In Love with the Nanny

The walk from the bus stop to the estate was going to be a long one. Ava still had no idea which direction to take. The bus only stopped in town, and her only means of transportation was her own two strong legs. Fortunately, she didn't mind walking. The only problem was that it had rained just a few hours earlier, and her old, worn-out sneakers were anything but waterproof. One might think that someone who had worked nonstop since turning eighteen would have enough money to buy a new pair of shoes, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She had been working as a maid ever since she was kicked out of the orphanage for being too old to stay there. Her previous employers had liked to charge her for the room she occupied in their homes, as well as for the food she ate. On one occasion, they had even charged her for the water she used to shower. As a result, every penny left over from her wages had to go straight into her meager bank account. She glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand, the address of her next employer scribbled across it in messy handwriting, as though staring at it might magically reveal which way she was supposed to go. With a sigh, she braced herself for the inevitable task of asking a stranger for directions, something she absolutely hated doing. A young man around her age was walking toward her, so she decided to ask him. However, with every step she took in his direction, her nerves grew worse. Ava had never been good at talking to strangers. The thought made her anxious, but she had no other choice. “Excuse me,” she began. He either didn't hear her soft voice or simply ignored it, so she raised her voice. “I'm looking for the Chamberlain Estate. Could you tell me how to get there?” The young man briefly glanced up just as he was about to walk past her. “Google it,” he replied without slowing down. Ava could do little more than stare at his retreating back. Well, that hadn't gone very well. Discouraged, she really didn't want to approach anyone else, but then again, she had no choice. It wasn't as though there were signs all over the place pointing toward this particular estate. She looked around the deserted town center. The young man's retreating figure was the only person in sight until the frail form of an elderly woman emerged from one of the nearby houses. Relieved, Ava adjusted her small handbag and walked toward the woman, silently preparing herself for another rejection. “Excuse me, ma'am,” she said. To her relief, the woman immediately turned her attention toward her, giving Ava the courage to continue. “I'm looking for the Chamberlain Estate. I have the address right here, but I don't know which way to go.” The elderly woman didn't even bother looking at the paper in Ava's hand. Instead, she pointed toward a road that branched off from the main street. “It's quite a walk if you're planning to go on foot, dear. But if you follow that road for a few miles, you'll eventually come across the estate. It's hard to miss.” Ava couldn't help smiling at the kind woman. “Thank you so much.” “Be careful, dear. It's dangerous walking along the road, so watch out for the cars,” the woman called after her before continuing on her way. It soon became clear what the woman had meant by her warning. The road had no sidewalk, so Ava had to choose between walking directly on the road or trudging along the moss-covered edge, which was hardly pleasant. Fortunately, there weren't many cars passing by, so she didn't have too much to worry about during the walk. She did her best to ignore the squelching sound of her wet socks inside her shoes and could only hope her new employers would consider them acceptable. They were simple black shoes, and from the outside, they didn't even look that bad. Most of the holes were hidden by the black socks she'd chosen, while the rest were in the soles, where nobody would see them anyway. The scenery surrounding the town was beautiful. A thick, lush forest stretched along both sides of the road, and at one point, she was almost certain she'd spotted a little rabbit darting away into the undergrowth. After walking for quite some time, she spotted a side road in the distance. It wasn't until she got closer that she realized it was actually a driveway, with a beautiful wrought-iron gate standing at its entrance. She had only been walking for an hour and a half, which, in her opinion, wasn't all that long. That meant she could visit town on her day off. She only hoped there was more to the place than the gas station she'd passed on her way out. When she finally reached the gate, she caught sight of the estate and couldn't help stopping for a moment to admire its splendor. A beautiful English-style mansion stood at the center of a sprawling, lush green garden. She wouldn't even dare guess how many rooms it had. Now she understood why everyone called it an estate rather than simply a mansion. The place was so much more than that. After gathering her thoughts, she approached the small intercom beside the gate and pressed the button. A faint crackle sounded from the speaker before a man's voice came through. “Chamberlain Estate. How may I help you?” Ava leaned closer to the device, hoping to make herself heard more clearly before answering. “Good evening. My name is Ava Romero, and I'm the new maid...” She wasn't sure why she'd let the sentence trail off as though it were a question. Perhaps it was some kind of defense mechanism, just in case something had gone wrong and they weren't actually looking for a maid at all. “Yes, of course. Come on in,” the voice replied before the connection cut off. A few seconds later, the gate began to move on its own, opening just wide enough for her to enter. The driveway leading from the gate to the actual entrance of the estate was longer than she'd anticipated, but she finally reached the house after a few minutes. A tall, gray-haired man with a warm smile greeted her at the door. “Miss Romero,” he said pleasantly. “I'm George, the butler here at the estate.” “It's nice to meet you, George. You can call me Ava, if you'd like,” she replied, shaking his hand. “Very well, Ava. Let me show you to your room. I'm sure getting to this little town must have been quite a journey.” If only he knew, she thought. But she kept the thought to herself. Instead, she gave him a grateful smile and nodded. He led her inside, and she did her best not to gape at the expensive decor and luxurious layout. She'd have plenty of time to admire everything once she started working. George led her past the staircase and down a hallway lined with paintings, each one seemingly unique. Some looked ancient, while others appeared to be more recent. Perhaps the owner of the estate was an art collector? They passed the kitchen and a couple of storage rooms before going through a door into another corridor. A sign read Staff Quarters, but Ava had no idea how many servants worked there. George was the only person she'd seen so far. He stopped in front of another door and pulled a key from his pocket before unlocking it. “This room is for you, miss,” he said, removing the key from the lock and handing it to her. She accepted it gratefully. She'd never had a key to her own room before. The orphanage didn't even have doors on the bedrooms, allowing the caretakers to see what was going on at all times, and her previous employers had never bothered giving her a key. “Thank you,” she replied, following him inside. The room was small, but it had everything she needed. A double bed stood against one wall, with a small desk opposite it. To her left was an old-fashioned wardrobe with enough space to hold more clothes than she actually owned. The window let in plenty of natural light, brightening the room without the need to turn on a lamp. Beside the desk was another door, and she could only hope it finally led to a bathroom of her own. “This will be your room for the duration of your employment. As you may have noticed, you're currently the only person occupying the staff quarters. The staff dining room is at the end of the hallway, and Lauren and I will meet you there for meals. Lauren is the head housekeeper, so you'll be following her instructions. Breakfast is at seven. Meet her there, and she'll go over your duties with you.” Ava nodded enthusiastically. George seemed like the kind of pleasant grandfather figure anyone would be lucky to have, and she still hadn't heard anything about the owner of the estate. This job was already shaping up to be the easiest one she'd ever had. “I'll leave you to settle in, then. Your uniform is in the wardrobe, and wearing it is mandatory.” His final words made her stomach twist. Uniforms were never a good sign. They were always too short and uncomfortable to work in. One of her previous employers had even made her wear a French maid outfit. “All right, thank you,” she replied stiffly, watching the butler walk away before letting her handbag drop to the floor. She slowly made her way to the wardrobe and opened it to inspect her uniform. To her surprise, it was perfectly fine. The dress fell just above her knees, but it wasn't nearly as short as the ones she'd grown accustomed to wearing. Instead of a plunging neckline, it had a high collar and short sleeves. She actually liked it. Satisfied, she flopped onto the bed and took another moment to admire her room. She could definitely get used to this.