“You must be Margot,” the woman said, holding out her hand. “I’m Edna Stojicic, Alec’s housekeeper. He told me why you were here. I think we’re all in for an interesting time.”
Edna wore a simple short-sleeved green blouse over black pants. Her dark hair was short, her eyes brown. She looked sensible and competent, with a friendly smile that made Margot feel welcome.
Edna motioned to the cart. “To help with the unloading process.”
Together they emptied the trunk and backseat. Margot wheeled one of her suitcases toward the house while Edna pushed the loaded cart. When they reached the front door, Edna pointed to the keypad by the handle.
“This is how you’ll come and go from the house. Your six-digit code is in your bedroom. I’ve also left you a clicker for the front gate. There’s a security system, but it’s more about monitoring than alarms. There’s no setting it or turning it off.” She chuckled. “It’s always watching, so no dancing naked in the halls.”
“Not really my thing,” Margot murmured, then wondered if that was a problem with Bianca. Oh well, she’d known the job would be challenging when she took it.
Once they were inside, they left everything by the front door while Edna took her on a tour of the house. To the right of the foyer was the huge kitchen. Margot saw every appliance known to man and some she didn’t recognize.
“My staff and I clean on a schedule,” Edna told her. “Alec prefers to know where we’re going to be on any given day. You’ll find that information up in your bedroom, as well. Scholars come and go, studying the old documents Alec collects. They keep to themselves and won’t bother you. Let’s see. What else? Ah, meals. A chef is here by six every morning. There’s a hot breakfast put out in the dining room at six-thirty. We take it away at eight. You can eat there, or take your meals to your room.”
“I’ll be taking them to my room.”
“I’ll let everyone know so there’s a tray left out for you.” She pointed to the refrigerator. “Help yourself to anything in there. There’s a big freezer in the pantry, along with plenty of other supplies. Again, take what you’d like. If you use the last of something, there’s a grocery list on the counter in the pantry.”
Edna led the way to the formal living room with twenty-foot ceilings. The woodwork was incredible, as were the statues along the east wall. Margot would guess they were original, left behind when the monastery was decommissioned or whatever it was called when a church was no longer sacred.
She saw the staircase leading to the second floor and beyond that a media room with a huge sectional sofa and massive TV mounted on the wall.
“You’re welcome to use this anytime,” Edna told her. “The remotes are in the coffee table drawers, as are instructions on how to make it all work.”
She pointed to a set of double doors just beyond the media room. “That’s Alec’s private suite. Best not be going in there.”
“Of course not.”
They walked back the way they’d come. There was a second staircase, far less grand, going into the basement.
“There’s an old root cellar and some musty rooms down there,” Edna told her. “A portion of it has been converted into a wine cellar.”
They stepped outside to the covered walkway that ran the length of the house. The cloisters, Margot thought. Was that the right term? She would have to look it up.
They passed Alec’s office and then went back inside. Edna showed her two archive rooms and a file room where hundreds of ancient documents were stored. At the far end of the hall was a small chapel.
There were beautiful stained glass windows lining two walls, along with wooden pews.
“It’s all original,” Edna said proudly. “Alec’s great-uncle bought the place in the 1930s and started converting it to a private residence. When Alec inherited the property, he updated much of it but they both wanted to leave the chapel in place.”
They walked back to the pile of luggage at the front door and carried the first load to the second floor. The landing at the top of the stairs opened up to a large lounge area. It was furnished with a couple of sofas, a big desk against the far wall, a TV, a small refrigerator and a microwave.
“Much more my speed,” Margot joked as she glanced around.
“The guest lounge. You’re welcome to use this, as well.” Edna winked. “I agree. It’s nice up here and a lot less complicated than anything in the media room.”
Margot followed her to a pleasant guest room with an attached bath. The walls were a pale gray and the queen-size bed looked comfortable.
“This is perfect. Thank you. I’ll set up my computer and training materials in the lounge.”
“Bianca’s room is at the end of the hall. It’s the bigger guest room.” Edna’s tone was apologetic.
“Not to worry. I have everything I need.”
They carried up the rest of her luggage.
“Is there anything else before I leave you to get settled?” Edna asked.
Margot had seen the Wi-Fi password next to her door entry code and the clicker for the gate, so she had that. Honestly, this was the most organized household she’d ever been a part of. She was impressed.
“I’d love to explore,” she said. “What are the ground rules?”
“Stay out of Alec’s study and bedroom and don’t disrupt his routine. Otherwise, go where you’d like. Oh, don’t touch any of the old papers. Most of them are kept safely away, but if it’s paper and it looks ancient, don’t touch it. Alec does love his musty old scraps.”
Edna thought for a second. “The cleaners will be taking care of your room on the days listed, so don’t worry about changing your sheets or washing towels. You can do your personal laundry in the utility room in the basement. You’ll see Borys around. He maintains the place, especially the wood. He has a few people who help him with big projects but he does all the woodwork himself.”
“I would imagine it takes a village to keep a place like this running. But what an amazing house. I’m looking forward to admiring it all.”
“Good. Make yourself at home.” Edna pointed to the papers on the dresser. “My cell number is there, if you need to reach me.”
“Thank you.”
Margot quickly unpacked her clothes. The closet was large and well organized and she had more space than she needed.
She set up her laptop and printer in the lounge, along with the books she’d brought. She’d already put together a preliminary workbook for Bianca, which may or may not be something her client was interested in. Still, she would give it a shot. Everyone was different and Margot did her best to accommodate individual learning styles.
She’d also downloaded a fair amount of research on Cardigania. She’d learned the basic history of the country, the size of the population and which industries provided the most revenue. She knew that Cardiganian wool was famous for being both soft and durable and that their chocolate rivaled the best from Switzerland—but there was more to glean from the country’s rich history.
Margot had also done a little more study on Bianca’s past. Once she’d accepted the job, she’d requested a detailed background check on her new client. Not that she was expecting to find a couple of felonies or anything earth-shattering, but it was always good to have more information, rather than less.
By four-thirty, she was settled and ready to begin her job in the morning, which meant it was definitely time to start exploring.
Chapter Four
Alec Mcnicol did not like