“Yes, Mistress.”
“Any shortcomings, the slightest infraction, the smallest mistake, and you’ll forfeit your entire pay for the week.”
Autumn wasn’t sure that was legal but she found herself nodding. She needed this job so badly.
“If you do right by us, obey us in everything, serve us tirelessly in every way we command, you’ll have nothing to worry about. Your mother will receive your pay promptly every Friday evening by wire transfer.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“And we all know how expensive those doctors are, don’t we?” Mr. Hildegard piped in.
Autumn turned to him, the first time she got a good look. He was short and fat with a red face and white, bristly whiskers. He wore small, round glasses and was busy lighting a pipe.
“Yes, Master,” she said, determined to earn what was needed for her mother’s medical bills.
“Now, follow me. I’ll show you to your room,” Mrs. Hildegard said.
Autumn followed up the staircase and then down a long, wood-paneled corridor. There were doors to either side, all shut. At the end of the corridor was a slightly smaller door and Mrs. Hildegard took a big keyring from her dress and unlocked it. She pushed it open and it creaked loudly.
“We haven’t used this level for a while, not since our daughter, Betsy, met her tragic end.”
Autumn nodded and peered ahead at the narrow staircase rising steeply in front of her.
“What’s up there?” she said, dreading the answer.
“Your room,” Mrs. Hildegard said flatly and led the way.
Autumn had to wipe cobwebs from her face as she followed. They were in almost complete darkness until they reached the top where Mrs. Hildegard hit a switch and a single lightbulb flickered on.
Autumn’s eyes adjusted and she saw they were on a small landing in the attic. The ceiling above sloped. There was a sofa on one side of the landing and a bookcase on the other. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs. There were also two doors.
Mrs. Hildegard took out her keyring again and unlocked the door to the right.
“My room?” Autumn said.
Mrs. Hildegard nodded as she struggled with the rusty lock.
“What about the other room?” Autumn said, and she was already nodding because she knew the answer.
“Betsy’s. Don’t go in there.”
The bedroom door opened with another loud creak and Autumn shivered as she followed her mistress inside. Another light switch, another flickering bulb.
The room was sparse. There was a small bed and next to it was a table and a lamp. On the table was a bible and an old clock that didn’t seem to work. Against the back wall was a closet, also small, which was just as well because the slope of the roof didn’t allow for much else. Next to the closet was a desk with a chair, a mirror over the desk. On the other wall was a big dormer window and Autumn imagined she would sit there and read or enjoy the sunshine. The dormer contained a comfortable looking wooden bench with floral cushions scattered along it. There was also a fireplace. Under her feet was a dusty old Persian carpet.
To the right was a small bathroom with a toilet, a porcelain sink, and an old clawfoot tub.
Apart from the dust and the stale air the room was nice, like something from a country inn.
It was creepy, there was no doubt about that. The cobwebs and mousetraps made sure of that much. But it was cozy. Autumn could make something of it. She knew she could.
“This is it,” Mrs. Hildegard said. “You’ll want to get the fire lit. You’ll freeze soon enough otherwise.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“And be downstairs by five. We get an early start around here.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“If this bell rings,” Mrs. Hildegard said, pointing to an old bell connected to a cable running into the wall, “report at the great hall immediately.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
Mrs. Hildegard made to leave, but paused at the door. “And under no circumstances enter Betsy’s room.”
“No, Mistress.”
Autumn stood there as Mrs. Hildegard left. She went out to the landing and listened carefully as she climbed down the stairs. She wanted to know if Mrs. Hildegard was locking the door at the bottom. She heard her shut the door but there was no clinking of the lock.
She sighed in relief and eyed the door to Betsy’s room nervously.
Had Betsy died in that room?
She went back into her own room and shut the door behind her. There was wood by the fire and she piled it up and lit it with a match. Very soon, a small fire was burning in the hearth. It would take a while for the room to heat up but it was a start.
She went into the bathroom and began to undress. She checked the water. There was both hot and cold, she was relieved to discover, and she ran a bath.
“This is nice,” she said, trying to reassure herself.
She took off the rest of her clothes and just as she was climbing into the bath, the bell rang.
CHAPTER 4
GRADY
Grady felt a shiver run down his back as he approached the Raven’s Nest. The place looked like an abandoned castle but apparently it was the only decent hotel in town. As he parked outside, he prayed it was open.
The baby was asleep and he packed her carefully inside his coat before grabbing his bag and opening the door of the car. It had been snowing for the past fifty miles and he knew the wind would be bitterly cold.
He ran up to the hotel and pushed the door open with a heave. The wind came rushing in after him and he had to force it closed with his back. There was no one at the desk but a big fire burned across the room and he went over to it.
“So this is our new home,” he whispered to the baby who was still sound asleep.
The flames danced on the logs and he let the warmth wash over him.
“Can I help you?” a stern sounding voice said from behind him.
He turned to see a woman in her sixties with straight white hair and a strong face.
“My name is Grady Cole,” he said, not quite certain why he was introducing himself to the woman.
“And I’m Mrs. Hildegard, Mistress of this hotel.”
“I was hoping you had a room.”
The lady looked him over from head to toe, her gaze lingering a few seconds extra at his crotch. Grady felt strangely exposed as her eyes devoured him.
“For a fine man like you, we’ve always got room.”
The woman yanked a tasseled velvet cord and somewhere far off he thought he heard a bell ring.
Something about her gave him the creeps. If it hadn’t been so late, and if the road hadn’t been so long and treacherous, he would have considered driving back the way he’d come. He’d chosen the town because it had the same name as his daughter but sentimentality only went so far.
“You don’t also happen to have a crib, do you?”
The woman walked forward, stopping just a few feet in front of him. She inhaled deeply, as if breathing in his scent.
“We’ve got it all,” she said in a sultry voice.
Grady wanted to take a step back but he stood his ground. The woman was wearing a silk, white robe, loosely tied at the waist, and matching silk slippers. He was fairly certain she was naked underneath and as she stood there, her hand moved to the belt as if she was going to give the knot a little tug and open it.
He pictured the robe falling open, revealing her naked body, and he didn’t know whether the thought aroused or disturbed him.
“Have you come a long way?” the woman said.
“Yes, ma’am. Quite a way.”
“I imagine you’re tired.”
Grady nodded.
“I could do something for that,” she said, taking another step toward him.
She was close enough now that he could have reached out and touched her. In fact, he felt that was exactly what she wanted him to do.
“I imagine you could,” he said.
&nbs
p; “I could get on my knees right now,” she said.
“Excuse me?”
“Get on my knees, open those uncomfortable jeans, and take you right into my mouth.”
Grady looked her steadily in the eye. There was no question she was serious. He’d met a lot of crazy women in his life and this was surely one of them.
“You say that to all your customers?” he said.
“Just the ones who look like you.”
“You mean guys who are holding six-month-old babies?”
The woman scoffed.
“The runt won’t notice a thing. I’ll swallow every drop and she’ll sleep right through it.”
The woman reached out and put her hand on the crotch of his jeans. Despite the surreal circumstances, he felt himself stiffen as her hand gripped his manhood.
“You called, Mistress?” a voice asked timidly from the staircase.
Instantly the woman let go and stepped back.
Grady smiled.
“Caught in the act,” he said to her as his gaze went to the stairs.
“Just keep my offer in mind. Every single drop.”
Grady might have kept her offer in mind if it hadn’t been for the sight waiting him on the staircase. There, halfway up, was a young girl, she couldn’t have been more than eighteen or nineteen, standing against the bannister. She wore a plain black cotton dress that came to just above her knee. She wasn’t smiling but she had the face of someone who smiled often. Her hair fell over her shoulders and framed her startlingly pretty face.
As if her beauty had snapped him back to reality, he took a step away from Mrs. Hildegard and cleared his throat.
“Where have you been, you stupid girl?” Mrs. Hildegard said. “Take this man’s bag to room seven.”
Grady watched her come down the rest of the steps and hurry to grab his bag.
“That’s okay, Miss,” he said to the girl. “It’s heavy.”
“She’ll manage,” the old lady said.
Grady didn’t feel right letting such a small girl carry his luggage for him. Instead he handed her the baby.
“You take the child,” he said.
The girl caught his eye before reaching out and taking Destiny. She held the baby close as she nestled comfortably in her bosom.
“You want me to check in or something?” he said to Mrs. Hildegard.
“You go on up with the girl. We can take care of the paperwork in the morning.”
Grady gave her a little nod before following the girl. He couldn’t help look at her butt as she led the way up the grand staircase. She led him down a corridor until they got to room seven.
“This is your room,” she said, trying the door.
It opened and she stepped inside.
The room was dark and Grady hit the light switch. For the first time he saw the girl up close. She was standing right in front of him, her pretty face looking into his, and the way she was holding Destiny made something inside him tremble with affection. She was so pretty.
He shook his head, trying to shake the desire from his mind. The girl was like something out of his deepest desires, pure and beautiful and innocent, but she was almost young enough to be his daughter. Grady was a lot of things, but one thing he never did was take advantage. He’d been with all kinds of women, but never one as young as the girl standing in front of him right then.
“My name’s Grady,” he said, trying to break the silence.
“I’m Autumn,” the girl said softly.
Grady took a deep breath. “That’s pretty.”
The girl smiled and looked down at Destiny.
“Your baby is so beautiful,” she said, running a finger over the sleeping child’s face.
“Thank you,” Grady said. “Her name’s Destiny.”
“Where’s her mother?”
Grady looked at the girl. Her cheeks were like peaches, he thought. He took a step into the room and threw his bag on the bed.
The room seemed comfortable if a little feminine. Everything had lace trim and tiny flowers embroidered on it. Still, it had everything he needed. There was a small fireplace with a stack of wood and some matches in the corner and a private bathroom. A big window overlooked the darkness of the forest.
“Was that woman your grandmother?” he said to the girl.
“No, my mistress.”
“You been working here long?”
“I just started. Arrived on the train less than an hour ago.”
“And she’s already got you working?”
“I have a feeling I’ll be working pretty hard here,” the girl said.
Grady smiled. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Oh no, not at all,” the girl said. “I want to work. I want to be a good employee.”
“Well, don’t let her talk to you that way. Don’t let her mistreat you. You deserve better.”
The girl shrugged. “I really need this job. My mother’s sick. I took the work to pay for her treatment.”
Grady looked into her eyes. He wondered what was wrong with her mother and whether there was anyone else in her family who could help, but he supposed there wasn’t.
There was a noise at the door and Mrs. Hildegard appeared.
“I see you two are becoming acquainted,” she said, a hint of mockery in her voice.
Autumn jumped, as if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t, and Grady could tell she was afraid of Mrs. Hildegard. He couldn’t blame her. It must have been her first job, her first time away from home, and Mrs. Hildegard was a bully.
“Get on out of here, you stupid girl,” Mrs. Hildegard said.
Autumn handed him the baby and almost ran out of the room.
Grady’s gaze followed her and lingered on the door after she left.
“Will you be having breakfast in your room?” Mrs. Hildegard said.
“I will,” he said.
“I’ll bring it at eight.”
“That would be perfect.”
Mrs. Hildegard looked at him and Grady wondered what she was waiting for. She stepped inside the room and shut the door.
“Is there something else?” he said.
Mrs. Hildegard’s hand went to the belt on her robe again, and this time she did pull the tie. The knot unraveled and her robe slipped open.
Grady looked at her pale skin, her bare breasts, the tuft of hair above her pussy.
“Won’t you take me?” Mrs. Hildegard said.
Grady’s cock hardened. He stepped toward Mrs. Hildegard and she let the robe slide down over her shoulders, revealing more of her breasts, as she anticipated his touch. He leaned in toward her, but he didn’t touch her. He opened the door behind her.
“It’s been a very long day, Mrs. Hildegard.”
Mrs. Hildegard looked angry but said nothing. She pulled her robe back up over her shoulders and stormed out of the room.
Grady shut the door behind her and let out a deep breath.
What had he gotten himself into?
Where was he?
There was a key in the door but he didn’t turn it. He sat on the bed and looked around the room.
There was a stink and he realized to his horror that Destiny had soiled her diaper. Destiny started to cry and Grady let out a little laugh.
“Come on, baby. I suppose that diaper couldn’t last forever.”
She was still wearing the diaper the nurses had put on her back at the hospital and Grady grimaced at the thought that he’d never in his life changed a diaper. He hadn’t even had the foresight to pick some up.
He brought Destiny into the bathroom, removed her dirty diaper, and threw it in the trash. He tied the plastic trash bag tightly. Then he held the baby over the sink as he washed her bum with warm water. He was careful to make sure the temperature was right and Destiny stopped crying as he patted her dry with paper towels.
“There,” he said, holding her out over the sink, “that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Destiny looked at him like she was
questioning whether or not he really had the skills for the job of being daddy.
“Now, what are we going to put on you?”
Without any fresh diapers, Grady resorted to taking a pillow case from one of the pillows on his bed and tying it at the corners around Destiny’s chubby legs and waist.
“That will have to do,” he said to her.
He checked her onesie and it didn’t seem to be dirty, but he didn’t want to put Destiny back in it, just in case. He opened his bag and took out a pair of his own clean boxer shorts. They fit loosely over Destiny’s diaper and the waist went all the way up to her chest.
Grady smiled.
“I won’t be winning any parenting contests but they’ll do for tonight.”
Destiny made no sign of protest and he took that as agreement.
“We’ll get you some girl clothes in town tomorrow, okay?”
He lay her down on the bed and she was asleep by the time he got in next to her.
He lay on his back with his arm around her, warning himself mentally not to roll over in the night. He looked up at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the baby’s tiny snores.
“This will work,” he said quietly, more to himself than the child. “We’ll be all right. Everything will work out.”
As he fell asleep, he pictured Autumn’s pretty face.
CHAPTER 5
AUTUMN
Autumn woke to the sound of Mrs. Hildegard’s bell and looked at her phone to see the time. Five in the morning. She also checked to see if she had any signal but she didn’t. She sighed and pulled herself out of bed. She ran a quick bath and let the hot water revive her.
She’d slept well and the little fire in the corner had been a comforting nightlight.
She’d never had her own room before and she had to admit, she liked this one. Her own fire, her own bath, her own window nook and cozy bed. It was perfect, apart from the fact that it belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Hildegard.
She washed and dressed in her plain black cotton dress. Her mother had given it to her before she left. She said it looked like a hotel maid uniform and it did. Autumn liked it too. She felt smart and professional in it.
She hurried down stairs and found Mr. and Mrs. Hildegard in the staff kitchen, sitting at a big farmhouse table sipping coffee.
“Master, Mistress,” she said with a little curtsy, remembering her manners.
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