Chapter 7 - A Change of Uniform
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A week passed inside the quiet sanctuary of my estate.
Emma healed faster than Dr. Evans had predicted. The heavy bruising faded to a dull yellow, and she was finally able to walk around the guest wing without losing her breath.
I was sitting in the formal dining room, reviewing a shipping manifest, when the door opened.
Emma walked in. She wasn't wearing the silk pajamas my sister had provided for her. She was wearing her old, standard-issue black and white maid’s uniform. She held a feather duster and a bottle of polish, moving slowly but determinedly toward the antique credenza.
I set my pen down.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice echoing in the large room.
Emma jumped slightly, turning to look at me. "I’m working, Mr. Castellano. I’ve been resting for a week. I need to earn my keep."
I stood up, walking across the room and gently taking the polishing cloth from her hands.
"I told you, Emma. Your debts are cleared. You do not need to work," I said softly, tossing the cloth onto the table.
"I don't know how to do anything else," she admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I’ve spent my whole life cleaning up after people. I can't just sit in a luxury bedroom while you pay for my family's survival. I feel like a charity case."
"You are not a charity case," I corrected smoothly. "You are under my protection."
"Protection implies I’m a prisoner," she challenged, looking up to meet my eyes. The fiery, resilient spirit that had kept her family afloat was shining through the bruises.
"If you were a prisoner, I wouldn't care if you were happy," I replied, the space between us suddenly feeling incredibly charged. I stepped closer, looking down at the cheap, scratchy fabric of her uniform. "Take off the uniform, Emma. You will never wear it in this house again."
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She swallowed hard, her pulse visibly jumping in her throat. "Then what am I supposed to be to you?"
"Whatever you want to be," I murmured, my eyes dropping to her lips before catching myself and stepping back. "But you are not a servant. Not anymore."
