If These Walls Could Talk

Margot Trainer walked into the small café. She tried to stop her hands from shaking, but her nerves were getting the better of her. She would be meeting Cordelia Lake regarding the rumors surrounding her very infamous family. The Lakes were among the wealthiest families in England. The rumors were never clear. Sometimes it was rumored that the Lake's were killing the help, sometimes they were abusing them, sometimes they were just plain evil. Margot, to her knowledge, was going to be the first person granted any sort of access to the family.

She scanned the small café. There she was. Sitting in the furthest corner. Margot carefully made her way to the back, searching for bodyguards or some sort of protection. She cleared her throat a few inches from the table. Cordelia looked up and smiled. She gestured for Margot to sit.

"Hello, I'm Cordelia Lake." Her voice was melodic.

"Hello Ms. Lake, I'm Margot Trainer. Thank you so much for meeting with me."

Cordelia nodded her head slowly, "I'm just going to cut to the chase. My mother has been searching for a chambermaid for my quarters for some time. You are going to apply and I'll make sure you're hired. Once there I'll take care of the rest. I want you to report back to me everything you see, smell, do, hear, everything."

Margot frowned but nodded, "Is there something in particular I'm supposed to be watching for? A person or," she trailed off, hoping Cordelia would give her something to work with. Instead, Cordelia shook her head.

"That's all I'm going to tell you. I want you to go in as unbiased as possible." She slid a slip of paper across the table to Margot, "This is the number for Romy, she's my mother's head maid. She will help you get started. Once you're hired, you will act as though we've never met. You've obviously heard of me, but this encounter never happened."

Margot nodded, "Of course. I'll give Romy a call as soon as you walk away."

Cordelia chuckled, "Wonderful. I'll see you soon, Margot." She stood and elegantly strutted out of the café. The people around gazed up at her in awe. Margot took a breath and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

As Cordelia said, Margot was almost immediately hired on. She smoothed out her trousers and top as she walked up the steps to the Lake's Manor. She hesitated at the giant gold knocker right at eye level. She slowly reached for it but a voice from behind stopped her.

"Don't use that knocker unless you want to call the entire estate." Margot turned toward the voice and found herself looking down at Warren Lake, he was the Lake's second born. Margot felt her mouth dry and every thought she'd even had leave her head.

"Hello, sir. I'm sorry, it's my first day."

Warren kept smiling as he walked up the stairs toward her, "You're Margot, right?"

Margot nodded.

"Right this way, I'll take you to Romy." He opened the door and gestured for Margot to go in first. Margot tried to make herself be calm, despite this being the most unbelievable thing to ever happened to her.

Warren listened to her as though what she had to say was the most interesting, enthralling information he'd ever heard. He'd asked about her education and work experience. She told him about her journalism degree and how she'd been struggling to find work. Not totally a lie, she was hanging on by a thread at her current job.

He looked at her as she spoke, normally people looked through her. Margot nearly forgot why she was there, or to whom she was speaking to, when Warren stopped outside of the library. He knocked softly and the door creaked open.