“Then why didn’t she come down for dinner?”
“Look,” June said. “You should probably get used to this. It happens with Camilla sometimes.”
“But why?” Lindsey asked. “What’s going on?”
“It’s not my place to say. And I’d recommend that you don’t ask her about it either. Let her tell you if and when she wants to.”
“Is she okay, at least?”
“Yes, she’s all right. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Lindsey took the hint. “No. Thanks, June.”
June nodded and began clearing the table. Lindsey got up and headed back to her room. It was safe to say that her and Camilla’s plan to watch a movie together was canceled.
Lindsey sighed. Things had gone from wonderful to confusing in the space of a few days. She thought about calling Faith to talk. Although they had spoken yesterday, Lindsey hadn’t told Faith that she’d had sex with Camilla. She didn’t think Faith would understand why Lindsey felt so uneasy about it. Faith’s Zen attitude to life never helped when Lindsey was worried about something. And these days, all she did was worry.
Lindsey stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She would have to find some way to entertain herself for the rest of the night. She decided to check out the home theater by herself. A movie night was just what she needed.
All she had to do was find the theater. Lindsey knew it was on the second floor somewhere. She could ask June, but Lindsey didn’t like bothering her over small things. She still wasn’t used to having ‘help,’ which was what Camilla called the mostly invisible staff who ran the house.
Lindsey headed upstairs and began to wander, opening doors at random. She found the library, and the gym, but no theater. She was sure it was nearby, but everything looked different at night.
Lindsey continued down the hall. Soon, she found herself facing a set of white double doors.
The doors to Camilla’s rooms.
Lindsey stopped before them. Camilla had made it clear that Lindsey wasn’t allowed past this point without her express permission. But Lindsey was tired of being kept in the dark. And she was worried. Camilla had seemed off at breakfast in the morning. What if something was wrong?
Tentatively, Lindsey pulled one of the doors open and peeked past them into the hall. It was empty. She glanced over her shoulder. No one else was around. She slipped through the door and closed it behind her.
Lindsey started down the hall. What was she doing in here, anyway? Was she going to knock on Camilla’s door and try to talk to her? Spy on her just to make sure she was in one piece? Burst in and demand to know what was going on?
Lindsey rounded a corner. When she reached the door to the playroom, she paused in front of it. All kinds of naughty thoughts about the other night filled her mind. As she stood there silently, she heard voices coming from the end of the hall.
Raised voices.
Before Lindsey knew what she was doing, she was walking toward the voices. As she got closer, they became clearer.
“I pay you to look after the house, not to nag me.” Camilla. Her voice was shrill. “I should replace you with someone who actually follows my orders.”
What the hell? Lindsey stopped at the door to the room the voices were coming from. It was open, just a crack, but Lindsey couldn’t see through it. She listened instead.
“We both know you’re not going to do that, Camilla.” June? It was June’s voice, but it had a firmer, less deferential tone. And Lindsey had never heard June address Camilla by anything other than ‘Ma’am.’
“Will you just leave me alone?” Camilla said.
“Sure, I’ll leave you alone. Right after you eat something.”
“Do I look like I want to eat anything?”
“There’s no better time than now,” June said. “Those painkillers should have kicked in.”
“Well, they aren’t doing shit.”
“I’m sorry, Camilla. But you still need to eat. You haven’t eaten anything all day.”
Camilla let out a groan that made Lindsey’s stomach lurch.