Page 31 of Liar Byrd
“She sleeps in the basement with the other staff.”
I stop walking.
There’s creepy then there’s that.
He turns to face me, finds I’ve stopped, and there’s a hint of amusement in his gaze. “This is an old mansion. Years ago, we had it remodeled. There’s an entire wing of bedrooms, a cellar, and storage down there now. It became the staff wing so we’d have more rooms for guests upstairs.”
“Oh, okay.”
After another searching look, he continues up.
“Then why aren’t I sleeping down there?”
“I had a feeling you might run if I told you that you were sleeping in the basement.”
I need to either stop being so skittish or learn to hide it better because it hasn’t even been thirty minutes since I met this guy, and he’s already gotten the measure of me.
If he’d mentioned sleeping in the basement earlier, I wouldn’t have made it through the interview; I’d have been halfway back to town while he was still talking.
Nash stops in front of a closed door about halfway down the first floor. “It’s a little dusty since there’s only Lydia doing the cleaning, but this will be your room.”
He pushes it open and steps aside, giving me more space than I need to enter.
He doesn’t follow me inside, waiting outside as I scan the guest room that smells slightly musty and faintly of lavender. It’s not my style—vintage, faded florals, a white dresser, and a large double window with a cushioned window seat facing the back of the house. I run my finger along the window ledge. There’s a bit of dust, but the room is beautiful, even if it feels suited for an older woman.
“You have your own bathroom and closet. I’ll have Nance bring up some other things for you as well.”
I jerk my head away from the garden as he pulls the door shut before I can ask what he intends to have Nance bring up for me. My gaze dips, and I release a sigh of relief. There’s a keyhole with a vintage-looking silver key already in the lock.
I walk over to it, turn the key, and try to open the door. I nod, relieved. The lock works.
Unlocking the door again, I pocket the key, intending to keep it with me so no one can take it away. I cross over to the bed and sit on the side, bouncing up and down to test it.
Not too hard or soft.
As hiding places go, this will more than do.
Chapter 12
Nash
My new maid is a liar.
After showing Jessica—or whatever her real name is—to her room, I head for the kitchen.
“You gave her the job.” Nance purses her lips as she wipes her hands on the white, stained apron tied around her waist.
I raise my eyebrow. “Was I supposed to kick her out?”
She releases a tired sigh, and I know I’m in my housekeeper's bad books.
A stew simmers on the stove, and the scent of beef, mushrooms, and onions makes my stomach rumble. “Jessica needed the work.”
Nancetsks, and I make a face at her disapproval.
I remember it from childhood, and it warns that a storm is brewing. She’s worked in the kitchens since before I was born, and I spent more time eating my meals around the big slab of a kitchen dining table than I did in the dining room. And I smiled more.
“Does she have experience cleaning a house this size?”
