all worked very hard to get where they were in life.
He admired hard work in all its forms. “How much do I owe you?” he
asked.
“Two-hundred dollars,” she stated.
He nodded. “Very well. I will give you a
check tonight at dinner.” He started to leave the room.
“Mr. Whitelaw?” Evie called.
He glanced at her over his shoulder.
She swallowed. “The books in your office…
Are they off limits, or would you mind horribly if I read one?”
He turned back to face her, intrigued. “My
boring classics fascinate you?”
“Oh yes.” She grinned. “I love the
classics.”
He studied her for a moment. “Do you?”
She nodded. “They are the foundation on
which all modern literature was built. A lot of people think
they’re boring, but I find them very interesting.”
He regarded her for a moment longer, then
nodded. “You are welcome to read anything on my bookshelf, Miss
Austin. Also, as it seems you enjoy the view, you may use the
terrace in the office at your leisure. It is a good place to read
and draw.”
She grinned. “Thank you.”
He gave a ceremonial nod and continued out of
the room.
Evie gathered her supplies and slipped back
out into the hallway. The first place she headed was the shower,
which was immediately followed by a trip to her bed, where she
slept.
* * * *
Seth watched Evie cook with boredom and
sighed. “It is really dull around here,” he muttered. “There’s
absolutely nothing to do.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “You brought enough
video games to entertain a small planet.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, but still.” He
yawned.
“You could have helped me clean today,” she
suggested. “That would have been nice.”
He shrugged. “You did fine without me.”
She scowled and bit her tongue to keep from
saying something very rude. Her back hurt so bad she could hardly
stand and her arms felt like noodles from scrubbing. It was all she
could do to set the food on the table. She glanced at her watch and
groaned aloud when she saw that Traevyn was five minutes late.
Great. Now she’d actually have to exert effort to hit the stupid
gong.
“This looks good,” Seth commented absently as
Evie set the food on the table. “I love chicken fried steak.”
Evie trudged into the living room and lifted
the mallet. She was just getting ready to wallop it when Traevyn
came all but running down the stairs. “I’m here!” he shouted. “I’m
here, all right?”
Evie smirked and set the mallet down. Traevyn
handed her a check and continued into the kitchen. She followed and
sat down to eat. She was not all that surprised when Traevyn loaded
up his plate and headed out again, leaving Seth and her alone.
It took all her energy to clean up the
kitchen. Especially when she had just cleaned it. The thought of
doing it twice in one day utterly disgusted her. When she had
finally finished, Seth went to his room to watch television and she
found herself heading to the office with her sketchpad. She turned
the light on and went out onto the terrace, shivering as the foggy
ocean air drifted over her. She pulled on a sweater she had brought
with her and sat in a chair with a sigh. She couldn’t see the ocean
because it was dark, and fog covered everything like a surreal
blanket, but she could hear it pounding against the cliffs and she
could taste the salt in the air.
Evie leaned back in the chair and closed her
eyes. She rubbed at a huge knot in one of her shoulders and relaxed
to the sound of the waves.
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
She jumped and turned to see Traevyn leaning
nonchalantly in the doorway. He was holding a glass of red wine and
looked so old world aristocrat to her that she almost smiled. She
nodded. “It is.”
He sighed and walked out to the railing. “My
house looks spectacular. Thank you.”
Evie stared at Traevyn’s back. She couldn’t
help but marvel at how statuesque he was, so tall and proud. “I
think I died somewhere around the second guest
He admired hard work in all its forms. “How much do I owe you?” he
asked.
“Two-hundred dollars,” she stated.
He nodded. “Very well. I will give you a
check tonight at dinner.” He started to leave the room.
“Mr. Whitelaw?” Evie called.
He glanced at her over his shoulder.
She swallowed. “The books in your office…
Are they off limits, or would you mind horribly if I read one?”
He turned back to face her, intrigued. “My
boring classics fascinate you?”
“Oh yes.” She grinned. “I love the
classics.”
He studied her for a moment. “Do you?”
She nodded. “They are the foundation on
which all modern literature was built. A lot of people think
they’re boring, but I find them very interesting.”
He regarded her for a moment longer, then
nodded. “You are welcome to read anything on my bookshelf, Miss
Austin. Also, as it seems you enjoy the view, you may use the
terrace in the office at your leisure. It is a good place to read
and draw.”
She grinned. “Thank you.”
He gave a ceremonial nod and continued out of
the room.
Evie gathered her supplies and slipped back
out into the hallway. The first place she headed was the shower,
which was immediately followed by a trip to her bed, where she
slept.
* * * *
Seth watched Evie cook with boredom and
sighed. “It is really dull around here,” he muttered. “There’s
absolutely nothing to do.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “You brought enough
video games to entertain a small planet.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, but still.” He
yawned.
“You could have helped me clean today,” she
suggested. “That would have been nice.”
He shrugged. “You did fine without me.”
She scowled and bit her tongue to keep from
saying something very rude. Her back hurt so bad she could hardly
stand and her arms felt like noodles from scrubbing. It was all she
could do to set the food on the table. She glanced at her watch and
groaned aloud when she saw that Traevyn was five minutes late.
Great. Now she’d actually have to exert effort to hit the stupid
gong.
“This looks good,” Seth commented absently as
Evie set the food on the table. “I love chicken fried steak.”
Evie trudged into the living room and lifted
the mallet. She was just getting ready to wallop it when Traevyn
came all but running down the stairs. “I’m here!” he shouted. “I’m
here, all right?”
Evie smirked and set the mallet down. Traevyn
handed her a check and continued into the kitchen. She followed and
sat down to eat. She was not all that surprised when Traevyn loaded
up his plate and headed out again, leaving Seth and her alone.
It took all her energy to clean up the
kitchen. Especially when she had just cleaned it. The thought of
doing it twice in one day utterly disgusted her. When she had
finally finished, Seth went to his room to watch television and she
found herself heading to the office with her sketchpad. She turned
the light on and went out onto the terrace, shivering as the foggy
ocean air drifted over her. She pulled on a sweater she had brought
with her and sat in a chair with a sigh. She couldn’t see the ocean
because it was dark, and fog covered everything like a surreal
blanket, but she could hear it pounding against the cliffs and she
could taste the salt in the air.
Evie leaned back in the chair and closed her
eyes. She rubbed at a huge knot in one of her shoulders and relaxed
to the sound of the waves.
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
She jumped and turned to see Traevyn leaning
nonchalantly in the doorway. He was holding a glass of red wine and
looked so old world aristocrat to her that she almost smiled. She
nodded. “It is.”
He sighed and walked out to the railing. “My
house looks spectacular. Thank you.”
Evie stared at Traevyn’s back. She couldn’t
help but marvel at how statuesque he was, so tall and proud. “I
think I died somewhere around the second guest
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