My Bodyguard.

Chapter 4- Dinner, Wine, and Secrets

Scarlette and Marshall sat next to each other at the dining room table as the maids set out food for them.

"As you know, Scarlette, we have steak and halibut but I threw in some potatoes for you." Mae informed, smiling motherly at her.

Scarlette smiled. "Thanks Mae. I appreciate it."

"I know. Now, eat up. The financing department is asking for your spreadsheets." Scarlette groaned.

"Seriously? I'm fourteen years old. I shouldn't be making the reports for the financing department and you know it Mae."

"I do, but hey, I'm the forty year old cook. What am I supposed to do?" She answered. "And well, to be frank, I'm not a genius."

Scarlette laughed. "But hey, you're a whiz in the kitchen! And I can't cook for shit."

"Well that is true... You burnt through what? A carton of eggs?" Mae said, laughing. "And remember when Trina tried to teach you how to bake?"

Scarlette started to snort. "Yes that's why now, I don't have a cooking teacher."

Marshall was bewildered. "What? You can't cook?"

Scarlette and Mae looked at him. "Hell yeah I can't. I can burn water." Scarlette said proudly. "Now... Enough talking about my inability to do woman things! Let's eat!"

The dinner was relatively quiet, with both of them concentrated on eating the delicious food prepared in front of them. "Now," Mae said, interrupting the silence. "A special treat for both of you, some wine!"

Scarlette and Marshall cheered. "Wine!"

Mae laughed. "Yes, wine, Scarlette, you deserve this treat... I'm only giving you two glasses each, but drink up guys."

Scarlette downed the two glasses as if it were nothing and stood up. "I'll be in the garden. Marshall, you are dismissed for the day. Mae will show you our quarters." She turned to Mae. "Mae the meal was delicious. Thank you. The wine was good too. Thanks." With that, she disappeared away to the garden.

Marshall turned to Mae. "What's with Scarlette? Is she normally like that? It's like... She's hiding something."

Mae gave a sad smile. "No... It's because you're new and she's just trying to protect herself. She's emotionally impaired you know... She has a hard time expressing her true feelings. She's snapped at you right?" Marshall nodded slowly. "That's the way she protects herself. She doesn't want to let anyone in... I've been here for ten years... She wasn't always like that you know... She used to be so sweet and jolly... But then she turned ten and everything changed for her... I'll tell you the rest later. But right now, check on her in the garden. I'm worried. It's already dark. And she does that every night. She's been doing that for the last four years. I want to know what she does when she's in the garden."

Marshall gave a small groan. "But the garden is HUGE. There's a PLAYGROUND." He paused for a breath. "But... I need to check up on her... I'll be back."

Marshall went into the Reeves' massive garden. He walked around until he felt the strong need to go to their personal playground. And he did. Marshall walked quietly to the playground where he started to hear sniffling and stifled sobbing. He crept to the source of the noise to find Scarlette sitting on a swing hugging herself. She was crying. Marshall didn't know why, but he had the urge to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But... He stopped himself. Could this really be the fiery tempered fourteen year old from a while ago? Marshall went back to the mansion, completely shocked.

"Mae..." Marshall mumbled went he got back to the mansion. "She was crying... She was really crying... It was so... Heartbreaking."

Mae looked like her heart broke. "Oh my god... The poor girl... She's so young... So damaged..."

"Damaged?" Marshall's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?... Does this have to do with her parents? Because she said something that's just etched into my mind when they left this morning."

Mae wiped away tne tears from her eyes. "Yes. She has mixed feelings about her parents... She's depressed because they're always gone, but she's also relieved because... " Mae cried a little. "They aren't the best parents... They emotionally neglect her and they..." She started to cry. "They hit her. They hit her a lot. They emotionally and physically abuse her. I remember when it first happened. She was only ten. Her mother smacked her right across the face. I was hiding that time. I saw her mother scream at her for nothing. So... Whatever you do, don't shout at her without any good reason. It traumatized her. Don't scream out her name...I remember, I did it once when I couldn't find her. She was behind me and she shouted 'No, I'll be good, please don't hit me.' It was the most painful thing to hear."

Marshall turned red with rage. "I will not ever let this happen again. Not as long as I'm here."