CHAPTER SEVEN.

“He quit ma’am, I don’t know why but he quit just yesterday, have mercy”. Lukas pleaded.

“I’ll have mercy on one condition”. Gabby said.

“Whatever you wish for, I swear on my soul, I’ll do it. “Whatever”.

“Get up on your feet”.

The bulky bodyguard got up on his feet ever so slowly. He looked so old and worn out as he stood like he'd been working for many years more than his age.

“You may leave, when I need you, you be summoned, get out,” Gabby commanded.

Lukas scurried away, looking face down as he left the room, closing the door behind him so gently that it made no sound.

Gabby had to be careful and watch Lukas before she made her request. It would be foolish of her to ask him to help her escape right away. She had to consider other means and choose that which would be more favorable to her.

A few minutes later, the youngest maid who had attended to Gabby and led her to the bathroom gently knocked and invited herself in.

“Ma’am, your lunch is in the dinette, I know you must be starving ”. She said while bowing ever so lightly.

Gabby looked at her with her side eye, she was young girl, her red hair was so striking, her skin was as pale as milk, and she was slender and tall enough for a girl. Gabby thought to herself that Olivia was beautiful and could easily catch the eye of a handsome rich man. Maybe a man like Mills.

“How old are you?” Gabby asked looking at all her other features.

“I’m to be eighteen in three days my lady”. She replied, standing upright.

“Oh! it must be that we share the same birth date,” Gabby informed her, pleasantly surprised.

The maid who was smiling ear to ear at this information, swayed left to right, shy and plaiting her fingers into each other.

“That’s so pleasant madam”.

“What’s your name?” Gabby asked

“My name is Olivia”.

Wha….. the knock at the door distracted Gabby from asking her next question.

The head maid, Stella walked in.

“What seems to be the cause of the delay Olivia?” Stella asked after bowing slightly to Gabby.

“It was nothing, never mind her,”Gabby replied getting up and walking past the two women who followed suit behind her.

The dinette was full of different meals and delicacies and Gabby was starving, she didn’t have the time to think of how it must be a waste to have all this food displayed like this.

Gabby sat down and admired the variety of food that was at her disposal, she thought maybe Mills was going to join her as there would be no way for her to finish all this food alone, so she sat without eating.

“Ma’am, you may eat whatever you like”. Olivia stretched out her hands across the many delicacies on the long table .

“Where is Mr. Shepherd? “Is he not to join me”? Gabby asked.

“No ma’am, he is out on his many meetings, you will find that he is a very busy man. The food is all yours”. Stella replied.

“What a waste, why serve so much food? I couldn’t possibly be able to finish all this”. Gabby retorted, slightly annoyed at the disregard these people had where food was concerned.

“You requested whatever was available, we didn’t know what you would like exactly, hence the confusion”.

“We apologize for the discomfort. We’ll do away with some of it”. Stella said.

Gabby’s stomach growled as Stella began to remove some of the plated dishes, it was so loud even Stella heard it.

Gabby put her hands to her stomach out of embarrassment to try and contain the noise. it stopped so Gabby removed her hands from her stomach while avoiding looking at Stella who was doing away with some of the colorfully displayed food on the table.

“Leave that one, I love potato porridge, the chicken and carrot soup, two pieces of garlic bread, I’ll have a little bit of roasted chicken and lamb, two bunches of grapes, and a full cup of milk”. Gabby requested, hungrily picking at everything she knew at the table.

She was hungry and couldn’t imagine eating so much food in her lifetime.

Stella did as her madam had asked, thinking that the lady of the house must have a strong stomach to digest all those food combinations or would be spending a long time in the toilet when she was done eating.

Gabby pounced on her food and ate like no tomorrow, she never learned etiquette, her upbringing didn’t permit it, so she had every gravy with the spoon provided and used her bare hands to eat the meat, although the food was much, gabby could be heard cracking the bones of the chicken and lamb with her teeth, dropping the pieces onto the empty plate. She ignored the surprised gaze that the maids gave her as she was so engrossed she didn’t even notice their presence.

She picked at the grapes, taking a few at first, the taste was so refreshing that she began to fill her mouth with it, and soon even the grapes had disappeared. She then moved to the garlic bread, downing it with the milk she had requested, gulping it down mercilessly.

By the time she was done eating, gabby’s beautiful gown was stained with grease and gravy, all of which Gabby did not notice.

Gabby scanned the table to make sure nothing was remaining even though her stomach was full, Fortunately, she had succeeded in finishing it all.

She rubbed her stomach and then belched, it was at the sound of her belch that she remembered that people were watching her. She took the napkin on the table and wiped her mouth with it in an attempt to be ladylike and gentle.

Stella cleared her throat and approached Gabby.

“Come now madam, we've prepared another bath for you”. Stella said helping Gabby off the chair and back into her chambers where her bath was ready for her to use.

Gabby had her bath and changed into a different silky gown, almost of the same design as the first but pink this time. She hated the color but loved the feel of it on her skin.

“I'd like to go outside Stella.”Gabby requested.

“I'm afraid ma’am, Stella replied. But the boss instructed you that stay inside at all times”. “If you need anything, just let me know, and it will be provided”.

Since I cannot go outside, can I have chats with the maids?”Gabby asked.

Stella was taken aback by Gabby’s sudden interest in taking a maid for herself.

“Well, it’s not uncommon for the lady of the house to chat with a maid or two, but these youngies are known to gossip, so please take lightly what you talk about with them.”The old lady cautioned.