Mayfair Manor

Chapter Four

Apprehension spreads through Ana like wildfire as she sits at one end of the table, gripping her fork tightly in her hand as she stabs at some peas. "Are you sure you added milk? Milk makes all the difference when it comes to making sure the meatloaf stays moist" Madeleine says, staring at her plate as if it is poison. "I followed the recipe exactly" Ana says in response, noticing a grainy picture on the mantel. The picture is a family of four in old-fashioned clothes. The male is tall and slender with a full head of hair that appears dark and swept to the right. His hair is mostly straight while the ends of his hair curl up slightly on both sides of his long, narrow face. Beside him is his wife who looks identical to him, wearing a dark long-sleeved gown. Her hair is dark and pinned back. They both have matching grim expressions on their faces. The woman is holding an infant in her arms while a little girl sat beside her. "That's George Caldwell, his wife, Emma and their daughter, Leah and son, George Jr" Madeleine says, picking at her meatloaf with her fork. "George was the first owner of the house. What happened to them is tragic. That family seemed to be plagued with heart break and misfortune." 

"What happened to them?" Ana asks, taking a bite out of her meatloaf. It wasn't that bad but wasn't too great either. "That poor baby, God rest his soul, never made it pass infancy. He was just about nine months, and the children were on the stairs playing as children do and he fell. There was nothing that could be done" Madeleine says sadly. Ana lets out a small gasp, she didn't know that anyone had died in the house. This information wouldn't have stopped her from applying for the job and accepting it, but an infant's death is incomprehensible.

"I didn't mean to upset you" Madeleine says, pushing her plate back. "I'm full now" she says even though she only ate half of the meatloaf. "I am going to take my bath now" she says. "I can help you" Ana says, pushing her chair back. "I don't need your help" Madeleine hissed. "How about I just stand outside of the door in case you need me?" Ana says. Madeleine rolls her eyes as she stands up. Ana follows behind her up the stairs. "I'm not an invalid" Madeleine continues to argue. For once Ana is grateful that Madeleine is so argumentative because it distracted her from thinking about the baby who died on these steps.

Once inside of Madeleine's bedroom, she heads into the bathroom, keeping the door open. "You can sit in one of the chairs if you must" Madeleine instructed as she turns on the faucet. Ana sits down in the chair, not wanting to intrude on Madeleine's time. Ana can hear the running of water and the faint scent of lavender bubble bath. A few minutes pass before Ana hears the turning of knobs and the sloshing of water. "So, tell me about yourself" Madeleine says. "There isn't much to tell" Ana responds, really not wanting to talk about herself. Ana didn't appreciate Madeleine making this as awkward as possible for her, but she expected nothing less from her. "Nonsense. Have you ever been married?" Madeleine asks. "No, I have not" Ana responds, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "Why not? You're pretty enough" Madeleine responds back. Ana let out a small sigh, glancing at the pictures of Madeleine as a young woman riding horse back. Her shiny blonde hair in a braid hanging over her shoulder, wearing jeans and a white T shirt. 

"Did your family own horses?" Ana asks in an effort to steer the conversation away from herself. "Oh yes. Many" Madeleine responds. "My father was a jockey. He loved horses, the excitement and the adrenaline rush of racing. He spent more time in the stables than he did at home and always smelt like hay" Madeleine continued, letting out a small laugh. "I hated being in the barn, smelling manure especially when the days were longer and hotter. Being in the barn would always cause my allergies to act up but my father insisted that I help with the animals. He didn't want me to be spoiled." 

For a moment there was silence and soon after Ana could hear Madeleine having difficulty getting out of the slippery tub, muttering curse words under her breath and letting out exasperated sounds. Ana quickly gets up and makes her way into the bathroom, grabbing a towel before the older woman can protest. Madeleine glares at her but she ignores it, Ana averts her eyes as she helps the frail lady up. Her damp skin dry to the touch. "Just one small step" Ana says, stepping back slowly as she helps steady Madeleine. "I got it" Madeleine says, wrapping the towel around her.  

Once they were in Madeleine's bedroom, Ana helps her slip into a lightweight powder blue nightgown with long sleeves. Madeleine reaches for the brush on her nightstand and starts to brush her hair that was damp at the ends. "That will be all" Madeleine says. "I will be right next door. If you need anything...." Ana started to say only to be interrupted. "I will not" Madeleine responds, cutting her off. Ana nods her head, pursing her lips together. "Goodnight" Ana says, exiting her room. 

Ana went back down into the kitchen and finished cleaning up from dinner and storing the rest of the meatloaf. She wonders how Madeleine feels about leftovers. Madeleine is probably use to new five course meals seven days a week. Ana opens the fridge in search of a bottle of wine. She really needs a glass of wine to calm her nerves. A glass of wine could always help her sleep better. She pulls out a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio, her favorite. She gets a glass from the cabinet, pouring herself a tiny bit before deciding she can use a bit more. She places the bottle back into the fridge before taking a sip. She loves how the white wine coats her throat and soothes her nerves.

She climbs back up the stairs, careful to not cause the floorboards to squeak. She makes her way back into her room, locking the door behind her. She glances at the picture on the wall of Madeleine and Elaine, feeling as if their eyes were burning holes through her. She rests her glass down on the nightstand, making her way over to the picture as she takes it off the wall. She struggles with the weight of the frame but manages to have the picture facing the wall. "Much better" Ana says, letting out a sigh as she wipes the beads of sweat off her forehead. She strips out of her clothes and slips into much more comfortable shorts and a T shirt. Pulling back the covers of the bed, she makes herself comfortable before turning off the light.