The Taming of Tess

The story takes place 18 months after Dark Shadows trilogy ends and just two months after Heart of Stone starts. Morgan makes reference to missing her friend Abby, wishing she hadn't left in such a hurry and didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She and Rachel are really worried about her. She is planning on making a visit to Vancouver to visit Rachel on her eventual return home to Bondi and mentions talking about it with Rachel.

Julian Miles Rockwell
straight shoulder-length hair is thick and glistens like strands of moonlit coal.
eyes like blue opal with specks of gold fire - anger intensifies the gold fire
He has the distinguished appearance of a man, that always set my heart racing, an enticing blend of olive skin, dark hair and seductively handsome features

Morgan Anne Doyle
Date of story: Dec 2015
Birth Date: 1989, Jan 27 9 months younger than Rachel.
2003, March - at 14, she meets Rachel Day in highschool they become besties.
2010, March - at 21, she meets Rachel's art class friend, Abby Turner (b 1992, March 2 - 18) & the three become friends
Dark curly red hair with gold highlights The thick tendrils that fell around her shoulders looked like sparks of fire flickers of fire

Square-shaped face with a long angular nose, amethyst coloured eyes, reddish-brown lips

STORY SYNOPSIS
Friend: Kylie Kidman
Morgan and Kylie meet two English guys at the something Bar in Bondi, Sydney. They spend a month with them - then after the guys go home, the girls plan a trip over to England to spend a holiday with their new boyfriends. During the trip, things get serious between Kylie and her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, Morgan's guy dumps her and takes off on a business trip leaving her high and dry. When Kylie's boyfriend lets her stay with them, she decides to take a job and stay in England for a while. She was going to look up family history anyway so may as well extend her time while she's here. She ends up taking a temp assignment for a publishing firm, working for Julian Miles Rockwell, an English gentleman reclusive writer, as his assistant/transcriber.

Julian lives on the south coast of England in an historic gothic home on an estate - the southern border runs along the cliffs and rugged coastline, where it is windy and stormy.

Julian has stopped writing a couple of years ago. This is his first book since then but he’s having problems getting it transcribed because he doesn’t like any of the last three assistants his editor has sent to him. His list requirements states that he will only work with someone who is: mature age and willing to work all hours with only 1 day off each week, on a three month contract. At first he doesn't think Morgan meets with his requirements, but she convinces him otherwise, give her a trial run, because she really needs the money - after having spent all her savings on the arsehole so-called boyfriend who ran off and left her.

His dark secret:
Personality: He acts reserved, stiff upper-lipped, but underneath he’s domineering, a perfectionist, has a strict set of rules for everything. Plays mind games. Needs to take control of everything but does it in such a way that a person doesn’t realise he’s controlling them.

Kinks: He has strange habits. Talks in a formal manner. Likes to act out scenes with his assistants. Likes to set them seemingly pointless tasks just to test them, see how they perform. Starts to dictate how they dress, what they eat, when they sleep etc Sets up a strict schedule.

SCENE SUGGESTIONS
Julian catches Morgan dirty dancing to music down in his gym. She doesn't see him watching until he slams the door open, frightening the life out of her. She swears "Fuck, you scared the shit out of me." Julian admonishes her for using foul language, breaking one of his many rules.

"What are you doing in here?"

"What's it look like, I'm dancing of course."

"I can see that. Why?"

"It's good exercise, I love to dance and this way I get a workout at the same time."

"Then by all means, don't let me stop you." he says, crossing his arms and leaning against the door.

"Um, it's kind of a private thing," she says, realising he's not leaving.

"Don't worry, I'm the only one here," he says flatly, with just a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"No, that's okay, I think I've had enough exercise for today. I really should go take a shower and get ready for work," she says, shaking her head, as she rapidly gathers her things.

"Just make sure, you are not late," he says sternly, turning and walking out the door.

Morgan breathes a sigh of relief, hoisting her sports bag over her shoulder and quickly make a retreat to her room.

******************************

"Remind me Morgan, how old are you?"

"I'll be twenty-five next birthday, why?"

"Don't you think you're a bit old to be wearing jeans and t-shirts to work?"

"No . . . um, I don't think this is inappropriate for working here. It's not like anyone's going to see me apart from your staff and . . . you."

"Precisely, I am the one who has to look at you everyday, dressed up like some wild teenager. Please, from now on make sure you dress in something more appropriate for a working environment."


________________________________________
Within the space of a heartbeat, I hear two tiny words, that will destroy my world.

“Stop daddy!” A tiny voice echos around the room, instantly freezing me, in my tracts. I whip my head around the room, for an instant, I’m confused about where the voice is coming from, until I look at her and see the blank stare in her eyes. Fuck! What the hell?
I rush towards her, and start working frantically to release her from the bonds, binding her. In my panic, I keep calling out her name, “Claudia” “Claudia” trying to bring her back to the present, but there’s no response. I’m cursing under my laboured breaths, the voice inside my head cursing me. I’ve broken her!

I’m supposed to be an expert at reading all the signals, staying vigilant, reading every little signal, so how I could’ve missed the signs is beyond my comprehension. All this time, she was playing a role, just to please me her master. I didn’t realise, she was compartmentalising everything I did to her, putting it in a safe place so she could feel anything I was doing to her. Fuck!


Pulls the world out from under me and literally destroys my life.