resort to that,” Nora said with a dramatic flair that had Sophie smiling.
“Fine, yes I’ll join you, but for dinner only,” she added lest they had it in mind to include her in on anything else.
“Party pooper,” Rachel said with a feigned pout before giving her directions to the store followed by both of them saying they’d see her tonight as she left.
Two hours and two grocery carts later, Sophie was in line to check out at the store, thankful that she had gotten enough supplies to last a few weeks. Grocery shopping had to be her least favorite thing to do. Smiling at the friendly, middle aged cashier, she handed her the credit card Adrian had given her to put household expenses on, surprised when her friendly demeanor turned sour.
“You must be my replacement up at Pendelton Manor,” she said as she swiped the card. “Don’t unpack your bags, honey. You won’t stay long once you catch sight of the goings on up there.”
Sophie hated judgmental people and found she had a protective streak of her new friends. “The Pendeltons have been nothing but hospitable to me this past week and I’m very pleased with my job,” she replied coolly, taking the receipt and signing it quickly. She wanted to leave before she said anything that would alienate the woman. She preferred not to burn any bridges on her first trip into town.
“Just wait, girl. I mean, I didn’t believe the rumors that flew around this town not only about how those folks carry on with each other but also about Adrian pushing his pretty wife off those cliff’s last year. Now that I’ve seen for myself the degrading and immoral things those people do up there, why I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the other rumors about Adrian and his wife were also true. You be careful up there,” she warned her.
After seeing first-hand the sorrow and grief etched on Adrian’s face, there was no way Sophie would believe he had anything to do with Nicole going over those cliffs. “I’ve always felt that what other people do in the privacy of their home is their business, and if everyone involved is a consenting adult, then they’re welcome to find pleasure however they see fit. Since Mr. Pendelton isn’t in jail, I’ll assume he’s innocent of any wrong doing concerning his wife’s death. Thank you,” she said stiffly before grabbing her carts and heading outside to welcome the fresh air. By the stunned look and angry flush that covered the woman’s face, Sophie guessed she failed at not insulting anyone today. Somehow, that didn’t bother her as much as the thought of anyone thinking Adrian had killed Nicole. Maybe she was being naïve, but she refused to condemn him, or anyone else, on gossip.
After putting the groceries away and coming up with a menu for next week, Sophie had a few hours to herself before meeting everyone for dinner. Grabbing the latest romantic suspense she was totally engrossed in, she headed to the back courtyard praying she didn’t encounter any naked people. She swore the next time she happened upon anyone here having sex, she was going to turn right around and walk away. Maybe.
The sun felt wonderful on her face, arms and legs, and she was glad she had changed her jeans for shorts before coming out here. Sitting on the bench around the fountain, she was soon caught up in her book and didn’t notice the time slipping by until a small, grey furry body jumped on the seat next to her. Butting the book aside, the cat crawled into her lap and simply curled up, purring contentedly.
Stroking the soft fur, she murmured, “Well, hello. Where did you come from?” Another purr and an arch of her back was the only response she got. Sophie had never spent much time around animals, just those few that belonged to some of Shirley’s clients when she had worked for her. She rather enjoyed feeling the small body curled up on her lap, the vibrations from her purring were soothing as was petting her. A short while later, when it
“Fine, yes I’ll join you, but for dinner only,” she added lest they had it in mind to include her in on anything else.
“Party pooper,” Rachel said with a feigned pout before giving her directions to the store followed by both of them saying they’d see her tonight as she left.
Two hours and two grocery carts later, Sophie was in line to check out at the store, thankful that she had gotten enough supplies to last a few weeks. Grocery shopping had to be her least favorite thing to do. Smiling at the friendly, middle aged cashier, she handed her the credit card Adrian had given her to put household expenses on, surprised when her friendly demeanor turned sour.
“You must be my replacement up at Pendelton Manor,” she said as she swiped the card. “Don’t unpack your bags, honey. You won’t stay long once you catch sight of the goings on up there.”
Sophie hated judgmental people and found she had a protective streak of her new friends. “The Pendeltons have been nothing but hospitable to me this past week and I’m very pleased with my job,” she replied coolly, taking the receipt and signing it quickly. She wanted to leave before she said anything that would alienate the woman. She preferred not to burn any bridges on her first trip into town.
“Just wait, girl. I mean, I didn’t believe the rumors that flew around this town not only about how those folks carry on with each other but also about Adrian pushing his pretty wife off those cliff’s last year. Now that I’ve seen for myself the degrading and immoral things those people do up there, why I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the other rumors about Adrian and his wife were also true. You be careful up there,” she warned her.
After seeing first-hand the sorrow and grief etched on Adrian’s face, there was no way Sophie would believe he had anything to do with Nicole going over those cliffs. “I’ve always felt that what other people do in the privacy of their home is their business, and if everyone involved is a consenting adult, then they’re welcome to find pleasure however they see fit. Since Mr. Pendelton isn’t in jail, I’ll assume he’s innocent of any wrong doing concerning his wife’s death. Thank you,” she said stiffly before grabbing her carts and heading outside to welcome the fresh air. By the stunned look and angry flush that covered the woman’s face, Sophie guessed she failed at not insulting anyone today. Somehow, that didn’t bother her as much as the thought of anyone thinking Adrian had killed Nicole. Maybe she was being naïve, but she refused to condemn him, or anyone else, on gossip.
After putting the groceries away and coming up with a menu for next week, Sophie had a few hours to herself before meeting everyone for dinner. Grabbing the latest romantic suspense she was totally engrossed in, she headed to the back courtyard praying she didn’t encounter any naked people. She swore the next time she happened upon anyone here having sex, she was going to turn right around and walk away. Maybe.
The sun felt wonderful on her face, arms and legs, and she was glad she had changed her jeans for shorts before coming out here. Sitting on the bench around the fountain, she was soon caught up in her book and didn’t notice the time slipping by until a small, grey furry body jumped on the seat next to her. Butting the book aside, the cat crawled into her lap and simply curled up, purring contentedly.
Stroking the soft fur, she murmured, “Well, hello. Where did you come from?” Another purr and an arch of her back was the only response she got. Sophie had never spent much time around animals, just those few that belonged to some of Shirley’s clients when she had worked for her. She rather enjoyed feeling the small body curled up on her lap, the vibrations from her purring were soothing as was petting her. A short while later, when it
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