My stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and I was surprised they hadn’t slid in a tray of slop for me to eat this morning given the circumstances of my forced employment.
“What’s your name?” I asked, figuring I might as well get to know the person showing me the ropes.
“I’m Holly, Miss Rose-“
“Lisbeth,” I corrected her. “I don’t want to be reminded of my family name at the moment, so just call me Lisbeth.”
Her eyes widened, but then she relaxed again as we walked along. Several seconds passed before she spoke with a hushed voice.
“They’re really not that bad. The Roses. I thought so when I first started working here a month ago. I was terrified, really, of Mr. Rose especially, he’s-“
“A monster?”
Head snapping my direction, her cheeks blushed pink.
“No. He’s...intimidating, yes, but also kind.”
Cheeks blushing a deeper red, Holly obviously had other thoughts about Callan, but she wasn’t going to say anything. The look on her face said it all, and she didn’t need to speak a word for me to know she had quite the crush.
I couldn’t blame her. Despite the fact Callan was psycho, I couldn’t deny he was a sight for the eyes.
We turned a corner and strolled into a large dining hall I’d never seen in all the years I’d lived here as a child. A breakfast bar was set up to the side of the room, several tables lined up throughout. Only a few staff members remained, a low din of conversation filling the room while they finished their meals.
To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Holly must have noticed it in my expression.
“We’re treated very well here. As long as you keep to your work and do a good job, you’ll stay in their good graces.”
I grabbed a plate as we stepped up to the breakfast bar and was busy spooning eggs onto it while Holly continued talking.
“Some assignments are better than others, obviously. Often, we’re rotated week to week, and you’ll want to do your best so that you remain in the mansion.”
My brows lifted at that. “Where else is there?”
Turning her head to ensure nobody was close by, she lowered her voice and stepped close enough to me that our shoulders were brushing.
“Don’t repeat this, but you never want to be assigned the lower levels of the mansion or the pit. The cleanup in those areas is...disturbing. Gretchen or Edward will assign people there if they’ve slacked off or are in line to be let go from their jobs.”
I stopped in place, glanced at her.
“What is going on in the lower levels? And what the hell is the pit?”
Eyes rounding, she turned to look behind us, her gaze returning to me. “We don’t ask questions, Miss Rose.”
“Lisbeth,” I reminded her.
“Right, well, again, we don’t ask questions or even discuss it amongst ourselves. If you’re overheard, they will reprimand you.”
A shiver chased down my spine, memories of those crying women and the angry, red marks across their bodies. Judging by the way Holly said the pit as if it were worse than the lower levels, I didn’t want to begin to imagine what it was.
“Where will we be today?”
We moved along again, our plates filled as we walked to a table. Holly waited until we were seated before answering, “The gym and other athletic facilities. It’s not the best assignment, but not the worst either. If you do well there, they’ll allow you to learn other areas of the mansion such as the first floor, and second floor guest rooms.”
While she was obviously excited by that prospect, I couldn’t summon the same level of enthusiasm.
I was a Rose, not that I wanted to acknowledge it at the moment. I shouldn’t be scrubbing and cleaning. Not in my own home. Yet, here I was.
“Let’s just eat and get to work,” I suggested.
Holly didn’t say another word. I had to force food into my mouth and fight to swallow.
With the way my stomach twisted at the thought of what Callan had done to me, there were no guarantees I wouldn’t end up vomiting before the day was over.
Callan
Sleep was an elusive bitch that night. After dragging Lisbeth around like a fucking mop and then introducing her to the horrors of the lower floors, I’d returned to my room to take a shower and climb into bed.
I couldn’t accomplish more than tossing and turning, a few minutes of sleep interrupting the constant thrash of my legs or snap of the sheet