Read Online Over the Line by Emmy Curtis - Free Book Online Page B

process of protection officers? They had to be really small. And maybe by being there, she and James could make sure nothing happened to Maisie.
    So she tied off her braid and left the bathroom.
    “Just what do you think you are doing?” a voice came from above her.
    She turned toward the voice. A woman in a light turquoise suit, with platinum hair in a very neat chignon, was coming down the wide staircase. Beth smiled. “Excuse me?” Could this be James’s mother?
    “You are not permitted inside the residential areas of the house. Your bathroom is downstairs near the kitchens.” The tiny woman pointed at a door at the end of the hallway. Completely used to obeying orders without question, Beth took a step toward the small door that she was pointing at. Then she stopped.
    “Actually, I think…”
    “The only appropriate response from the help is ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Who is your supervisor?” Her voice was as sharp and unforgiving as steel.
    Beth took a breath. Her first instinct was to explain, but she also wanted to take a moment to think about the realization that she was obviously the first Hispanic woman to be in their house who wasn’t a servant or maid of some kind. The conflicting thoughts left her speechless.
    “There you are,” James said, coming through from the reception room. “I thought you’d got lost.” He smiled. “I see you’ve met my mother.”
    “James, darling. The caterers have their own bathrooms downstairs. You know only family and friends are allowed in the main house.” She patted the back of her hair and turned her cheek for a kiss, which James didn’t give her.
    Awkward.
    “Mother. This is Beth. My fiancée.” He snaked his arm around Beth’s back and pulled her into his side.
    Beth played the part. “I’m delighted to meet you, Mrs. Walker. You have a beautiful house.”
No sir, no ripples of discomfort here
.
    There were at least two or three seconds of silence, which seemed to last forever, before James’s mother held out her hand, palm slightly down, as if she didn’t really want to shake her hand.
    Beth grabbed it and shook it firmly, sending a slightly alarmed look into Mrs. Walker’s eyes. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she examined Beth. She gave a half smile and nodded before turning to James.
    “Darling. It’s been too long. I swear if Sadie hadn’t been getting married, we probably wouldn’t have seen you until Christmas, would we? Or found out that you were engaged.”
    “Of course you would have,” he said, obviously brushing it off. “So where have you put us? I guess all the upstairs rooms have been taken?”
    “Well, in all honesty, we didn’t imagine you’d be here this weekend. Sadie told us you were working. And we certainly didn’t know you had a fiancée. This is really bad form, James. I’ll have to fix all the seating arrangements and…”
    “I apologize for the last minute change in plans. But you know very well you won’t have to change anything. You’ll get the wedding planner to do that.”
    Mrs. Walker sniffed and paused for a moment, and grabbed a woman in a gray dress and apron who was just coming out of the door she had initially told Beth to disappear behind.
    “Gracie. Change of plan. James and… Beth… will be staying in the pool house. Will you make the arrangements? That means that Mr. and Mrs. Walker senior will be in the Blue Bedroom.”
    “Certainly, ma’am.” With those words, she turned a smooth half circle and disappeared back through the door she had come through. Everything seemed like a well-oiled machine, and Beth suddenly felt like the wrench in the works.
    “It’ll be more private for you, darling.” She put her arm through her son’s and walked him back out to the reception room.
    Beth followed in their wake, all the way outside to the stone steps again. She felt as if she had been thoroughly dismissed. Beth would have been vaguely annoyed.
Fake-fiancée Beth won’t be, though. She is much smoother