The Contract Read online

Sara stirred once during the night when Jason got up. She stayed tense until Jason had returned to the bed from the bathroom. He slid under the covers, into the same position from which he had left.

  Unaware of the sigh of relief she released, Sara turned onto her side and fell asleep again.

  “Good morning, Miss Sara,” Juliet said cheerfully the next morning when she opened the curtains.

  “What?”

  Sara looked at the other side of the bed. Jason was not there.

  “Where is Jason?” she quickly asked, sitting up in the bed.

  “As usual, he is already out and about. I believe there is a fencing meet this morning. He took his fencing bag.”

  “Fencing? As in swords?” Sara asked.

  “Oh, yes. He is quite good, I understand,” Juliet replied. “And what are your plans today? You only mentioned getting your things arranged.”

  “That is all I planned. I do not know, after that… Maybe the library…”

  “If you care for a suggestion,” Juliet said, starting to make the bed as Sara headed for the bathroom, “Candy and I have a fairly light day today. We thought you might want to go shopping. You mentioned Trinity a couple of times. Perhaps you would like her to go with you.”

  “You and Candy would go with me?” Sara asked.

  “Of course.” Juliet grinned. “You have an entire new wardrobe to acquire. I am sure you can keep Candy and me occupied with package handling.”

  “I did not mean like that,” Sara said. “Not as chauffeur and maid,” Sara said, “As my friends.”

  “Miss Sara,” Juliet said, “being friendly with the staff, and being friends are two different things. It is very, very difficult for both people when an employer and a staff member try to be friends part of the time.”

  “You do not want to…”

  “It is not a matter of want, Miss Sara. You are a nice girl, a fine person, and I think an excellent friend. I believe myself to be so, as well. If the two of us try to be friends on weekends, and employer employee during the week… There is just too much strain. Unintentional, but there. For both of us. It will color your judgment, if even slightly, and I have to say, it probably would mine, too.”

  “But I like you. You have helped me. Given me good advice…”

  “Thank you, Miss Sara. And I plan to continue to do so. You have shown great courtesy toward me, just as Master Jason always has. It is more than just a job for me. I like him, and I like you. It gives me pleasure to not only do my job, but do it well, and do, perhaps, some of those little, extra, things for you, above and beyond my exact job description. I think Candy, and the others, too, believe much as do I.”

  “Oh,” Sara said, somewhat disappointed. “I just thought we could be friends. Regular friends.”

  “Miss Sara,” Juliet said gently, “I am still a young woman. But you need friends your own age. I started to say, ‘give it time,’ but you really will not need time. You have already mentioned Trinity. I think, that now that you have some stability and security in your life, that your natural friendliness will come out, and you may have to actually become somewhat selective in whom you allow to be your friend.”

  Then Juliet grinned. “Not to mention, you may have to buy a schedule book to keep track of all the dates you will be having.”

  “I do not think I will have to worry about that. I have never been much of one to date. Besides, with this arrangement…”

  Juliet just smiled. “Despite how Master Jason feels about you, not once, when you were describing the terms of your contract, did you mention a restriction on other personal relationships.”

  Sara frowned. That was very close to the same thing she and Jason had dis-cussed the night before.

  “Does he… uh… have a lot of dates?” Trinity had said he only went out with a group, but Trinity might not know all the facts the way Juliet would. She tried to sound casual.

  “No, he goes out sometimes when there is some type of group activity. He and Trinity spend time together, but that is mostly because Mr. Vandeuson is sailor, too. Jason crews for him for the experience.”

  This time Juliet frowned. “It is odd, though, that he has never had a single person over here, except Miss Richardson and the Commodore. Not even Trinity or Mr. Vandeuson has been here. Nor any of the people he fences with, or sails with.”

  “Trinity has never been here? I thought they were… not boyfriend girlfriend, of course, Trinity told me that. But almost like best friends,” Sara replied.

  “I do think that she may be the best friend he has. At least of his own age. He tends to be around adults much more.

  “I have not really thought about it,” Juliet said.

  “Um…” Sara went on into the bathroom.

  She came out a few minutes later, wrapped in a towel.

  “I think a nice after bath terry robe should go on the shopping list,” Juliet said.

  Sara sighed. “I do not know about all this. Nice things are nice… I just do not know if I can spend the money, just like that. I have always had to be very careful of every penny.”

  “That will just make you a good shopper. Having money does not mean a per-son should waste it. And from what you said about the arrangement, you only get what you spend. You do not have x number of dollars to spend or not spend.”

  “I suppose so,” Sara admitted. “It is just that I have never had anything like this amount of money available to me.

  “You and Candy will go with me, though? I should get a few things, at least. I think Jason would be upset if I wore the same two or three outfits all the time. Though two or three sure is better than the one or two I had.”

  “I agree you should get some things, Miss Sara. I have seen your wardrobe. You kept it neat and clean. It was just limited, as you said.

  “However, I do not think you should do anything, simply because Master Jason might be upset if you do not. I know him. He will tell you the same thing. So would Mrs. MacDougal, Candy and the rest.

  “We all do care for him, but none of us would support anything that we thought was wrong.” Juliet grinned. “Remember our reaction at first.”

  Sara laughed. Then she looked at Juliet carefully. “I do so appreciate all the kind offers everyone made. It was obvious, that although you work for him, you would do what you thought right.”

  “Exactly,” Juliet said. “So, you choose what to do, and as long as it is not something terrible, we will all help, in whatever way we can.” She grinned again and added, “After all, you are the Mistress of the House.”

  “I am going to have a talk to Jason about that. If I do not just decide to maim him, instead. I halfway think he did it just to annoy me.”

  “It is a possibility, but I really do not think so. He does just think and talk that way. You might wind up changing your mind about how much value you are providing him, over your companionship, after actually dealing with the household.”

  Sara laughed. “I really doubt that. I suppose I should let you do your stuff, and I will get ready. Then we can decide what else I will be doing today.”

  Sara had a few thoughts about what to do. She did manage to coordinate with Juliet about moving things to Jason’s bedroom.

  Then Mrs. MacDougal, Duchess and Henrietta each had a turn with her. Menus for the week. Flower choices and arrangements. New linen purchases. And the list went on.

  “I should have taken him up on the nine hours!” Sara moaned at noon.

  “The way this has turned out,” Mrs. MacDougal replied, “with your honor and dignity intact, fulfilling the obligation you felt, I think you have made a wise choice. I do not know of another young lady that could do what you have decided to do. Even with Master Jason.

  “I am very pleased to have you as Mistress of the House. Master Jason, would of course, fulfill his duties, and I think he even enjoyed the activity most of the time. It is nice to have a woman’s perspective on much of this.”

  Sara smiled. “I think I am getting hustled
. Have you all taught Jason to be like he is, or has he taught you?”

  “Now, Miss Sara, we would never, as you put it, ‘hustle you,’” Mrs. MacDougal replied. “Now, your duties, as I see them, are fulfilled for the day. Your wishes are our commands.”

  “Oh, Lord!” Sara said, laughing delightedly at Mrs. MacDougal’s display. The others did as well.

  “I see I have missed an enjoyable time,” Jason said, coming up to the group. He handed his fencing kit bag to Juliet. “I had lunch already,” he quickly added, forestalling Duchess’s impending question. “I do believe I will go out to the workshop, if I am not required to be consulted for any household activities.”

  “Oh, no, Master Jason,” Mrs. MacDougal said. “Miss Sara has taken care of everything.”

  Jason grinned over at Sara. “I knew I was getting a bargain.” He looked over at Mrs. MacDougal. “I will be in by dinner time.”

  Sara just glared at him for long moments as he walked away. Dropping her fists from her hips, she said, “One of these days…”

  “No you will not,” Mrs. MacDougal chided lightly. “Now, Candy and Juliet have plenty of time this afternoon to accompany you. I was able to arrange for you to sign for things at most of the shops each of the Mrs. McKindrick used. For everything else, I will have cash from the safe ready before you go.”

  “I guess I really have to go do this, do I not?”

  “Absolutely,” was the unanimous response.

  “I should make Jason go with us. Guys hate shopping,” Sara said as she turned toward the stairs.

  “I can go ask him,” Candy said.

  Sara heard the eager tone of Candy’s voice and turned quickly to look at her. “Uh… I think I had better pick out my own things, come to think of it.” She hurried upstairs to change, Juliet following.

  “One night and most of the day,” Duchess told Maggie as they headed for the kitchen, “and all seems well.”

  “I liked her from the start,” Maggie MacDougal told Duchess. “She is such a proud, strong young woman. When her mother came… I must admit I had a few doubts about Sara’s character. Fortunately, she has little, if any, of her mother’s traits.”

  “And Jason has most of his mother’s and father’s,” Duchess replied.

  “Yes. All the good ones. I almost feel sorry for Sara,” Maggie mused. “She really does not have a chance, does she?”

  Duchess laughed. “Oh, she has a chance. You are right about her being proud and strong. Of course, that will eventually make her fall in love with him just that much harder.”

  Jason was just buttoning his shirt when Sara came into the bedroom. On her heels were Candy and Juliet, each carrying several packages, as was Candy.

  “I will leave you three to the unpacking,” Jason said. “I will be in the study when you are ready for dinner.”

  Sara watched him leave the bedroom.

  “Is he upset with me for all of this?” Sara asked, turning toward Candy and Juliet.

  “No, he is not,” Juliet said. “Not about the shopping. I think, perhaps, being a fifteen year old male, that the sight of this might just have had him thinking thoughts he knows he cannot have.”

  Sara turned bright red when Juliet pointed out the Victoria’s Secret Lingerie bag Sara carried.

  “But they are not for him! They are just good…”

  “We know, Miss Sara. But you are a beautiful woman, to start with, and he has strong feelings for you. Which, I assure you, he will not act on. I believe that if you do not make an issue of these items, neither will he.”

  “Candy is right, Miss Sara,” Juliet said. “And believe you me, you will have some of the same thoughts about him from time to time. He is a handsome young gentleman. You both know your arrangement does not include such things, and you are both strong willed people. Both of you will deal with those feelings as they occur.”

  “I suppose,” Sara said, turning away from the doorway. “Though, I doubt I will have those feelings. He just makes me so angry, so often, that… Anyway, I will be careful. He really has tried to make this comfortable for me. I do not want to tease him… I mean, make him uncomfortable, in any way, either.”

  When everything was put away, or set aside to put in the laundry or sent out for dry cleaning, Sara looked around the bedroom with Candy and Juliet.

  “I do not know… Maybe I should have talked to him about some of these changes.”

  Candy and Juliet exchanged a quick look. Sara had put everything into the bedroom and bath. There were only a few of her old things in the connecting bedroom and its bath.

  “He did say for you to change things as you wanted. I did think you might prefer to have quite a few things in the other bedroom…” Juliet said carefully.

  “I thought about it,” Sara said, still looking around. “But I want to fulfill my end of the contract. I should be in here with him as much as possible. That was the whole point. It is the only thing he gets out of this.”

  “Miss Sara,” Candy said, “you are not his… I cannot think of a polite word… You are not at his beck and call. You seemed to understand that he does not expect you to be… uh… unclothed around him.”

  “I know,” Sara said. “I will be careful of that.” She was still inspecting the room carefully. “He said he would tell me if I made him uncomfortable in some way.”

  Sara shrugged. “If I need to change things, I will. I just really want to do this in a manner that repays him for what he has done.”

  Again Candy and Juliet looked at one another.

  This time Sara saw the look. Her face turned red. “Hey! I do not mean… Well… that kind of thing.”

  They both saw the chagrined look on Sara’s face.

  Juliet nodded. “I… we know that. You just seemed to be so accepting of all this now.”

  “I always try to do the best job I can at anything I do.”

  “I suspect that you are always good at whatever you choose to do,” Candy said. She looked at her watch. “I had better go get the car cleaned and ready for tomorrow,” she quickly added.

  “What would you like to wear for dinner tonight, Miss Sara?” Juliet asked. “I will lay it out while you shower, if you like.”

  “I guess I should hurry. Oh, you just pick something. I do not know if I even know what I have, I bought so much!”

  Juliet was whistling as she worked when Sara came out of the bathroom in the new terry robe. “I shall be down the hall in your old room. I need to finish getting it ready for guests. Buzz me if you do want something,” Juliet told Sara.

  “There will be guests?” Sara asked hurriedly. “Tonight?”

  “Oh, no,” Juliet replied, reassuring Sara. “That is one of the rooms we keep ready for guests, just as you were at first. We do not actually have guests very often. You are the first in over a year.”

  “Oh,” Sara said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  Sara entered the study a few minutes later wearing a long red skirt and white blouse, her hair held back with a white ponytail wrap.

  “You look nice,” Jason said, rising from the chair in which he sat, reading. Setting the book aside and moving toward the door, he added, “You have very good taste.”

  “Thank you. I did pick this one myself, but Juliet and Candy were a lot of help. I have never really bought many clothes. Usually just jeans and shirts and underwe…” Sara stopped, then quickly continued. “I hope my selections will be okay with you.”

  “I have no say in the matter. You are free to wear whatever you wish. There are no restrictions on…”

  “All right, already! I know that. I was just trying…”

  “My apologies,” Jason quickly said.

  “Will you stop doing that?” Sara asked, finding herself annoyed.

  “I am sor…” Jason quickly fell silent, seeing the annoyed look on Sara’s face.

  “I was brought up this way,” he said. “I am not sure I cannot be like this.”

  Sara sighed, closed her eyes and
shook her head. “I know. I am the one that should apologize. I am just on edge, I think, because I spent so much money on clothes. I made a bunch of changes in your room. I never know how you might react, except, you barely do, no matter what I do. Even when I get angry, for no good reason.”

  “You are under a great deal of stress. New town. New school. New house. A situation I am sure you thought, much as I, that you would not have to deal with for several more years. Plus… other things.”

  “My mother,” Sara said softly, her head dropping.

  “The detective agency that Miss Richardson uses is on the case. I could not go through her, because if she knows where your mother is, she has to report it to the courts. If I deal with the agency myself… The police or courts do not have to be involved.”

  Sara had looked up sharply at Jason’s words.

  “Wait a minute! What if the agency…”

  Jason shook his head. “I was careful to not specifically tell them that there were bench warrants out for her. I requested that legal authorities not be queried in the investigation. I am sure they assume there are legal difficulties, but without supporting information, they are protected legally.”

  “What about you?” Sara asked quietly.

  Jason merely shrugged. “Do not worry about me. You could get into trouble… But she is your mother. You will have to do what you know is right. And I understand that. I promise to tell you as soon as I get word when I can get you to her. I will minimize the risk for you, but I will tell you what I know, when I find it out.”

  Sara did not get a chance to respond. Mrs. MacDougal entered the study to announce that dinner was ready.

  “Master Jason!” Mrs. MacDougal scolded gently when Sara started to go past him.

  “I should offer my arm,” Jason told Sara.

  He looked over at Mrs. MacDougal. “I think Miss Lee would feel more comfortable without the implication that I am her escort each dinner.”

  Mrs. MacDougal nodded, then smiled as she turned away, when Jason turned to Sara.

  “However, if at any time you wish, my arm is available to escort you into and from the dinner table. It is simply a matter of manners for me. I do not want you to feel that it would be anything other.”