AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Go get ‘em.”
Monique left Chelsea and Grace to their no-good deeds. Perfect timing, too, for when she reached the top of the grand staircase she received word that someone was there to see her. “In a Rolls-Royce, ma’am,” said the doorman. “Since you asked me to keep my eye out for one.”
It took great pain to not let her excitement bubble over.I’ll save the giddiness for her.Helen wanted a princess? She would damn well get one. “Thank you,” Monique said, handing a small list of instructions to the doorman. “I should be returning Wednesday evening. Hopefully in time for any rush we receive. Keep an eye out for that Rolls-Royce during that time, too.”
“Will do, ma’am.” He opened the door and tipped his hat to Monique as she stepped out with her suitcase in one hand. “Have a pleasant holiday.”
The Rolls-Royce parked right in front of the fountain, the driver-side door opening to reveal Helen Warner in a light brown summer sundress, her light jacket buttoned down far enough to make Monique smile. Helen’s hair was more golden than ever in the late spring sunlight. Her smile when she turned to Monique was a most welcomed sight.
“Oh, I think I will,” Monique said to the doorman. “Thank you. I’ll be going now.”
Helen met her at the bottom of the front steps, taking her by the arm and escorting her to her car. I want to kiss her. Right there in front of God and Manoir. That would give the gals spying on them something to gossip about over dinner.
Monique refrained. She would unleash what she offered later.
“Beautiful day for a joyride.” Helen opened the passenger side door and motioned for Monique to enter. The door shut behind her. Yet the window was down, and Helen Warner folded her arms on top of the door and peered through the space.I can smell her perfume.Memories of their one night together flooded Monique’s head. She was not surprised when Helen picked up the suitcase and instantly frowned. “What did you pack in here?”
Monique sweetly smiled. “You’ll find out later.”
This time the grin she got was laced with nothing but naughtiness.
A minute later they were pulling out of the driveway, Helen’s hands on the wheel and out the window as she let the fresh air weave in and out of her fingers. Monique followed her example, sticking out her arm and watching the shaded trees breeze by them. The cool air invigorated her senses until she thought her face would burst from the smile splitting it in two.
She had to yank her arm back into the car when they reached the main road and Helen gunned the gas. With a shriek louder than anything she had uttered in years, Monique held herself to the passenger seat and made sure her seatbelt was fastened.
The car was too loud for them to converse. For the duration of their afternoon drive, Monique took pleasure in the tingles wallowing in her skin, in the fresh air whipping through the car, and in the touches of Helen’s fingers every time she reached over to caress Monique’s hand or arm.Is this how my employees feel when they’re being spoiled by patrons?Monique wasn’t as young as them, but she imagined this kind of rush becoming addictive.
“So, how’s the carriage?” Helen shouted over the roar of her motor. “Is your great escape everything you ever wanted?”
Monique couldn’t raise her voice enough to be heard. Instead, she laughed, showing her mirth in the only way she knew how.
The Warner Estate wasn’t just in another county, but another state. Monique thought it would be too far for them to travel in one day, but Helen proved her wrong when she got them there in as few as four hours. One moment they were speeding on the highway, and the next she whipped into a hidden driveway, taking them beneath towering oaks and along a small river that was as pristine as her eyes.
The house – well, mansion – was in the shape of a horseshoe, with the east and west wings jutting toward the front gardens while the main house sat in the back. The circular driveway meant Monique got a grand view of both towering wings as Helen pulled up to the front steps and flagged down the nearest man she found. Monique was too distracted by the Baroque-inspired architecture that matched Helen’s personality to the point she would believe she had this place built instead of inheriting it from her parents. Nevertheless, her gorgeous chaperone led her out of the car and up the steps into the grand foyer.
“This is the Premier House,” she said, helping Monique remove her coat and gloves. Helen handed them to a butler who stood behind them. “Staff live here, as well as every commonarea to be shared between household and guests. I live in the East Wing. My sister lives in the West. Perhaps you’ll meet her later.”
“I would like that.”
Helen introduced her to the primary staff who came up to greet them, welcome Helen home, and take their coats and bags. Everyone was polite and discreet to a fault, as Monique had come to expect from the people who worked in such places. Even in Jacqueline’s home.Those people could be brutish, however.They had to be to put up with what went on in that household.They knew what she was doing to me.They saw it all.Jacqueline liked to…No, no. Monique couldn’t put herself down that path. She was here to have a getaway with Helen, the new woman in her life. She wanted to get to know her, to enjoy what she had to offer, and maybe escape into their world of pleasure they had begun to build together.
“Is this your parents’ house?” Monique asked as she admired the trim work on the nearest banister. “I know they live in Wyoming now, but I’m guessing this is a family home.”
“My parents technically own it, but my sister and I are the only residents here.” Helen put her hand on the small of Monique’s back, eliciting a smile. “My grandparents were the original owners of the house. Guess you could say it runs in our family.”
She had a habit of doing that – dropping hints that she was expected to continue her family line.Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.Monique followed her up the stairs into the East Wing. A man had already taken her bags up there after Helen told him that Monique was to stay there for the next few days.Which means these people know I’m sleeping with her.Monique hoped Helen paid them well enough to stay out of her business.
“Does your sister have any children?” Monique had no idea why she asked that.Yes, I do.When she was with Jacqueline,there was no idea that they would have children. Perhaps in another life where Jacqueline didn’t turn out that way. Monique was not opposed to the idea of being a mother one day, but she wasn’t about to get tangled up with a woman who would eventually leave her because she wasn’t good enough to birth heirs.
Helen stopped in front of a door and glanced over her shoulder. “No, she doesn’t. Honestly, the idea seems so preposterous.”
“Does she not want any?”
Helen opened the door. “You’ll see what I mean if she decides to join us for dinner.”
The master quarters of the East Wing were simple yet elegant in design. A receiving room boasted ample seating space and an entertainment center that spoke of intimate nights watching movies in front of the fireplace. Attached to the receiving room was a small kitchenette with a microwave, mini-fridge, and hot plate that looked more sophisticated than the common oven.
Of course, that did not compare to the en suite, with its jetted tub, high-tech shower, his-and-her vanities, and enough storage space to hide Monique’s wardrobe if she were the type of woman to shove it in the bathroom. Helen showed it to her out of propriety since, “I’m sure you’ll have to use it at some point.”
