Poppy nodded, exchanged a quick greeting with Soren, and then followed Macy upstairs.
She was in a rather good mood.
Everything was going far more smoothly than she’d imagined.
Now that she could stay even closer to Soren, the possibility of becoming Mrs. Fawkes didn’t seem so out of reach.
Lost in thought, Poppy barely noticed when Macy, eager to please, started showing her around. “Miss Yates, this guest room is quite nice. It’s a bit smaller, but it faces south and gets sun all day-”
“No, thank you.”
Poppy cut her off, pointing at the bedroom she’d slept in the night before. “I was perfectly comfortable in this room. Just tidy it up and it’ll be fine.”
Macy followed her finger, then froze mid–step.
She waved her hands in protest. “But that’s the Young Mrs. Fawkes’s room.”
“I know,” Poppy replied, smiling sweetly. “That’s exactly where I want to stay.”
“But…” Macy hesitated, words dying on her lips.
7
In this house, she usually didn’t pay much attention to Evangeline. Still, Evangeline was Mrs. Fawkes–handing her room over to another woman while she was away felt like a disaster waiting to happen.
But then she remembered the way Soren had treated Poppy just now.
If Poppy was moving in, she would technically become one of Macy’s employers. Macy couldn’t afford to offend her either way.
She was caught squarely in the middle.
After a moment’s struggle, Macy finally muttered, “Maybe I should ask Mr. Fawkes first…”
With that, she turned to head downstairs.
Poppy called after her, “Go ahead, if you’re not worried about losing your job, feel free.”
Macy had been confident that asking Soren was the smart move, but Poppy’s words stopped her cold.
She halted in her tracks and turned back, looking at Poppy in alarm. “What?”
Poppy chuckled lightly. “Macy, how long have you been working here?”
Macy, confused, answered, “Five years. I started after Mr. Fawkes and Evangeline got married.”
She was nervous now, not sure what her job tenure had to do with all this.
Poppy glanced down at Macy’s hands, which were twisting her apron anxiously, and reassured her, “There’s no need to be nervous. As long as you do as I say, you’ll be just fine.”
Macy swallowed hard and gestured for her to go on.
Poppy continued, “You might only be in charge of keeping the house in order, but I can tell Soren trusts you. I figured, or rather, Soren probably figured too, that after all this time, you’d know how to read his mind. He’s always busy with work,
x and now?
constantly managing the company, you want to bother him with something as trivial as sorting out a bedroom?”
She paused, letting her words sink in. “If he ever finds a housekeeper who’s more competent, more discreet, and less trouble than you, who do you think he’ll choose?”
“And remember,” Poppy added, “Soren is a businessman. In his world, nothing is more valuable than his time.”
002 E 2 < 6 =
Macy felt completely thrown by her logic, but for some reason, it all made sense. And she couldn’t forget Soren’s warning earlier–about being let go.
She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip. “But… but Mr. Fawkes just told me to prepare the guest room…”
Poppy asked, “And this doesn’t count as a guest room?”
Of course it didn’t.
This was Evangeline’s room..
The Young Mrs. Fawkes’s room.
Wasn’t that obvious?
Macy was still trying to find the right words, when Poppy continued, “Do you
2/3
- d. Do you
11:30
Chapter 65
remember what Soren said when Evangeline moved out?”
Macy’s eyes widened as the memory hit her.
Back then, Soren had made it clear–Evangeline was never to set foot in that room again.
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
