"No wait! Please stay!!"
Damon called out to Caelia and she turned back.
"Give me just five minutes."
He whispered into her ear.
Caelia stopped walking away and paused.
Damon smiled and moved quickly towards her.
"Why didn't you say anything when we met that night?"
Caelia looked stuck, in between thoughts.
Impatient Damon proceeded with more questions.
"Did you know who I was?"
"I recognise you from that night. Are you new?"
"Where are you from? Why are you working here?"
Caelia still remained frozen as if each question was more difficult to answer, before deciding to stop trying to answer.
"I believe conversations go both ways. Do you even want the answers?"
She retorted and Damon nodded.
He realised he had been bombarding her, and calmed himself.
"I am sorry. "
He offered that first, he was apologising to himself too. He hardly lost control. In fact, he never lost control.
"I spent the entire meal thinking of these questions. I might have gotten a bit excited."
"A bit?"
Caelia smiled back as she raised an eyebrow.
"Okay. As I said, I am Caelia and you are Damon right?"
"Caelia!!!"
A scolding voice interrupted.
Caelia didn't need to turn, she knew the owner of that voice. She had only been there for a few days but she already knew who it belonged to.
"Yes, Ms Margaret."
She answered, turning slowly.
Ms Margaret stood tall and quiet, scolding her with her eyes.
"I'm sorry to intrude Mr Damon, I need to fetch this maid."
She said emphasising the word 'maid'.
"Go attend to your duties."
Relaxing Caelia from her deadly gaze.
She glared at Caelia till she scurried out of the hallway.
Remarking sternly, Margaret turned to Damon who looked a bit lost.
"Mr Damon, your mother would not like to see you talking to the help."
She said as she watched him closely but Damon's eyes were still on Caelia even after she was out of sight.
He was so focused on her and their conversation that he wasn't paying attention to what Margaret was saying. He didn't even care to know what she was saying as she huffed and puffed away.
He always knew their cook Lourdes had a daughter, but she rarely mentioned anything about her, Lourdes was very private about her family life and Damon respected that.
But he wasn't planning on letting Caelia go that easily. Something about her and their conversation struck his attention and he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.
..............
Caelia's mind was uneasy as she vacuumed the Persian rug in the Wrights waiting room. As much as she had tried to get her mind off the thought of Damon, it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. She kept trying to convince herself that her job as a maid was only temporary. When she found a better job and a way to pay off her mother's debts she would leave as fast as she could. Staunton as a town didn't really have much appeal for her, and it wasn't a place she was keen on staying at all.
She'd always dreamt of staying in the big city, in one of those big beautiful condos that always managed to look daring and elegant at the same time. And she wanted her mom to have a better life, a better job and happier days. It was all she ever dreamed of.
She was still very much in her thoughts when Greta, the brooding quiet maid tapped her shoulder. Caelia jumped back startled and only relaxed when she saw it was Greta. The mansion was huge, she was still not accustomed to working in it
"Do you ever get used to working in such a huge mansion?"
Caelia asked Greta.
"Olivia and Sophia should be leaving the house now."
Greta said, ignoring the perhaps rhetorical question from Caelia.
There seemed to be a coldness in Greta, Caelia thought. Her soul didn't seem to live in her body.
"Next item on the cleaning schedule is to clean their rooms."
Greta said slowly to emphasise their next task.
"That Olivia is really something special. Is she always like that"? Caelia said.
Greta completely ignored the question.
Caelia tried again, a simpler, more direct question.
"How long have you been working for the Wrights?"
"A while."
Greta casually responded.
"How have you found working here?"
Caelia asked her co-worker for help.
"The faster you get the cleaning supplies we need, the faster you get to see Ms Olivia's room."
Greta responded.
Caelia was a bit sad, there she she was trying to be nice. She took a good look at Greta again, only noticing now that her eyes seemed dead. They really had no spark left. This prompted her to give up.
..........
Carolyn Wrights rarely trusted people easily, it was one of the reasons why she was always alert. There was a very short list of people she trusted and half of her family wasn't on it.
The same general distrust also applied to her staff. The every moment she laid her eyes on Caelia she knew the girl couldn't be trusted.
There was something cunning and strange in her eyes. The fact that she was even related to Lourdes whom she also had deep distrust for didn't make things easier.
But she knew she had both Mother and daughter in the palm of her hands. As long as they were owing her so much, they wouldn't do anything to her.
Mrs Carolyn Wright had been eager to watch Caelia all day through the surveillance cameras that had been installed in the house. She rarely watched the clips, unless she had needed to and since Caelia had arrived, she knew she had to keep an eye on the girl.
When she found the time to watch them, she rushed to her study room and locked herself in, eager to see what transpired between her son and Caelia. She had noticed that he had been stealing glances at the girl during breakfast and she wondered if they knew each other before from somewhere.
She was also human, which told her enough. It was almost impossible that she and Damon knew each other from somewhere.
Caelia and Damon briefly met in the hallway after the breakfast and as Carolyn leaned in she saw that the both of them were having a conversation. As if they knew each other before.
Carolyn frowned and she watched them with distaste curling at her lips, she wondered what they could be talking about. The conversation seemed to be dragging forever till Margaret intervened and Caelia left in a haste. Even long after both women had left, her son still lingered in the hallways watching.
"Hmm.... Strange indeed."
She told herself as she paused the recorded footage. She went over a few other footage from that day and they proved to be of no use to her. She needed to see Lourdes.
Lourdes was preparing dinner. The Wrights family classic dinner was pasta. It was something they all loved and they could all agree on and she had just poured the fettuccine into a pot of boiling water when Carolyn came in with a smirk on her face.
Mrs Carolyn being in the kitchen has always spelt bad news for Lourdes. The presence around the kitchen became uneasy.
"Ma'am." Lourdes reacted attentively stiffening her body.
"How can I be of assistance to you today ma'am?"
She added as Mrs Carolyn was seeming comfortable in the environment. Comfortable watching her employee squirm due to her presence.
"You can never be of assistance to me."
Mrs Carolyn responded smiling.
"I am responsible for all you have. You live off my family."
Calmly walking around the kitchen, making it even hotter than when the three ovens were used together.
"Why are you just standing like a mannequin?"
"Continue your work."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Lourdes agreed. Tending to the fettuccine, her hands began to shake slightly, she didn't like when Mrs Carolyn was around, it normally spelt trouble for her.
Mrs Carolyn circled the area, and like a compass ended up where she began.
"It is important for you to remember, even this kitchen is mine."
She looked piercingly at Lourdes eyes.
"You acted like I was intruding by being here but I am the master, thus I can never intrude. Only the servants can intrude."
"Do you know how servants intrude Lourdes?"
She asked Lourdes as she cocked her head to the side.
Lourdes shook her head.
"A servant is only permitted to do what the master allows. You for instance are only permitted to cook. Your daughter is only permitted to clean."
All her words were slow, allowing Lourdes have the time to let them sink in. Lourdes then realised it was something that had to do with Caelia.
"Yes ma'am."
Lourdes replied, understanding there was a message in the sentence but she was not yet sure what it was.
"Delightful!"
Mrs Carolyn said with a smile.
"Make sure to pass this on to your daughter."
Every sentence Mrs Carolyn uttered came with a punch and she always went for the stronger hits. Dropping consecutive blows on poor Lourdes.
"Do you remember when you came to me on your knees?"
"You were begging with tears down your eyes. Begging for me to save your precious daughter. Do you remember?!"
"I do, ma'am."
Lourdes said hiding her anger and embarrassment, she clenched her jaw painfully as she sighed, waiting for it all to end.
"Wonderful."
She said walking out to Lourdes relief.
Next to the door, she stopped and said.
"I feel Risotto suits my mood better, make sure you have it set on time."