Carousel of Time - An Alternative Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 14. Housekeeping (Sexual Content)

Mrs. Farrell arrived at the house in Brooklyn expecting to see a woman on her deathbed.  What she found was Kate, still thin, but looking the picture of health.  She was full of energy, her skin had taken on a healthy glow and she carried herself as a woman bursting with life.

"I don't understand," she said as Kate helped her off with her coat and invited her to sit in the living room.  John clapped his hands at the arrival of the Farrell boys, Martin and Michael. 

"I'm going to explain what happened to me but first I want to know if you would be willing to be my full time housekeeper," said Kate. "I plan to start painting again full time so I need someone I trust to look after John and the house.  I do trust you.  The boys can still come with you as John likes playing with them."

"What about the neighbours?" she asked. "They might object to having someone like me and my boys here every day."

"Mrs. Farrell," said Kate firmly, "I don't care what the neighbours think.  Mr. Barnes wants you here as well and we can deal with anyone who has a problem with it.  I need you."

"It would be nice to be just in one place instead of taking the bus everywhere," she replied.  "What are your terms?"

"Eight hours a day, Monday to Friday, not including holidays,  $.75 per hour, you do laundry, housekeeping, take care of John, make lunch, which I and my assistant will expect to eat with you and your boys, and start dinner," said Kate. "I'll do breakfast, as much ironing as I can handle and I'll finish dinner and do that cleanup.  You're not my servant, Mrs. Farrell. You would be my employee."

The black woman looked at this young woman who had just offered her a job at a rate of pay equivalent to most men. 

"You realize that is an outrageous amount to be paying a cleaning woman of my race," said Mrs. Farrell.  "If word got out..."

"It's no one's business," said Kate. "You're more than a cleaning woman to me and I want your pay to reflect that.  My accountant will set you up as an employee and will withhold money for taxes, social security and whatever else is required. This will be above board and by the book.  Do you accept my terms?"

"Yes. I do," said Mrs. Farrell. "I would be foolish not to.  I do want to give notice to my other clients.  Say two weeks?"

"Excellent," said Kate. "Now I have one more thing I need to discuss with you and it explains why I'm not on my deathbed."

Kate told her about her true origins, about super soldiers, HYDRA, how she was cured, and how John was a natural born super soldier.  At the end of it she took Mrs. Farrell's hand, which surprised the woman completely.

"I'm asking you to keep the truth about all of this a secret," said Kate sincerely.  "We need to weed these vipers out of whatever positions of influence they have but they can't know about John or they would take him from us."

Mrs. Farrell stroked Kate's hand.  "The first time I met you I knew you were different," she said. "You offered me the same wages as a white cleaning woman.  You called me by my surname.  You trusted me to look after John when you got sick.  Even Mr. Barnes Sr. and Jr. were kind and polite to me.  I will be a truth keeper for you.  I will protect John and any other children you have as if they were my own."

"Thank you," said Kate, embracing the woman.

As the laundry was started, Kate phoned Mr. Nash, advising him that she was better and ready to start painting soon.  He seemed very relieved to hear it and asked when she wanted Ruth to come in, deciding on a week to help her prepare her paints.  She began preparing some canvases and noticed they were much easier to stretch as she nailed them into position.