The Tycoon's Baby Revelation - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,11
Sloane stared up at the ceiling that night, she thought about offering up a small prayer of thanks. She might not make it very long with Starke Enterprises, but she’d learn as much as she could along the way! But even as she tried, the prayers wouldn’t come. Sloane felt abandoned, as if God had forgotten about her and her sisters. And all of the people here in this shelter! It wasn’t just the three of them. There were so many people in this world who needed help. So, where was this God that everyone said was such a solace?
Not here, she thought as she rolled over.
Chapter 2
“Why are we here?” Pepper asked, looking up at the stone house.
Sloane stared up at the adorable house, feeling a pain of disappointment. “I got a note from someone who said they knew of a place to rent that was inexpensive and clean. They also said that this place didn’t need a deposit but…!”
“Are you the Abbot sisters?” an older woman asked, coming around the corner of the tree-lined driveway.
Sloane turned around, pushing Pepper and Rayne behind her back. “We’re not trespassing,” she announced, a belligerent tone in her voice. “We were given the wrong address. We’re looking for an apartment to rent and someone told us that this was the place. I’m sorry,” she said to the woman, backing up and herding her sisters towards her car. “We’ll leave. I didn’t mean to intrude.
The woman smiled and waved her hand, chuckling. “You’re not trespassing, honey,” she said and pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. “You’re in the right place. My boss has been trying to rent this old place out for a while now. You’re the first people to show interest.”
Sloane looked at her sisters, then up at the stone house. It looked like a rustic, old-style cottage, complete with gables and beautiful windows, landscaping and a solid, wood door. They hadn’t had a door in…months!
“What is this?” Sloane asked.
Pepper peered out from behind Sloane. “Looks like a house. But…could it be a mushroom?”
Sloane and Rayne both gave their baby sister a glare, which she completely ignored as she laughed at her sarcasm. “Sorry, but that was a really stupid question. It’s obviously a house, Sloane.”
Granted, Pepper was right. “Okay, so why is it for rent?” she asked. “And why for such a low price?”
The woman chuckled. “Oh, it’s not that big, and it’s not on any of the main streets,” she explained. “I’m Wilma and I’m the housekeeper up at the main house. This used to be the house for the carriage caretaker,” she explained as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Now, keep in mind that the ceilings are low and the kitchen hasn’t been remodeled. There’s no garage so you’ll have to park on the side of the house,” she warned. “But other than that, there are three small bedrooms and two bathrooms. A kitchen and sitting room.”
The Abbot sisters stepped through the arched, doorway and peered into the front room, looking around with huge eyes. The three of them just stood there, overwhelmed.
“You’re trying to rent this out for only five hundred dollars?” Rayne whispered, linking her arm with Sloane’s. There was a love seat and two club chairs with end tables and lamps. Checkered curtains covered the small windows in the front room. As they moved further into the cottage, eventually separating to look around, Sloane stepped into the kitchen area, admiring the old fashioned appliances, big sink, and shelves in place of cabinets. The counters had curtains that covered the shelves below and there was a small wooden table with four chairs around it. She clicked the switch and the small room filled with light. The walls were yellow and someone had sewn flowered curtains to match. It was an incredibly cheerful room with lots of space, a big window over the sink, and a bigger one beside the table with a door leading out to a tiny backyard.
“What do you think?” the housekeeper asked.
Sloane crossed her arms over her chest, her hands clasping her elbows as she looked around, almost afraid to believe in the possibility of moving into a place like this. Yes, the ceilings were low, but everything was in much better condition than the furniture that they’d lost months ago when their landlord had illegally evicted them. She heard Rayne and Pepper’s feet over her head on the next floor and glanced at the older woman.
“I don’t…”