Bought to be a Tutor?

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Morning came and Lia woke early. It was strange for her, not having Chelsea by her side. Normally she would wake to her dear friend's voice telling her the morning news. Chelsea would come in to wake her with a fresh cup of tea and whatever was on the morning news that day. She would relay anything relevant and then they would go over plans for the day. 

Today she woke alone, in an unfamiliar place, in a bed much too large for her, and awaiting a man she didn’t know. She had no connection to the outside world and she may have no way of finding out what had changed from yesterday. It was a comfort to her, something that let the rest of the world feel less foreign to her. Today she was completely isolated, alone. 

Gingerly, Lia stood and explored the room. She found a desk with three drawers and a chair. She also found a small closet with what seemed to be 5 dresses in different sizes. The desk was immediately next to the bed and the closet was 2 steps from the left side of the bed. She walked about the small room for several minutes until she felt comfortable maneuvering around the furniture. She sat on the bed and did the only thing she could do. She awaited her captor.

Lia waited in her bed until she heard a knock at her door. She got up slowly and made her way to the door, feeling the walls and furniture around her and counting her steps as she went. When she reached the door, Lia took a deep breath, and then turned the nob. 

“Morning,” He said, holding out his arm for her as she had him do yesterday.

“Good morning J,” Lia said politely and took his arm, more easily than the night before. They walked easily through the hall and to the stairs. Lia walked carefully with each step, trying to look as confident as she could in this foreign situation. 

“Are you hungry?” Lia nodded. 

He walked her to the dining room and to her seat at the end of the table. Lia sat slowly, cautiously, and felt around her as subtly as she could. She found a bowl and spoon in front of her and ate slowly. It seemed to be oatmeal for breakfast. At least that was normal. They ate in silence and she pondered her fate. When she finished her meal she wiped her mouth and sat as straight as she could. 

“I would like to discuss the terms of the agreement you made with my mother.” 

“They’re quite simple really. You will act as a nanny for my little brother. You will care for him and teach him in all subjects. You will do this for the next six months and then you're free to go.”

Lia was stunned. “That’s all?”

J was amused. “What did you expect?”

“In all honesty, I was unsure what to expect. You said I was sold, I imagined something along the lines of lifelong servitude of some sort.” He laughed. “That was intentional wasn't it? You wanted to see how I would react.”

“She was right, you are smart.” 

“And you're condescending.” He watched her and they sat in silence for several minutes. “When am I to meet him?”

“Today, in an hour. He’s young, ten years old. He’s good at science, gets very excited about bugs and things, but his reading and math skills aren’t so good. He says they bore him.”

Lia felt relief wash over her. She wouldn’t be asked to clean or cook. She didn’t need to worry about maneuvering the entire house. She would be able to restrict herself to her room and wherever his brother spent most of his time. She also felt more free to ask questions.

“What is your brother’s name?”

“Michael”

“Good. Are there any rules of the house I need to be aware of? Places I musn’t go?”

“Such things can wait. For now, eat up. We will meet with Michael when you’re done.” With that, the conversation died out. Lia took her time and finished her oatmeal. Once she had finished she sat and waited for something, anything, to happen. She could feel his eyes on her but refused to acknowledge it… and so she waited. 

“You’re not going to eat anything else? Do you not like meat? Or fruit?”

Damn. He asked far too many questions and she was too in the dark without Chelsea. She needed to be smart about this if she wanted to survive with her dignity. She would not allow people to take advantage of her situation. Not again.

“I eat light and I prefer all of my food to be on one plate rather than reach across the table.” 

“I’ll remember that.” She could hear the amusement in his tone, and he was about to hear the annoyance in hers.

“You may not want to waste time discussing every little thing with me, but the fact of the matter is that I need to know what is to be expected of me. I understand my only household duties will be with Michael, but what about the details? Will I be expected to cook for him? What about my own personal care? Do I need to prepare my own meals or will I be expected to eat with everyone else? For that matter what about hygiene products? Am I going to be allowed time and a stipend to purchase such things or am I to remain locked in the house and such things be delivered to me? Am I allowed company or is Michael to be my only companion while I am here? Regardless of what you feel you have time for or want to deal with, such questions need to be answered or I will be unable to fulfill my obligations.”

J couldn’t help but laugh. Not only was she smart, but she was witty and blunt. It had been a long time since he had met anyone so sassy and direct. 

“Your meals will be provided, I would like to see you eat with us but you are allowed to eat on your own if you prefer. We will provide any necessities, if you require something else you can tell be or the cleaning staff that comes in once a week and it will be added to the list. You can have guests but only if it is preapproved through me. That said, I already spoke to your friend from yesterday. She will be here tomorrow to see you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get Michael.”

Lia felt on the brink of tears. As terrified as she was, this may be the best setup she’d ever had.