chapter twelve

Chapter twelve

Elena was too shocked at the sight of the Leroy mansion which she had clearly missed on her first visit as she was in a rush to go home. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the big majestic modern Gregorian piece that her eyes beheld. The alameda stretched from the big black gates and was lined with fine artificial thorn-less honey locust trees. The path in between the trees was interlocked with grey flagstones on one side of the alameda was a small bush of peace lily and aloe-vera and on the other side sat a beautiful patio whose awnings protected the interior from the effect of weather. The four corners of the patio had fire shaped bulbs and the interior was decorated by some potted plants and furniture covered with brown coloured suede, just like her eyes. The main house was just as exquisite. The high walls had red brick stone cladding up to half of them and the upper half was painted white. The wood-rimmed mirror windows and doors were long enough for Giraffes to pass through.

Maxwell helped her alight the car and unboard her luggage. "Regan has a really nice place. Almost like my dada's." the uneasiness she had felt earlier dissipated.

Although she whispered it, it was loud enough for Maxwell to hear. He smiled at her audacity to use his name without the title. "He sure does chula. Fernando will show you to your room. He is the house keeper."

"Oh, okay."

Not less than a minute they had rang the door-bell had Fernando opened the door. He was a sturdy man who looked like he was in his late fifties.

"Hello."

"Ah querida. You must be senorita Elena." His eyes the – colour of a cloud in thunder-storm – were warm and bright and he had a cheery and bright countenance. "por favor entra." He motioned for her to step into the house.

"Ah, gracias." She said softly and moved to the side for Fernando to take her bags. She didn't quite understand what he had said asides 'please'

"mi amigo, take it easy on chula, she is a gringa." Maxwell said with a light chuckle.

"Ay, chula I'm sorry. Come in." he said to her with a small crinkle at the corner of his eyes.

Her assigned room was wide and beautiful just like hers in the Gennadios main mansion. Purple and white sheets were draped on the king sized bed. Long lavender curtains cover the window and it had a window seat. She thanked the two men and they left her to her room. She walked up to the mirrored doors of her mini closet. Everything was perfect. With a satisfied smile she started to unpack.

When she was done, she stepped out to tour the house for a bit and she saw Maxwell. She asked if she was supposed start immediately or the next day. He had told her that it was already too late and walked away. She misunderstood what he had said until she caught wind of the time.

10:30pm.

She slapped her forehead and laughed at her clumsiness. She had lost track of time. House tour it was. She was sure that Regan wouldn't mind her being out in the corridors this late. She wandered through the hallways and found something interesting. It was a beautiful piece of art. The painting hung on the wall like a prized possession. She touched the canvas that had colours swirling it. The canvass had the colours painted into a younger Leroy who looked more boyish that at present and a girl who looked older than him. There was a subtle semblance between the two and the concluded that they were siblings. They both shared the same Red hair with hers on the darker side making it look like copper. She moved from the painting further into the hallway and she saw another painting. This one had wan older couple posed with the young children. Their parents, she guessed. Regan looked so much like the young girl while girl looked more like the man. The man placed a possessive arm on the small of the woman's back. She smiled warmly at the loving gesture. He had dark brown hair with light brown eyes while the woman had a red flood of tresses and honey coloured eyes. Her trailed to the foot of the painting which read, 'The Leroy family'.

"Wow," the murmured wonderment slipped out of her mouth as she wondered why she hadn't seen the couple in the painting anywhere around the house.

"I take it you are the new cook." Someone spoke, startling her.

She jumped and turned to find a woman standing not too far away from her. The alertness that had crept into her nerves disappeared into thin air as she noticed the familiarity of the woman standing before her and the girl in the painting. He glance darted from the lady to the girl in the painting.

"Hi, I'm Lucy, Regan's sister." She said with a warm smile. The portrait was made when Regan and her were still young. Ever since the death of her parents, she had made a habit of visiting the portrait from time to time, reliving the memories she had created with her parents in her head. Her grief had faded as she had come to terms with the fact that they would not come back to her and Regan. It was better to remember the happy moments instead of wallowing in grief and letting the good memories go.

She stepped into the further into the light to get a better glimpse of the girl she had caught staring at the family panting. "What is your name?" she asked although she knew the answer to that already.

"I- I'm Elena." She stuttered and tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear. Lucy gave out the aura of a woman in control of everything. She wasn't bossy or cheeky but cool and calm like the still before the storm. She hung her head.

Lucy saw the way Elena looked at the floor like it was the most capturing thing in the universe. She chuckled making Elena's head shoot up with a question in her eyes. "You don't have to be so formal, so polite. If my brother values you this much, then we are practically family." Her silk night robe the colour of Elena's hair shimmered as it caught the reflection of the sparse light in the hallway.

"Polite? I don't think I'm 'so' polite." She continued her stare-down with the marbled floor.

Another soft chuckle escaped Lucy's lips, "and that just came from someone who cannot look me in the eye." She said with a dark left brow that almost touched her red hair-line. Her brown-flecked hazel eyes peered down at her.

Elena squared her shoulders, threw her head up and stared right into those hazel pools. She looked away again, they were too daunting.

"it's okay, we can practice this some other time." She said with a smile, "I didn't see you at dinner. Have you had anything to eat since you arrived?"

She shook her head in response, "I lost track of time while unpacking and I decided to look around. It would be very rude to enter the kitchen when you all must have gone to bed." Elena was beginning to feel more comfortable with the woman. And her stomach made its presence noticed.

"Like it or not Elena, you are polite," she already liked her, "Meanwhile, let us get you something to eat although I don't encourage late dinners. It ain't good for your health." She said and started walking to the kitchen expecting her to follow, which she did.

Elena was not expecting to hear the country word from her. She had less of the Spanish brogue compared to her brother. She sounded like she had had some time in Dallas. Her cadence was the mixture of the two.

"You have a beautiful house." Elena complimented.

"Thank you. So, what would you like to eat?" she asked as they had come to the kitchen.

"What?" Rarely was it heard that people cooked for their staff. Even in her father's house, the most she had done asides helping out a couple of times was to bake for them and here stood Lucy Leroy tan skinned and majestic in her night glory offering to cook for her.

"Didn't you hear me? I said-"

"No don't worry about it, I can handle it myself. Just show me where everything is. I am sure you have things to do tomorrow, you need to get to bed. I'm good." Elena's eyes were everywhere but on Lucy. She took in the beauty of the cuisine room.

"What about you?" Lucy threw her point back at her.

Elena walked over to a bunch of onions she saw on one to the counter-tops. She picked it and bounced it on her palm. "I can't say because I'm stuck here. The only thing I have to worry about is waking up early." She lamented and the two women laughed at Elena's predicament.

Lucy looked up to find his silhouette at the door. She cleared her throat and said, "Your bruises are healing."

She didn't reply but her hand went to her neck to touch it softly.

"I will leave you to do your thing now, goodnight chef Elena," she said with mock French accent and a bow.

"Goodnight." She replied with a smile on her lips

She looked at the vast kitchen. Its barred windows, deluxe appliances, large islands and extra food prep zones allured her senses. This was way than working at the Resort. He she could let the culinary skills flow just the way she wanted. And she had this huge amazing space all to herself to play with food cooking. "Hello work place," she said with a bright smile which plastered itself on her face.

She gathered all the ingredients she would need for quick pasta and began to cook.