His Love (2 page)

When she got to the front door there was someone there waiting for her. He was an older fellow and he looked like he had never smiled a day in his life. She gave him a friendly grin and started to introduce herself when he lifted his hand to silence her. He pulled the door shut behind him and started to walk in a different direction.

Rayne was sure that someone had witnessed the fiasco at the front door. The old man must be her exit escort, there to shepherd her to the front gate, making sure she didn’t get lost on the way out. “Listen if this is about that guy in the Armani, I promise it won’t happen again?”

“What are you talking about?” He glanced over his shoulder with disdain.

And he speaketh.
She quickly realized her mistake and made an attempt to remedy it. “I have no idea.”

“The employees use the back entrance. The front door is only for business associates, friends, and family.”

Rayne noticed what order he had mentioned the chosen few.
But shouldn’t family come first?

“I will show you to your quarters, and then you will meet the family.” He made a sharp about turn and Rayne almost ran into him. “You will have to find something more suitable to wear to meet the family.”

Rayne gave herself a once over. She was in tennis shoes, jeans, and a sweater, underneath it was a black tank top. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? I’ll take a shower and change later just after I rest.”

“Rest?” The man asked, an amused expression on his face.

“Yes, rest,” Rayne repeated. “You know, chill, and take a breather. I’ve had a long journey.”

“There is no resting here. You are up before the masters of the house and only sleep after they have slept. Your job will be twenty-four hours. The young miss is a fussy one.” He marched toward the door and Rayne fell back a step or two. “Try and keep up. Laziness doesn’t thrive in this household.”

Yep, this is Alcatraz, but how did the other governesses before her, escape? Or did they just die behind these walls? Maybe they were buried here. That grass does look a bit too green and healthy.
They stopped in front of a tiny apartment after what seemed like a mile of walking from the main house.
Just how big is this property?

“This is where you will be staying. While at the house you will remain in the child’s room. You have twenty minutes to get cleaned up and appropriate. After that come to the kitchen and I will introduce you to the family.”

Rayne had the urge to sass him, but didn’t. She already had one strike. She needed this job. She would have to suck it up and bow down to the man.

She took exactly twenty minutes. Rayne pulled her long sleeves down and clutched them tightly in her palms, hiding her secret. Her arms were well covered, but she couldn’t take a chance. One look was all it would take for them to discover her secret and she would be out the door and on her ass. She poked her head in the kitchen and was amazed at how busy it was. There was a small army in there preparing what she thought to be a banquet, but she hadn’t seen anyone, and the house was as silent as a grave yard.

She walked over to an elderly lady who looked friendly enough. “Is there a party going on here?”

“No, just brunch,” she answered with a smile.

“For how many?” Rayne’s eyes followed a platter of fruit balanced on a waiter’s shoulder as he walked past her.

“Five.”

“Five?” she asked, startled. “All this food is going to feed five people. Tell me the truth. Are they all sumo wrestlers?”

The old lady laughed. “You are funny. I hope you still have that laughter in your heart when you leave this house.”

She was taken aback by the warning. Everything in that old lady’s voice told her to run and never look back. “I like you, I’m Rayne.”

“Melody. I run the kitchen. When you are done with the old stiff, come back, and I’ll give you something to eat.”

Rayne’s stomach cried out at the promise, but she straightened out when the old man suddenly appeared. He looked like a cadaver, a living breathing, walking, talking cadaver. “Here comes the stiff now,” she whispered to Melody. Rayne’s heart warmed when the older woman laughed.

“I’m Morrison.” The stiff introduced himself. He looked at her and frowned, obviously not pleased with her attire. “I guess it will have to do. Follow me.”

Rayne waited until he had turned around and then saluted him, sparking another bout of laughter from Melody and everyone else in the kitchen. The fun and games were over once they stepped into the dining room. Everything around the mansion intimidated her. There was nothing warm about the house, no pictures just angry paintings staring back at her. Sure, they were expensive, but there was no love in them.

She was sure that there was a two-year-old in the home, but she couldn’t hear her. That was something else that didn’t sit right with her. They walked past the library, the living room, and entered the living room. A young girl closer to her age was there. She was arguing with an older beautiful woman, while a man sat across from them, his nose glued to the newspaper.

“Excuse me,” Morrison announced himself.

“Yes, Morrison?”

The old man spoke first. It looked like the other two ladies took their cues from him. He, she believed, was the
man
.

“This is Miss Mathews. She is here to take care of the young miss.”

“Very good, we were wondering when you would arrive.” The older man spoke. His tight face didn’t seem like it had ever stretched out in a smile. “I’m Mr. Burke, the lady is Mrs. Burke and the young lady is my daughter Jacqueline.”

Jacqueline waved at her, but didn’t bother giving her more than a second of attention.

“Miss. Mathews—” Mr. Burke began.

“Call me Rayne.”

“Miss Mathews,” he insisted, establishing the need for formality. “The young girl is in her room. You will be expected to take care of her twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Morrison will tell you your salary when you sign the contract.”

With that she was ushered out of the room and directed to a table across the hall. There was a pen and a bunch of papers on the table, with X’s where she was supposed to sign.

Rayne perused the contract. “Confidentiality agreement? What is this, the mafia?” she teased, but Morrison’s stern expression gave her a chill. “This isn’t the Mafia, is it?”

“The Burke family is very influential and rich. They just want to make sure that you don’t sell any information that you come across or hear during your stay in this house.”

Rayne didn’t want to find out what would happen if she ever let anything about these people slip. She quickly signed the papers and took the smaller piece Morrison gave her. She stared at the amount and was sure it was wrong. There must have been an accidental zero added there.

“Are you sure this is correct? Is this on a six months basis or what?”

“It’s your salary per month,” he said. He quickly gave her directions to the nursery and disappeared.

Rayne tucked the precious paper in her pocket, excitedly, and followed the winding stairs to the top floor. All the doors to what she assumed were to their bedroom suites were shut. She walked to the end of the hall and found the nursery. She was stunned. The room alone was as big as the lower level of her old house. It was decorated with bold colors and only had small touches of pink. The play area was a space of its own, and then there was the miniature library filled with books, a bathroom, and then finally, a bedroom.

Sure, there were aspects that mirrored what a little girl might like, but other than that everything just resembled things a grown up would have. Even her room back home wasn’t this serious. She wondered where the child was and why Mrs. Burke would allow for her daughter’s room to be so impersonal.

***

“What was her name again?” Rayne slapped her palm on her forehead. She hadn’t asked what the little girl was called. Morrison only called her, “Little Miss.” She definitely wasn’t going to. With nowhere else to turn, she decided to use one of the terms of endearment her mother used with her. “Sweetheart, would you like to come out here and meet me?”

Rayne waited for a few minutes and almost gave up. But when she turned toward the closet she caught sight of a little leg peeking out. Feigning ignorance she walked around the room. “I heard the little girl who lives here is really beautiful, but if she doesn’t want me to see her she must look like Cinderella’s step sisters.”

“No I don’t.” The little girl revealed herself, her nose scrunched up in annoyance.

Rayne knelt on the floor so that she was at the child’s level. She didn’t bother to close the gap between them. She needed the little girl to come to her, that way she could establish trust on her grounds.

“No you don’t.” Rayne looked her over and tried to pick a princess that she resembled. Her jet-black hair, her big black eyes, her rose bud lips, and her porcelain skin made it obvious. “You are beautiful just like Snow White. I think I’m going to call you Snow, since I don’t know your name.”

“Alessandria.” She giggled, standing inches away from Rayne.

Her laughter was beautiful, like a sweet melody. Rayne wondered why her joy had been confined in this depressing room and wasn’t out in the sunshine running around. She was told that the child was a toddler, so she immediately assumed two years old. But Alessandria looked a bit too tall, and seemed too smart to be two.

“My name is Rayne.” She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little girl. “How old are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m going to be four in a week.” She jumped up and down clapping her hands.

“Oh my goodness, you are such a big girl.” Rayne gathered the squeaking girl in her arms, stood up and spun her around. “Do you want a treat?”

The little girl nodded with much enthusiasm. Rayne settled her down on her feet and held her hand, but as she tried to walk out of the room with her, Alessandria refused. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not allowed out of the room,” she whispered. “Only grandma takes me out.”

Rayne’s heart shattered. She looked up at the ceiling and blinked back the tears welling in her eyes. She felt sorry for the little girl, but enraged at how they kept her captive. “Alcatraz,” she mumbled. “You are with me now. I’ve got you.” Rayne lifted the little girl in her arms and walked out of the room with her.

But out of the comfort of her room the little girl withdrew, like a tortoise into her shell. Alessandria hid her face against Rayne’s neck and held onto her tight as if she was afraid. Rayne hated seeing her like this, especially after basking in the little sunshine that she was.

“Melody, look who I kidnapped?” Rayne announced once they were in the kitchen. She noticed the shocked looks on their faces and could swear she heard someone gasp. “I found this beautiful little princess and I just had to show her to you.” She winked at Melody urging her to play along.

“I wonder who she is. Isn’t she pretty?” Melody moved closer to Rayne and tried to get a look at Alessandria’s hidden face.

“It’s Snow White.” Rayne tickled the little girl’s sides. When she heard Alessandria laugh her heart soared.

“No, it’s me, Alessandria.” She giggled.

“Is it?” Rayne faked a gasp.

“It is her,” Melody cheered on.

Alessandria stopped hiding her face and looked more comfortable on Rayne’s hip and looked around. Rayne could still feel how reserved she was. She was sure the little girl hadn’t met a majority of the people in that room, but since she was comfortable with Melody she assumed that they had met, over meals anyway. Rayne settled Alessandria on the counter and handed her a bowl of fruit and chocolate. She stepped closer to Melody and whispered to her. “Doesn’t she go out and play?”

“No.”

There was no elaboration to that answer. Rayne examined Alessandria and she was sure the stockings, and mint condition dress were something a little girl was uncomfortable playing in. Even her hair was tied tightly at the back of her head with a clip. Every strand of her hair begged to be released from its confines. Rayne moved to the little girl and set her hair free, but Alessandria didn’t look like she knew what to do with it.

Rayne cursed herself. She knew it would take her most of the day trying to tame her mane of wicked curls, but she had to do something to let this little girl know it was okay to be free. Rayne pulled her own hair out of its confinement and shook it loose, urging Alessandria to do the same. Alessandria shook her head the same way Rayne did, her thick hair falling over each side of her head, hiding her face. Rayne parted the curtain and the little girl giggled.

“I have never heard a laugh so beautiful in my entire life.” Rayne saw the shock on the girl’s face and it broke her heart. No one ever seemed to have given her a morsel of a compliment, but now that she was there she was determined to do so every single second of the day.

When they were back in Alessandria’s room, Rayne went through the little girl’s schedule and what she was expected to do. Everything was planned down to the last second. Nothing on the list gave Alessandria any time to play outside or get a moment to be a little girl.

“I’ll be right back sweetheart.”

“Are you bringing lunch?”

She eats in her room too?
“I’m taking you out for lunch. Would you like to have a picnic?”

“Yes!” she screamed.

“I’ll be back to get you in a minute.” Rayne half ran, half walked down the stairs and into the great room, but no one was there. She asked one of the maids of her mistress’s whereabouts and was directed to the garden. Mrs. Burke had a chance to get out in the sunshine, why couldn’t little Alessandria?

Rayne walked out into the garden. The lady was on her knees tending to her roses.

“Excuse me, could I have a word with you?”

“Sure, Miss Mathews.” Sofia turned to her with a smile.

“I was wondering if... since I am now in charge of Alessandria, if I could make her schedule,” Rayne stammered.

“If you must.” She smiled and turned back to her roses.

“I was also wondering if you would like to join Alessandria and me.” Rayne was gaining some courage. “We are having a picnic in the garden later on.”