Chapter Four
A New House
Mia down looked at the application.
"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore. That's a very pretty name."
"Thanks."
Mia continued to read the application, but made no comment about the blank spaces. She knew she would fill them in eventually.
"Well, everything seems to be in order."
After a half hour of orientation and instructions, Lorelai had a handle on what her duties and responsibilities would be. And the salary she was given was more than she expected.
"So, what about my uniforms?" Lorelai asked.
"I'll have six of them ordered for you, but it will take a week or so before they get here. I do have a couple uniforms here somewhere, but they're probably too long for you and will need to be hemmed up. Can you sew?"
"No, but I'll learn."
"I have no doubt you will. Now, there is one more thing -- you do realize you can't stay in the guests' rooms. Have you given any thought to where you might live?"
"Gypsy said there wasn't a hotel here, but I was hoping maybe I could rent a room from someone."
"You might. But I have another idea. Let's take a walk."
Mia led Lorelai, carrying the very observant Rory, whose head never stopped moving as she was taking in all the new sights and sounds and smells, through the kitchen and out of the back door.
"You see that little building down there?"
"Yes. It's kind of cute. I like the color."
"It's our old potting shed. When my husband and I bought this place fifteen years ago, the former owner had a gardener on staff, and he was living there. Unfortunately, he died about five years ago, and since then it's just been used for storage. It has a bathtub and a sink, a hot water heater, and a small refrigerator. We got rid of his furniture since it was mostly broken or worn out. You know how old men are about their things. There's no stove, but since most of your meals will be from the inn's kitchen, you really shouldn't need one. Do you cook?"
"No way! But will I have to pay for my meals?"
"Oh, no. Believe me, there is always plenty left over from both lunch and dinner. And there are muffins or bagels, bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, fruit. Whatever you want for breakfast, we probably have it."
Mia unlocked the shed door and opened it wide enough to let some light in. Lorelai went inside and found a light switch, but whatever it controlled wasn't working. They both pulled back old curtains and opened the windows to let it start airing out.
"So, what do you think?" Mia asked. "Do you suppose you and Rory could be comfortable here?"
Lorelai was a bit overwhelmed. But despite the dirt and the dust and the cobwebs, it was perfect.
"It's wonderful! I love it! Our very first house!"
"We have extra beds in case guests want them, so we can bring one out here for you and Rory. And I think we even have a small kitchen table and a couple of chairs somewhere."
"If I'm going to start working, when will I have time to clean this up?"
"You don't have to worry about going to work just yet. We have a party of ten checking in Saturday morning for a family reunion, so that gives you two days to get things in order, and a day for training."
Suddenly, Lorelai felt tears running down her face.
"Mia, I - I don't know what . . . how to thank you -- for . . . You won't be sorry, I promise you!"
Before she realized it, Mia had put her arms around Lorelai, holding her and little Rory close to her.
"You don't have thank me. I have a feeling this is going to work out just fine for both of us."
After a short while, Mia broke the embrace.
"Well, I think that's enough of that. We both have work to do, so I suggest we get to it."
"Mia, do you know anyone in town who could baby sit while I'm working?"
"Not right off hand. But Rory seems to be a good baby, and with all the staff we have here during the day, you might not have to look for a baby sitter. Everyone here's going to fall in love with her, I can tell you that. Let's just see how it works out."
Mia and Lorelai walked back to the inn. Mia had payroll to take care of and Lorelai started gathering up cleaning supplies -- a broom and a mop, a bucket, rags, detergent, and bleach. And she found an old comforter to put Rory down on while she cleaned.
At a quarter past ten, after the dining room had been cleared of the breakfast dishes and the buffet setting, Mia formally introduced Lorelai and Rory to the kitchen and dining room staff, and to the maids she would be working with.
This wasn't something she would normally do when hiring new help, but she felt this was a special case.
"Everyone, I want you to meet Lorelai, and this little one is Rory. Lorelai is going to be joining us as a maid starting Friday morning. She has no experience, so I will expect everyone to show her the ropes and help her get acquainted with the ins and outs and the do's and don'ts of our little operation here. And as I think most of you are already aware, she will be staying in our potting shed until she's ready to find her own place. As far as Rory goes, I would hope some of you might volunteer to help out with her while Lorelai is working her shift. Lorelai do you want to -- say a few words . . . ?"
Mia looked over at Lorelai to see if she wanted to say anything. She nodded that she would.
"Hey, everyone," Lorelai began. "I just want you all to know that I don't mind hard work, and anything any of you can teach me I would be grateful to learn. And if I make a mistake, just tell me and it won't happen again."
Lorelai looked to Mia and shrugged her shoulders, indicating that was all she wanted to say.
"Well, that's it. So -- lunch starts in a little over a half hour, and the dining room needs to be set up. We have empty rooms that need cleaning. Also the carpet on the stairs could use a vacuuming, and the banister needs to be dusted."
Mia waited a few seconds for everyone to start moving.
"Let's do it," she added, and everyone started scurrying to their tasks.
Lorelai worked the rest of the day trying to get the old shed clean enough that they could sleep there that night. She only stopped to feed and change Rory, put her down for a nap, and to grab a sandwich or two for herself.
Mia had Ed, the inn's handyman, bring out the bed and the table and chairs and put them where Lorelai wanted them to go. He left some of the things there Lorelai wanted -- a bedside table, a small dresser and a chest of drawers. The rest of the things, including two front porch rocking chairs, more furniture, and other odds and ends in boxes that should have been thrown out long ago, he took.
After he left, Lorelai rearranged the furniture a few times until she was satisfied.
Late that afternoon, Mia went down to the shed with a few rolls of wallpaper with rosebuds on them.
"We had some of this left over, and I don't know how you feel about rosebud wallpaper, but . . . ."
"Are you kidding! I LOVE it! It's gorgeous! But I've never put up wallpaper before."
"Well, how about one day next week I have Ed do it for you?"
"Oh, Mia, thank you so much! You've done more for me in just these couple of days than Emily ever did."
"Emily?"
"That's my mom's name. And you might as well know, my dad's name is Richard."
Mia nodded. She didn't really respond, but she filed the information away. Sooner or later she would know the whole story.
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