ANABELLE
Marcel shows me to a room in a building that’s about a ten-minute walk over the property from the main house. It’s out of view of the manor but has much the same vibe.
My room is sparse with only a twin-size bed, a small dresser, and desk, and no other adornments. It’s the only room available, though, so there’s no point in complaining.
When Mr. Voss said I’d be living on the property, I pictured myself staying in a room in the manor. It didn’t even dawn on me that I might be put with the rest of the staff.
I’m self-aware enough to know it’s because of how I was raised. We didn’t have the same level of wealth as the Voss family, but we still had housekeepers and nannies. Gardeners and other people kept things running on the property. I didn’t make a meal for myself until I moved away to college and was on my own.
I suppose I never thought I’d be on the other side of things. The thought makes me feel ashamed. I’ve never thought myself better than anyone else because I was born into affluent circumstances, but clearly, I’m more biased than I thought.
That point is driven home after I’ve changed into my new uniform. Not because it denotes I’ll be doing manual labor, but because I don’t look or feel like me in it. Which I’m sure is the point.
The skirt goes down to the bottom of my knees, and the shoes make me feel like a grandmother. The whole thing chafes, and I know for certain that this was done on purpose. I caught a glimpse of the other staff when Marcel was showing me through the house, and those women wore more fitted, professional, and tailored uniforms than the one Asher gave me.
Whatever. It doesn’t matter what I look like, just that I put in my time. Asher Voss can dress me up in a hot dog costume every day and tell me to scrub toilets. I don’t care. He’s not going to run me off and break our deal.
Marcel meets me at the entrance to the building to walk me back to the estate.
“I’m sorry if you’re going to be forced to lead me around all day.”
I don’t mind Marcel. He might work for an asshole, but he doesn’t appear to be one himself.
He huffs. “It’s no trouble at all. Besides, you’re giving me an excuse to see Finn.” His smile grows wider.
“Who’s Finn?”
Marcel diverts us to the right when the path comes to a fork. Damn it, I was sure we had to go left there. I’m really going to have to pay attention if I want to make sure that I stay out of the areas of the manor I was warned about.
“Finn is my boyfriend. He’s the head of housekeeping, so I don’t normally get to see him during the day. So worry not, you’re doing me a favor.” He winks.
I welcome the idea of having a light conversation about normal things. “Oooh, do tell. What’s Finn like? How long have you been together?”
He grins as we make our way past a pond on our left. “It sounds cheesy, but he’s dreamy as hell. You’ll see when you meet him. Beyond that, he’s about a decade younger than me, but I’m not complaining.”
We both laugh.
“It’s not against the rules to be involved with someone else who works here?” Seems as though that wouldn’t be tolerated here. Too many secrets that could be shared.
He moves his head back and forth. “It’s not exactly forbidden, but it’s not encouraged. We keep our antics out of the main house, so it doesn’t become an issue.”
I nod. “I’m surprised. Mr. Voss seems like the type who would be against that sort of thing. You know, anything that brings joy to people.”
Marcel’s jaw tightens.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything if I’m caught complaining about him.”
“I know Mr. Voss can be… difficult sometimes. Best to stay on his good side. But he’s not as terrible as he might appear. He and his brothers…”
I’m quiet, waiting for Marcel to finish that sentence, but he doesn’t. “Well, I’ll have to take your word for it. I haven’t seen any evidence to the contrary.”
We’re quiet as we walk near a long row of hedges. I didn’t pay it much attention the first time past, but now I realize it seems to form a huge square.
“What’s that?” I ask.
Marcel glances at the hedges that must be ten or twelve feet in height. “That’s the maze. Don’t go in there unless you don’t want to get out.”
“Is it really that hard to find your way out?”