Chapter 7

"No!!" Joy was surprised by her father's response. Her mind started thinking of various ways to convince him.

"I promise not to send her away, Aunty Mimi has a lot of work to do already, I can't watch her sweat for me too" Joy said inorder to convince the father.

"Can I eat my meal now?" Goerge said as he cuts into his daughter's speech. Joy wanted to pout and steal the food away.

She though it's was the best way to convince him, so she nodded her head and Goerge quickly digged into the meal.

He missed eating his favorite as he is either too busy with work or busy eating Joy's favourite that he almost forget he has a favourite.

He didn't stop until the last bite went down his throat. He was satisfied, he drank water and sat back to rest.

Aunty Mimi quickly packed the plates away with Joy's help. Joy ran back to complete her mission but found out that he had walked to the front door to receive a call.

Joy sat at the dinning waiting for her father, she started practicing how to convince her father to accept her request.

Aunty Mimi who was at the corner was laughing at her demonstration, Joy p wanted to glare at her but she saw the shadow of her father.

"Princess Joy, did you speak with Maria?" He asked immediately he walked into the dinning room.

Aunty Mimi flee when she heard the topic, her mind raced back to the secret trip they went without his permission.

Who knows, he might find out now about the secret trip and only God knows what they will face as the punishment.

"Yes, about wanting a nanny" Joy replied with full confidence, she had actually spoken to Maria in the afternoon on her phone.

 Maria informed her that Beatrice is ready to be her nanny but they have to pay her handsomely as she is in need of the money.

"Okay, Maria will bring the person over for a trial, I think that will be next week" Goerge said and joy was shocked.

"Why not tomorrow?" Joy said subconsciously, Goerge looked at her daughter who was excited to have a new Nanny.

"Joy, why are you so eager to have a new nanny?" He asked and Joy smiled at him. "It's been long I had one" she replied.

Goerge was unable to comprehend what his daughter was talking about. "I will be traveling tomorrow and the trip this time will be longer, I don't want the nanny to come behind my back" 

He said and looked at Joy who looked like she was thinking about the situation carefully. "Aunty Mimi will be here by then" she said.

"And she will be able to know the kind of girl she is going to take care of before the deal is made" Joy suggested.

"Okay, Aunty Mimi is in charge, I will sort the rest when I am back from my trip" he said and stood up.

"Go to bed early today, I don't want you messsing around" he said and walked to his study. Joy happily jumped down from the chair, she was glad he finally accepted.

She walked to her room and lay on the bed thinking about how things will go tomorrow.

***

In Beatrice's house.

Beatrice was busy with her phone while Maria just dropped the call with her brother, she was so happy that she jumped on Beatrice.

"Guess what, dummy?" She said and Beatrice looked at her with a straight face. Maria looked down and realized what's wrong.

She was sitting on Beatrice's most precious baby, her phone, Beatrice doesn't joke with the phone and won't allow anything what so ever to happen to it 

"I'm sorry" she said, stood up before her jumping and smiling widely. Beatrice was shocked at her instant change that was supernatural.

"You got the job, we will leave tomorrow to Salford, my brother won't be home, so let go rocking." Maria said in a rush making it difficult for Beatrice to assimilate.

"Hold up" she yelled at the ranting Maria, "what are you saying?" She asked calmly and Maria sighs.

Maria sat down beside Beatrice and held her hand,"do you remember this morning?" 

"Yes"

"You wanted a job"

"Hmm"

"I offered you to be my cousin's nanny and the pay is high"

"Yes, I asked for the qualifications but you ignored me" 

"I called my cousin that morning after walking out"

"So fast"

"Yeah, and she is happy you are coming"

"So?" 

"I called my brother tonight"

"Okay"

"He said you should resume tomorrow"

"Isn't that too fast, I haven't told dad, I haven't packed, I haven't even maked up my mind" 

Beatrice said in a nervous way, this is her first time leaving her home town to work somewhere else and most especially, a nanny.

"You won't tell dad, would you?" Maria asked and Beatrice was speechless, she was so confused on what to do.

"Take this as holiday with me, let go, I will help you pack" Maria said excitedly. She jumped down and started packing.

Seeing Maria so happy about the job made Beatrice wonder if it was a prank or a trap, nevertheless she was also happy, she is leaving home to see Maria's home.

The next morning, Maria was the first to wake up, she cooked and met Mr Gabriel in the sitting room.

"Good morning sir" she said with a smile, Mr Gabriel smiled and beckoned to her to come and see sit.

"What's up with Beatrice?" He asked and Maria sigh, Mr Gabriel wanted to know even though he knew it might cause a lot.

"She might have somehow discovered that her mother once attended a fashion school with a woman called Mrs Besse.

"Besse!" Mr Gabriel exclaimed, "yeah, do you know her?" Maria asked  and he nodded.

"Elizabeth always mention her, they were best friends but they broke apart. How did Beatrice know that?" Mr Gabriel wondered.

"That might have been simple, as the so called Besse, is our headmistress, she showed us their picture" Maria said and Mr Gabriel brows rose.

"I think Beatrice just needs some space, I want her to come with me to my house for the holiday, that the time we ate back, she will be calm and you can talk to her" Maria suggested.

"It's fine, take good care of her" he said and stood up, "I will be off to work now"he faked a smile and walked out of the house.

Ten minutes after, Beatrice finally woke up and found an empty space beside her, she quickly stood up from the bed to clean the room.

 She took her bath once she was done and  dressed nicely for the journey and went down to the dinning.

She was amazed that Maria woke up early and cooked. She munched on the meal before asking about her brother and father.

Maria told her the they were both out already and she didn't think much about it. She cleaned up the house after the meal and left a note before a cab came to pick them.

The journey to Salford was smooth for them, they were singing to every song on the radio and enjoying the breeze as they go.

Finally, they go to Goerge's estate gate, the security man walked up to the cab.

"Sorry, I think you are heading the wrong direction, no public transport is allowed inside" he said and Maria who was at the back, rolled down the window.

The security was shocked to see her, no one would have believed that the older miss will come in a cab, why!

"Ma" the security stammers after seeing her.

"I am not allowed in the estate or what?"she said and the security was terrified.

The older and younger miss are certainly the last people you will want to offend in this estate. No one wants to lose their job at this stage of their life.

"No, ma, I didn't not know you were the one, I will open the gate now" the security bowed and went to open the gate. Beatrice was shocked at the turn out of the scene.

She though Maria will have to beg the security or call her brother to seek permission but only her voice can command respect, she understood the terror in the eye of the security when he opened the door. 

"You family must be so rich to buy an apartment in an estate like this?" Beatrice comments as the cab was passing through the estate, Maria laughed at the words coming out of Beatrice mouth.

"Let me tell you a secret" she said and draw Beatrice nearer and whispered in her ear. "Do you know who owns the estate?"

Beatrice shook her head and Maria hit her head. "You do love gossip" Maria laughed and Beatrice was surprised at what Maria did. She could not believe that Maria tricked her.

 The cab stopped in front of a big mansion and Maria opened the door and walked out. She looked around and shouted, "home sweet home".

Beatrice peeped out of the cab and was too nervous to come out.

Maria laughed at her, she then pulled her out of the car, "it's just a house, nothing special, don't be like this" Maria said and beatrivd calmed down a little.

They dragged their load to the entrance and joy happily opened the door, "Aunty" she shouted and hugged Beatrice. Joy cheerfulness took away all Beatrice nervousness.

Joy was catching up with Beatrice and aunty Mimi, leaving Maria behind, even aunty Mimi didn't seems to recognize her anymore, Maria finally felt what it meant to be neglected in her own house.

"Lunch is ready" aunty Mimi announced and joy led Beatrice to the table. Seeing the long table and foods on it, Beatrice was shocked.

"Are we having other visitors?" She asked and aunty Mimi chuckled. "No, it's just for us, it's your first time here, so" Joy explained and Beatrice was surprised. The way of the rich is too dynamic.

"Joy, have you ever been to a orphan home?" Beatrice asked, joy shook her head and looked at her with curiosity. "There are homes called the orphanage homes, they are so poor that they hardly eat a meal in a day" 

Beatrice elaborates and Joy's eye popped out, seeing that she successfully cut her attention, she continued.

"Whenever you remember those that have not eaten, you make sure not to waste food, do you understand?" Beatrice said.

Joy innocently looked at the table and nodded, "I will never waste food anymore" she said before facing Beatrice again.

"Can you take me to an orphanage home one day?" She asked and Beatrice looked at the two adults who looked away. She felt she just digged a grave for herself.

"Okay, we will get to that later, let's eat now" she said and pulled a chair for Joy and placed her on it.

The lunch made her know Joy's likes and dislikes. She felt her jobs won't be so hard. Joy was already a smart kid.

Few hours after the dinner, Maria's driver came to pick her home. Beatrice felt cheated, Maria didn't tell her she didn't live in the apartment.

Now, she is left with just aunty Mimi and Joy. She was given a room near a study, she quickly placed her stuffs in and cleaned up.

Coming out, she head to aunty Mimi and asked for her job details and payment. She wanted to know earlier, she felt the earlier is the better.

Aunty Mimi explained all she was required to do and told her the only person that discusses she is meant to discuss that's with is the boss himself.

"Do you have idea of the payment?" She asked as gladly help her to clean up the kitchen.

Aunty Mimi looked up like she was thinking before looking at her face. "The last I checked, it should be around, $60,000. Or above".

"$60,000!!!"