Chapter 5
The mansion, which was Leon Cooper’s house, was unlike one that Ivy had ever seen before. It was luxurious on the inside, decorated tastefully with beautiful new upholstery, carpeted floors, platinum fixtures in all the bathrooms and porcelain figurines. She was even more surprised to see the house because she hadn’t quite pegged Leon to be the kind of a man who might decorate a house in this fashion.
No wonder he needs a housekeeper, she thought to herself as she walked around the rooms silently. Everything was neat, clean and polished, everything was in its place. She had to be careful as she walked around, afraid to touch anything, afraid to move too quickly. She had no idea how expensive any of the things were and she was afraid to break something.
Her bedroom was lavish too; much more beautiful than any bedroom she had ever stayed in before. She unpacked her bags and then sat down on the large springy bed, looking out of her window.
She could see the ranch as it spread across, around the house. She could see a stable of horses in the background, and hear the sound of their hooves. But Leon wasn’t in sight.
She sighed, a sudden feeling of being overwhelmed washed over Ivy. This house was too big, too expensive, too tasteful for her to look after. Especially since she had never looked after a house before. Where was she even supposed to begin?
Ivy stood up from the bed and walked out of her bedroom, walking gingerly towards the kitchen. At least she could start preparing lunch, she considered.
Leon hadn’t told her what time he took his lunch, what he liked to eat, or if he was even coming back to the house for it. When she looked up at the clock in the kitchen, it told her it was nearly eleven already. She realized she had wasted too much time exploring the mansion.
She got started on the food and found that the pantry was stuffed with ingredients and supplies, although it looked like the kitchen hadn’t once been used yet. At least thankfully, her mother had passed down her famous cooking skills, so she could whip up a meal with very little effort.
Within an hour, Ivy had baked a batch of fresh cheese rolls and a pot of thick chicken cream soup. Along with a bowl of berries and yogurt that she placed at the center of the dining table, she arranged the rest of the simple yet hearty meal and sat down to wait.
Ivy waited for some time, by herself, wondering if she had made the right decision to make lunch. It wasn’t until one that she heard the front door of the house being banged shut and the crunching sound of Leon’s leather boots as he walked towards the dining room.
Ivy stood up from her chair with a jerk, not sure what she was expecting from him. Leon walked in, with his hat in his hands, and only grunted when he saw her. He looked at the food on the table, and without a word pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down to eat.
He hadn’t looked at her since he walked into the room, and yet Ivy could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest. She noticed the way some of his sandy locks fell boyishly over his forehead, how his stubble had grown darker, how his skin looked tough after working out in the sun all morning.
“Why aren’t you sitting down?” He suddenly looked up at her, with his dark chocolate eyes boring into her.
Ivy sat down on the chair with a thump, watching him tear one of the cheese rolls in half and popping it into his mouth. Leon looked at her again as he chewed.
“Have you found yourself things to do around the house?” He asked, after several moments of silence. Ivy hadn’t even served herself her food yet, she didn’t quite know what to do. She had never been in this sort of environment before, and she was also aware that just his presence was enough to freeze her limbs.
“I was thinking I’ll start by dusting the rooms, then polishing the wood…” She began to say but he interrupted her again.
“I didn’t ask for your schedule, just wanted to know if you have one.” He said, taking quick large spoons of the soup and shoving them into his mouth.
Ivy breathed in deeply, trying to control the building rage in her body. She couldn’t understand what he expected from her, how he wanted her to behave. She felt like she was displeasing him, by not even doing anything.
She looked down at her fingers on her lap as she heard him eating his food quickly. Within just a few minutes, Leon had finished his lunch. Ivy looked up again when she heard the sound of his chair-legs scraping the pine wood floor.
He flicked his hat back on his head and licked his lips.
“You said that you don’t intend on being treated as a salve, and yet you didn’t eat with me.” Leon said, meeting her gaze. There was fire in his chocolate brown sparkling eyes, and Ivy had to muster up all the strength in herself not to look away. She glared back at him, holding her chin up.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to eat with you.” She said, looking up at his towering frame at the end of the table.
“I’ll be gone till seven. Make sure the house is clean and in order. I take my dinner at eight.” He said, and turned around and walked out of the dining room. Ivy remained sitting at the table for a few minutes longer, with her breasts heaving, her nostrils flared in fury. What kind of an employment had she gotten herself into?