Free Crestmont by Holly Weiss Page A

the hall so she could enjoy a superb view of the lake—she perked up at that—and dispense her vast knowledge of the Crestmont with guests that share the public balcony.”
    “Well done, William. You always handle Mrs. Swett with great aplomb.” She applauded softly. “We must move to another topic, however.” Margaret explained that Gracie, in cleaning servants’ quarters as the newest housemaid, was receiving low tips, although she was a good worker. Bessie, on the other hand, was slackening her effort on the preferred front second floor rooms.
    “I refuse to abrogate her of responsibility, so I reassigned her to cleaning the staff dining room and gave Gracie three of her guest rooms. Perhaps if Bessie has less tip money to spend on eyeliner and chewing gum, she will take her job more seriously. In the short term, I suspect, she will be angry enough to cause trouble. I would let her go, but I feel it is part of my job to teach my girls responsibility.”
    “And how will this affect the guests, Margaret?”
    “The ones staying in 57, 58, and 59 will be happy for cleaner rooms, I suspect.”

     
    ****
     
    Gracie raced to her room after her shift, quickly changed into her skirt and blouse and grabbed her dirty clothes to take to the laundry. She stole down the back steps checking to make sure Bessie wasn’t around, and ran down the back lawn. Relieved to see Olivia and Isaiah on the laundry porch, she headed toward them.
    “Hey, Gracie,” said Isaiah. “Bessie was in the kitchen looking for you before I came down here to take my break.”
    “Oh, no. Please don’t tell her where I am!” Gracie shot a nervous glance back toward the big house.
    “ Gotta run, Olivia, my love. My break’s over and I’ve got twenty chickens to season and truss before they go in the oven. Tough life keeping the Crestmont table famous.” He kissed her gently murmuring, “Tonight, sweet.”
    She smiled and her blush made her copper skin glow. Gracie envied the tenderness in Olivia’s eyes as they followed Isaiah up the hill. Her friend turned and examined her with kind concern.
    “What’s wrong, Gracie? You’re upset, I can tell.”
    “Mrs. Woods gave me some of Bessie’s rooms and Bessie is going to be red in the tooth and claw mad at me. Oh, honestly, Olivia, she is one of the meanest people I ever met. She’ll blame it all on me, you wait.”
    “She probably will. I’ll bet she feels threatened because Mrs. Woods likes you.”
    “Well, if she catches me down here, she’s likely to put me through the wringer of Magdalena ’s biggest washing machine.”
    “Gracie, I’m sewing a burnished rose charmeuse gown for Miss. Woodford for the Saturday night dance. Would you like to see it?”
    “Yes, hide me, please.” Gracie said as they made for Olivia’s dressmaking room at the rear of the building.
    When she left Olivia’s shop, Gracie snuck back around to the front of the laundry, hoping to avoid Bessie. She was relieved to see PT lounging in a white rocker, his gangly legs crossed and propped up on the railing. His thin fingers raked his hair out of his eyes, and then stroked his brown mustache. Some of the lightest hairs caught the afternoon sun.
    “So what’s the scuttlebutt, Gracie? Bessie livening up your life any?”
    “How did you know?”
    “Just figured, you being new and all. That’s what Bessie does. The more people she can make feel small, the happier she is.”
    “Oh,” she sighed, slinking into a rocker. “Have you seen her? She’s trying to find me.”
    “Yup. Just went into the big house.”
    “Good. I’m safe for awhile.”
    “So why did you leave home?” he asked abruptly.
    Her right eyebrow shot up. “How did you know…?”
    “Oh, I know the look. Catches me in the mirror sometimes when I shave. Besides, I carried your suitcase inside on that first day. Too light to have much more in it than the two books you told me you packed.”
    Flustered, she felt like a small child caught