Page 47 of Tempting Eden

“Georgie, did you ever go to Spain, like we talked about?” Maria cut through Jack’s truth and my mother’s inquisition. I could have kissed her. Wait,Georgie?

Mother faltered, her words lost as she turned to Maria. They exchanged a long look.

Mother folded her napkin and placed it beside her on the table. “I’m afraid I’m feeling somewhat poorly. I think I’ll retire for the evening.”

She rose, but before she could leave, Maria said, “It doesn’t have to be like this. Not anymore.”

Mother looked around the table, her gaze lingering on Adele and me, before continuing out the door. “I’m afraid it does.”

Adele glanced at me to interpret the situation for her, but I was just as in the dark as she was. I turned, instead, to Maria. She sighed and gazed up at the ceiling.

“Okay, am I the only one who’s confused right now?” Adele asked.

I pinched her leg under the table, and she gave me the dirtiest look she could muster.

“You know how Mother can be,” I said. “Let’s just finish dinner.”

Maria pushed back from the table and laid her napkin next to her plate. “I’m sorry. I don’t much feel like eating. Would you mind if I wandered around a bit?”

“Um, sure.”

“Thank you. Don’t worry about Georgie. Please enjoy your dinner.”

She didn’t seem particularly wandersome when she strode purposefully through the door after my mother.

The moment the door clicked shut, Adele and I spoke at the same time.

“What’s going on?”

“Jack, what was that?”

He held his hands up. “I have no idea, ladies. Ms. Temple has never talked to me about your mother. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“Rosa?” Adele asked. Smart girl. I never thought to ask Rosa, even though she knew everything there was to know about the Rochesters and then some. I was glad she always kept my secrets. But would she keep Mother’s?

The housekeeper dispensed with pretense and pulled up a chair next to Adele.

She gestured at Adele’s plate. “Just because I’m talking doesn’t mean you don’t have to eat.”

Jack, Adele, and I obeyed, though it was no burden to eat the delicious meal.

Rosa smiled at Jack. “I didn’t mean you. But you do need to eat. A large man like you? I bet you would eat everything I cooked and ask for seconds. Muy bueno.” Her Spanish accent thickened even more when talking about food and handsome men.

He took a large bite of vegetables, the non-verbal equivalent of “Fuck yeah, I would.”

“Que hombre!” Rosa fell silent, either getting her thoughts together or pausing for dramatic effect.

“Oh, this is going to be good,” Adele said around a mouthful of food.

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling it now.” She took a deep breath, setting her scene. “I know Miss Maria. I recognized her from before, when your mother was young. She used to come to the house to visit a lot when they were teenagers. Sleepovers all the time. They were inseparable, always going on trips together, talking, reading, laughing. Everything, together.”

Jack and I exchanged a look.

“So, what happened?” Adele asked.

Rosa ran her age-spotted hand down the back of Adele’s head, stroking her hair. “Your grandmother met your grandfather.”

“So?”

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