Читать книгу Almost A Wife - Eva Rutland - Страница 12

THE Dunn’s house, always a mess, had taken all morning. It was well after one when she rang the bell at 168 Pine Grove.

The door cracked open, and a small girl peered up at her, eyes wide. “It’s not your turn,” she announced.

“My…turn?”

“Bronsie’s already here.”

Had she come too late? The man said afternoon was quite all right. The man! Perhaps… “Could I please speak with your mother?”

“You can’t. Tangled curls danced as the child shook her head. “Mommy’s in heaven and she’s never coming back. She—”

“Sunny! Who you talking to?” The shout from the back of the house was followed by the lumbering steps of a heavy woman wearing a light blue uniform. “I told you not to open the door.”

“You said don’t let anybody in. I didn’t.”

“Never mind that. Go up and see about your brother ’fore he gets into something.”

Her eyes still on Lisa, the child backed away to obediently mount the stairs.

“And you keep quiet! Don’t wake him up if he’s still asleep. Which I hope to God he is,” the woman said to Lisa. “He don’t set still a minute. Come on in,” she added, opening the door to admit her. “I reckon you the cleaning lady?”

“Yes. I’m Lisa, Lisa Reynolds.”

“I’m Mae Bronson, from Nanny, Incorporated, and I’m mighty glad to see you. This place is a wreck. Ain’t no hotel. Might as well be camping out. Nobody picking up nothing, or—”

“Well, I’m here now. If you’ll just show me—”

“Right. He said you’d be here and I was listening for you, but I sure didn’t hear the bell. Lord, such a commotion! Angela telling Ken she’s pregnant, and he—”

“Angela?” Lisa gave a wary glance over the woman’s shoulder.

“That’s her name, but she ain’t no Angel. She’s a she devil if there ever was one. In that soap, The Turning World. You watch it?”

“No. I—”

“That bitch ain’t no more pregnant than I am. But she knows he’s in love with Kathy and she mean to put a stop to that! Lord, the messes people get into. You see…Huh? Oh, yeah, supplies. Back here.” She led Lisa to a washroom at the back of the house.

“Thank you.” It was all there: washer, dryer, vacuum cleaner and a pail full of cleaning rags and supplies she had requested. Except for the washer and dryer, everything, even the cleaning rags, brand-new. “I’ll start upstairs, if that’s okay with you,” she said.

“Just don’t wake that boy. Oh, the mister left this for you.” Mae reached into her pocket and handed Lisa an envelope. “He say you’re to clean everywhere, just don’t touch his desk. In his bedroom. Upstairs. You’ll see it. And see what that girl is up to, will you? Can’t leave those kids alone a hot minute. Gotta get back. Time for County Hospital.” She darted off, leaving Lisa to find her own way.

It did look as if they were camping out, Lisa thought, as she wandered through the house. Probably the household furnishings from their former residence hadn’t yet arrived. No dishes or cooking utensils, and all the downstairs rooms empty, except the sparsely furnished one where the nanny was seated before a blasting television.