Page 91 of Peasants and Kings
I padded my way to the kitchen, peeking my head into the rooms as I passed. No sign of Hadrian.
A woman with graying blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and dimpled cheeks smiled at me when I walked in.
“Good morning,” she said in Norwegian-accented English.
“Hi,” I said. “You must be Ingrid.”
Ingrid continued rolling the dough in front of her with a rolling pin as she nodded. “Yes.”
“I’m Eden,” I introduced.
“I know.” She winked and then brushed a stray lock of blonde hair that had fallen across her forehead with the back of her hand. “Coffee is on, and the biscuits are going into the oven in a few minutes.”
“Biscuits?” My mouth watered at the thought of buttery, flaky biscuits. Perfect to eat on a cool morning.
“Biscuits and gravy. They’re worth the wait, I promise.”
“They sound delicious. I’ll definitely wait.” I moved around the kitchen to grab a mug and filled it with coffee. I drank it black, so I had to wait for it to cool.
“Do you know where Hadrian is?”
Ingrid didn’t reply right away as she used a glass to make perfect circles in the dough. “He’s gone.”
“Gone?” I repeated. “Gone where?”
“Left this morning on business.” Ingrid didn’t meet my eyes.
Gone the morning after he brought me here? After he’d just admitted that he didn’t travel often for work?
“You know something,” I accused.
She shook her head. “I know nothing.”
“You’re his housekeeper.”
“Hadrian doesn’t confide everything in me.”
I continued to stare at her. “Youdoknow something. Otherwise you’d be able to look me in the eye.”
She set the raw biscuits on a cookie sheet and then placed the entire thing into the oven. Ingrid pressed a few buttons, including the timer, and then faced me directly.
“I’ve known Hadrian for a decade,” she said. “He’s my employer, but I also take care of him the way I take care of my own children.”
“Your loyalty is to him, then,” I said with a nod. “I get it. But did he really have business? Or was that the excuse he gave you when he left?”
She shrugged.
“I guess it doesn’t matter. He left without saying goodbye though.”
“He’ll call.”
I wasn’t sure that he would.
“I’m not hungry anymore,” I murmured. “It was nice meeting you, Ingrid.”
Not wanting to see her look of pity, I turned and left the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. I took it back to Hadrian’s bedroom. I plucked my cell phone from the nightstand and went out onto the balcony.
There were no texts or calls from Hadrian. Disappointment washed over me.
