Chapter 2 - The Order
Victoria claimed Eleanor had become irrational.
“She is allowing sentiment to destroy family value.”
Arthur looked at the residents’ list attached to the transfer.
Retired cooks.
Housekeepers.
Drivers.
Gardeners.
Widows of employees who had served the Harrington estate for decades.
The apartments charged protected rents because the workers had helped finance them through payroll deductions.
Victoria saw underperforming real estate.
Eleanor saw people who had nowhere else to go.
Leah moved behind the wheelchair.
Victoria pointed at her.
“She has been filling Eleanor’s head with nonsense.”
Leah’s face tightened.
“I read the document because she asked me to.”
“You had no right.”
“She could not find her glasses.”
Eleanor looked toward Victoria.
“Because she took them.”
The ballroom fell silent.
Victoria’s diamond bracelets shifted softly as she folded her arms.
“I removed them because Eleanor was exhausted.”
Leah reached into her apron pocket and placed the missing glasses on the table.
“I found them in Victoria’s handbag.”
Arthur slowly turned toward her.
“You hid my wife’s glasses before asking her to sign?”
Victoria’s confidence weakened.
“I was preventing confusion.”
Leah answered:
“You were creating it.”
The class insult came next.
Victoria looked at Arthur and said:
“You cannot trust the interpretation of a maid.”
Leah lowered her eyes for one second.
She had served the Harrington family for nine years.
She knew Eleanor’s appointments, medications, favorite books and fears.
Yet one word could still erase her credibility.
Maid.
Arthur looked toward the black folder.
Then at Leah.
“How many times did you warn us?”
“Seven.”
He went still.
Leah continued:
“Your office forwarded every message to Victoria.”
May you like
Arthur remembered marking the emails as household issues.
He had never opened them.
