A New Life - A Ransom Drysdale Story

One - Elle

"Elle, are you listening to me?" Elle snapped her head up from the article she was reading on her phone. Fran stands in front of her, with her hands on her hips.

"No I wasn't listening Fran, what's wrong this time?" Elle sighs, placing her phone on the table.

"Hugh is on his way over and we have to prepare his room." Elle stands up from her seat in the kitchen, rolling her eyes at Fran.

"No. You have to prepare his room. That's not my job and you know it." It wasn't the first time Fran had tried to rope her into doing her work for her. Over the last year Elle had learnt that she couldn't stand Fran and most the time the feeling was mutual.

Elle had come to work in the Thrombey Manor not long after she'd moved here from England. She needed an escape from her past, when Harlan needed a live in assistant and companion, She jumped at the chance. The pair had instantly clicked and he hired her on the spot. Elle was more than thankful considering she had nowhere else to stay.

"Why can't you help?" Fran's shrill voice pulled Elle back to the conversation she was attempting to have with her.

Elle stood, washing her cup out in the sink before placing it on the side. "Because quite frankly Fran I don't like you and I have better things to do. Perhaps if you spent less time complaining about Hugh and doing your job, you would have things ready by now."
She could see Fran's face going red with anger and couldn't help the sense of satisfaction that swept over her. Elle didn't give her time to respond, she left the kitchen, going in search of Harlan.

Walking up the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky one, she headed straight for Harlan's study in the attic. She knocks on the door before he calls her in.
"Ah there she is. Looking very happy with herself. Who did you annoy this morning?" Harlan gives her a soft smile.

"Just Fran. She's having a mini heart attack about Hugh making an appearance." She walks over to him, sitting down on the soft chair in the corner. "So what are you working on today?" She gestures to the papers that are scattered over his desk.

"Ah this is nothing special, a new idea that came to me during the night."

She gives him a glare. "Harlan, tell me you slept last night." Elle knew what the stubborn old man could be like. If he gets an idea in his head, he needs to get it out as quickly as possible. She'd often found him holed up in his study at all hours of the night. Elle didn't sleep much, she'd lost count of the amount of times she'd had to drag him back to bed.

"I could ask you the same thing." He returned the glare she was sending him. "I saw you sitting outside last night. You really should stop that disgusting habit. You know how I hate it." Harlan referred to her smoking. It was an argument they'd had time and time again.

"I'll quit smoking when you quit meddling." She loaded up the kindle app on her phone and got comfortable in the chair. The cushions almost wrapping themselves around her. Elle had no work to do this morning, everything was sorted during the night when she couldn't sleep. So for now she kept Harlan company while he worked on his latest book.

She let herself get immersed in the book, it was only when something hit her in the face, that she came back to reality. Looking down at her lap she notices that it was a pen that hit her. She glances over at Harlan who is trying not to laugh. "You know for an 84 year old, you have the maturity of an 11 year old." She laughs while shaking her head at him.

"Yes but your stomach keeps interrupting me. Go and eat."

Elle stands up and places the pen back on his desk. Putting her phone in her pocket she walks towards the door only stopping when Harlan calls her name. "If Ransom shows up, tell him to come straight up. He wants to stay for a few days." She gives him a small nod before heading downstairs.