Page 10 of Take A Chance

“Oh, Amelia, I have missed you so much.” She glanced over her shoulder at the door to the kitchen where Katelyn had disappeared through. It was shut, but it moved slightly. Maybe someone was watching us. I took a step back and smoothed my shirt, wiping the sweat from my palms.

“We can’t talk now.” Fear stirred in my chest. If Giada was alive, it meant she was hiding too. “My name is Emma now. Please, don’t speak a word of it to anyone.” I pressed my lips together with anxious thoughts racing through my mind.

“I could never tell a soul, and you’re right. Now is not a good time to discuss this... situation. Please call me Greta.” My heart warmed at her words. Greta, the head of house and my boss, was a light in this dark world. I examined her face, aged since we last saw each other. Wrinkles and fine lines stretched out beneath her eyes and across her forehead, but her smile was just as beautiful as I remembered.

I shook my head, incredulous at the sight. “It’s so nice to meet you, Greta. I think we will get along just fine here.” I had to fight tears from welling up. I missed my mother so much, and though Greta was no substitute, she was an anchor I knew would steady me in this next journey I was embarking upon.

“Come on, then.” She patted my hand and gestured at me, then juggled the sacks of groceries. “I have a packet of information for you from the boss. Mr. Emmerson is such a good man. You will see. He is kind and wise, but very strict. As long as you follow the rules, you’ll fit in perfectly.” She talked as she waddled toward the kitchen, and I followed along behind her. I’d have offered to take some of the bags, but I knew she was the insistent type, so I did as she told me.

The faint hint of men’s cologne hung in the air when I entered the kitchen, but after a quick inspection, I saw no one. I had hoped Blake would be here to greet me by now, but his text had mentioned only being around after Katelyn went to sleep this evening. I stood next to the island and waited as Greta unpacked the groceries and put them away, then she shuffled to the counter near the back door and picked up a manilla envelope.

“Here we go.” Her thick fingers pulled a stack of papers out of the envelope, along with what looked like a credit card and something else. She handed the stack to me and continued. “It’s everything you need. In this packet is the entire list of Katelyn’s activities, schedule included. You have teacher names and numbers. You also have a credit card in your name to be used on necessities for Katelyn, or your room, for that matter. You also have a badge to enter and exit the premises through security so Wilem doesn’t give you a hard time every time. And lastly, you have the list of all staff names and numbers.” She tapped the papers and nodded. “You’ll need that.”

“Thank you.” I accepted it with pleasure, noticing the badge had a picture of me likely taken in Blake’s office during the interview without my knowledge. He had to have security cameras installed there. “So, where is Katelyn?”

Greta shrugged. “I’m not sure where she ran off to. I was supposed to get her snack, but I ran into you, and well... I have to get her situated for chess. It will be my last responsibility as her temporary nanny since you’re here now. Tomorrow, you will have full control over all of that. You should just settle in. Has anyone shown you around?”

I still reeled in shock over seeing Giada again. I felt like I was back in my father’s house, baking cookies with her and Mother. I wanted to hug her to my chest and soak up every single memory my brain could conjure up.

“Yes, Marta showed me around. This place is huge.” I couldn’t get over how large the rooms were, and there were so many of them. It was more of a mansion than just a home.

“Lots to clean, too.” Greta chuckled. “And I need to finish supper now, so off with you. I’ll take care of Katelyn and chess. You just enjoy your last day of freedom.”

I excused myself and headed up toward my room. I heard the faint laughter of a child and thought to search her out, but I decided if Greta was telling me to enjoy my last moments without the responsibility, I should heed her advice. I had a lot of information to digest, and I was getting tired. It had been an emotional day so far with being shocked by Greta’s reappearance in my life. I had to make it a point to set time aside to speak with her about what happened. She likely wondered the same about me.

Once in my room, I stuffed the badge and credit card in my purse and sat on the bed cross-legged. I pored over the documents, trying to memorize each staff member’s name and what position they held. It would get easier once I saw their faces. Then I looked over Katelyn’s schedule. She had so many classes and hobbies going on that there was no time for creative play or fun. Every day was packed full of one educational experience after another. Some people would think this schedule was simply rigorous, training the child for a life in high society. I thought it was ridiculous. How was she supposed to be a child?

Blake would be hearing about this at some point. I had no qualms about the busyness. It would give me something to do so I was never bored, but poor Katelyn needed friends, laughter, and time to just be a kid. The schedule was too structured, too rigid.

“Hi,” a tiny voice said, and I looked up.

Katelyn stood in the doorway, a hand on each side. She looked serious and curious. I smiled at her. “Hello, Katelyn. It’s so nice to meet you.” I patted the bed next to me. “Come on in.”

“You’re my new nanny?” She hesitated, clasping her hands in front of herself and not moving. She stood with perfect posture, shoulders squared, chin up. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought she was nine or ten, not five.

“Yeah, I am. My name is Emma.”

“Father said your name was Ms. Clarke.”

“Yes, my name is Emma Clarke.” I set the papers aside and patted the bed again. “It’s okay to come in and sit next to me. We can get to know each other.”

She walked calmly across the room and climbed onto the bed, making sure to keep her shoes from touching my comforter. She sat with her legs extended out straight, hands resting on her knees, still in proper posture. Kids didn’t sit like this, and they wouldn’t have cared about shoes on furniture or proper manners. I was impressed with how she behaved. I was also concerned.

“I think I should call you Ms. Clarke. My other nanny was Mrs. Pilcher. That’s what I had to call her.” She looked around the room, the first sign of the curiosity I knew was burning in her chest.

“You should call me Emma. Please. I prefer that name, anyway. And Mrs. Pilcher was your old nanny. I’m the nanny now, so we will probably do things a bit differently. Is that okay?”

“That’s okay.” She looked serious for a moment, brows furrowed and lips pursed. “I’m sorry for interrupting you. Mrs. Pilcher said children should be seen, not heard, so I tried to be quiet. I just wanted to meet you.”

Everything about this felt wrong. Katelyn was stiff, robotic, not at all like a normal child. “That’s alright. I don’t mind. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you today. Thanks for coming to my room.”

Her smile was encouraging. “You’re welcome.” She eyed my empty suitcases, then my purse. “You don’t have many things.”

“No, I don’t. But I have what I need.” An idea occurred to me. I hadn’t seen her room yet. Surely, she would have some bit of normalcy to her life there. “How about you show me your room? Do you have a lot of things?”

Katelyn lit up. “Yes! I have a lot of things—games, books—and my bed is ginormous. Let’s go. I’ll give you the tour.” She grabbed my hand and slid off the bed. The momentary excitement on her part pepped me up. She dragged me down the hallway and three doors down. If I’d have known her room was this close, I’d have gone investigating sooner.

She opened the door and pushed it open, letting go of my hand. As she entered, she held her arms wide and spun in a circle. “This is all mine.”

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