up-to-date, it was one of the older homes in the area and dated to the early 1900s, if not before. The room he led them to would have traditionally been the servants’ quarters, Alex judged. It didn’t sit well with him that Lisa lived here in spite of the fact the room was large, bright and cheery.
“Your daughter sleeps up here too?” Nick asked.
It was possible, Alex acknowledged to himself. Nurseries tended to be on the top floor and nannies were with their charges, but this was above the top floor, it was essentially the attic, no matter how nice it appeared. He tamped down his own thoughts, they were decades, centuries, old and he knew it.
“No, Sandy sleeps downstairs, on the second floor,” Morgan clarified. “We felt it best the nanny have space to herself. Feel free to look around,” he told them. Rather than leaving, he stepped out of the way and leaned against the door frame, watching as they worked.
As Nick checked the space, Alex contemplated any motives Carlos might have. He stood in the middle of the room taking everything in. Finally, his training, as well as his very nature, demanded he look about. Her scent was everywhere, as it should be. He knew a sense of relief it was hers alone.
“Anyone else ever come up here?” Nick asked.
“No. Not that she couldn’t have invited anyone over for a visit, but Lisa kept to herself all the time. She never talked to friends, never went out. She even spent a great deal of her free time with Sandy.”
Nick shook his head. “Some people have all the luck. I’ve seen when the nannies want to run off as much as possible. They either want more free time, or more money, or more something. Sounds like you had the ideal person, Morgan.”
“She was very good. At least I thought so.” His voice hardened on the last of the sentence. “It could have been an act. You know, once she saw how well off we were, she –“
“What was her background?” Alex stopped that train of thought from the other man, but was afraid his own questions was more personal interest on his part, even if he did need the information. He felt reassured when he Nick started taking notes.
Morgan shrugged. “She came highly recommended. Best agency and all that”
“What about her family,” Nick asked.
“Can’t say she ever talked much about them. Parents, obviously, somewhere.” He shrugged again. “I really couldn’t say.”
“She worked for you for what, a year?”
“Two,” Morgan said.
“Two years, and you don’t know anything about her?” Nick’s voice was incredulous.
Alex understood where he was coming from, but the information didn’t surprise him. People who wanted to hide didn’t talk about themselves. Obviously, she wanted to hide. He wanted to know why.
Still, why hadn’t this family found out anything more about her? What if she needed someone? They would never have known. He had to stop that line of thinking. Had he been any different when he was in Morgan’s position? He would have liked to think he had been, but in reality knew it had not been the case. It didn’t matter his had been a different world. Humane humans existed in all time and places. He was afraid he had missed out on both counts. Yet, he found himself curious about Lisa, and unreasonably angered that his family she worked for and lived with, knew nothing about her.
He prowled about the room as Nick continued talking and asking questions. He didn’t open any of the drawers, though he longed to do so, to see what she had hidden. If he had been by himself, he knew he would have. Instead, he confined his search to the exposed items; a few knickknacks, a small clay statue.
When Morgan noticed his gaze straying there, he said, “That was from Sandy. She gave it to Nanny on her birthday.”
“Which was when?”
Morgan’s gaze swept back to Nick and he shrugged. “I really don’t know. Some time in the fall. Does it really matter?”
“No,” Nick
“Your daughter sleeps up here too?” Nick asked.
It was possible, Alex acknowledged to himself. Nurseries tended to be on the top floor and nannies were with their charges, but this was above the top floor, it was essentially the attic, no matter how nice it appeared. He tamped down his own thoughts, they were decades, centuries, old and he knew it.
“No, Sandy sleeps downstairs, on the second floor,” Morgan clarified. “We felt it best the nanny have space to herself. Feel free to look around,” he told them. Rather than leaving, he stepped out of the way and leaned against the door frame, watching as they worked.
As Nick checked the space, Alex contemplated any motives Carlos might have. He stood in the middle of the room taking everything in. Finally, his training, as well as his very nature, demanded he look about. Her scent was everywhere, as it should be. He knew a sense of relief it was hers alone.
“Anyone else ever come up here?” Nick asked.
“No. Not that she couldn’t have invited anyone over for a visit, but Lisa kept to herself all the time. She never talked to friends, never went out. She even spent a great deal of her free time with Sandy.”
Nick shook his head. “Some people have all the luck. I’ve seen when the nannies want to run off as much as possible. They either want more free time, or more money, or more something. Sounds like you had the ideal person, Morgan.”
“She was very good. At least I thought so.” His voice hardened on the last of the sentence. “It could have been an act. You know, once she saw how well off we were, she –“
“What was her background?” Alex stopped that train of thought from the other man, but was afraid his own questions was more personal interest on his part, even if he did need the information. He felt reassured when he Nick started taking notes.
Morgan shrugged. “She came highly recommended. Best agency and all that”
“What about her family,” Nick asked.
“Can’t say she ever talked much about them. Parents, obviously, somewhere.” He shrugged again. “I really couldn’t say.”
“She worked for you for what, a year?”
“Two,” Morgan said.
“Two years, and you don’t know anything about her?” Nick’s voice was incredulous.
Alex understood where he was coming from, but the information didn’t surprise him. People who wanted to hide didn’t talk about themselves. Obviously, she wanted to hide. He wanted to know why.
Still, why hadn’t this family found out anything more about her? What if she needed someone? They would never have known. He had to stop that line of thinking. Had he been any different when he was in Morgan’s position? He would have liked to think he had been, but in reality knew it had not been the case. It didn’t matter his had been a different world. Humane humans existed in all time and places. He was afraid he had missed out on both counts. Yet, he found himself curious about Lisa, and unreasonably angered that his family she worked for and lived with, knew nothing about her.
He prowled about the room as Nick continued talking and asking questions. He didn’t open any of the drawers, though he longed to do so, to see what she had hidden. If he had been by himself, he knew he would have. Instead, he confined his search to the exposed items; a few knickknacks, a small clay statue.
When Morgan noticed his gaze straying there, he said, “That was from Sandy. She gave it to Nanny on her birthday.”
“Which was when?”
Morgan’s gaze swept back to Nick and he shrugged. “I really don’t know. Some time in the fall. Does it really matter?”
“No,” Nick
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