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Lily had adored her from the second they’d met.
Greta wasn’t exactly a maternal presence. Though she held the potential.
Since Lily’s mom had died twelve years ago, when Lily was just thirteen years old, she’d certainly missed out on that sort of relationship at a crucial juncture of her life: puberty.
Eh, gads.
Such a wretched time as it was. Amplified by the loss of her mother.
Pushing all that aside, she said to Greta, “I need Henry to take care of the mess upstairs. Then I’m going to do everything in my power to not be a bumbling fool the next time I’m with Mr. Alexander. Or Mr. Sterling. It’s the music,” she vehemently contended. “My God. It’s not just soul stirring. It’s soul gripping. And I only heard a couple minutes of it.”
Greta sighed. “And they believe they’re creating rubbish.” Her gaunt features turned even more severe. “I’ve worked for Lex for seven years, since he left the orchestra he’d toured with and moved to New York City. I was a fan to begin with, but every year that has passed, I’ve felt he’s produced even more exquisite music. Now he’s collaborating with Jax, and it should be spectacular. But for some reason, Lex insists the compositions aren’t flowing the way they ought to—yet neither he nor Jax can pinpoint the missing ingredient.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to, either. But then again, I’m no expert. Though whatever sound they’re striving for . . . If it’s more heart wrenching than what I just heard, they’re going to blow the world away.”
“That’s the intent.”
“I might have to start investing in Kleenex on the stock market,” she only half joked.
“Don’t rush out to do so just yet. There are some . . . complications.” Her peridot-colored eyes clouded briefly. Then she waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Nothing I can divulge. They’re struggling, Lily. Do your best to stick to the fringes. Be available for them, but don’t make your presence overwhelming. Do you understand?”
Lily nodded, duly noting Greta’s ominous sentiment about the two men they both served. “Blend. I
get it. My dad is excellent at it. He discreetly lingers. There to anticipate and execute any need or silently await a request, but not distracting in any way. I promise I won’t interfere with their work. I’m just here to make their lives easier.”
“They’ll appreciate that. So, too, will their fans when Jax and Lex finally hit their stride together.”
Lily stared at the house manager a few moments, then said, “You’re completely enrapt by the music, too, aren’t you?”
“How can one not be?” she insisted. “It’s precisely the reason I fought tooth and nail to land this position with Lex initially. And I’m quite thrilled Jax took his recommendation to put me in charge of the household when Jax closed on this estate.”
“I wanted my job for that reason, too,” Lily told her. “Well . . . that and the fact that I need the money.”
Greta gave a knowing smile. “There’s always that, darling. Now let’s set up the tea service again.”
“They’re not interested, since they’re leaving for the evening. Which means I’ll be twiddling my thumbs before I turn down their beds later on. What can I do for you?”
“Since you asked . . .” Greta’s look turned appreciative. “We have a grand New Year’s Eve soiree to prepare for and—”
“Ah, you’re in luck!” Lily said, excited to have something to occupy her time. “I used to prep for the chefs at the restaurant before or in between my shifts as a waitress. Please, put me to work. A little adult ADD makes an entire free evening a living hell. I will do whatever you want me to do.”
“Words I love hearing in this kitchen,” Greta quipped. Again, a rare thing, Lily had learned, except when she was around. Which endeared Greta to her even more.
The estate manager found Lily an apron while she divested herself of her jacket, undid her French cuffs, and rolled the sleeves up to her elbows. She ditched the tie and slipped a few buttons through the holes at her throat. Then she dove into slicing, dicing, and anything else required of her.
When eleven o’clock rolled around, Lily was exhausted, but at least she felt as though she’d been productive and had perhaps, in an indirect way, redeemed herself from the massive faux pas earlier in the afternoon.
She discarded the apron, grabbed her jacket from the back of a chair, and trudged up the stairs to turn down the beds, yanking the band from her hair along the way and letting the thick strands tumble around her shoulders and along her back. It felt good to undo the constricting hairstyle Greta had advised her to wear.
Lily reached the top floor and walked the ridiculously long hallway. Luckily, her feet didn’t ache, because she was used to endless hours on them. Not to mention, the rush she’d gotten helping out in the busy, hectic kitchen kept the energy pumping through her veins.
She entered Jackson’s suite first. Jax, as Lexington called him. Or Lex, as Greta called him.
The nicknames helped to humanize the icons.
Well, Lex’s megawatt, playboy grin did that quite nicely, too.
As she thought of him, what Lex had said about Jax earlier popped into her head: He’s been in a bad mood for seven years. Don’t take it personally.
