JOAN’S POV
I turned to the entrance to see who had made that comment. I saw a mature and beautiful woman walking in. She had long red hair that reminded me so much of Lady Irene’s, and her clothes were lavish and elegant. She was dressed in a flowing black down and heels. Her jewelry twinkled under the chandelier light. I was in awe of her.
Who was she?
Ms. Sullivan smiled and immediately stepped forward to greet her.
“Madame Helen,” Ms. Sullivan said warmly “Welcome back to the estate.”
I quickly realized this must be Lady Irene and Sir Derrick’s mother. The resemblance was unmistakable. She carried herself with an air of importance yet there was something about her that made me at ease. She seemed very nice.
“Thank you, Ms. Sullivan,” Madame Helen replied with a charming smile. “I hope everything has been running smoothly in my absence.”
“Of course, Madame. Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Ms. Sullivan asked.
Madame Helen waved her hand dismissively. “Please, don’t fuss over me. I’ll let you know if I need anything. Just make sure my room is prepared.”
Ms. Sullivan nodded and quickly called for Emily and Sarah. She called for the other maids to get to work. I watched as Madame Helen surveyed the room then her gaze landed on me. She approached me with a gentle smile. I felt nervous on the inside. This was Madame Helen Stonewood. One of the few female Billionaire’s in the country. I had every right to be nervous.
“Ah, you must be the new staff,” she said “I’ve heard about you.”
“Y-yes, Madame Helen,” I said, bowing my head “Good day, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle shake.
“The pleasure is mine. I apologize for my idiot son’s behavior earlier. He can be a bit… forward.”
Sir Henry tightened his grip on his glance. He seemed annoyed by her words.
“Mother,” he said “I was just trying to be friendly.”
Madame Helen shot him a stern look. “Henry, you need to learn the difference between friendly and inappropriate. Joan deserves our respect. You were making her uncomfortable ”
Henry muttered something under his breath and then stormed out, muttering that he’d come around some other time. I watched him go, feeling a bit awkward. I felt bad, like it was all my fault.
“Thank you, Madame,” I said softly. “But really, he was just joking. It’s not a big deal.”
Madame Helen turned to me “You’re very kind. But it’s important that he learns to behave properly.”
She paused, looking at me from head to toe. “You remind me of someone. I can see why everyone speaks highly of you.”
I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. “That’s very kind of you to say, Madame.”
She laughed “Please, call me Helen. We’re all family here, after all.”
I was taken aback by her kindness. Given her status, I had expected her to be snobbish and uptih. But she was just as warm and friendly as Lady Irene.
“Thank you, ma’am ,” I said.
I went straight to the kitchen to help out with whatever they needed. Ms Sullivan had already started cooking.
“Madame Helen said she doesn’t want anything” she started “But we have to make her something. Sarah is cleaning her room. Joan and Emily, you’ll help me out with the cooking”
“Of course,” I replied, tying an apron around my waist. “What can I do?”
Ms. Sullivan handed me a basket of vegetables. “Start by preparing these. We’ll need them for the omelette. It’s one of her favorites. And could you also get the fruit platter ready?”
I nodded and got to work, chopping the vegetables as fast as I could. When I was done with that, Emily and I cut up some fresh fruits and made a platter for her. Once everything was ready, Ms Sullivan and I went back to the dining hall to serve her. When we got in, Sir Derrick and Madame Helen were talking. They stopped as soon as we entered.
Madame Helen clapped her hands in delight “Everything looks wonderful.”
I began to serve her. I noticed that Madame Helen watched me with a keen eye, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being evaluated. Once everything was served, I stepped back and waited for her to finish.
“This is delicious,” Madame Helen said, taking a bite of her omelette.
When she was done, I cleared the table.
“Would you join me in my play room?” Madame Helen asked me “I need some company”
I nodded, trying to hide my surprise. “Of course, Madame..”
“Wonderful,” she said, giving me a warm smile “Let’s go”
She said goodbye to Sir Derrick before leaving the hall. I followed her down the hallway and into a room. Inside the room, there were lots of games like pool, card games and lots of shelves lined with books.
Lady Irene was already there, sitting on a sofa with a cup of tea in her hands. Her face lit up when she saw her mother.
“Mother!” she exclaimed, rushing over to give her a hug.
Madame Helen laughed, hugging her daughter tightly. “Irene, my dear. It’s so good to see you.”
They took their seats and started talking.
“Joan, please, sit with us” Lady Irene said.
“Yes, sit down,” Madame Helen added. “I wanted to get to know you better.”
I was a bit surprised that they wanted me to sit with them. I took a seat across them and looked at my fingers nervously. Lady Irene poured me a cup of tea, insisting that I join them fully.
“Joan, you’ve become quite the topic of conversation in our household,” Irene began, “Mother has been dying to meet ‘the Joan.'”
Madame Helen nodded “I’ve heard so much about you, Joan. Irene talks about you all the time. Even Derrick has said something. Tell me, how do you find working here?”
Sir Derrick has spoken about me? I felt flattered and curious. What could he have said? I hoped he had good things to say about me.
I took a sip of my tea to gather my thoughts. “It’s been a wonderful experience, Madame. Everyone has been very kind, and I’ve learned so much.”
And how do you find my children? Irene, I can see, is very fond of you. But what about Derrick?”
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. “Sir Derrick is…. Nice.”
Madame Helen smiled ” I hope he’s not too intimidating.”
I shook my head. “No, not at all”
Just as Madame Helen was about to say something else, the door opened, and Sir Derrick walked in. His expression was cold, and the room seemed to grow colder with his presence.
“Mother, Irene,” he greeted. His eyes fell on me, and his expression hardened. “Joan, what are you doing here? Get out”