The Awakening Read Online Free

she’d talked down to Laura had set his teeth on edge, and that was the only reason he’d opened his wallet and tossed her five hundred dollars. Laura hadn’t deserved to lose her job over a stupid Christmas tree.
    He wondered what her story was. He didn’t miss how pale she had gotten when he asked about family or even a boyfriend. Andy was good at reading people, so what he knew was that she was alone with a child who couldn’t talk. He was curious as to where she came from and wondered how long she’d been working at the estate. When he got home, he planned to get some answers from Jules.
    It didn’t take Andy long to track down Jules in the kitchen with the cook, tasting a spicy sauce that the cook was stirring on the stove. Both women stared at him, and their eyes widened. He looked behind him to see if there was a problem.
    “Jules, I need to speak with you.” He knew he sounded irritated.
    She dropped the spoon on the smooth counter. The cook was still staring at him, holding the wooden spoon in her wrinkled hand. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever spoken to the cook—he didn’t know what her name was.
    “Certainly, Mr. Friessen. Would you like to speak with me in the hallway?” She motioned toward the door.
    “No, here’s fine.” Andy crossed his arms and didn’t miss the way the cook’s wrinkled face tightened. She banged a pot with a spoon, making an awful racket, and then opened the fridge, pulling out a large pan with a hunk of beef that was marinating and setting it on the counter with a clatter. Andy frowned, not missing the old woman’s irritation.
    “Jules, about Laura, what can you tell me about her?”
    Jules had run this household of servants since Andy was a child. She was a large older woman, and her double chin wobbled when she spoke. “Well, not much. She’s young. She always came to work, did her job. I’m not sure what it is you’d like to know about her?”
    A loud clatter had them both staring at the cook. “Pot slipped,” the cook snapped, glaring at Andy with icy eyes.
    Jules glanced at the ceiling and back at Andy. “Sir, why don’t we step out of the kitchen and maybe into the library, where you’d be more comfortable.”
    “I want to know who hired Laura, how long she’s been working here, where she came from.” He didn’t move but watched the cook, who glared at him with a look that was pure venom.
    Jules cleared her throat roughly. “Sir, I hired her. She’s been here since the spring…”
    The cook grunted in disgust, interrupting Jules.
    “Aida, enough. Stir your sauce!” Jules shouted at the cook.
    Andy stepped closer to the cook and stopped when she appeared to squeeze the wooden spoon handle in a way that made him think it’d snap in two. With the way she glared at him, her tightly pursed lips trembling, he was positive she wanted to cosh him over the head.
    “Aida, is it?” Andy didn’t wait for her to respond. “Is there something you want to say?”
    “No, sir, she has nothing to say. She has a dinner to prepare, so please, sir, if we could step out…”
    Andy cut her off before she could finish. “No, I want to hear what the cook here has to say.”
    “You’re a pig!” She spit the words at him.
    “Oh, Aida!” Jules groaned behind him. “Sir, she didn’t mean a word. Please don’t fire her. Your mother has five dinner guests arriving this evening, and there is no one to cook dinner if you fire her. Now, Aida, get back to the stove and mind your tongue.” Jules clapped her hands.
    But Andy was still staring at the tiny old woman, who stared at him as if he were the devil incarnate. “Jules, would you shut up? Now, Aida, you’re obviously upset with something I’ve done, so I would like to hear it.” Andy glanced sharply at Jules before she could protest any further. “Jules, I want to hear this. Obviously, there is a problem.”
    The cook stepped closer to Andy and held the wooden spoon up in front of her face. “You sir