arm, but I saw the way he looked at me.

  Charlie studied John carefully. He smiled at her.

  ‘Did you tell Charlie what you did in Guangzhou, Emma?’

  ‘What, the energy work? The sword stuff?’

  John leaned back. ‘Charlie, while we were in Guangzhou, we were attacked by a demon. It was the same demon that killed Michelle.’

  Charlie gasped and her eyes went wide.

  ‘You know how Michelle died. You know how her family died. The same demon broke into the White Tiger’s stables in Ireland, and raped and mutilated two of his women. Emma heard the Tiger describe what had happened.’

  ‘That’s awful, sir,’ Charlie whispered.

  ‘The demon took all of us down, and went into the house to kidnap Simone.’

  Charlie’s eyes were huge. ‘No. How did you stop it?’

  ‘We couldn’t stop it. It took Simone into its nest. Do you know what Emma did?’

  Charlie glanced at me, her eyes still wide.

  ‘Emma went with them. Into the demon’s nest. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she went, but she went anyway. To be with Simone. To the very end.’

  Charlie stared at me. ‘You willingly went into that demon’s nest?’

  ‘I don’t know why everybody is making such a big deal of it,’ I said. ‘Anybody would have done the same. I couldn’t let Simone go with that monster alone.’

  ‘The King of the Demons himself went in and tried to take them for himself,’ John said. ‘Emma negotiated with him to release them instead.’

  Charlie gasped. ‘The King’? She turned to me. ‘You faced down the King?’

  ‘If she hadn’t had the courage and intelligence to negotiate with him, it is quite likely that Emma would be dead, Simone would be in the Demon King’s hands, and my head would be gone,’ John finished.

  Charlie studied me appraisingly for a long time. She didn’t move at all and her face was rigid with restraint. I waited, mystified, to see what she would do.

  She rose, and John smiled.

  I just watched her, wondering.

  She carefully lowered herself to one knee before me. ‘My Lady. I pledge allegiance.’

  I threw myself to my feet. ‘Will you people stop doing that!’ I banged the table with frustration. ‘John, will you please tell your staff to stop doing that. It drives me completely nuts!’

  Charlie rose and threw her arms around me, tearful. ‘I’m your staff too, my Lady.’ She smiled at John with her arms still around me. ‘Congratulations, my Lord, you have chosen well.’

  John put his hands out. ‘I didn’t choose her, Charlie. Fate chose us for each other.’

  I gently pulled myself out of Charlie’s arms. ‘I have had absolutely enough of this.’ I gestured impatiently. ‘Go and unpack, Charlie. Have a rest and settle in. You can start helping with Simone tomorrow, if you’re not too jet-lagged.’

  Charlie bowed. ‘Yes, my Lady.’

  ‘Dammit, will you people stop doing that!’ I shouted, and stormed out.

  They laughed as I went out. They were all enjoying this far too much.

  ‘May I use the phone and call London, my Lord?’ Charlie said behind me. ‘I would love to tell James and my mother.’

  ‘Be my guest,’ John said. ‘Tell everyone you know.’ ‘You all hate me!’ I yelled over my shoulder.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I checked the phone number: Leo. ‘Hello?’ ‘I know it’s Sunday, my Lady, but I was wondering if you and Mr Chen would like to see the kid. I have him here at the martial arts school in Causeway Bay, and his mother’s out of town. Can I bring him up for you to meet him?’

  ‘John’s not here, but bring him up anyway. John’ll be back soon, he went out with Simone. What’s the kid’s name?’

  ‘Michael. Michael MacLaren.’ ‘Bring him up.’

  Just as I put the phone down the front door slammed. I went out to the hallway. John and Simone had just come in and were kicking off their shoes in the entry.

  ‘Leo’s bringing his student up for us to see,’ I said.

  ‘If they’re here before I’m out of the shower, look at him for me,’ John said.

  ‘You don’t need a shower every single time, Daddy,’ Simone said patiently.

  ‘Yes I do,’ he said, and headed past me towards his room.

  ‘He really hates the summer,’ Simone said. ‘He hates being all sweaty like that.’

  ‘He’s probabl
y not used to it,’ I said. ‘Shen don’t get sweaty in summer.’

  ‘He does. He’s a Shen.’

  ‘He’s in human form. He’s human all the way through.’

  ‘He hates it.’

  ‘Too bad for him, he’s the one who has to wear black all the time,’ I said unsympathetically. ‘He’s a big wussy boy.’

  She grinned. ‘Yeah. He’s so weak!’

  I can hear both of you, John said into our ears. Simone and I giggled together.

  The door opened and Leo came in, guiding Michael.

  Michael was tall for a fifteen year old, about five eight, and obviously still had some growing to do. He moved with muscular grace as he kicked off his shoes, but the first thing I noticed was his hair; he had dyed it blond.

  ‘Michael, this is Miss Donahoe,’ Leo said pointedly.

  Michael bobbed his head. ‘Ma’am.’

  I nodded back. ‘Mr MacLaren. Leo’s told me good things about you. How about we go into the dining room together and talk?’

  ‘I’ll take Simone,’ Leo said. ‘Where’s Mr Chen?’

  ‘In the shower,’ Simone said. ‘Again.’

  Leo grinned. He held his hand out to Simone. ‘Come on, Simone, let’s play on the Playstation while we wait for Emma and your dad.’

  ‘It’s your day off, Leo,’ Simone said, concerned. ‘You don’t have to work.’

  ‘This isn’t work, sweetheart,’ he said. He nodded to Michael. ‘You’ll be fine.’

  ‘Come with me, Michael.’ I opened the dining room door and took him in.

  He sat at the table, carefully serious and respectful. He was obviously very nervous. His half-Chinese heritage gave him golden skin under his blond hair. His eyes were a light shade of brown, and his Eurasian features were stunningly good-looking.

  I sat across from him. ‘Leo tells me that you might be suitable for an opening we have here. We’re looking for a trainee bodyguard, full-time, live-in. Could you do that?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  I leaned back. ‘Tell me about yourself.’

  He paused and looked down at his hands where he had them clasped on the table. ‘I finished third form, and I don’t want to go back to school. I want to do something with martial arts.’