My Little Step Secret

So you're rich rich

The journey to Godfrey Manor usually took about an hour from the airport; with the bad traffic, it took an hour and 20 minutes. The friends eased up, laughing and joking the whole way. It had been less than a week since they last saw each other and Frankie was amazed at how much she had missed during that time. Liam sighed as he attempted to pour another glass, only to get dribbles, which he still made sure to drink. Adam spoke up through the speaker, "We are arriving, Miss Godfrey."

Standing in front of the Manor, her friends were utterly astounded.

"Holy." Liam began, and as always, Brittany finished his sentence. "Shit."

This amused Frankie greatly. "You live here?" Brittany asked. Frankie had considered her friend may be jealous when she realised, but thankfully there was no indication of that at all. "More importantly, Brittany... Do we get to stay here?" Liam interjected excitedly. The Godfrey Manor was huge, it could often be mistaken for a castle. It was built with beautiful natural stone, with big open windows that flooded the rooms with natural light. Creeping up the wall on the left was a gorgeous pink flowered clematis. "Come on you two." Entering the house didn't help. The more they saw, the more in awe they became. "Frankie, I've never identified anything but myself, but if I could, I would identify as this house! It may be the most beautiful house I've ever seen." That was a classic Brittany way of giving a compliment. Frankie couldn't help the small swelling of pride within her at the approval.

"Thank you..." Turning her attention to Miss Marwright. She was a woman of small stature, who over the last few years had become more and more plump. Her white hair tonged and pinned back and a lick of red lipstick on her thin barely there lips. "Miss Godfrey, welcome home madam, you have been missed around here." Her voice trembled as she spoke but out of respect, Frankie pretended not to notice. "Maria. It is so good to see you again. I see you have everything running perfectly as always. I have two guests staying with us. These are Miss Brittany and Master Liam. Please ensure we have 2 of our best rooms made up and the staff is aware that any of their needs will be met during the course of their stay with us." Frankie was kind when she spoke to the staff, the tone in her voice was not forced respect. It was respect Miss Martwright had earned every day of Frankie's life.

"Of course, Miss Godfrey, may I enquire how long our guests intend to stay?" She didn't take her focus from Frankie.

"That has yet to be decided. For now, we will say for the foreseeable, thank you. Can you please ask the chefs to prepare two more sittings for this evening? I hear we are hosting tonight."

"Of course, Miss Godfrey." With that, she waddled away to complete her tasks.

"Let's go to one of the rooms. We have a lot to discuss." Frankie raised her eyebrows, ready to unload the mental load that is Bradley Gilmour onto her friends.

They spent time in one of the many vacant rooms. The window looks almost directly into the amazing garden of roses. Several varieties of roses grew there; wild roses, English roses, climbing roses, in all the shades imaginable, the scent was heavenly as it gently fragranced the room via the open window. The room was equipped with a four-poster solid wood bed and sheer white drapes and a deep red bedspread. There was a lounge area in the same room, and though there was no cramping at all, it was incredibly spacious. This was one of the simple rooms in the mansion on the first floor. Frankie's room was on the top floor, as were her father's and two other empty rooms. Frankie and her father were the furthest apart, their respective rooms at opposite ends of the house, each conjoining to the spare rooms. The guests usually stayed on the 4th or 5th floor and the Vips would get to stay on the 6th floor, the floor below Frankie. The higher up in the Manor you went, the more elaborate and spacious the rooms became. Liam took a seat by the window watching the views, with a new glass of champagne in his hand. "He and Ricardo ended things," Brittany explained as she emptied his glass and immediately refilled it. "Enough about Ricardo. Fee why didn't you tell us?" Liam piped up, acting completely indifferent to his most recent relationship.

"Tell you what?" She had lots to tell them. How could she possibly know which, what he meant? Mid-drink, he raised his eyebrows, eyes opened wide as he raised his arm in the air and twirled. "Yes... why did you keep this from us Frankie?" Brittany joined the inquest. Frankie knew they meant her home. Her wealth. She had considered playing a fool and not knowing what they meant, but she feared she would just come across as braggy and arrogant. "There was nothing to tell. I have money, but it is not who I am."

"Kinda is though, right?" That comment from Liam stung Frankie, in her opinion, it was catty and completely unnecessary. Much like the time he said she was sleeping her way to good grades.

She needed to change the subject and get it off her chest. "Bradley is here."

Brittany nearly fell off her chair, "Professor Gilmour is here? Frankie, what are you doing? Are you insane?" she was concerned for her friend. Brittany had never approved of the relationship. She said it was the best thing that could have happened to Frankie when she heard he was ending things.

Was she crazy? Frankie had wondered that about herself recently. A knock on the door interrupted the conversation to let them know their rooms were ready on the 6th floor, the floor beneath Frankie. They decided to put a pause on the conversation until they were unpacked and settled. It was a conversation that had the potential to go on all night. The staff transported the luggage for them, so all that was needed of Liam and Brittany was to get used to their surroundings and settle in their rooms. Frankie felt an uncomfortable tension in her stomach when they bumped into her new stepbrothers. That was another story to catch them up on. Brittany's voice did that thing it did when she first set eyes on Mark Denmers, one of her many suitors, "Who is that?!"