As I stepped into view of the garden, my gaze drifted to the far corner. The soil was freshly turned; the fruits I'd painstakingly cultivated had been harvested. Gone. I approached the door, barely reaching it before it swung open, and I was met with Ms. Rose's familiar face.
"Welcome home, Mr. Aiden."
"Thank you, Rose." I shrugged off my suit jacket and handed it to her. "I thought you'd be gone by the time I got here."
"I stayed to introduce you to your new employee" she said, a hint of irony in her smile.
I loosened my shirt cuffs and climbed the stairs without a word. We'd already discussed the new housekeeper, and I didn't feel the need to meet her just yet. Behind me, Rose called out, reminding me that the woman was waiting downstairs.
Up in my room, I unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it into the laundry bin along with my trousers. I headed to the closet, reaching mindlessly for a pair of joggers when the door creaked open.
"Mr. Aiden?"
"Mmm?"
"Should I tell her to leave? You might be… caught off guard if you don't know what she looks like when you run into her."
I smirked, slipping into the joggers. "I thought her main job was to avoid me."
"It's not quite that simple," Rose said as I walked out of the closet toward her.
"All right, let's get this over with."
Her face lit up, deepening the fine lines around her mouth as she smiled.
"Perhaps you'd like to put on a shirt?"
"Why? This isn't a formal meeting, is it?"
"Not at all," she replied hastily. "You just need to see her, that's all." She turned, leading the way down.
"Did William handle the garden harvest?"
"Yes, he did. I told him to. There was so much, and we spent the entire afternoon packing it all away. It would've been far too much work for you alone."
I gave a small nod, understanding her concern, though not entirely agreeing. I'd planted that garden myself and would have gladly done the harvesting, too. But Rose was one person that i would gladly allow take those decisions around here— Can't do much about it anyways, its part of hiring someone who'd been with you since your teenage years. She was the only one I'd managed to pull from the Kensington estate, and now she was here, a fixture in my life, whether I liked it or not.
"Ms. Victoria called me earlier," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of humor. "She mentioned you should start picking up your phone more often." I could tell from her tone that there was no way my mother would've delivered that message so gently. They must've argued for minutes just to get the point across.
I let out a small sigh. "Guess I'll have to make her stop calling you, then." I took the laundry bin from her as we started down the stairs.
She wrinkled her nose and gave a quick wave. "It's fine. I can handle it." She reached for the laundry bin as we reached the bottom step.
"Everyone's gone now?"
"Yes, except the new lady."
"Good." I made my way to the kitchen, and poured myself a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on the counter. As I drank, I could sense others in the room, but I didn't bother looking up. Rose's new hire was here, I assumed, but I wasn't exactly in a rush for introductions.
I grabbed a few almonds from a jar, popping one into my mouth just as Rose cleared her throat announcing their presence, standing beside the new arrival. I looked up, my brow raised as I sized up the young woman beside her.
She looked younger than I'd expected, almost too young for the role. My gaze couldn't quite leave her as she commanded attention with a quiet confidence and i doubted for a moment that she was here for the job but Her outfit was typical for an interview—plain trousers and a blazer— still, her face was another story entirely.
She had a kind of effortless beauty that was almost striking, like she wasn't even trying. High cheekbones framed her face with a sculpted elegance, and her skin had a natural, luminous warmth. Her full, well-defined lips softened her otherwise sharp features, adding a touch of softness, almost like a contrast designed to make her more captivating.
Her eyes held mine, unwavering, framed by her thick lashes. They were a striking shade, somewhere between stormy blue and rich gray, shifting with the light.
As her mouth hinted at a smile, a flicker of something—a flash of nervousness, somehow—softened her confident stare. Yet she held her ground, her gaze so intense it felt like she was peering straight into my thoughts.
I suddenly wished I'd bothered to put on a shirt; her gaze alone had goosebumps prickling across my skin. Clearing my throat, I turned to Rose.
"Our new full-time housekeeper," Rose announced with a quick glance at the young woman.
Her validation of my suspicion made it even more real now, You've got to be kidding. I was expecting someone Rose's age—not… her. Young, beautiful, and — My eyes traced over her again, trying to get a read on her.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Aiden," she said, her voice steady but with an hint of uncertainty behind her voice, as if she were still recovering from her own surprise. "I'm Nelly."
I glanced back at Rose for confirmation, then back to Nelly, nodding as I leaned against the kitchen island. Her eyes widened briefly, almost startled, but then her expression settled, amusement flickering over her features.
Why would a young woman like her want a job as a full-time housekeeper in the middle of nowhere?does she even have an experience? I popped another almond nut in my mouth.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Aiden," she repeated, her tone growing warmer, maybe more deliberate, as if rehearsed. "Ms. Rose filled me in on what I need to know."
"Like?" I prompted.
She hesitated, then blinked, her face flushing slightly. "Huh? I mean… sir," she added hastily. "That I'm supposed to… avoid you at all costs and just stick to my job."
I let out a low laugh. "I doubt Ms. Rose even knows what my true wishes are," I murmured, straightening from the counter.
"I'll… I'll do my best to meet them," she replied, her voice suddenly louder. "I did tell Ms. Rose how much I wanted this—"
"It's fine, Nelly? "
"Yes, Nelly," she affirmed quickly, almost nervously.
"I'm done here," I said, turning to Rose, already heading toward the garden.
"What do you mean, you're done here? Am I not hired?" Her voice cut through the room, laced with urgency.
"Nelly!" Rose scolded, her voice taking on a strict tone. "He's not the hiring manager."
"I mean…" Nelly's voice softened, barely audible but clear enough. "It seemed like he… wasn't too interested in having me around."
"Why should he be?" Rose shot back, exasperated. "You're an employee"
"That's the point," she mumbled, sounding flustered. "I mean… I am hired, right?"
"Yes, you are," Rose replied, sounding like a disgruntled grandmother. I had never seen her look so annoyed.
I turned back toward them, watching as Rose and Nelly talked about me as if I were across the country instead of across the kitchen. Nelly's shoulders dropped in relief, her back still to me. Just as she turned around, she spotted me, eyes widening for a split second before she rearranged her face into a bright, too-wide smile.
"I'm sorry, but… I am hired, right?" she mouthed silently, her eyes asking a dozen questions.
My face must have given her all the answer she needed because that overly cheerful expression dimmed slightly, and she seemed to realize I might be more than she'd bargained for.