by J. L. Ryan
Filled with bubbles of laughter I start giggling until I am almost crying. Alex gives in to my infectious giggles and we both laugh and look at each other.
"Well Duchess, it looks like we've been had,' grins Alex.
"Duchess?" I enquire.
Alex pulls me in for a kiss. "Ah this is why I love you Tully. It never occurred to you that the line for the Dukedom that has fallen into the family's lap now passed to me, making you a Duchess."
I laugh and kiss my husband back, "never a dull moment as a billionaire's wife!"
******
The Billionaire's Gift
April’s mind still reeled from the news. It was all anyone in her sorority house talked about, and all that she saw on the news. Lewis Edwards had been arrested and charged with securities fraud. It turned out that the investment scheme he was running truly was a scheme – a Ponzi scheme. He was bringing in new investors, most of them hardworking middle class looking to build retirement funds, and using the money to pay his high net worth investors. It all came crashing down on him, and in an attempt to pay back as much of the money as they could, the Feds seized all of Edwards’ assets.
The problem for April was that Lewis Edwards was her father.
April would never have considered herself rich, but she was wealthy. They had enough money that she never worried about anything. She never even questioned why her mother left her father five years ago – though she suspected now that her mother got wise to his scheme and decided to leave. April felt badly now for insisting to stay with him. She had alienated her mother, and right now, she could have used a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
Everyone had abandoned her. Her boyfriend of two years broke up with her. Her friends turned their backs on her. April was alone and miserable. As the spring semester wrapped up, April somehow managed to make it through her finals and wondered what would happen next. Would she be able to come back to school? Would she even have a place to live? The home she had known her whole life was locked up and taped. It and everything inside was to be auctioned off this summer.
April sat on the bed of her dorm room and looked out the window. Her roommate Sylvia had already left. Sylvia had hardly said a word to her since the news about her father came out. Of all of her friends, April thought Sylvia had the best reason. Her father had been one of the investors in the Edwards Fund, and he very likely lost a great deal of money.
The day outside was bright, far brighter than April felt. She let out a long sigh. She had held off on calling her mother. She knew that her mother would not turn her away, but she was also not sure how she was going to get to her. She was across the country now, in California. While she had managed to pick up her life, April doubted that she would be able to spring for a plane ticket at the last minute.
“You’re still here,” a light voice said from April’s doorway.
April turned to see her sorority sister Chloe standing there. She was holding a suitcase in one hand and a box under her other arm.
“Yeah, I’m not in any hurry to get nowhere,” April said.
Chloe set her things down at the doorway and walked over to Sylvia’s old bed. She sat down and looked at April, measuring her carefully. April was not sure what to make of it. She and Chloe were never close. Chloe was a year her senior and a sweet girl, but the two of them had almost nothing in common.
“It’s been hard on you the last few weeks,” Chloe said at last. “Do you know where you’re going?”
April shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll probably call my mom out in California and see if I can join her out there.”
Chloe frowned. “That’s a long way to go for an ‘if you can.’”
April appreciated Chloe’s ability to quickly understand a situation; even she did not understand all of the details behind it. It did not help her though, and April let out another deep sigh before looking out the window again.
“You know,” Chloe said, “I might have a solution for you.”
April turned back to face Chloe. A solution was just what she needed. “What’s that?”
“My dad owns a resort upstate. He always needs extra help for the summer, and it pays really well. You also get to stay at the resort free, though you’re staying in the servants quarters. It’s not too bad, as long as you don’t mind spending your summer in a room about the size of this dorm room.”
April never had to work a summer job. She was aware of the concept, but the practice itself was alien to her. Still, the idea of getting a job had a certain appeal. It meant that she did not have to depend on her mother, and if her mother saw her trying to make an effort to get past everything and be better for it, it might help the two of them repair their relationship. If her mother could help, she might even be willing to do it on more even terms than April having to move somewhere strange.
“Will it be a problem, to get me a job I mean?” April asked.
Chloe shook her head. “My dad’s opinion is that anyone who can’t ask a few simple questions about an investment probably deserves to lose their money.” Chloe paused and gave April an apologetic look. “It’s a harsh opinion. But it means that he’s not going to have anything against helping you. Besides, nothing that happened had anything to do with you. It was all your father.”
April gave Chloe the first real smile that she felt in weeks. “Thank you so much. Whatever he needs me to do, I don’t care. I’ll even wash toilets.”
Chloe laughed. “It won’t be that bad. It’ll be hard work, but the resort is beautiful, and staff always get two days off during the week, so you’ll even get to enjoy some of it.”
April did not care about getting to enjoy the resort. For the first time since the investigation into her father started, April was starting to see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
She even thought it might not be a train.
********
April had never had the opportunity to visit Stuart Estates before. It was far more upscale than anything her family would have afforded, though she knew many of her father’s clients probably frequented this resort. She wished she had gotten to see and enjoy it without having to be an employee. Set in a mountain valley, it featured a large manor house that hosted any number of events, from conferences to weddings and family reunions. Some of the upstairs rooms were still held as private rooms for guests, though a majority of guest accommodations were in “cabins,” buildings that had once served as guest houses or were built later when the original property was converted.
Still, April thought that she would enjoy working here. The air was crisp and clear. She was surrounded by beauty. It was tranquil, even if her supervisor Henry Graven did promise that she would be far too busy to take notice of what was around them.
Mr. Graven was a cold man, tall with pale skin and dark hair. April recognized the name right away, and did her best not to cringe. He was one of the people who lost their retirement money to her father’s scheme. She could tell by the way that he looked at her; he knew who she was. He would not be able to do anything overt, but if she gave him any reason to fire her, he would not hesitate to take it.
Her first day was mostly a learning curve, of going from being the person waited on to doing the waiting. Mr. Graven was grudgingly patient as she learned, and she found the rest of the staff to be kind and understanding. She did not think any of them knew about her circumstances, and she was thankful for that. It was still a stressful day, and she was happy to retire in the evening to her room.
Her “room” was one-half of a small cabin that April thought had probably been a campground cabin at some point. Now it was fitted with lighting and a small window unit to control heat and air. A bathroom had also been built onto it, to be shared between the two units. It was small, smaller than her dorm room had been, but it was comfortable, brightly decorated, and most of all private.
April lay on her bed and thought about her day. It has been busy. Mr. Graven was right. She had barely had time to notice the beautiful scenery
around her. She decided she would change that. She would give herself a few days to get used to the job, and after that, she would take brief moments in her day to just appreciate where she was.
********
April knelt down to wipe up the spilled coffee and gather up the shards of china cups that were now scattered about the floor. She was still getting used to carrying trays and keeping them balanced. Something had brushed her thigh over her skirt – it was not a something, it was a man’s hand, she was certain of that – and caused her to lose her balance. Now, she was mortified as guests watched her fumbling with the glass shards and spilt coffee, trying hard not to cut herself.
When the last piece was gathered and the last of the coffee sopped up, April stood, careful not to tip her tray and spill any of the shards. As she walked past a table, she felt a hand brush the top of her knee. She glanced back to see an older man with short, thick grey hair give her a wink. She quickly turned, trying to control her blush and pushed through the swinging doors back into the kitchen galley.
“Are you okay?” Leah, one of the other girls on staff asked her as she set down her tray of broken cups.
“A guest is getting grabby,” April said. She let out a sigh as she began to move the shards into the collection bin set up for broken wares. “It just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
“You should be more careful with your tray Miss Edwards.” Mr. Graven paused as he walked past her. “You are lucky that you did not burn anyone.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time,” April said.
She did not look up to see Mr. Graven’s look, but she was sure it was one of contempt. He walked on and she finished depositing the shards and took her tray to be washed. Another tray of coffee was set up, which Leah picked up to take out. April was relieved. She did not want to have to go back out into the dining room right now, not right on the heels of something so embarrassing.
The rest of the noon day brunch went by smoothly, and when April did have to go back out, she was glad to see that guests paid her no more attention than they did to any other member of staff. Slowly the guests filed out of the dining hall and out to the veranda. It was still raining lightly outside, but it would clear soon. The guests would enjoy any number of outdoor festivities while the staff prepared the indoor rooms for evening festivities.
April moved to her area of the dining room and began cleaning the tables. Someone else would come behind to vacuum, but she wanted to make sure that the floor was cleared of any large debris. As with everything else, she was still getting accustomed to cleaning, and the rest of the staff were done and cleared away as she still worked, her mind turning over bits of half-remembered lyrics to keep her moving at a steady pace.
A hand moved over the small of April’s back and along her buttock. She jumped up, pushing into the bulk of someone behind her. April had not even heard anyone come up on her. When she turned, she saw the same man with the grabby hands from brunch.
“You’re like a little rabbit.” His voice was smooth as he spoke. His eyes were even and demanding. April gripped the table and tried to put space between them, only to have him close it again. “I do like hunting rabbits.”
“I need to finish my work.” April could not think of anything else to say. The man’s hands moved to her waist and slowly up her sides to cup her breasts.
Everything happened at once then. The swinging door from the kitchen galley opened. Mr. Graven walked out, followed by two other staff members. The door from the veranda opened and an older woman walked in, followed by two young men. April’s hand collided with the face of the man accosting her with a loud slap propelled by the swing of her arm. It resounded through the dining hall before the woman began to scream shrilly.
April tried to wrestle control of her situation, but she could not. Mr. Graven was upon the scene immediately, asking the man – Henry Worthington as it turned out to April’s surprise and horror – if he were okay. The woman screamed about a trollop hitting her husband. Mr. Worthington began his explanation of how she had come onto him. April tried to speak up, to give her side of the story, only to be hushed by Mr. Graven or Mrs. Worthington screaming about lies. The noise brought more guests from the veranda into the dining room.
Mr. Graven finally took hold of April’s arm, squeezing tightly and leading her away. She tried to protest over his assurances to Mr. Worthington that he would take care of the situation. He led her out into the hall and spun her around hard, slamming her back against the wall and knocking the air from her. Further down, guests poured out of the dining room and into the hall, not wanting to miss the end of the drama.
“I have been very patient with you, but I will not have you accosting our guests,” Mr. Graven kept his voice stern and even.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” April said.
“You slapped one of the resorts most honored guests. You will go up to him and you will apologize.”
“I will not. The man is a pig!” April said louder than she meant to.
Mr. Graven pulled back his hand and aware of the crowd stopped himself. He lowered his voice and leaned in closer to April. “You are fired, do you understand? You will go to your cabin and pack your belongings. I expect to see you gone from here within the hour.”
April could not say anything else. She turned and ran down the hall as tears began to stream from her eyes, burning her cheeks in her shame and embarrassment.
********
Nigel Conroy knew two things very well. Henry Worthington was a misogynist and a womanizer and the staff of Stuart would happily kiss the ground that he walked on. He was certain that Worthington could have murdered the poor girl and the staff supervisor would still have found a way to claim she had fallen upon his knife or gun herself.
He also had a very good idea of who the girl was. He face was familiar, one he knew he had seen recently on the news. If he was right, she had been through enough. Being fired in front of all of the guests here was the last thing she needed. As the crowd began to slowly disperse, he took hold of the arm of another staff, a cute young woman with short blonde hair.
“I’m sorry, but I wanted to ask you something before you had a chance to go away,” Nigel said, releasing her.
“It’s alright sir,” the young woman said. “How can I help you?”
“The girl that just ran down the hall, what was her name?”
The young woman narrowed her eyes, and Nigel did not blame her. He sensed protectiveness and found himself very much liking this young woman.
“I don’t mean any harm, but she didn’t deserve what happened, and I think you know it. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you here for a few seasons, so I think you know what really happened. I just want to make sure she’ll be okay.”
The young woman continued to eye him warily. Nigel did his best to project his sincerity and she finally relaxed. “April Edwards. I can take you to see her. We share the same cabin.”
Nigel nodded his head. “Thank you. If anyone says anything, just tell them I pulled you aside to help me with an errand. I’ll vouch for you, I promise.”
The young woman did not say anything else. She simply turned and Nigel understood he was expected to follow her. She led him through a side door of the main estate house. The morning rain was now stopped, and the humidity of the afternoon was quickly setting in. She kept a brisk pace as she led him to the servant’s cabins and to what he presumed to be her own.
Nigel stepped in to a small living area with a couch, chair, and television and three doors that along the two adjacent and one opposite walls.
The young woman turned to the left door and knocked gently. “April sweetie, it’s Leah.”
“Please go away, Leah. I don’t want to talk to anyone,” April’s muffled voice came through the door, thick with her tears.
Leah looked back at Nigel but he nodded, waving his hand to urge her to continue.
“April, there’s a man here to see you,” Leah said.
“I’ll gouge out that bastard’s eyes if it’s him,” April said before her eyes had a chance to survey the room. When they fell on Nigel, some of the fire pulled back, though he noticed it did not withdraw completely. “Who is that?”
“He’s one of the guests,” Leah said. “He wanted to make sure you were okay.”
April stood there and studied Nigel before turning back to her friend. “Tell him I’ll be fine.”
“Can I speak to you for a few minutes?” Nigel took a step forward.
Leah looked from Nigel to April, and he could see the helplessness in her eyes. She had duties to attend to and could not be playing referee between them.
April sighed and placed a hand on Leah’s shoulder. “It’s fine. You get back up before you get into trouble too.”
Leah hesitated, looked between the two of them again. She finally nodded. “You find me before you go, okay?”
“I will. Thank you.” April gave Leah a hug. She released her and Leah walked past Nigel, giving him a careful look that he read very well. April had a bad enough day, and he did not need to make it worse.
As Leah walked out of the cabin, Nigel turned his attention to the young woman before him as she stepped out of her room. She wore only the simple black dress common to all of the staff. The white apron had been discarded somewhere, either in her room or thrown aside as she fled the shameful scene.
