“To tattletale on me? Much luck there, Harvey,” Ryan scoffed, “While you’re bemoaning my unfairness to Mother, I’ll be unburdening myself to your sweet little maid. Does she wear the cute, frilly maid outfit?”
“Leave her alone! Don’t go anywhere near her.”
“I hardly think she’d be as cold to me as you seem to believe. I also wonder how you intend to prevent me from making the acquaintance of the woman you’ve chosen to become my sister-n-law.”
Ryan strode off toward the pool and Harvey pulled out his phone to call their mother. He heard a ringtone just behind him as the front door opened. Two security men carried her Louis Vuitton luggage and trunk in her wake. The icy blond coif was the same as when he was a child. The fur coat was overkill in the Arizona heat, and she dropped it for a servant to catch and hang up.
“Harvey, darling, what is this mess you’ve got yourself into now? I heard it from your brother. Appalling you wouldn’t call your own mother to announce your engagement.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing, Mother. Ryan showed up out of the blue, and now you’re here as well. The pair of you will have to decamp to a hotel. There are several nice ones in the city. Find yourself a spa, or a casino for Ryan. Take him and go.”
“To think I gave you life, Harvey Carlson. This is absurd. You’re never to speak to your mother in this manner and to think you’d turn us out on the street!”
“Hardly the street. Take her luggage back outside. And then fetch Ryan’s and put it out as well. I’m not accommodating the two of you. I have—”
“A girlfriend. Some tawdry little servant girl, I understand. How common of you, Harvey. You can’t be serious about her.”
“It’s none of your concern.”
“It’s why you don’t want me here. You’re afraid I’ll judge her.”
“Yes. And I don’t want to put her through that.”
“Well, then date a respectable girl, and you’ll never have to fear anything from me ever again.”
Harvey sighed in frustration.
“Why can’t you stop screwing the help?” his mother asked. “At least before, they were nothing but play things. But now…you’ve actually fallen for one?”
“Yes.”
Chapter 18
Bella stood on the stairs listening to the woman who was Harvey’s mother refer to her as tawdry, a servant. She sighed. It was to be expected that a wealthy woman wouldn’t be thrilled her son was dating the maid. Still, she would’ve thought the lady would have better manners than to say so. Bella went and got dressed for dinner, blaming the sun and the hot air balloon for her aching head. She never caught colds or the flu, but she might be picking up a bug now. She felt wretched.
So when Bella was on her way to the dining room, and Ryan offered his arm, she took it out of misery rather than friendliness, “How do you like the compound?” he asked.
“It’s lovely.”
“I admit my brother has a nice home, but he seems to cling to his old ways. When Harvey used to come home from college…well…he was always messing around with the maids. Got one of them pregnant back in the day. She was fired, of course, and I believe Father smoothed it over, gave her a ridiculous amount of money to get rid of the baby and run away into the sunset.” He shrugged. “Seems that old habits die hard. My brother always did like the servant class.”
“Maybe because they’re down to earth and not stuck up, spoiled brats.”
He disengaged his arm, gave her a sketch of a mocking bow and left her in the hall, gaping after him. Harvey had always liked the servants, had a history of screwing the maids and even impregnated and abandoned one. That certainly hit a little too close to home. Her hands were shaking and her throat felt tight. It must be this damned virus she’d picked up. Or else she’d developed allergies or something out west.
***
The beautiful dining table was set with candles and she settled herself in her chair, hands in her lap politely. Ryan was already seated when his mother came in on Harvey’s arm, “Mother, I’d like you to meet Bella James. Bella, this is my mother, Sylvia Carlson.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Sylvia said icily, giving her a once over and a sniff of disdain, “So, I can’t wait to hear more about your fascinating background. So down to Earth! Do tell me where else you’ve cleaned floors.”
Bella’s cheeks were flaming and she couldn’t think how to answer. Harvey stepped in, “Honey, you’ll have to excuse my mother. She’s always been rude. Because she has money, most people put up with her anyway. Same with my brother here.”
“Never wonder why we three haven’t been in the same room together since Copenhagen six years ago,” Sylvia said gaily, “and never without plenty of good alcohol.” She drained her wine glass and waved it at the servants imperiously for a refill.
“That’s right, Copenhagen was it?” Ryan said, “what a time that was. Weren’t you with that redhead? What was her name? I can never remember the names of all your girls, Harvey.”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Harvey grumbled, patting Bella’s hand reassuringly. She looked at him with appealing eyes, hoping he’d tell her this was some elaborate joke. He shook his head, “It’s one dinner. We’ll get through it,” he whispered. She straightened her shoulders. If he could rescue her from Marnie and Jade, she could at least be by his side while his horrible family was in town. It was only fair.