The Party Invitation (Hiatus)

Chapter 9

The ride was silent, neither spoke as the trees whizzed by in blurs. Jamie stared out the window, lost in her thoughts. She sighed.

"How long do I have to serve this man?" She finally asked.

Margret looked at her.

"Unless he says otherwise, your whole life." She answered calmly.

Jamie gulped.

"Why did you choose me?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the window.

Margret hesitated before speaking.

"The young master is very picky about who serves him. When I saw your rags, I figured you lived in poverty, therefore you had to work hard to gain a meal. The young master doesn't want girls who are too lazy to fulfill their duties and complain about every little thing. He wants young women who will work hard, even without supervision."

"Ah."

The car ride once again filled with silence. Suddenly, Margret's phone once again rang. Out of the corner of her eye and the reflection of the window, she saw her take it out, looking at the caller I.D.

"Hello?" She answered, holding the phone up to her ear. "Yes sir, we are on our way back. .........Yes, I'm sorry sir, I was---of course sir, but I took her to see her mother. .........Yes sir. She needed to see if she was well. .......Of course sir. .......Yes sir, we will see you soon." She sighed as she shut the phone.

"What did he want?" Jamie asked.

"He was upset that we are behind schedule. We were supposed to deliver you an hour ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry I took so long." She said, hanging her head.

Margret waved her hand as if to shoo away the apology.

"Don't be. I'm sure it's hard having to leave your family."

"She was the only family I had left." Jamie whispered.

The rest of the ride basked in silence. Minutes later, Margret spoke.

"We're here." She said. 

Jamie blinked in surprise. She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized that the dirt road had turned to gravel, and that the trees had decreased in numbers, but not by many.

"He doesn't live in town?" She asked, an eyebrow quirking.

Margret shook her head.

"He had said that he became comfortable with the outskirt way of life. Therefore had his mansion built out here. He sold the other for $4,000,000. Actually quite cheap of him."

Jamie looked at her, her eyes bulging. That was cheap?!

"J-Just how rich is he?" She asked shyly.

"He's a new money billionaire."

Her eyes bulged farther.

"What?" She breathed.

"A little less than half of the money was from his parents will, the rest was made by his own hard work."

"Wow." 

The car suddenly stopped.

"Come. I'll show you your quarters." 

Jamie nodded as she followed Margret out of the limo. She gazed at the house.

It was quite large, the walls red brick. The awning was white, along with the trim of the windows. The ceiling was black shingles, perfectly lined and ordered. Beside the building, another, smaller than the first, but nearly a mirrored image.

"Pardon me for saying, but it's quite....plain compared to some I have seen." Jamie said, walking behind Margret.

"Seems we share the same point of view." She said. "I had told him that he should make it more worth his status, but he's quite stubborn."

"I like it, it's just not what I thought it would be for a new money billionaire."

"Of course."

They walked in silence as they approached the smaller building.

"This is where all the servants and maids sleep." Margret said, gesturing towards it.

"All right."

"We should get you settled in. It's nearly time for bed anyway."

Jamie looked at the sun. It sank lower and lower behind the trees, turning the sky a dark blueish indigo.

"Of course."

The sound of crunching grass and the rustle of cloth caught the women's attention. Turning their heads, they saw a young woman in a blue maids uniform walking towards the small building. Her long dark blonde hair bounced in curls, her small hands held a wooden basket as she made her way their direction.

"Perfect." Margret said. "Lindsey! Come here for a moment!"

The girl turned, her eyes bright. Her eyes were a dull, gentle brown, glistening with innocence. She trotted over, a small smile on her lips.

"Yes mistress? What do you need of me?" She asked.

"Please take Jamie to her quarters. She's new and will begin her work tomorrow."

"Of course mistress." Lindsey said. She took Jamie's hand. "This way. You can share with me! Everyone else has a roommate."

"Ok." Jamie said shyly, allowing her to be lead to the building.

Lindsey opened the door, guiding Jamie inside. The interior was welcoming, a small fireplace crackled with flames on the far left side, a small couch facing it. On the other side, the far right, a small opening led to a little dining room, tables and chairs scattered across it. The kitchen was most likely inside the dining room. Then, hugging the back wall in front of the two girls was a staircase, the railing made of smoothed oak wood. 

"It's quite cozy." Jamie said as Lindsey lead her to the staircase.

She nodded happily.

"Yeah, almost everyone here is friendly, so you shouldn't have a hard time making friends."

"Almost?" Jamie echoed, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Taylor and her posse. Their jerks to everyone because she's the only one who's gotten to spend time with the young master."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but it was just for business purposes. He needed someone to write down some stuff for him and now she thinks that he likes her." She rolled her eyes. "But everyone knows that it's nothing but a daydream and will forever stay that way."

"Oh."

"But everyone else is nice. You can meet them tomorrow!"

"Okay."