The Mute Mistress

The Mute Mistress: Chapter 2

*This chapter contains sensitive content*

Chapter 2

Unbelievable, Mary thought, passing under the gallery hall into the next bright room. As she was told they entered one of a few living spaces, Belle pressed a built-in console and floor-to-ceiling glass panels slid open to an enclosed outdoor living. Roofing covered a massive lounge area where one could cozy around a fireplace under a mounted TV, sit at a dining sized table, or sit at a granite bar with a propane grill. They left the shade of the mansion, proceeded outside onto a stone slab trail past a small infinity pool flowing to the left and down a paved trail curving through more healthy green grass.

The field stretched for a few acres until it reached boundaries made of lush trees, but Mary's awe furthered when Belle pointed to their right. "Welcome to the guest house. This is where I was a year ago, but with my condition, I can't afford these extra steps."

Under the covered entry, Belle pulled keys from her cardigan pocket and unlocked the door. With enormous eyes, Mary stepped in and circled around before she pulled her phone from her back pocket. She typed quickly in her notepad app and showed Belle.

Belle smiled. "Yes, this may differ from what I originally stated in our emails. But after some thinking, it made more sense for you to have a fully private space with resources away from the estate."

She checked the watch on her wrist before retrieving her phone from her cardigan. "You must excuse me, the event coordinator has arrived at the front doors. Are you sure you're comfortable attending tonight's party?"

Mary nodded. In the last email exchange, Belle gave her the choice to start the following afternoon or join the day of a celebration. After learning Belle was the housekeeper for Nathan Vanderbilt, she knew she'd recognized his name as she had heard of him over the years, but rarely. From simple research, the splendor of the home featured in blogs about him and multi-million dollar homes in their state astonished her and her sister were. Recent news, online, revealed he won the title of 'Entrepreneur of the Year', in a famous business insider magazine–'1080 Magazine'. On the cover, he leaned against a desk in a beautiful office. His hands were in his pockets and his head tilted up. He was without a smile on his face. Handsome, but with distant eyes, she thought.

Nathan Vanderbilt–Son of an Empire.

While he didn't start from nothing, his take on real estate began early, before continuing the legacy of his late father's footsteps. Making the right connections at the right time last year, he won the contracts of two of the largest apartment developers in the coastal region by the age of twenty-eight. He wasn't just a wealthy man; he gained fame.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little afraid, but Belle had assured them there would be little interaction with him, as he was awfully busy. Though, the scarcity poked Mary's curiosity more. Who wouldn't want to see their famous employer celebrated glamorously? Plus, she came to work and learn. An event would be the perfect opportunity.

Small hands closed around Mary's palm. A key rested in the new live-in maid's hand. "Thank you for accepting this job as quickly as you did. Please, accustom yourself to the space, and when you are ready to find me, send a text."

Belle answered her phone and footed it toward the main house. After pulling her suitcase and removing her canvas shoes, Mary tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and recognized the surrounding stillness again. But this time, it filled her with excitement and emotion. To the left was a small living room with loungers and another television above a fireplace. To her right, there was the high breakfast table with four high chairs before the natural light beaming from the windows.