Page 26 of Willowbrooke
The woman couldn’t have been any older than me, perhaps in her late twenties. Her flawless pale skin was juxtaposed by her dark hair, pulled back into a sleek bun at the crown of her head.
I didn’t have to see the labels on her clothes, purse, or shoes to know they were designer. If I didn’t know Margot was childless, I would have mistaken the woman for her daughter, for her taste in apparel alone.
“Nice to meet you.” She smiled sweetly, and extended her hand to shake mine. I would have found it odd that she didn’t share her first name, but occasionally Margot was overly formal, so I disregarded the thought. And honestly, there was much I didn’t know about people at Margot’s levelof affluence; maybe this was common?
“Oh.” I looked down at her hand, then at mine. “I would—I don’t want to get you dirty.” I could feel my face heating. I would have worn my usual jeans-shirt-blazer combo if I’d known we’d have company.
“It’s alright.” She beamed, her politeness disarming me.
“Did you need something in particular, Margot?” I asked, trying to be helpful.
“Actually, Miss Hawthorne just moved back to the area,” Margot began.
“I grew up here,” the young woman clarified.
I nodded tentatively.
“We’ve been busy planning a charity gala in George’s honor, and she mentioned she was looking to decorate her new home. Naturally, I told her how well Leo’s renovations were coming along while we were at brunch this morning, and since she didn’t have any afternoon plans, I thought we’d stop by so she could see for herself.”
“Oh,” I felt even more embarrassed. “Well, did you have any questions about the project? We still have quite a ways to go,” I admitted.
“I can see that—but the kitchen…what an improvement.” Miss Hawthorne marveled at the open kitchen behind her. “I’m impressed.”
“We’ve got a great contractor.” I smiled at Danny, who was busy concentrating on fixing grout lines to his level of perfection.
“Do you have a business card?” Miss Hawthorne asked genuinely.
“I don’t.” My face fell. “But I’ll still be working on this project for a while. I’m sure Leo wouldn’t mind if you stopped by—if you have any questions.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Margot agreed, smiling at Miss Hawthorne.
“I’m opening up a gallery in town in the new year,” Miss Hawthorne told me. “You’ll have to come visit some time.”
“Of course,” I agreed without thinking.
“We’ll let ourselves out,” Margot informed me, which was her nice way of telling me to get lost.
“I’ll be in touch.” Miss Hawthorne gave me a small wave, her jewelry sparkling in the sunlight.
“Have a nice day, ladies.” I gave one last curt smile before heading back upstairs, feeling awkward about the entire exchange. I thought Leo might have minded his aunt bringing over a stranger—but then again, she’d mentioned the kitchen being an improvement, so maybe she’d been there before. If she’d grown up in the area, perhaps she knew Leo.
Carefully stepping over the giant pile of linens we planned to donate or discard, I made myself busy helping the workmen move the rest of the furniture. The only things that remained were the bedframe and nightstand in the pink room. I had planned on sleeping on the couch for a few days while they worked upstairs, but since learning that Leo would likely be up most nights, due to his insomnia, I’d haveto work out a different plan with him, whenever he deigned to return.
Leo didn’t get back until almost six that evening, bringing a bag of takeout food with him. “I just got your usual,” he said quietly, before making a beeline for the library with his dinner.
He remembered my order…
The first waft of my favorite ramen order hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t realized how hungry I’d been because I was worried about where Leo had been all day and anxious that he was mad at me for bringing up his mom when he’d never said much to me about her before.
Everything I knew about Christine was from Margot, and I wasn’t sure I was even supposed to know as much as I did. If I hadn’t been so tired and so frightened the night before, maybe I would have had more sense than to suggest that her freaking ghost was haunting the backyard. “Idiot…” I mumbled to myself.
After enjoying every last bit of my dinner, I waited around the kitchen for a while, hoping that maybe Leo would come back out to throw away his food container; he’d never leave it in the library. But when he still hadn’t returned after an hour or so, I sighed, knowing that I’d have to risk angering him further by finding him first.
Slowly, quietly, I made my way to the library.
The door was open just a crack, enough for me to hear the tail end of a conversation Leo was having. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and frankly, I didn’t want to because I had come to make sure we were okay, not violate his privacy further. But it was clear whatever he was talking about, he was upset.
When I was sure the call had ended, I rapped lightly on the door, pushing it open just enough to peek around it. “Leo?” I asked quietly.
