The Contract Page 6

  “You will find a way, Jason,” she said softly, dropping the formal address for the first time since he was a baby. “I can see that you really do love this young lady. Being in love can be difficult. But, when it is true love, and I doubt you could have any other kind, the difficulties are worth it.”

  “I know, Mrs. MacDougal. I have seen it in other couples relationships. I only hope I can do the right thing for her, no matter what her feelings for me are.”

  He lifted his eyes to meet hers again. “I will accept the intense requests for clarification,” Jason said with a smile, “with no protests.”

  “But Mrs. MacDougal, I would not want Miss Lee to be subjected to any influences, positive or negative, about my particular situation.”

  Mrs. MacDougal smiled broadly. “Young man, Sara Lee will make up her mind about you with no help from me. Or any of the others, I assure you. Even if any of us were inclined to influence her decision, either way, I have seen enough of her to know that it would make absolutely no difference at all in her decision making process.”

  Jason smiled ruefully. “You are quite right. So I shall do what I can to ease her difficulties, and let her make her decisions based on her interpretation of the events.”

  “Perhaps all of my guidance has not been in vain,” Mrs. MacDougal told Jason as they headed toward the study doors.

  “So much for my plan of this morning,” Sara sighed as she slipped out of the clothes she had worn that day. She had to smile when she saw the clothing laid out on the perfectly made bed.

  Sara had taken a tray into her mother, but could not bring herself to stay while her mother ate. And complained. She had almost decided to go get a tray and eat in the room, but found herself deciding to go down and have dinner in the dining room.

  “Oh, Juliet,” Sara whispered, “You are spoiling me rotten. How can I ever repay these people?” Tears threatened again as Sara quickly showered and changed for dinner.

  “Good evening, Miss Lee,” Jason said, rising as he had the evening before, to hold her chair for her. Except, he did not stumble or stare. At least he did not stare quite as much.

  Sara’s red hair was glowing against her even more pale than usual face. Her eyes seemed huge. “Probably from all the strain,” Jason thought to himself.

  “And such a remarkable green…”

  Jason jumped when Duchess spoke to him. He had been watching Sara’s eyes as she had placed her napkin on her lap.

  “Oh! Yes. Thank you, Duchess,” Jason replied, her words finally registering.

  Sara looked at him questioningly.

  Jason quickly spoke to divert Sara, and himself.

  “How long have you wanted to be an architect?” he asked Sara as Duchess began to serve.

  “What?” Sara asked.

  “You told Mrs. Albertson, in drafting class, that you wanted to be an architect.”

  “Oh. So I did.” Suddenly Sara smiled. “She seemed to have some sort of bone to pick with you.”

  Jason grinned. “I took beginning drafting last year. I am actually in that class as a second year drafting student. There were only two of us that wanted the course, so the board would not set up another separate class. She has to have an entire second curriculum for me. The other guy moved away just before school started. She has all that extra work, just for one student.”

  “It looked like she was just razzing you more than really upset.”

  “Yes. Mrs. Albertson is okay. And a good teacher. It really is a shame there are not more that wanted the advanced class. It would help the school get funding, and help her with her career to be able to teach it.”

  Sara sighed. “I had beginning drafting last year, but I could not get my tran-scripts straightened out. I have to take it here again. That is the only class I have to, at least.”

  “That is too bad,” Jason said. “At least it will be pretty easy, if you have already had the equivalent.”

  “It will give me extra practice. I actually do want to be an architect. It is going to be hard to get the education, moving around the way we do.”

  Jason did not pursue the traveling aspect of the comment. Instead, he asked, “Any particular type of architect? Residential? Commercial? Civil Engineering?”

  “I do not know for sure, yet. I have thought about all of them. Probably my best shot is to go for the skills to get a job in an industrial facility doing general drafting. I saw the CAD computer and plotter. Did you get to use that last year in the beginning class?”

  Jason nodded. “Just a familiarization, though.” He saw the disappointment on Sara’s face at his words.

  He knew, without a doubt, that Sara was sure she would not be in this area long. Even believing that, she was disappointed about the CAD computer access. Jason became even more determined that Sara would have as few disappointments in her life as he was able to arrange.

  “So you are not really inclined to anything specific?”

  Sara shook her head. “I really do like most of the fields.”

  Jason realized Sara did not want to discuss it further. “I am sure she feels there is no hope, so she would rather not delve too deeply into it,” he thought to himself.

  “I did not get much homework tonight. How about you?”

  “Just the math. I am pretty good at math. I will have it done in half an hour or less.”

  Sara had spoken confidently.

  “Oh! Trinity said you were going out for the track team. How did that go?” Sara asked.

  “I think I will make the team. Coach always evaluates everyone that tries out. Gives everyone a fair chance. He will post the team members next week.”

  Duchess stopped beside Sara. “Miss Sara, I can get you something else if you do not like the fish.”

  “No, Duchess,” Sara said. “It is very good. I do like it. I am just not very hungry, I guess.”

  Sara looked over at Mrs. MacDougal, who had just entered. “If it is okay, I think I will check on Mother, then do my homework and go to bed.”

  Jason marveled at Mrs. MacDougal’s timing yet again. She appeared just when an authority figure seemed to be required.

  “You do not need to ask,” Mrs. MacDougal told Sara. “But I do think that would be wise. I know it has been a stressful day for you. Would you prefer to have another bed put in your mother’s room for you?”

  They all saw Sara’s hesitation. Then she shook her head. “I think Mother would like her privacy.”

  Jason rose quickly and pulled Sara’s chair back for her. “You do not have to not finish on my account,” Sara told him.

  “I plan to finish.” He looked over at Mrs. MacDougal with a fond smile. “I want to finish. If I do not mind my manners properly, I will not be able to finish.”

  Sara managed a smile. “Oh. I see.” Cutting her eyes to Mrs. MacDougal, Sara added, “Thank you, kind sir.”

  When Sara cut another glance over to Mrs. MacDougal, she winked at Sara. Sara could not understand why she suddenly felt herself blush.

  “My pleasure,” Jason said, doing a tiny bow toward Sara before he returned to his own chair.

  It was some time before Jason could swallow after taking a bite of the fish after he had resumed his seat. His mouth had gone totally dry when he had looked up and seen Sara’s rosy cheeks.

  Jason did finish, then found Mrs. MacDougal. “I was going to cancel my fencing lesson this evening…”

  Mrs. MacDougal gave Jason a disproving look.

  He smiled and continued, “considering the events. But, of course, everything here is under control. And I know how important it is to keep commitments. I should be back by nine or so.”

  “Very good, Master Jason,” Mrs. MacDougal replied smoothly. She walked with him toward the door of the garage. “Do not worry about either of them. We will take very good care.”

  “I know,” Jason replied softly, turning and looking up at the ceiling to where Sara’s room lay upstairs. “I just… I know.”

  Jason knew s
omething had happened even before he re-entered the house just before nine. He had seen far too many lighted windows when he rode up.

  When he entered the hallway he saw Sara pacing near the stairway. Mrs. MacDougal sat quietly in one of the chairs nearby.

  The anguish was easily visible in Sara’s face when she moved toward him. “Look. I have to start helping… Paying you back for what you have done to help us. Whatever you want me to do, I will. But we have to come to some agreement tonight.”

  “I understand,” Jason said calmly. He glanced over to Mrs. MacDougal. “We can go into the study and discuss it.”

  Mrs. MacDougal followed the pair as Sara hurried toward the study, Jason following her.

  “First,” Jason said, after the three were in the study and he had closed the doors, “what happened?”

  Sara’s eyes dropped after a quick glance at Mrs. MacDougal.

  When it was obvious that Sara was not going to initiate an explanation Mrs. MacDougal spoke. “Mrs. Lee requested some service. I told Miss Sara that it was not a problem.”

  Mrs. MacDougal looked over at Sara. “I know how much… Miss Sara… Everything truly is all right.”

  There was a sheen of tears in Sara’s eyes. “I am so sorry, Mrs. MacDougal. Mother… She just seems to need a drink to calm her nerves, sometimes. She gets so upset when things do not go well and lashes out, and…

  “I am just so sorry! Everyone has been so helpful! I just have to do something to try to help! To at least start paying back the kindness!”

  Mrs. MacDougal looked over at Jason, helplessly.

  Sara was standing before the chair in which Mrs. MacDougal sat.

  When Mrs. MacDougal looked over at Jason, Sara did as well.

  Jason saw that Sara was almost quivering she was so tense. Her look became defiant as well as determined as she continued to look at Jason.

  “Of course,” Jason said calmly. He continued to stand, seemingly relaxed, again in that stance Sara was becoming accustomed to seeing. Feet spread just slightly, hands clasped behind his back.

  “I still do not feel it necessary at the moment…” He saw Sara start to bristle again and hurriedly continued. “But I do understand how important it is to you.”

  He glanced at Mrs. MacDougal. “I think, what… an hour a day after school, and four hours every Saturday? Helping wherever most needed?”

  Mrs. MacDougal was agreeing enthusiastically as Sara was starting her protest.

  “That is nowhere near enough! I can work three or four hours after school. Even get up early and work a couple in the morning. And certainly eight, even ten, Saturdays and Sundays.”

  Mrs. MacDougal voiced a quick protest. “You need time for school work and school extracurricular activities. Also time for social activities. Friends and family. Dating. Not to mention, you are still a maturing woman. You need plenty of rest. An hour a day on school nights, and four on Saturday will fulfill any obligation you have. More than so.”

  Jason glanced back at Sara. He was sure she was going to stamp her foot in protest. She did not. Sara did clench her fist and turn to Jason angrily.

  “I do not plan on any extracurricular school activities, social activities of any kind, especially dating. I can get by on three or four hours of sleep a night. I have before.”

  Mrs. MacDougal and Jason saw Sara make a conscious effort to calm herself down. Sara closed her eyes for a moment and tried to relax.

  When she opened her eyes she turned them toward Mrs. MacDougal. “You have been so wonderful and kind to me, Mrs. MacDougal. I do not want to hurt your feelings, or sound ungrateful, but I have to get things squared and get out of here.”

  She looked at Jason again, the tension suddenly coming back. “You have no idea how much I hate being here, despite how nice the staff has been. How they have helped my mother, and me.”

  Sara felt herself stiffening and getting angry with Jason again. “I will do anything to get the debt paid and get mother and myself away from this city.”

  “You should not say things you do not mean,” Jason said calmly.

  “What!” Sara was suddenly livid. “I certainly do want to get this debt paid and get out of here!”

  “I can tell you mean that wholeheartedly,” Jason said, still calmly, infuriating Sara even more.

  Mrs. MacDougal cut a questioning look at Jason. He seemed to be intentionally baiting Sara.

  “Then what…” Sara started to ask angrily.

  “I know you will certainly not, quote, do anything, unquote.”

  “You do not know any such thing. I will do anything to get out of here!” Sara was almost shouting.

  “Will you have sex with me?”

  It was a tossup who was the most surprised. Mrs. MacDougal or Sara. Both were entirely silent for several very long moments.

  Then Mrs. MacDougal leaped to her feet and said, “Young Man you will apologize this instant! I raised you better…”

  Sara was saying, “You slug! I will not have sex with you! You are worse than Rodney! I…”

  Still calmly Jason cut in on both their outbursts. “See? You will not do any-thing.”

  Mrs. MacDougal suddenly closed her mouth and sat down, a very thoughtful expression on her face as she studied Jason.

  “I certainly will not have sex with you! No debt is worth that!”

  “I agree,” Jason said, “Another example. Will you marry me? That would cancel any debt. You would be family.”

  Again Sara nearly went ballistic. This time Mrs. MacDougal stayed quiet and watched the pair of young adults.

  “I will not marry you, either! You are crazy if you think I would even consider it!”

  “Just making my point. I knew that no matter how much you want to repay any perceived debt to me or the staff here, that you did not mean, quote, do anything, unquote.”

  This time Sara did actually stamp one foot. “Stop saying quote, unquote! I hate that. So, okay, I will not do anything. I will do anything except have sex with you, or marry you! So find something for me to do that will get me out of this debt as quickly as possible. And it is not a perceived debt. You gave me money. Food. Housing. Not only to me, but to my mother. I owe you and I intend to pay you back.”

  “I said I understood your need. I still do. I also still think you will not do…”

  “Do not start that again!” Sara hissed. She was standing almost toe to toe with Jason now, eyes flashing. “I said it and I meant it! Do not call me a liar again! I really, really, really, do not like to be called a liar!”

  “Very well,” Jason said, still maintaining his calm. “I accept your statement. If the nine hours a week at a reasonable rate of pay is insufficient in your eyes to begin reducing the debt quickly enough, I will come up with another solution. But not tonight. Mr. LeGarza said he would have more information about your mother’s situation tomorrow by the time school lets out. That could affect your situation. I expect you to accept my word that we will reach an understanding about your debt reduction tomorrow evening by this time. I am tired and wish to retire.”

  Jason’s words had been calm, but forceful.

  Sara took a step back, as she studied his calm expression. Her eyes narrowed. “You promise?”

  “I promise,” Jason replied, knowing a simple nod would not suffice.

  “Well… Okay…” Sara glared at him for a moment and added, “But it had better be something that will reduce this debt fast!”

  Sara turned and marched out of the study.

  Mrs. MacDougal stood when Sara left. She turned to look at Jason and realized how tense he had actually been, as he visibly relaxed before her eyes.

  “You have something in mind.” She was simply stating a fact.

  “Yes. Just now a thought came to me.” Jason gave her a long look. “You probably will not approve. My offer stands. I am tired. I will see you in the morning, Mrs. MacDougal.”

  He strode toward the doors of the study. Mrs. MacDougal almost stopped him to tr
y to talk to him about the situation, but decided that, despite his words to her, he might very well have a plan that would appease Sara, and still keep her safe and sound. And in this house. She frowned slightly at the thought of Mrs. Lee being in the house. “But, we can deal with that, if Miss Sara is okay.”

  Maggie MacDougal barely left the study before the rest of the staff gathered around her. “He has a plan,” was what she told the others. “I just wish I knew what it was. Our young Master Jason is very much like his father and grandfather. Perhaps a little too much like them, in some ways.”

  Sara quietly entered her mother’s room. Her mother was asleep, sprawled on top of the bedclothes. With a sigh, Sara moved the empty drink glass from her mother’s hand. She took several minutes to ease the comforter up and over her mother’s body to avoid waking her.

  Only after watching her mother for a long time did Sara go to her own room and prepare for bed. She made sure the alarm was set before she wearily climbed beneath the blankets.

  Sara went to check on her mother the next morning immediately after her alarm sounded. She breathed a sigh of relief to see her mother still sleeping soundly. Sara hurried back to her room to find Juliet laying out clothing on the already made bed.

  “You did not have to do that this morning,” Sara said. “I needed to get up early to see about Mother. I was going to make the bed and… all.”

  Juliet just smiled at her. “I had to do Master Jason’s room anyway. He is almost always up and about by this time.”

  Sara frowned. She had thought that perhaps she would be up before him this morning.

  As Juliet continued to work Sara said, “Since you did, I think I will hurry and dress and go down to get something for Mother’s breakfast.”

  “If Mrs. Lee wishes to sleep late, I’m sure Duchess will be glad to keep some-thing available. And I will help make sure she is comfortable until you get back this afternoon.”

  “Thank you, Juliet. I really do appreciate it. But Mother can be…” Sara’s words trailed away and she sighed.

  “Do not worry about the situation with your mother being here, Miss Sara,” Juliet said gently. She shrugged delicately. “We will cope. As will your mother, I am sure.”