скачать книгу бесплатно
Once they were inside, they left everything by the front door while Edna took her on a tour of the house. To the right of the foyer was the huge kitchen. Margot saw every appliance known to man and some she didn’t recognize.
“My staff and I clean on a schedule,” Edna told her. “Alec prefers to know where we’re going to be on any given day. You’ll find that information up in your bedroom, as well. Scholars come and go, studying the old documents Alec collects. They keep to themselves and won’t bother you. Let’s see. What else? Ah, meals. A chef is here by six every morning. There’s a hot breakfast put out in the dining room at six-thirty. We take it away at eight. You can eat there, or take your meals to your room.”
“I’ll be taking them to my room.”
“I’ll let everyone know so there’s a tray left out for you.” She pointed to the refrigerator. “Help yourself to anything in there. There’s a big freezer in the pantry, along with plenty of other supplies. Again, take what you’d like. If you use the last of something, there’s a grocery list on the counter in the pantry.”
Edna led the way to the formal living room with twenty-foot ceilings. The woodwork was incredible, as were the statues along the east wall. Margot would guess they were original, left behind when the monastery was decommissioned or whatever it was called when a church was no longer sacred.
She saw the staircase leading to the second floor and beyond that a media room with a huge sectional sofa and massive TV mounted on the wall.
“You’re welcome to use this anytime,” Edna told her. “The remotes are in the coffee table drawers, as are instructions on how to make it all work.”
She pointed to a set of double doors just beyond the media room. “That’s Alec’s private suite. Best not be going in there.”
“Of course not.”
They walked back the way they’d come. There was a second staircase, far less grand, going into the basement.
“There’s an old root cellar and some musty rooms down there,” Edna told her. “A portion of it has been converted into a wine cellar.”
They stepped outside to the covered walkway that ran the length of the house. The cloisters, Margot thought. Was that the right term? She would have to look it up.
They passed Alec’s office and then went back inside. Edna showed her two archive rooms and a file room where hundreds of ancient documents were stored. At the far end of the hall was a small chapel.
There were beautiful stained glass windows lining two walls, along with wooden pews.
“It’s all original,” Edna said proudly. “Alec’s great-uncle bought the place in the 1930s and started converting it to a private residence. When Alec inherited the property, he updated much of it but they both wanted to leave the chapel in place.”
They walked back to the pile of luggage at the front door and carried the first load to the second floor. The landing at the top of the stairs opened up to a large lounge area. It was furnished with a couple of sofas, a big desk against the far wall, a TV, a small refrigerator and a microwave.
“Much more my speed,” Margot joked as she glanced around.
“The guest lounge. You’re welcome to use this, as well.” Edna winked. “I agree. It’s nice up here and a lot less complicated than anything in the media room.”
Margot followed her to a pleasant guest room with an attached bath. The walls were a pale gray and the queen-size bed looked comfortable.
“This is perfect. Thank you. I’ll set up my computer and training materials in the lounge.”
“Bianca’s room is at the end of the hall. It’s the bigger guest room.” Edna’s tone was apologetic.
“Not to worry. I have everything I need.”
They carried up the rest of her luggage.
“Is there anything else before I leave you to get settled?” Edna asked.
Margot had seen the Wi-Fi password next to her door entry code and the clicker for the gate, so she had that. Honestly, this was the most organized household she’d ever been a part of. She was impressed.
“I’d love to explore,” she said. “What are the ground rules?”
“Stay out of Alec’s study and bedroom and don’t disrupt his routine. Otherwise, go where you’d like. Oh, don’t touch any of the old papers. Most of them are kept safely away, but if it’s paper and it looks ancient, don’t touch it. Alec does love his musty old scraps.”
Edna thought for a second. “The cleaners will be taking care of your room on the days listed, so don’t worry about changing your sheets or washing towels. You can do your personal laundry in the utility room in the basement. You’ll see Borys around. He maintains the place, especially the wood. He has a few people who help him with big projects but he does all the woodwork himself.”
“I would imagine it takes a village to keep a place like this running. But what an amazing house. I’m looking forward to admiring it all.”
“Good. Make yourself at home.” Edna pointed to the papers on the dresser. “My cell number is there, if you need to reach me.”
“Thank you.”
Margot quickly unpacked her clothes. The closet was large and well organized and she had more space than she needed.
She set up her laptop and printer in the lounge, along with the books she’d brought. She’d already put together a preliminary workbook for Bianca, which may or may not be something her client was interested in. Still, she would give it a shot. Everyone was different and Margot did her best to accommodate individual learning styles.
She’d also downloaded a fair amount of research on Cardigania. She’d learned the basic history of the country, the size of the population and which industries provided the most revenue. She knew that Cardiganian wool was famous for being both soft and durable and that their chocolate rivaled the best from Switzerland—but there was more to glean from the country’s rich history.
Margot had also done a little more study on Bianca’s past. Once she’d accepted the job, she’d requested a detailed background check on her new client. Not that she was expecting to find a couple of felonies or anything earth-shattering, but it was always good to have more information, rather than less.
By four-thirty, she was settled and ready to begin her job in the morning, which meant it was definitely time to start exploring.
Chapter Four
Alec Mcnicol did not like having people stay in his house. When visiting scholars came to study any of the ancient texts, they worked in one of the archive rooms during the day, then retreated to a hotel at night. The same with the household staff. Edna Stojicic, his very sensible housekeeper, brought a team of cleaners to tend to the large building and worked her magic in the kitchen before disappearing long before 5:00 p.m. There were weeks he never saw her at all. The gardeners rarely needed to speak to him and he communicated with Borys, the full-time woodworker/handyman the old Spanish building required, via text.
On a good day, Alec saw no one, spoke to no one, and that was how he preferred things. He loved his life just as it was. His routine was predictable and that made him happy. Only now he was not dealing only with his mother—there was a stranger to contend with.
At least Margot appeared to be a restful sort of person. She wasn’t loud or garish, nor did she seem the type to always want his attention. Even now, as she moved her things into one of the guest rooms upstairs, he couldn’t hear her at all. Of course, given the solid construction of the monastery, she could be rehearsing with a rock band and if the door was closed, he wouldn’t hear her. The thought made him smile. The smile retreated when someone knocked on his half-closed door.
“Yes?” he called, hoping against hope it wasn’t Bianca come to discuss how he should create a turtle refuge in his backyard, or help her with an application to join SETI. With his mother, one never really knew what to expect.
He was relieved to find Margot in the cloisters hallway, only this was a different Margot than the businesswoman he’d met the previous week. Gone were the sensible glasses, the gray suit, the plain black pumps. Instead she wore dark jeans and a deep purple twinset. As before, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but unlike last time, her face didn’t have on a lick of makeup.
He could see freckles on her nose and a soft, natural color staining her cheeks. She looked young and impossibly beautiful. With breasts.
He drew in a breath. What in God’s name was wrong with him? He never noticed breasts or any other part of a woman. He wasn’t visual and he certainly didn’t think about size or shape or nipples. Yet thoughts of all three were firmly stuck in his brain. His mother’s trainer, or whatever it was he was supposed to call Margot, had breasts and he had acknowledged them. Only to himself, but still. It was a calamity.
“Hi,” Margot said with a smile. “I just wanted to take a second and tell you I’ve moved in. Edna showed me around. You have a spectacular home. The remodeling job makes the space comfortable while retaining the essence of it being in a monastery. The windows, the carvings around the door. Your home is a wonder.”
Her words calmed him. He managed to nod and motioned for her to enter his office. Keeping his gaze anywhere but her chest, he led her to his desk, where they both took a seat.
“Yes, the work was carefully planned and executed. I, too, am pleased with the outcome.”
“I wanted to confirm the ground rules,” she said. “Edna explained about the door lock code and I’ve seen both floors.” Her mouth curved up at the corners. “Not the basement yet, but I’m so going to explore that. Edna said I was free to go anywhere in the house with the exception of your office and bedroom, of course.”
She put her hands on her lap, resting them calmly. Margot didn’t fidget. He liked that.
“The guest lounge upstairs is comfortable and certainly has everything I need,” she continued. “I’ll use the desk for my work and I’m thinking it would be easier if Bianca and I conducted most of our classes outside.”
He nodded, not sure what any of this had to do with him.
“I prefer to take my meals in my room.” Margot’s tone was firm. “I’m not a member of the family and there’s no need to act like I am. I’ve found it’s much easier on everyone if we all remember that. There’s no awkward conversation and if I have a bad day with your mother, the last thing she would want would be to have dinner with me.”
“Bianca is gone most evenings,” he said. “She often goes to see Wesley or to spend time with her friends.” In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t had dinner with his mother since she moved in nearly two weeks ago. Which was odd considering how it seemed she was always everywhere.
“No matter. I’ll collect my meals from the kitchen and take them upstairs if it’s all the same to you.”
“Excellent. Anything else?”
“Your mother and I begin in the morning. As my contract is with her, I won’t be providing you with updates.”
“I believe I will be the first to notice if you make any progress.”
She studied him. “You still don’t think I can help.”
“I’m not sure anyone can help. My mother answers to no one. She is like a leaf on the wind—she goes where she likes.”
“I thought leaves went where the wind said.”
“You are correct. A poor analogy.” He tried to think of another, but the only thing that came to mind was how much he wanted to look at Margot’s breasts and that certainly wasn’t anything he could mention.
“Tell me a story from when you were little,” she said with a smile. “About your mother.”
The request surprised him. “What kind of story? A good story or a bad one? Are you trying to learn something specific?”
“Not really. I’m just curious and I’d like to get a feel for her. Can you give me one of each?”
He nodded. “When I turned seven, she rented out an ice-cream parlor and treated my entire class to an afternoon there. We played games and ate as much ice cream as we wanted.”
“That is a good story.”
“Yes, until all the children started throwing up because they’d had too much.”
“Oh. I suppose I can see how that would happen. And the other story?”
“When I was seventeen, she slept with my best friend.”
Alec immediately wanted to call back the words, but it was too late. They hung out there in the late afternoon, echoing in his large office. Margot’s eyes widened.
“I was away at a Swiss boarding school,” he added, realizing he had to explain. “She came to visit and took the two of us to Paris for a long weekend. I went for a walk one afternoon and when I came back, I saw him stepping out of her room.”
He remembered the sense of betrayal—that his mother would come between him and a friend. She’d always known he didn’t make friends easily and to get in the middle of that, to change it into something uncomfortable, had made him furious. And sad.
“I’m not gay,” he said. “It wasn’t that I was in love with him, but it wasn’t something she should have done.”
“No,” Margot murmured. “We’ll leave the fact that she slept with a minor for another time.” Her mouth twisted. “I’m sorry. You must have felt betrayed by both of them.”
“I did. He and I never spoke of it.” Not a word, he thought. But everything had changed. The next year Alec had gone off to University of Oxford and he and his friend had lost touch.
Until then he’d known his mother was impulsive, but he hadn’t realized how the flaw affected other people. He’d always kept fairly tight control on his emotions, but that incident had solidified his determination to let his mind dictate his actions. There would be no hasty decisions, no wild flights of fancy. It was a rule he lived by, regardless of circumstances.
Margot worried her lower lip, drawing his attention to the shape of her mouth.
“My mother abandoned my sister and me when we were little,” she said quietly. “Her mother had abandoned her the same way. The Baxter women are not known for their good choices in the men they fall for or how they raise their children.”
He appreciated her attempt to level the emotional playing field. It was a nice gesture and spoke well of her character.
“You haven’t abandoned any children.” His tone was firm.
“No, but I’ve been unwise about men.” She wrinkled her nose. “Or rather, one man.” She drew in a breath and met his gaze. “But that’s behind me now.” Her mouth turned up in an impish smile. “Because unlike you, I believe people can change.”
“It’s not people so much as my mother. Still, she wants this. She does love Wesley.”
“You sound surprised.”
“She’s never been so devoted to someone. He’s not her usual type, so perhaps that’s the reason.”
“Or he’s the one she’s been looking for all along.”
He raised his eyebrows. “A romantic, Margot? I would not have expected that.”
“Not a romantic, but I remain hopeful.”
He wondered about the man she’d been foolish with. What did that mean? Alec made it a point to never get involved with a woman. Not seriously. If he let down his barriers, if he gave his heart, well, he didn’t know what would happen, but the worry that he could turn into his mother was enough to keep him comfortably solitary. He didn’t like a lot of drama and emotion in his world. He’d created the life he wanted and he was content. There were no highs, but also no worries that he would become unhinged.
She rose. “I won’t keep you any longer,” she said. “I just wanted to say hello and make sure we were both clear with the ground rules.”
“Of course.” He stood. “Have you discussed them with my mother?”
“I will and I’m confident she’ll be in favor of them.”
He allowed himself a slight smile. “We’ll see.”
“I can be stubborn and disciplined.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but Bianca has a way of making things happen that are more to her liking. She swoops in and rearranges until you’re left wondering how exactly things got that way. It’s a gift.”
She laughed. “You mean it’s a curse.”
“Not for her. Just us lesser mortals.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to proving you wrong.”
“I am rarely wrong, Margot.”
“Neither am I.”
By nine-thirty that night, Margot was nearly giddy from her excitement about the house. She’d spent an hour in the small chapel, only leaving when it got dark. She’d checked out the empty guest room, the guest lounge and most of the kitchen. She’d made herself a sandwich for dinner and had discovered that the cookie jar was full of cookies. Homemade cookies with frosting or chocolate chips, all soft and gooey and if this kept up she was going to have to up her exercise routine. Or buy bigger pants.
