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“Bye.” He bends and starts fitting the pipe to the plate, and I leave him to it.
It must be funny to have staff—a housekeeper, a gardener, a pool assistant. I’m not so proud that I could say I’d be any different if I had money.
It’s warm and bright, and Leia’s starting to grizzle a little. Not wanting her to get overstimulated, I head back to the deck and go inside and through to our room. Hopefully soon we’ll be able to get her bassinet transferred here. For now I take off her hat, place her in her carry seat, and give her the dummy, then take her with me into the kitchen. She sucks quietly and closes her eyes.
I boil the kettle, tidy up a bit, then pour the cooled, boiled water into a few bottles and place them in the fridge ready for later in the day.
Ginny arrives then. James has obviously told her about me and Leia because she doesn’t look surprised when she walks in. She comes straight up to me with a smile and says, “You must be Aroha,” and shakes hands with me, then looks at Leia and says, “Oh, she looks so content. Isn’t she gorgeous?”
She’s in her thirties with blonde hair she wears in a ponytail, and as we chat briefly, it doesn’t surprise me to learn she has three kids, as she has a brisk but kind, no-nonsense manner about her. “You look tired,” she says, “why don’t you go and have a snooze while I clean up?”
“Are you sure?” I ask, embarrassed to have another woman tidy up after me.
“Of course. I’m sure you were up early. Go on.” She starts to clean the kitchen.
It’s still early, but I was up at the crack of dawn, and I am a little tired. I lift Leia out of her seat and take her onto the deck. It’s warm without being hot beneath the shade sail, and there’s a nice breeze blowing across the lawn. In the distance I can hear Sue using a hedge trimmer, but it’s far enough away to just be a pleasant summer sound. The birds are singing in the trees, and the air smells of mown grass and lavender.
Despite the sadness behind my reason for being here, I can’t help but feel there are far worse things to be doing than looking after a beautiful baby in such a gorgeous house.
I pile the cushions in the corner of the outdoor sofa, then curl up on it with Leia lying on my chest, stopped from rolling off by more cushions.
I sigh, enjoying the peace of the summer morning. I’d much rather be doing this than working in the salon. Of course I have no idea how much James is intending to pay me, or how long he’s going to want me here. Will he offer Leia up for adoption? Even if he does, it’s still going to take time before it all goes through. Surely he won’t put her into foster care until then?
I feel a surge of affection and tenderness for her that surprises me. I’m going to have to be careful not to get too attached to her because I’m sure my relationship with her won’t continue long term. It’s impossible to remain distant, though. She’s warm and soft against me, and she smells of that beautiful, sweet, milky smell that all small babies have.
I’ll just have to make the most of her while I have her. I hope you approve of how I’m looking after her, I say to Maddie in my mind.
Then I close my eyes, and after only a few minutes I doze off.
*
When I open my eyes, it’s to see James sitting in one of the armchairs, elbow on the arm and his chin propped on his hand, watching me.
I blink, and my eyes widen. “Oh!”
He smiles. “Morning.”
“What time is it?”
“Still early.” I go to push myself up, but he holds up a hand. “Don’t disturb her.”
I settle again, resting a hand on her back. “Sorry, I dozed off.”
“Sleep when the baby sleeps, right?”
“So they say. I think it’s easier when you have a housekeeper.”
He chuckles.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“A bit better. The headache is still there, but the pills have kicked in.”
I rub Leia’s back. He watches me, his expression unreadable.
“You have a very calming influence,” he says. “It’s no wonder she seems so content.”
“She’s a good baby.” I stroke her silky hair. “What do you have planned for today?”
