Back in the black Rolls-Royce, the car finally slowed down to a stop, and the passive-faced mother and son kept their gaze on Jake, who was still equally surprised as he could not see any visible 'astonishment' signs on them.
Throughout the journey, the only thing that Jake, the assigned personal assistant of Thalia Mirabel, had looked forward to, was this, but the mother and child had even deprived him of it.
With infectious excitement in his voice, Jake continued, "This is just one of the urban villas of Mr Trimshaw. He-"
The opening of the car door interrupted whatever he was about to say.
"Oh, we have arrived?" he said dejectedly, and this drew a smile from the adults in the car.
In as much as Thalia Mirabel tried, she could not get over being overwhelmed by the display of riches in front of her.
She stepped down from the car together with her son,
"Welcome home, Mrs Trimshaw!" a chorus of voices greeted her as soon as her feet touched the gravel, causing to take an involuntary step back. They had driven up a long and winding driveway up to what she assumed was the main house. Two words came to mind when she gazed up at the building, even not including the small fountain behind her that had water pouring out of the pot of a mermaid statue. It was simply magnificent and breathtaking.
She placed her hand on her chest to mask how startled she was to hear the 'greeting'. About ten young men and women were in a standard maid's uniform. At the front of them stood an old couple, out of which she knew one. He was the old butler who had visited her after she had signed the marriage documents. She placed a small smile on her face towards him. Collin hid behind her but tightly clutched her hands.
The old butler, who had already introduced himself as Mr Benny, approached them and squatted beside Thalia Mirabel,
"Welcome, young master," Mr Benny whispered and brought out a small wrapped rectangular gift.
Still, behind his mother, Collin peeped out and looked at the gift with an apparent sparkle in his eyes, but he hesitantly peered at his mother. Thalia Mirabel smiled and gave him a nod. Collin then shyly came out in front of his mother and accepted the gift. He opened it almost immediately, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers,
"Mum! It's a tablet! It's a tablet! It's a tablet!" Collin held it in his little hands high above his head and danced around his mother in circles. This drew smiles from all around. Collin stopped shortly in front of the old butler and said in the most precise voice he could muster, "Thank you!"
Mr Benny rubbed the boy's head fondly and stood up from his crouched position with much difficulty reflecting his advanced age.
Thalia Mirabel, like all the others, smiled in appreciation to the old butler, but she did not miss the smirk and scornful face of the old woman who had been by Mr Benny. Well, it wasn't like the woman had tried to mask it anyway at all.
She was uncomfortable with the welcome address from the staff, in any case. This was because, in all of her life, no one had ever bowed to her in such genuine respect, well, unless she counted the playful ones with Flora.
Thalia Mirabel bowed in greeting as well to the staff. Mr Benny, as the most familiar face to her and the head of the household, introduced the staff to their new mistress and dismissed them all, except for the old woman, who still looked unhappy for some reason.
"Mrs Trimshaw, we will retire for the day, but we will be here at a moment's notice if you do need us," Jake informed Thalia Mirabel on his and Eric's behalf, and she nodded to them and watched as the car pulled away.
"This is my wife, Mrs Benny. She is mostly in charge of the maids in the house and will get you settled in," Mr Benny indicated to the grumpy old woman, who did not bother with any words after the introduction. Thalia Mirabel disregarded this and stretched out her hand, "Hello, Mrs Benny, I am Thalia Mirabel, and this is my son Collin; we are pleased to meet you and put ourselves in your care,"
The old woman looked at Thalia Mirabel with evident distaste, and Thalia Mirabel could not understand why. This was the first time she was meeting the woman, so exactly why was Mrs Benny like that?
Mrs Benny raked her eyes on the scanty dressing of the new mistress: from the spaghetti top and the crop black leather jacket, the laced-up flat sandals and the peeking tattoos on her body.
Even her choice of makeup, heavy smoky eye and black lipstick looked so daring, like a harlot! 'In her days as a young girl, they would have never done that to their bodies'! She thought as she further scrunched up her face in distaste, taking in the rings and bangles as well as the hooped earring, which she thought was over the top!
Mr Benny stood there helplessly as he watched his wife. He knew her ideologies very well, but he also knew that she loved kids since they had never been able to have one of their own, and master Jorge Trimshaw had not been a particularly easy child to deal with, not to talk of one that could be doted upon. So, despite his wife's faults, he had thought that the child could 'loosen' her up, but he was now a little nervous as he watched the way his wife reacted to the new mistress.
Thalia Mirabel pulled Collin closer to her and held him securely by her legs. If this reaction from Mrs Benny had been in the past, she would have brushed it aside to remain polite since it was her first day in the magnificent mansion, but now…
"Do you have a problem with me, old woman?"
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