Page 10 of Watching Henry
“My ex-wife will be traveling over the vacation and I had hoped to take care of the children myself. However, my business means that I'll be in China was the next several weeks. Therefore you will be in sole charge.”
Every fiber in her body relaxed. She hadn't realized until that moment just how stressed she was. Two months. Not long, but long enough, she hoped, to figure out what she was doing and where she was going and just how she was going to pay all the bills that lay waiting in the dusty motel room.
“Here are the appropriate documents.” He slid a sheaf of papers across the desk to her. “Feel free to read through them and hand them to my assistant when you've signed them.”
Which was when Florence did the most uncharacteristic thing she'd probably ever done. She shook her head, reached into her pocket for a pen, and swiftly signed the contract. Seeing the salary written at the top of the papers had been more than enough.
Her heart-rate slowed. Done. She was saved. For now, anyway.
Then Colby Allan was holding out a hand for yet another firm shake and she was smiling politely.
Perhaps she could afford to treat herself to a black coffee on her way back to the motel. Her stomach growled. And possibly even a muffin.
Chapter Five
Hadley craned her neck to get a look at the house and was rewarded by a sweeping vista as the cab turned the corner of the drive.
Not bad, she thought to herself. In her head she could calculate the value of the place and it was more or less the same as her father's mountain house. A fact that made her feel a little odd.
Maeve had been quite clear about this. The children were to be kept at the mountain house all summer where they could profit from the fresh air and the freedom that the large grounds would give them.
Given her choice, Hadley would probably have settled for the city where she could at least sneak in a few coffee visits with friends, but she was willing to compromise. The look on her father's face when she told him that she had a job already had made it worth it.
Plus, they'd just driven through a cute little mountain town, a college town during the school year, and she was sure she could find some fun there during her time off.
Wait. Was there going to be time off? Surely there had to be. Maybe when the kids were asleep? She'd have to work on that one.
Finally, the cab was pulling up in front of the grand front door and Hadley was handing over what little cash she had left. This job had come at exactly the right time.
As she got out she could smell the freshness, the scent of pine and grass. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. Maybe she could work on her tan. Oooh, maybe she'd get a couple of flannel shirts and go for the woodsy lesbian look.
The cab driver was unloading her luggage and she was just trying to figure out whether red and black plaid was too cliché when her attention was caught by a figure coming out of the house.
Tall, slim, glasses. She clocked nice legs, small breasts, a swan-like neck with pale white skin. Dark hair was swept back into a tight bun, giving whoever this was a look of an old-fashioned school teacher. Add in a dark skirt and a white blouse and obviously this was a member of staff.
Now Hadley definitely felt awkward. She was used to dealing with staff, of course, but not as a member of staff herself. Her first reaction was to ask for her bags to be sent up, but obviously that wasn't going to happen.
She clamped her mouth shut and decided to see what happened before she said anything.
The woman came closer and Hadley could see that she had sharp blue eyes, high cheekbones, and her bottom lip was full. A bad habit, checking out all women, but she moved through relationships so fast that she couldn't help but evaluate her next prospects.
Not that this woman was a prospect.
No, she was... Whatever she was. A housekeeper maybe? No, too young.
“Florence Underwood,” the woman said, with a slight nod.
Which told her nothing. “Um, Hadley?” Hadley ventured. Surely the woman must be expecting her?
“Can I bring your bags inside, ma'am?”
Did that mean she recognized the name or not? Hadley had no idea. But she did know that she really didn't want to lug two suitcases inside by herself. “Sure,” she said breezily.
With a suitcase each the two women walked silently through the front door and Hadley immediately felt more at home. This was more like it. Surrounded by luxury, the smells of cooking coming from a far away kitchen. There was a housekeeper, she was sure of that, Maeve had definitely mentioned something.
And there, just as Maeve had promised, a note on the side table right by the door with Hadley inscribed across the front.
She grabbed the envelope, ripped it open and read the contents. Maeve was far more logical in writing than in person, something Hadley had learned over the last few days. The note instructed her to choose any bedroom on the third floor, and said that the children would be arriving later that afternoon.