by Stone, Anna
Faith reached the elite private school the twins attended and went through the usual pickup procedure. It was routine now. As Eve had helpfully reminded her in the morning, Ethan had soccer practice in the afternoon, and Leah had a violin lesson.
Faith dropped Ethan off first. As she drove Leah to her violin tutor’s house, she glanced at Leah in the rearview mirror. Leah hadn’t said much the whole drive. She was a quiet kid, quieter than her brother, but this was unusual even for her.
“Leah?” Faith asked. “Is something the matter?”
Leah pouted. “We had a spelling test today. Ethan beat me.”
“Well, how did you do in the test?”
“I got two words wrong.”
“So you got all the rest right?” Faith asked. “You did amazingly. Just because Ethan did better doesn’t mean you didn’t do great too.” Both the twins were practically geniuses, which wasn’t surprising considering how hard their mother pushed them.
“But he’s going to tell Mom, and Mom is going to be upset at me,” Leah said.
“She’s not going to be upset. I’m sure she’ll be very proud of you. ”
Leah sighed. “She’s never happy when I don’t do as good as Ethan.”
Faith frowned. Now that Leah mentioned it, Eve did seem a little more critical of Leah than she was of Ethan. It was just one of the many things about Eve that Faith didn’t understand.
As they pulled out the front of Leah’s tutor’s house, Faith’s phone buzzed on the seat next to her. She parked the car and grabbed the phone. She had a message from Eve.
Leah’s tutor called to cancel. Take her home instead.
Faith sent Eve a reply and turned to Leah in the back seat. “No violin lesson for you today. Your tutor canceled.”
“Oh.” Leah’s shoulders slumped. Playing the violin was one of the few activities Eve made Leah do that she actually seemed to enjoy.
“You can practice at home instead,” Faith said. “I’ll help. Or better yet, you can put on a concert for me. I’d love to hear you play.”
“I guess,” Leah mumbled. She looked out the window toward a park just down the road. Her eyes lit up. “Can we go to the park instead?”
Faith shook her head. “Not today. It’s time to go home.”
“Please? Just for a little bit?”
Faith sighed. Leah looked like she could use some cheering up. “Okay,” she said. “Just ten minutes. Then we’re going home.”
Faith unlocked the front door and ushered Leah inside. “ Let’s go make a snack. Then you can put on that concert for me.”
“Okay.” Leah grinned and bounced down the hall.
Faith followed her into the kitchen. She opened the fridge. All the ingredients for Eve’s pre-approved healthy snacks were right there on the shelves. Perhaps Faith could mix things up a bit, make something a little more interesting-
“Mom!” Leah said. “You’re here!”
Faith turned. Eve was standing in the doorway, her eyes dark and her arms crossed.
She did not look happy.
“Eve,” Faith said. “You’re home.”
“I finished up at work early.” Eve looked down at Leah. “Why don’t you go upstairs, sweetie? I need to talk to Faith.”
“Okay.” Leah skipped out of the kitchen, oblivious to the displeasure radiating from her mother.
“Faith,” Eve said. “Come with me.” She turned on her heel and started down the hall.
Faith followed Eve toward the back of the house and into her office. What did Eve want? Her voice had taken on the exact same tone she used when one of the twins was in trouble.
Eve shut the door and gestured to a chair in the middle of the room. “Have a seat.”
Faith sat down.
Eve stood before her, looming over Faith’s chair. “You were supposed to be home twenty minutes ago.”
That was what this was about? “We were at the park,” Faith said.
“Did I say you could take Leah to the park? ”
“No. But it was just down the road from her tutor’s house. We were already there when I got your message.”
“And how was I supposed to know where you were?” Eve said coldly. “Where Leah was?”
“I’m sorry,” Faith said. “I thought you were at wor—”
“That makes it okay for you to take Leah somewhere without my permission?”
“It was just for a little while. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I do mind. I’ve set out a schedule for them which I expect you to follow.” Her face darkened. “Is this something you’ve been doing? Taking the twins places I haven’t approved?”
“No, of course not,” Faith said. “This was a one-off. I’ll ask first next time.”
“There won’t be a next time.” Eve put her hands on her hips. “You’re not taking Leah or Ethan anywhere other than where I tell you to. You’re not to do anything with them unless I’ve given you explicit permission. You’re not to deviate from the instructions I’ve given you in any way.”
Faith bit back her frustration. How was she supposed to do her job if she couldn’t do anything without Eve’s approval?
“Well?” Eve said. “Do you have something to say?”
“It’s just—” Faith chose her words carefully. “I know I’m not their mother, but when the twins are with me it’s my job to look after them. And it’s hard to do that if I can’t make judgment calls sometimes. Leah was upset. I was trying to cheer her up. I thought going to the park would help. It was only for twenty minutes. I brought her straight home after that.”
Eve frowned. “Leah was upset? What about? ”
“Just a test at school.” Faith didn’t elaborate. Telling Eve that Leah was upset because she didn’t want Eve to be disappointed in her wouldn’t go down well at the best of times.
“That’s no excuse,” Eve snapped. “I’m her mother, not you. I decide where she goes and what she does.” She leaned down over Faith’s chair. “You will do as I say, or I’ll find another nanny who can follow my instructions.”
“Okay.” Faith spoke through gritted teeth. “I won’t do it again.” She didn’t apologize. She’d just been doing her job, but Eve was behaving as though Faith had taken Leah to some seedy back alley, not the park.
Eve scowled. “Just go home. I can handle the kids for the rest of the night.” She walked over to the door and opened it wide.
Faith left the room in a huff. She’d thought this job had been going well, but Eve was more infuriating than anyone else she’d worked for. And to think, just hours before, Faith had been having all kinds of crazy thoughts about her. It was ridiculous. Eve was Eve, not this mysterious woman in a corset that Faith had been obsessing about.
And Faith wasn’t interested in either of them.
Chapter Six
F aith arrived at the front of Lindsey and Camilla’s house. It was evening and the grounds of the estate looked stunning in the fading light. She loved coming out here, to this little slice of paradise just outside the city. The huge estate was like its own little world.
She got out of the car and looked up at the mansion before her. She’d been here a dozen times now, but she still found it impressive. It made Eve’s suburban palace look tiny in comparison.
Stop thinking about Eve. Faith had the whole weekend off. She was at her best friend’s party. She was supposed to be letting her hair down.
So why couldn’t she get Eve out of her mind?
The tension between the two of them had only risen since that afternoon in Eve’s office. It was like Eve had been watching Faith’s every move, her eyes dark and inscrutable behind her glasses. And every time Eve was around, it made Faith simmer inside with something that wasn’t entirely annoyance.
A weekend away from Eve was exactly what she needed. Hopefully, it would help clear her head.
Faith headed into the house. Inside the entrance hall, Faith paused by a mirror to straighten out her outfit. The dress she wor
e, a knee-length blue number, had been borrowed from Lindsey. She didn’t own many dresses that were fancy enough for an occasion like this. These parties Lindsey’s girlfriend threw weren’t Faith’s usual scene, but she still loved attending them. They were so glamourous.
She fixed her hair, which she’d managed to style into loose waves instead of her usual messy curls, and followed a pair of guests to the ballroom. The party was in full swing, the room filled with dozens of people. She scanned the crowd until she found Lindsey. She was standing with her girlfriend by a table of canapés.
As Faith approached her friend, Lindsey spotted her. She rushed over to Faith and pulled her to the side, a sheepish look on her face.
“What’s going on?” Faith asked.
“It’s Eve,” Lindsey said. “She’s here.”
Faith’s stomach flipped. “What’s she doing here?”
“Camilla invited her. I didn’t realize she was your Eve until Camilla introduced us. We were all talking, and she mentioned some stuff that sounded familiar, like her job and that she had twins, and it clicked.”
Great. That was just Faith’s luck. She’d left the city, and she still couldn’t escape Eve. “Where is she?”
Lindsey pointed to the other side of the room. Amid a group of people stood a stunning blonde woman holding a glass of champagne. Her back was turned, her hair straight and parted to one side. She wore a strapless black gown that went down to the floor. Faith wouldn’t have been able to tell that the woman was Eve if she hadn’t recognized the dress. She had seen it in Eve’s closet, tucked away with all her other glamourous clothes.
Dressed like this, Eve looked even more like the woman in the corset.
“How does Camilla know her?” Faith asked.
Lindsey shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to ask. Camilla has never mentioned her before. I think they’re just part of the same rich people social circle.”
Faith glanced at Eve. “So they don’t know each other from Lilith’s Den?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“No reason,” Faith said quickly.
“I hope this doesn’t make things awkward,” Lindsey said. “I know she’s been giving you a hard time at work.”
“It’s fine.” Faith had told Lindsey about how Eve had dressed her down in her office that afternoon. But that was only part of the reason Faith was frustrated with Eve.
Faith pulled herself together. She was not going to let Eve’s presence ruin a good party. “So, where are the drinks?”
Lindsey led her over to the bar where Faith grabbed a glass of champagne. It was crisp and light, more delicious than any champagne Faith had ever tasted. She and Lindsey sat down in a quiet corner to talk. It wasn’t long before Camilla found them and dragged them both off to meet people.
The evening wore on, the sky darkening to night outside the wide windows of the ballroom. After finishing off her second glass of champagne, Faith excused herself and went back to the bar for another drink. This time, she asked for a glass of rosé. It had just the right balance of sweetness.
She sighed contentedly. She was enjoying herself. Although she had little in common with most of the people in the room, there was delicious food, top-shelf drinks, and interesting conversation. It was enough to make her forget about Eve.
Almost.
Faith searched the room for her. Did Eve know she was here? The party was so big that Faith hadn’t crossed paths with her yet.
Her eyes landed on Eve. She was nearby, deep in conversation with a pair of women, close enough that Faith could see her face. Without her glasses, the long, dark lashes that framed Eve’s hazel eyes made their depths seem endless. Her cheeks had a faint flush, and her lips were a pale shade of pink that brought to mind the rosé Faith was drinking.
Would Eve’s lips taste just as sweet?
As if overhearing Faith’s thoughts, Eve turned toward her. There was a flash of surprise in Eve’s eyes, followed by something else. A cool fire that made Faith burn inside. It was just like that night at Lilith’s Den, that moment Faith had locked eyes with the woman in the corset.
Faith turned around sharply and took a deep breath. A minute passed, then two, then five, but Eve didn’t approach her. And Faith didn’t dare look for her again.
Faith finished off her glass of rosé and went off to mingle again. She didn’t know why she was avoiding Eve. She had no reason to hide from her. But Eve hadn’t sought her out either. Was she avoiding Faith too? Faith wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended. She had no idea what she wanted from Eve.
She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. She couldn’t avoid Eve all night. It was better to just speak to her, to get it out of the way.
And there was no time like the present.
She scanned the room for Eve again. This time, Faith found her sitting alone, her head down and her hair falling over her face, half hiding it from view. Faith steeled herself and headed over to her.
As Faith approached her, Eve didn’t look up. Her eyes were fixed on the phone in her hand, a worried look on her face. Before Faith could reach her, Eve stood up and stormed out of the room.
Faith frowned. Was Eve upset? It took a lot to upset Eve. Faith hesitated, then followed her out the door.
The hall beyond led deeper into the mansion. Eve was already out of sight, but Faith could hear her voice faintly. As Faith followed her down the hall, the sounds of the party receded behind her, and Eve’s voice grew louder. Eve was almost yelling, but Faith couldn’t make out the words. Eve’s voice became more agitated, then stopped abruptly.
Faith reached an open doorway and peered into the room beyond. It was a library of some kind, with books covering every inch of the walls. In the corner, Eve sat perched on the arm of an armchair, scowling at her phone.
Faith knocked on the door.
Eve looked up. “Faith.”
“I saw you leave. You looked worried.” Faith slipped into the room. “I just wanted to make sure everything’s okay. ”
“You’re not on the clock. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I do.”
Eve let out a hard sigh. “I’ve been calling Harrison all evening so I could say goodnight to the twins, but he wouldn’t pick up his phone. When I finally got through, his mother answered and said the twins were already asleep.” Her grip on the phone tightened. “Of course they’re asleep now. If someone had answered the phone an hour ago, I would have been able to talk to them before they went to bed.” She shook her head. “I’m sure they’re fine. I’m just sick to death of Eleanor’s petty tricks. I have no doubt this was deliberate. She’s been pulling this kind of thing for years.”
Faith gave her a sympathetic look. “She sounds like a real piece of work.”
“You don’t know the half of it. I just wanted one night off, to not have to worry about the twins and all this custody business, yet here I am.” Eve placed her phone down on the desk next to her. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I’m friends with Lindsey. We went to art school together. What about you?”
“Camilla invited me.”
Faith hesitated. “How do you know each other?”
“I don’t remember exactly. We have a mutual friend or two, so we run into each other a lot, but we don’t know each other well.”
Silence fell over them. Faith walked over to the window and looked out it. She had no reason to stay in this room anymore. But something held her there. Eve held her there .
Eve got up from the armchair and joined Faith by the window. “It’s a lovely view, isn’t it?”
Faith nodded. Outside, the moonlit estate grounds stretched on and on. Faith kept her eyes fixed on the view, not daring to look at Eve. Being alone with her, standing so close to her, set off the exact same feeling in Faith that the woman in the corset had.
“Look,” Eve said. “About the other day, in my office. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I shoul
dn’t have yelled at you.”
“It’s okay,” Faith replied. “You were just looking out for Leah’s best interests.”
“No, it wasn’t about Leah. It was about me.” Eve’s eyes grew distant. “This is the first time I’ve ever let anyone else be responsible for my kids. I’ve been feeling so conflicted about it. I took it out on you.”
“It’s fine,” Faith said. “Really, I understand.”
“I know I can be controlling and critical, but you should know, I’m very happy about the job you’re doing. I’d be lost without you. So thank you.”
“No problem,” Faith said. “I’m just doing my job.”
“No, you’re doing far more than that. You seem to really care about the twins. You have a way with them.”
“They’re great kids. Working with the twins is effortless. I enjoy it.”
Eve turned to look at her. “And how do you find working with their mother?”
Faith smiled. “It’s not bad either.”
“Well, I appreciate everything you do for us.” Eve touched Faith’s arm. “And I appreciate having you around.”
Faith’s skin prickled. Suddenly, all those feelings of frustration Faith harbored for Eve were replaced with something else entirely.
“Is something the matter?” Eve asked.
“No,” Faith replied. “It’s just, you seem so different. You look different. The hair, the glasses, the dress. You look stunning.”
Eve swept her eyes down Faith’s body. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Suddenly, Faith felt very naked. “The dress isn’t mine. I borrowed it from Lindsey.”
“It looks like it was made for you.” Eve took a step closer. “You seem different too, you know. You’re much more relaxed outside work. More free. Wilder.”
Faith’s heart thumped hard against her chest. “Outside work?” Could she mean at Lilith’s Den?
Eve didn’t respond.
Faith drew in a breath. She couldn’t stay silent any longer. She had to know the answer to the question etched on her mind or she’d never know peace again.
