"Is everything thing alright?" Jordan asked the maid. Every morning she started her duties by making up the beds, but when she left Lucy's bedroom this morning, she had a mischievous smile on her face.
The maid snickered. "More than alright for some people I'd say," she winked at Jordan, but he looked even more confused. She tapped him on the shoulder with her feather duster as she walked past him towards the stairs. "Looks like I won't have to bother with the guest room this morning."
Jordan stood in the hallway until the maid disappeared down the stairs and then peeked into Lucy's room. He expected to find it empty since Lucy had already left, but someone was still sleeping in her bed. Jordan quickly shut the door and stepped back. The discovery left him uncomfortable. He knew better than to snoop into his employer's personal life. He didn't know what he had been thinking.
Craig slept in late that morning. He was still used to his musician's schedule, staying up all night, sleeping most of the day. He wandered around the house looking for something to do. He paused at the piano and regretted his broken arm. It would be awhile before he could play again. Without his music to keep him occupied and without Lucy around to keep him company, he was quickly growing bored.
When he saw Jordan pass by, he followed after him and tried to start up a conversation with the butler. Jordan was as polite and professional as he had been taught to be on the job, but Craig found him cold. Craig felt like he was just getting in the way and bothering Jordan while he was trying to do his job, so he soon gave up trying to talk to Jordan and decided to see what was on TV.
After Andrew lost his job, the household had to be arranged again. It was decided that until Andrew found a new job, Amanda would go back to work at the office, Andrew would stay home and look after Mona, and Alma would keep her teaching job. The new arrangement was only supposed to be temporary, but when Amanda left for work that first day and Andrew had to stay home, he became very depressed and spent most of his time sitting on the couch watching television instead of trying to find another job.
"Do you need something, Mona?" Andrew asked when he noticed his mother-in-law standing over him, dressed to go out.
"Oh, I was just wondering if you could get up out of that sofa long enough to take the poor old woman, who gives you roof to sleep under, to the doctor? But if that show is just too important to tear yourself away from, maybe I should just lay down and die."
Andrew mumbled something under his breath as he got up to turn off the TV and get his car keys.
"How have you been feeling, Mrs. May?"Dr. Wilton greeted Mona as he entered the examining room.
"How do you think?" she retorted. "Same as always."
"That's good to hear," he replied, ignoring her sarcastic tone. "Why don't you take a seat and we'll start the examination?"
As he gave Mona her check-up Edward asked, "So how are your lovely daughters?"
Mona sighed, "They would be fine if it wasn't for my no good son-in-law. Can you believe my girls have to go out and work their fingers to the bone, while he sits around the house all day and just stares at the television? The no good bum. I knew I never should have let Amanda marry him, but you know how kids are. They think they're in love and nothing else matters."
"Um hmm," Edward replied as he looked over Mona's chart.
"At least Alma's not married yet. I've still got a chance at a decent son-in-law," she said, with an eye on Dr. Wilton.
"Well, it looks like everything is fine," Edward said as he concluded the check-up. "Just keep following your usual orders and take your prescriptions and let me know if you have any problems."
"I will," Mona replied. "I was just thinking, Dr. Wilton. I've been talking a lot about my family, but I don't know anything about yours."
"There's not much to know. I have some distant relatives who live out of state, but no close family to speak of."
"You aren't married? A nice doctor like you? I don't believe it."
"It's true."
"You must get lonely. You ought to join us for dinner sometime."
"Thank you for the offer," Edward started, but Mona wasn't listening.
"I'm going to have Alma take me shopping on Saturday. If you're not busy you could have lunch with us."
Edward smiled. Mona was trying to be subtle and was failing, but he didn't mind. "I think I might be able to make some room in my schedule to meet for lunch. What time?"
Hector walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. As he waited for someone to answer it, he examined his reflection in the glass windows of the door and took a moment to compose himself. This was a very important visit. In his mind he compared it to a business exchange, and that comforted him, but this wasn't just business. This was even more important.
"Oh, Hector. Hello," Arthur said as he opened the door. "What brings you by?"
"Is Eileen around?"
"She's upstairs. I'll tell her you're here."
"No, don't," Hector protested. "I was actually hoping to talk with you alone. It's about Eileen . . ."
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