by Louisa Neil
“I’m glad we’re heading home. It’s getting really cold out there.” Alice rubbed her gloved hands together for warmth.
Jeff turned up the heater in the car. “Any other stops?”
“Just home for me,” Mason said, his concentration centered on whatever was on his tablet.
“I’m ready to decorate the playroom. Will you two carve pumpkins with me tonight after supper?” Alice said from the backseat. She accepted Jeff’s “yeah” and a hand raise from Mason. Even thought it was only nearing the end of October, the flakes of snow began to fall. “I love when it snows like this.” She looked out the window as they drove. “It’s such a fine mist. Tonight the lawns will be covered, and everything will twinkle in the moonlight.”
“You’re in a strange mood,” Mason noted. “When we were together, I don’t remember you being so holiday oriented.”
“I wasn’t back then. I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on nonpermanent things. Now that I’m gainfully employed, I can afford to give myself and you guys the best version of the holidays I remember as a kid.”
“What’s going on the top of your tree?” Jeff asked. “I know it’s a way off, but I bet you already envisioned what you want the tree in the playroom to look like.”
“I found an angel last year at the after-Christmas sales. She’s beautiful.”
“I’m sure she is,” Jeff agreed.
Mason added, “Me, when I was a kid, we always went on vacation during the holiday break from school.” Alice was surprised Mason was keeping up with the conversation. “My parents thought it was too much hassle to decorate for a few weeks. They hated having to socialize and be polite to relatives. They hated having to give gifts to these people, and worse yet, they hated having to pretend to like the presents they got. It was easier for them to just blow off the season. Besides, in California they always said it never felt like the holidays. Too warm. So we always took a trip.”
“I didn’t know that about your childhood. What kind of trips did you take?” Alice leaned between the two front seats.
“Sometimes a cruise, sometimes to some tropical island, and other times skiing.”
“Did it bother you that you were always away at Christmas?” Alice asked.
“Not at the time. My parents always said the trip was the best present they could give us.” Mason glanced over his shoulder at her. “I never thought about it much. When we went back to school, I had stories of someplace different. Most of the other kids had stories of relatives and disappointing presents.”
“Even I find that kind of sad,” Jeff added.
“Maybe it’s the way I’m telling it. They just didn’t want to get wrapped up in all the craziness.”
“I can see taking a trip during the break, but I’m not sure I could take Christmas from my kids because it was convenient.”
“You’re in a strange mood,” Jeff noted.
“Just hormonal. My time of the month. And besides, I’m a West Coast girl. Cold and snow are new to me.”
Jeff smiled and glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Wait until February and see if you love the cold and snow so much then.”
“We shouldn’t joke. We’re breaking tradition, too. Marilyn told me Hudson House always had a holiday party.”
“Maybe next year. Right about now, I’m too happy with home to open it to strangers who only want to get a look. They come, eat my food, drink my wine, and try to figure out how they can use me for money or future social situations. They’re just curious, and if you hadn’t noticed, I’ve managed to avoid that so far.” Jeff let out a slow breath. “I figure we’re clear of the required holiday party because my cousin died this year. I’m just trying to keep a bit of decorum.”
“What will you do next year?” Alice tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Got it covered,” Jeff said, laughing. “I figured between you, Marilyn, and Cook, it would get handled. I’ll just show up in a nice suit and play host.”
“So that’s your theory,” Alice said, laughing. “I think you better put more stock on Marilyn and Cook. But my security measures are looking better now, aren’t they?”
“Yes, I admit I feel secure lately. Mason, what about your thoughts?”
He didn’t take much time to consider his answer. “Your house, your call. Let me know when I have to dress up.”
“I think we can leave this topic until next fall. For now, I’m just going to enjoy this year for what it is. New and exciting.”
“Okay, you enjoy it your way. I’ll enjoy the fall my way.” Alice continued to watch the snow falling. “I’ll just stay indoors until the spring thaw. Everything I could want or need is right there at the house.” She craned her neck to see who was parked in front of the house. She recognized the gardener’s van, remembering they were due back today to put out a fall display of straw bales and pumpkin in several main areas. They were even going to put a smaller display beside the main staircase. It was the small BMW roadster parked beside it she questioned. Who would drive that on these roads in the snow? Something wasn’t right.
“Is that one of the gardeners’ cars?” she asked.
Mason didn’t answer, still involved in his work. Jeff maneuvered the SUV into the garage. “I don’t think we were expecting anyone, so it must be one of their cars.”
As soon as he closed the garage door behind them, the difference in temperature was apparent. “I’ll get one of the workmen to carry the pumpkins to the kitchen.”
“I’d say we could use the playroom, but it would get messy. I think the kitchen is our best bet to carve pumpkins in, too.” Alice started to gather her purse and purchases.
“Good.” Mason was gathering his things, realizing they were home. “I’m going to head to the lab for a few hours.”
“I’m going to change into old clothes and decorate our playroom for our Halloween party.”
“I’m thinking about a sandwich and a nap,” Jeff added.
“Didn’t we just have hamburgers for lunch?” Alice teased Jeff.
“I’m glad Cook and Marilyn agreed to come in today. I didn’t want to oversee the hoard of strangers in the house, even if they do keep the grounds looking amazing.” Jeff sighed.
“Me neither,” Mason agreed. “Too many strangers,” he added, tugging off his gloves and stuffing them in his pocket as they all entered the kitchen. “Whatever Cook has simmering there smells wonderful.”
“Chicken soup,” Alice added, stopping dead in the doorway when Cook turned to them.
“You’ve got company,” she said, her tone distant.
“Cook, is there a problem?”
“Not from my perspective. I’m going home in two hours. Good luck to you all.” She left them and headed to the pantry.
“That was a strange greeting,” Mason said, finally forgetting about his work. “Who could piss off Cook like that?”
Alice glanced to each man. “There’s only one person I can think of that could piss off anyone like that.”
She turned when Jeff whispered, “Naomi,” and added, “Shit, I knew this life was too good to be true.” He dragged off his coat and tossed it toward a hook near the back door, missing it completely.
Alice picked it up, hung it up, and slowly hung hers next to it. She glanced to Mason, and he just shrugged his shoulders. He was apparently as clueless as she was. Marilyn came into the kitchen with a strange look on her face. To Alice, it looked like she was eating lemons.
Chapter Sixteen
“You have company,” Marilyn said directly to Jeff, fussing around the kitchen when fussing wasn’t necessary.
“Other than Finn’s staff?”
“They’re packing up and leaving.” She turned and glared at him. “I’ll be glad to be going with them.”
“What’s going on, Marilyn?”
“None of you answered your phones all morning.” She said it with a huff.
“That’s my fault, Marilyn. I suggested we all shut them off
for a few hours. It was so quiet, I forgot all about them. I apologize for that. You should have been able to reach one of us. It won’t happen again.” Marilyn gave her a quick nod, accepting her apology.
Alice looked to Jeff. “My lunch isn’t settling so good right now.”
“Why?” Mason squeezed her shoulder.
“Call it intuition or whatever you want, but all hell’s about to break loose here.”
“Marilyn, who is here?”
She gave Jeff a head-to-toe look. “If she stays, I’ll hand in my resignation.”
“Naomi,” Jeff breathed. “Marilyn, she wasn’t invited. Please don’t make any rash decisions. Just hang in with me for a while. Take the rest of the afternoon off. Take Cook with you and enjoy the rest of the weekend. I’ll handle Naomi.” Jeff let out a disgusted breath. “Where is she?”
“At first she wanted to retire to your master suite, which is not your master anymore.” Marilyn glanced upward. “When she showed up, I gave Cook the keys to lock all three of your private bedrooms.”
“Thank you, Marilyn,” Alice whispered. “That was quick thinking.”
“I had Finn bring her things up to the guest room in the other wing. She was not happy to say the least.”
“Did she say why she’s here? Is she with David, her husband?”
“She arrived alone in that tiny car with a purse and overnight bag. Twenty minutes later a town car came in, dropped off four large suitcases, and left. Seems to me she plans on staying for a while, a long while.” Cook came from the pantry.
“She’s been fussing all morning that we locked her out of her bedroom.”
“It’s not her room,” he mumbled. “Where is she now?”
“Wandering around the house. Last I heard she said she was going to examine the lab to see what you’ve been doing all this time.” Jeff glanced to Alice.
“Unless she’s got your scans, I don’t think she can get in. She’d better not have gotten in.”
“Marilyn made me run down and check the door. It was locked.”
“Thank you, Cook. I know we’re beyond the realm of your duties.”
“Your supper is ready. It just needs to be reheated. I’m leaving now.” Cook turned on her heel.
“Wait,” Jeff said. “Marilyn is leaving with you. Please find Finn ask him to bring in the pumpkins from the back of the SUV and leave them in the mudroom back here by the kitchen. Take him with you, too. I’ll see you all on Monday.”
Alice stepped forward and hugged both women. “Thank you for protecting us, for your quick thinking to lock her out of our private spaces.”
Marilyn took her coat from the pegs at the back door and fished in her pocket, pulling out her gloves. “This is the first and last time I’ll deal with her.”
“Did Naomi say how long she plans on staying, or if her husband is coming?”
“Don’t ask me,” Marilyn said, pulling her scarf up to protect her hair from the snow. “I’m just the hired help.” She pulled on her gloves. “She’s annoyed you weren’t here when she showed up, and she’s pissed you weren’t answering your cell phone. After telling each of us what we were was doing wrong, she started going through the house. She went into every room that wasn’t locked. She wouldn’t say what she was looking for, just that she was bored and familiarizing herself with the house.” Marilyn let out a harrumph noise. “She wasn’t happy that I accompanied her, either. Last I knew she was in the guest room. But she’s not happy.”
“She was never happy,” Mason said, his cheeks blushing red at the comment. “Sorry.”
“It’s the truth. Don’t worry about it.” Jeff pondered aloud, “I wonder whose credit card is footing the bill for this trip?”
“Not yours this time,” Alice said with a proud smile.
Jeff felt the vibe in the room change. A cold chill ran up his spine, and he knew without turning around, Naomi was standing behind him.
“That’s none of your business, Alice. My finances are not your concern.”
“They are if you’re using Jeff’s credit card without his knowledge or trying to put an equity loan on the house. And using our corporate accounts won’t work, either.”
“Just what I expected, the three stooges all covering each other’s butts.”
Marilyn reached to Cook’s hand, grabbed it, and all but pulled her from the house.
“Finally, some peace and quiet without the help.” She stared pointedly at Alice and Mason. “Don’t you two take the hint? I’d like to talk to my fiancée alone.”
“I wonder what your husband would say about that?” Mason didn’t hold back his grin.
“Jeff, I won’t have a serious discussion in front of these two.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t stomp your foot when you said that.” Jeff knew she didn’t like him laughing at her. He knew it would make the whole matter worse, and he didn’t care.
“Jeff, can’t we go somewhere private to discuss this?”
“No. Just tell me why you showed up uninvited and unexpected.” He stood still, waiting for a true answer, knowing it would be a twisted version to support her reason for showing up. He glanced at her from head to toe. Every red hair was in place, slicked back into a twist. He knew she always wore low-necked tops, wanting her “swanlike” neck to be appreciated. Her only concession was a strand of pearls that she thought were elegant, or a diamond drop he’d given her the first Christmas they were together. The olive-green wool dress she wore nipped at her waist and skimmed over her hips. With high-heeled boots, she gave the appearance of a slim statue that shouldn’t be touched or mussed.
“This is not the greeting I dreamed of,” Naomi said, her tone softening. She walked past the others in the room and didn’t hold back a sneering look. Then she turned back to Jeff. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “This is more of a proper greeting.” She leaned up to kiss him, but he turned his face, her lips meeting his cheek. Naomi didn’t hold back her surprise when he grasped her arms and pulled them from around his neck.
“How’s David doing? Is he here with you or joining you later?”
Naomi stared at Jeff for several seconds before answering. “Why don’t we go to our room and talk in private? The help doesn’t need to know all our business.”
“It’s not our room, and these are my friends and business partners. Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You know I’ll only tell them everything later.” Jeff could tell he was pissing Naomi off. He held back a smile, picturing her as a cartoon version of herself with the top of her head blowing off.
“Maybe one of the staff could bring us a tea tray to the parlor, then. That should afford us a bit of privacy.” She gave Jeff one of her best smiles, but he wasn’t buying the false mood.
“The staff, as you refer to them, are gone for the weekend.”
“Jeff, how are you getting by without weekend staff? Surely this house is big enough to need full-time help.” She glanced around the kitchen as if it was a seedy diner. “I’ll take care of making these corrections as soon as I get settled.”
“A few minutes ago you were glad to see the help leave. Now you’ve decided I need full-time help?”
“With these two around all the time, you’ll need full-time help or this place will go to seed quickly.” She nodded toward Alice and Mason.
“We were discussing hot chocolate on the way home. Would you like some, too? Oh, that’s right, you don’t want the calories.” It was Jeff’s concession to her pouting look. “I’m sure I can rustle up a tea bag somewhere.” He almost laughed at the look of horror on her face. He’d known since they first met that she only drank loose tea. She’d often reminded him of her delicate palate and how she could taste the paper in tea bags.
“Well,” Naomi said, letting out a long sigh, “if it’s all you have in the house…” She sat at the kitchen table. Apparently she was waiting for someone else to make her tea. “I’ll hav
e to have a talk with your cook about how to run a proper kitchen.”
Jeff stopped dead in his tracks. “Naomi, this is not your house. It’s not your place to discuss anything with any of the staff.” He paused to take a controlling breath. “Your home is across the country in California with your husband, David.”
Alice walked across the room and retrieved the kettle. After filling it with water she set it to boil. Jeff gave her a sidelong glance and winked at her. He took milk from the refrigerator and grabbed a pot, filling it. He put it on a burner to warm and reached to a side cabinet, retrieving a container of powdered chocolate milk mix. As he reached to the crock holding wooden spoons, Naomi sighed behind him.
Alice gave Jeff a strange smile, one he couldn’t decipher. He watched her open the cabinet and, after pushing aside several tins of loose tea and the infuser, pull forward a box of generic tea bags and an herbal bedtime tea that promised to induce a good night’s sleep. She turned to Naomi with a box in each hand. “Which would you like?”
“Since I don’t have a choice, I guess the lesser of the evils is that generic crap.”
“Generic crap it is,” Alice said, pulling down a mug while the water came to a boil.
Jeff continued to stir the chocolate mix in the warming milk. Deep inside, he was just dumbfounded. He never considered Naomi just showing up. After cutting off her credit frenzy and not hearing a word from her, he figured she was done with him. Now he realized she was just lying low to make a new plan. Apparently, this was her next strike. He glanced behind him and noted Naomi glaring at Mason, who finally sat at the far end of the table. She was running her fingers along a string of pearls encircling her throat.