Chapter 9
1566 Words
The Harrisons owned a castle-like mansion in Upstate New York, just a few miles away from the city. It was the kind of house that Riley had seen in pictures and movies, but had never imagined seeing up close in real life. It was an old building, made with gray stone bricks, and covered in ivy and vines. It had four turrets and a round tower.
Britney, who was driving, looked over at Riley. “It’s huge, isn’t it?”
Riley could only nod. She was staring out the window, her jaw hanging open.
Britney grinned and turned her attention back to the road.
The driveway was a long one, but the trees and bushes lining the path made it feel like it was going on forever. After a while, they came to a large open courtyard with a fountain in the center.
A middle-aged woman was standing by the fountain, dressed in a maid’s outfit. She waved at them as they approached.
Britney pulled up her old beat-up car next to her and got out of the car. The gravel stones crunched beneath her boots.
“Good morning, miss. Are you Ms Collins?” The woman asked, looking at Riley.
Riley exchanged a nervous glance with Britney, her palms sweating. “Umm, yes.”
The woman smiled warmly. “I am Mrs. Green, the housekeeper. Welcome to the Harrison Manor.”
“Thanks,” Riley mumbled, still staring at the building.
Mrs. Green’s smile faltered. “I’ll have a word with the family about your visit. In the meantime, I would like you to wait here.”
She motioned toward the front door, and Riley noticed a man dressed in a tuxedo standing near it.
Britney grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the door. “Come on, Riley. Don’t keep them waiting.”
They reached the door and the butler opened it for them.
“Welcome to the Harrison Manor,” the butler said.
The entrance hall was huge. There was a staircase leading up to the second floor, and two doors on either side of the room. One led to the dining room, and the other to the library. The floor was made of marble, and the walls were covered with paintings.
It was the fanciest house Riley had ever seen, and she was still finding it hard to believe she was invited by one of the richest men in the city. All she had done was show up at the right time at the right place. It was all fate and nothing she had done to deserve it. Not that she wanted any of this in the first place.
Riley had sworn never to be part of such a world. This world was filled with greed, selfishness and cruelty. But Britney had not given her any choice.
Britney nudged her elbow. “Close your mouth, Riley, and try not to drool on the carpet.”
Riley glared at her but did as she was told.
The butler cleared his throat. “Please wait here. Someone will come down shortly to guide you upstairs.”
“Upstairs?” Riley asked, feeling the urge to bolt and run back home.
“Yes, ma’am.” The butler nodded. “To meet baby Chloe.”
“Oh,” she said, nodding slowly. “So, Mr Harrison is not home…?”
“I’m afraid not,” the butler said.
Before Riley could say anything else, Britney spoke up. “Well, that’s a bummer.”
Riley glared at her friend (or so she claimed this morning) and shook her head.
Britney took the hint and smiled sweetly at the old butler. “I mean, that’s too bad. We were really hoping to meet him and thank him personally for inviting us over.”
The butler gave a stiff smile. “I will be sure to pass along your sentiments.”
The old man turned around and headed toward the staircase. Riley watched him go, relieved to have avoided the encounter with the rich tycoon.
“That was a close call,” she muttered.
“No kidding,” Britney said, sounding annoyed. “I hope he won’t make us leave high and dry and will do better to keep his promise to reward you with something good. Or we would’ve wasted all that time and effort for nothing.”
Riley rolled her eyes. Of course, Britney cared only about the money and nothing else. “We have no idea if this would actually happen or not. And anyway, I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
“But you did,” Britney said, bumping their shoulders as they often did during these friendly chats. “And let’s not get all pessimistic. Let’s focus on our end of the deal for now. The sooner we get this done, the better.”
Riley sighed, knowing that arguing with her friend was a lost cause.
After a moment, a young woman dressed in a white blouse and black pants appeared from the staircase and greeted them.
“Hi. I’m Lucy. Nanny to baby Chloe.”
Lucy looked like a college student, with short hair and a friendly smile. She reminded Riley of the time when she was still in college. She had that childish glow on her face too. She was quite beautiful and pretty. Riley might not have dated a dozen of guys, but she knew she was good enough to make heads turn.
But of course, this wasn’t the time to wallow in the past.
Riley breathed in a deep breath and returned the nanny’s smile with her own.
“Hi. I’m Riley Collins. This is my friend Britney. We’re here to meet Chloe.”
“Yes, of course.” Lucy nodded and then grabbed Riley’s hand and started shaking. “I just want to thank you for what you did that day. Mr Harrison and little Chloe told me about it, and I can’t even imagine how you managed to save her from that crazy woman. I heard that the police were called, and there was a bit of commotion, but you remained calm and didn’t let anyone touch her. Even the doctor who arrived at the scene.”
“Umm, it was nothing,” Riley mumbled, not knowing how else to react. “She was scared. I was just trying to help.”
“Exactly.” Lucy beamed at her. “You helped her in a way no one else could. I was so impressed. You’re an angel.”
Riley could feel her cheeks heating up, and she couldn’t stop the stupid grin on her face. “It was nothing, but thank you.”
Lucy smiled, looking a little embarrassed, and released Riley’s hand.
“So, umm, should we go meet Chloe now?”
“Yes, of course.” Lucy said. “Please follow me.”
“Thank you.”
The nanny turned around and walked toward the staircase.
“Wow,” Britney whispered into Riley’s ear. “I didn’t think the nanny would be so pretty. She looks so innocent and young.”
“And she’s way out of your league.” Riley muttered.
Britney laughed. “Who says I’m interested in her? Maybe I just think she’s cute.”
Riley rolled her eyes, feeling amused and irritated at the same time. “You know what? Just go flirt with her and leave me alone. I don’t need your help with Chloe.”
“Fine,” Britney said, giving a fake pout.
Lucy led them through the hallways and up the stairs. The house was even bigger on the inside, with long hallways and high ceilings.
“So, how long have you been working for Mr Harrison?” Britney asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“About a year,” Lucy answered.
“Wow. So you must know him really well, then.”
“Not really.” Lucy shook her head. “I’ve only met him a couple of times, but he seems like a good man.”
“How about the mother?”
“Oh, Mr Harrison got divorced a few months after baby Chloe was born. I don’t know the specifics but I heard it was really ugly. He wanted full custody of the baby but the wife was against it. The divorce went on for a long time, but I think she ended up giving him what he wanted.”
“Really? Why?”
“I’m not sure. But I guess she got tired of the fight. She moved away after that, and I think she lives somewhere in Europe.”
“So, you’ve never met her?”
“No. Never.”
They arrived at a big wooden door. Lucy knocked a couple of times before opening it and stepping inside.
Riley followed her into the bedroom and found a little girl in a princess dress sitting on a small tea table. There was another young woman there, too, dressed in a similar outfit. They were having a pretend tea party.
Chloe looked up from her teacup when Riley and Britney entered the room. Her face broke into a big smile and she jumped up from her chair and ran toward Riley.
“You came!” She yelled excitedly, wrapping her arms around Riley’s waist. “I knew you would. I told Daddy you would. And you did. I’m so happy.”
- Writer
