Chapter 3

Millie walked out to the carriage she and Clayton had taken out to the large plantation. She grabbed her satchel that held her only belongings, and turned to face the two-story white clapboard house. It had dark maroon shutters and a wrap-around porch. The second story had a balcony with white railing. She could hardly believe this was where she would be living for the foreseeable future. She climbed up the few steps to the front door, and opened it. Trey and Clayton had moved downstairs and into the parlor to the right of the foyer. Trey turned toward her as the door shut.

“Clayton will get the rest of your things, Miss Millie” he said.

“There is no more, sir” Millie said.

Trey nodded after a moment. “I’ll show you to your room”.

He gave Quinn to Clayton, who awkwardly held him close to his chest.

Millie smiled at Clayton as Trey led her up the stairs.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask any of us for it” Trey said over his shoulder.

“Thank you” Millie answered.

“Mariah is the cook, she’s usually in the kitchen. Jess is the maid, she’s always cleaning something so you’ll have to hunt for her. You’ve met Clayton, he’s usually in my study when I’m gone. There’s a stable boy, Price, but he lives down the road a piece, so he’s not here all the time. And I’m usually not that hard to find” Trey told her.

By this time they were on the second floor, and they walked down the hall until they came to a door. Trey opened it and revealed a finely furnished room. Millie took a step in and looked around. The large bed in the middle of the room looked like it was made up for a queen, with pillows that looked like they were as fluffy as clouds. The drapes over the windows were solid white, allowing just enough sunlight to illuminate the room but not overpower it. An area rug covered half of the floor while the other half was made of the same waxed wood as downstairs and the hall. A chest of drawers stood next to the door. A small white desk with a straight-backed chair sat across from the bed and a settee on the far wall beside another white door.

“I hope everything suits you” Trey said.

Millie nodded. “It more than suits me. Are you sure this is where I stay? I mean, I’m only hired help” Millie asked.

Trey stared at her a moment, and Millie regretted speaking. “I’m sorry” she said. “I didn’t mean to question you…”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you like it” Trey smiled.

Millie clamped her hands together to keep them from shaking. She didn’t like her scary employer’s presence.

“Thank you” she said.

“Through that door is the nursery where Quinn spends a lot of time, and I’m just down the hall” Trey said.

He apparently saw her nervousness at the arrangement.

“Don’t worry” he put a hand over his heart. “I’m a complete gentleman. Besides, the door locks and the key is in the top drawer of the dresser”.

Millie couldn’t help a shy smile.

“And if you ever have the urge to clamber out the window for some time by yourself, there’s a balcony out there” Trey said.

Millie nodded.

“I’ll leave you to get settled” Trey stepped out and closed the door.

Millie placed her satchel on top the chest of drawers and collapsed on the bed. She smiled as she bounced for several seconds. She breathed a thankful prayer for the job and the sat up. Walking to the window, she noticed how it faced west. She would be able to watch the sunset. Pulling the drapes aside, she looked out and saw a wide stretch of land, just sitting there with a few horses here and there. Such obviously fertile land should be put to good use, not left to be overgrown with weeds.

Sighing, Millie let the drapes fall back to their original position and went to unpack her satchel.

*****

Trey smiled as he shut the door to Millie’s room. She seemed just as innocent and sweet as she looked. So far he had no qualms about leaving Quinn in her care while he was gone.

Hearing the front door open, he made his way back downstairs. When he saw the three characters there, he groaned.

“What are you three doing here?” he asked before hearing a wail.

Clayton came from the parlor with Quinn, who immediately put on a watery smile when he saw his father.

“He’s conspiring agin me, sir” Clayton said.

“I see” Trey resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he took Quinn from his overseer.

The three men standing in front of him snickered.

“Shut up and get to my study. Act like you ain’t never seen me hold my kid before” Trey said.

They heard footsteps on the stairs.

“I heard him cry. Do I need to take him?” Millie stood there.

The three men gaped at her. Trey cleared his throat and gave them a pointed look.

“I think it’s near time for his nap, if you don’t mind putting him down” he said to Millie.

Millie finished coming down the stairs and Trey held Quinn out to her. The child immediately started wailing again when she took him. She shushed and smiled at him all the way back up the stairs. Once she was out of earshot, Trey looked at his visitors.

“Do you mind?” He said.

“Who is she and when can I have her?” One of them said.

“Never. Any of you touch her and I’ll hang you up by the highest tree I can find with your own innards, understand?” Trey threatened, watching Clayton cringe at the image his words portrayed.

“Yeah, we get it” Another said.

Trey led them up to his study, and shut the door.

“Bottle’s where it always is” he said.

One of the men, Wes, reached behind some books and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

“What are ya’ll doing here?” Trey asked, collapsing into his desk chair.

“We figured we need to talk about he next job” Adam Lukas said.

“Yeah, we’re gettin’ stir-crazy” Wes took a swig from the bottle.

“I’m leaving you, Mr. James, out of this next job” Trey said.

Wes swallowed hard. “What?!”

“You heard me. You need to learn that we don’t tolerate certain ‘mistakes’ like that one you made” Trey said, glaring at Wes.

“That ain’t exactly fair, Boss” Wes protested.

“You brought it on yourself, Wes” Jed Samson leaned against the door.

“How many times to I have to say that was an accident” Wes growled.

Adam took the bottle from Wes. “We ain’t stupid, Wes. The people’s eyes are gonna be on you. How YOU’RE built, YOUR hair color, and YOUR voice. We can’t risk that”.

Wes sighed.

Jed walked up and leaned onto Trey’s desk. “I’ve got our next place. Clayville”.

“Clayville?” Trey had never heard of such a place.

“Yup. It’s just Clay county, reckon that’s why it’s called Clayville. Little place and no law. Easy pickin’s” Jed smiled.

“Hmm” Trey rubbed the small beard that ran along his jaw line. “Sounds promising”.

*****

“Daddy!” Quinn’s wails could be heard across the house as Millie carried him into the nursery. She wished he would be quiet, though she knew that he would warm up to her in time. Clayton had told her that Trey was gone a lot on business, and that none of them knew what his trade was. When she asked if he was suspicious, Clayton told her that the hired help did good to never ask personal questions of their employer.

Within a few moments, Quinn quieted down and his eyes drifted closed. Millie smiled and left the room. She might as well go ask Clayton to introduce her to the others.

She found him in the parlor, reading by the fire. He looked up when he heard her steps.

“Miss Millie? Is everything okay?” he asked, closing his book.

“Yes, I’m fine. I came to ask if you wouldn’t mind introducing me to the others?” Millie asked.

“Of course I don’t mind” Clayton stood and walked to her, his arm held out to her. “I’m surprised I didn’t think if this myself”.

Millie smiled and took his arm.

He led her to the foyer and to the door left of the front entrance. It opened into a spacious kitchen, where a middle-aged woman bent over a stove, stirring a pot.

“Mariah?” Clayton called to her.

The woman turned around. Her brown hair was pulled back by a bandanna and her face was red from the heat of the stove. She looked to be about Clayton’s age.

“Who do we have here?” Mariah asked.

“This is Mr. Shannon’s new hire. She’s gonna be takin’ care of Quinn” Clayton smiled.

“Really? So this is who he decided on” Mariah looked her up and down. “I can see why”.

Millie blushed.

“I’m Mariah” the cook smiled.

“Millie” Millie smiled.

“I’m gonna tell you right now, that me an’ you are gonna be great friends. I can tell” Mariah grinned.

“We’d better go and find Jess” Clayton announced.

“She’s cleanin’ the rooms” Mariah told him.

Clayton nodded.

They started up the stairs and caught a lady just as she was coming from a bedroom that appeared to be Trey’s.

“Jess, I want you to meet our new member to the crew around here, miss Millie Williams” Clayton smiled.

“Ah, I heard them talking about you in the study” Jess smiled. She was tall and slim, with dark hair and hazel eyes. Her light pink dress was covered by a white cleaning apron that contrasted against the strands of hair that had escaped her updo.

“It’s nice to meet you” Millie smiled.

“Don’t say that yet, missy. There’s only a few people in the world that would say that after a week of knowing me” Jess said, her face completely serious.

Millie simply smiled, which did nothing to help the awkward moment.

Just then, they heard Trey’s visitors leaving from the study down the hall.

“There’s something I gotta ask Mr. Shannon. I’ll be back in a minute” Clayton went down the hall.

What a traitor.

“So what brought you here?” Jess asked.

“The job” Millie said, knowing the answer sounded silly.

“I know that. I mean, well, do you have a family?” Jess asked, leaning on her broom.

“No”.

“What happened to them?”

“They’re all dead” Millie stated, trying not to think about what she had just said.

“Awe, that’s too bad” Jess clicked her tongue.

When Millie didn’t reply, Jess narrowed her eyes at her. “You don’t talk much, do ya?”

“Not really. Never have” Millie answered.

“Eh, I never trust a girl that cain’t say her piece” Jess shook her head.

Millie couldn’t hold back a smile. Jess was beginning to remind her of Texiss.

“I should be checking on Quinn, if you’ll excuse me” Millie side-stepped Jess, who nodded and went on about her work.

She went inside the nursery and looked in on Quinn. He still lay sleeping, so Millie went to her room. Everything was changing so fast she needed a chance to catch up. Sliding into the chair behind the desk, she released a long sigh.

She woke up, the morning sun was sending it’s rays over the house, lighting her west-ward faced window slightly. She was slumped over the desk, and a thin blanket was draped over her. It suddenly dawned on her. She had slept the evening and night away without as much as a blink. What Trey must think of her! She jumped up, knocking the chair out from under herself and sending it crashing to the floor. She bent and picked it up before rushing to the chest of drawers for a fresh dress. Donning a deep blue dress, she turned to the mirror and nearly gasped in the horror that her disheveled hair presented there. Strands stuck out in every direction, and tangles made up most of the back. She yanked a brush through it and pulled it back with a ribbon, not caring that a few strands escaped the haphazard arrangement. She opened the door to the nursery and walked toward the crib. It was empty. She was as good as fired now. She slung the door open and quickly walked down the hall her shoes making a clicking sounds against the hard floor. She walked down the winding staircase and reached the landing. She remembered that the dining room was through the kitchen so she turned that way. Her foot slipped and…

PLOP.

She landed on her back and felt the air go out of her. Within a moment, there were two blurry faces lingering over her. She tried to bring the air into her lungs but it wouldn’t come.

“Millie?” Trey’s voice said. “Millie, you with me?”

She blinked a few times and drew in a relieving breath.

“I’m fine” she mouthed.

“She just got the wind knocked out of her, sir” Clayton’s voice said to her left.

After a moment, she was able to breathe regularly again.

“What happened?” Trey asked.

“I just… slipped” Millie said, allowing him to help her stand.

“You’ll get used to the floor. I slipped on it a few months back, too” Trey smiled.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep. I assure you it won’t happen again” Millie struggled to keep from shivering as his hand still lingered on her arm.

“You had a long day. I completely understand” Trey smiled.

Millie felt relief. She was grateful he was so understanding.

“Where’s Quinn?” she asked, looking around.

“Mariah has the kid. You hungry?” Trey asked.

Millie nodded. “Starving”.