A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

it’d be easy money so I could
save enough to pay my bills, the yearly travel card and purchase books in my
first year of college. The student loan covered my college fees already, but I
gathered a part-time job would be unavoidable if I also wanted to eat. The
money made from this summer job was supposed to help me survive until I found
one that wouldn’t collide with my classes.
    Prepare breakfast, cook dinner, keep the
house tidy, and wash some clothes. How hard could it be? But peering around, I realized
this didn’t look like any house I had ever entered. It was too tidy and clean,
as though someone had already finished their work for the day. Used to this
standard, McAllister probably expected me to scrub like five housekeepers. With
most of the summer temping positions gone, it was too late to change my mind
now, but I made a mental note not to believe my brother ever again.
    No boss around, no work. I shrugged and
went about making myself a cup of tea, then took a seat near the window. For a
while I just sat there, watching the woods behind the house, admiring the dark
green of the dense thickets stretching out as far as I could see. I felt the
call of the woods, urging me to take a nice, long walk to stretch my legs and
inhale the clean air I would never smell in London. I sighed with pleasure.
What a beautiful, big house. Okay, given my experience from last night it was a
bit spooky, but this was Scotland after all. You simply don’t buy a house
without one or two resident ghosts. Besides, I gathered I had been imagining
things because last night when I finally plucked up the courage to open the
door, the floor was empty. The point was, with no one around I could almost
pretend I wasn’t just an employee. I took another sip of my herbal tea when I
heard a voice behind me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
    Startled, I jumped, spilling some of the
mug’s content onto the floor. Slowly, I turned to stare at a woman’s dowdy
face. She was short, almost as short as me, with wiry grey hair tied at the
back of her nape, blue eyes and a welcoming smile. I liked her instantly. “I
was just taking a minute to admire the view,” I said, pressing a clammy palm
against my racing heart.
    The woman’s eyes creased as her smile
widened. “No worries, dear. Take your time. I remember my first day here. I did
the same thing. Couldn’t resist the view.” She put her large basket on the
kitchen counter and took a seat at the nearby dining table. “I’m telling you,
it’s getting harder by the day to carry those things. You must be Amber. Thank
goodness, Aidan’s employed a housekeeper. I’m Greta.”
    I nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
    Greta jumped to her stubby feet and started
rummaging in her basket. “I’ve brought some eggs and bacon to make you a nice
breakfast. There’s hardly anything to eat in this house. Aidan’s always away,
never eating in. Most of the time, I have to throw away what I cook.” She
opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a large saucepan, then placed it on
the stove and retrieved a bowl to blend the eggs.
    “Do you need help?” I asked, standing.
    “No, you sit, dear. You must be tired from
the long journey.” Greta tossed several stripes of ham into the hot pan and
turned to me. “Where did you say you came from?”
    “London.”
    “Ah.” Greta nodded knowingly. “Such a big
place and so far away. Been there a few times.” She shook her head. “Didn’t
like it one bit.”
    “I can see why.”
    “Aidan said you’d be staying for the
summer?” Greta shot me an inquiring look. When I nodded, she laughed heartily. “I
thought I’d be staying for a few months, but ended taking care of this house
for the past five years now.” She placed a plate in front of me and went about
scrubbing the saucepan.
    “Thank you,” I said, a little shy. The
aroma of eggs and bacon made my stomach rumble. I dug in. The bacon was crisp,
but not dry. The eggs were still moist. My usual McDonald’s breakfast never tasted this good. How the hell was I
going to prepare something this delicious for McAllister? I almost choked on my
food at the thought. Damn! Dallas said McAllister would be easily pleased with
a bit of toast, butter and jam. Trust my brother to mess up my future job
prospects because of a bad reference.
    “How’s the bacon, dear?” Greta inquired
from the kitchen sink.
    I forced my mouth into a smile. “All’s
great, thank you. I just realized I need to give