“Like who?” She lifted a brow. Rosy, I found, sniffed out gossip like a shark finding blood.
“He’s a good-looking man. I’m sure he’s used to women throwing themselves at him.”
“So you think he’s good looking?” She winked at me.
I didn’t answer. For all I knew, Jameson would be walking inat any moment. He was always behind Franny and Malek, never to start a conversation.
It was like we’d fallen into the nanny-teacher schedule perfectly, except I never got an update on who had attacked the school. Or if they’d been taken care of. Or what “taken care of” might have meant.
Instead, I engrossed myself in teaching Franny all I could, and on the weekend, Franny went off to her grandmother’s and then I was alone … so alone I tried to occupy myself with reading on the phone I was given but would end up staring out my window, imagining that I saw things I didn’t.
No one was out there in the gardens or forest. No one cared that much about us … I hoped.
Another week passed, and the routine became my norm. I ate with Rosy every morning, exchanging a simple hello any time Jameson came into the kitchen after his daughter.
Jameson never reached for another sweet again. Instead, he chatted with everyone else and then murmured, “Have a good morning, Mia Darling.”
My name sounded almost sinful rather than cordial on his lips, and I shivered every time I heard him say it. That alone had me emailing Franny’s educational lesson plans and progress rather than scheduling a meeting with him.
At five, I retired to my bedroom, where Rosy had made note of my favorite dishes and sent them up. Archer would keep me company and tell me that we needed to go out and have dinner in Paradise Grove sometime soon instead of hiding away while the Knights ate downstairs.
By seven, though, I’d tell Archer that I wanted to read because the Knights operated like clockwork. I knew Jameson would have had dinner with Franny and put her to bed. By eight, he would be back in his office and wouldn’t expect to hear a single thing from my vent.
So, I was quiet. And completely still. A pathetic mouse tiptoeing around as I listened.
Every other weekday, though, him and Valerie weren’t.
All the staff neglected to tell me that on those days, Valerie stayed much later totalkwith Jameson. But she actually stayed to have Jameson do anything but talk with her.
Although I still didn’t know what she looked like, Valerie’s voice was soft, raspy, and sounded laced with sexuality. The second time I heard it, I tried my best to avoid it, even vigorously cleaned and watered my plants.
But listening and enjoying it became a part of my routine too. And every night I hated myself for finding pleasure in that man’s voice. It was his fault I was sitting here bored and wound tight anyway.
Emailing him Franny’s progress felt ridiculous too when his email responses were succinct and short with a brief “Thanks for the update” line. Didn’t he realize she was bored as a kid too?
That night, I decided to push his boundaries—not for myself, but for Franny.
Maybe I should have kept it short and practiced efficiency like he did with me, but Franny’s education was at stake. I saw how she squirmed in that study, like she couldn’t stand being home all day. I couldn’t either.
He didn’t even want us going outside.
It was practically a dungeon. Not just for me, but for her too.
So I wrote my daily email quickly, trying to avoid the discomfort I felt asking him for something. I’d been good about not using the card he’d laid out for me the first night. I was thankful for the borrowed phone and laptop too, making sure to tell him as much in my progress reports. Tonight though, my email was different.
From: Mia Darling
To: Jameson Knight
Dear Mr. Knight,
Franny is progressing quite nicely. I’ve uploaded some baseline scores to a drive folder I created that you can look over. We’ll be working on multiplication and division tables soon. I’ve attached suggested curriculum. Please review and let me know if you have any concerns.
I do have a small request. Franny enjoys being outside. Recess was a time she bonded with other students and really expressed herself. Do you think we could incorporate daily walks and gardening around the estate? I think outside communication would be good for her.
Thanks,
Mia
