Family Secrets

Chapter 4

Grocery Boy

'Hi there.' a voice says behind us.

I scream, falling to the floor with a loud thump. The man blushes and steps into the room.

'Sorry.' Greta apologies.

I get up from the floor and sit on the child's bed watching my sister chat away with the young man.

The man seemed to be in his thirty. He's handsome, but nurdy at the same time.

The man and Greta didn't pay any attention to me, they seemed to forgotten I existed.

'Believe it or not, I was trying not to scare you.' the man says mostly to Greta.

'No, I'm sorry, I jumped. I thought I heard something upstairs, so I came to look.' She laugh nervously.

'Are you alright?'

'Yeah, sorry. So stupied-' Greta stops talking and looks in my direction. Her eyes widen, looking sorry. The man looks my way.

I was laying on my stomach, elbows on the bed, hands underneath my chin. My legs kicking back and forth, watching the two with excitement. Greta likes him and that made me smile more.

'Oh, sugar. I'm so sorry-' greta apologies in embarrassment.

'Are you Mr. Heelshire?' I ask playfully.

He turns red. '"No-'

'He's not-' Greta says quickly. A little embarrassed.

I laughed. 'I know your not. I'm only playing'

'Oh no, I'm the grocery boy... Um, well, grocery man. I own a shop, actually.'

Greta laughs. I roll my eyes.

'I'm Malcolm. Which one of you must be here for the nanny job?' he asks.

Greta steps forward. 'I am... I'm Greta Evans.' she skakes his hand.

I get up from the bed and skip towards them both. 'I'm Alice. Greta's baby sister.'

'Only by seven years.' she mumbles.

'Do you both want to join me unpacking groceries? I could give you both a tour of the exotic locations, as the pantry, the bread bin... Does that interest you both?'

Greta laughs. 'Sounds great, sure. Lead the way.'

I followed Greta and Malcolm down the hall. My eyes wondered at both sides of the walls and behind me. I feel watched and been followed.

We enter the kitchen. It was large and... White.

'You both American?'

'Yeah. Our first trip out of the country.' replies Greta.

'Let me guess... Calafornia?'

Greta laugh. 'Do we sound like we're from Calafornia?'

Malcolm flushes red. I giggle. 'Sorry.'

'Were both from Texas actually.'

'I'm usually good at this. My, Um, parents have the touch of the gift.'

Greta raises her eyebrows. 'The gift?'

'Prognosticator. Clairvoyant. What ever you like to call it. I had a grandmother that's reads tea-leaves. My... Father has foresight.'

I frowned. Every time Malcolm says parents he gets embarrassed. He finches when he says father. Strange. Maybe he had a horrible passed.

' And what do you read?' I asked out of curiosity.

Malcolm looks at Greta.' She's in Slytherin house. Answer quickly.' greta joke's.

'Chewin gum.' he says quickly.

I snort loudly.

'Chewing gum?' Greta asked if he was serious.

'If you allow me...' Malcolm holds his hand out. Greta stops chewing.

'You can't be serious.'

'Don't be shy.'

Greta spits her chewing gum into his hands. I watch Malcolm examine the gum carefully. He turns it over in his hand, squinting his eyes in concentration.

'What do you see?' Greta asks.

'Teeth marks and spit...' I mumble.

'Shhh.' she snapped playfully at me.

'Interesting. Very, very interesting. I see that your a writer... From Dallas, Texas. It looks like you've come here to be inspired by the English Countryside. To get away from the hustle and bustle of your life in the US of A.'

We burst out laughing.

'Not even close.' I tell him.

'No?'

'No.' Greta tells him.

Malcolm looks back at the gum in his hand. 'One more try, yeah? Okay... Ah! Here it is. I see what went wrong. Ah, a dark past. On the run are we?' Malcolm laugh.

Me and Greta didn't. Malcolm notices our discomfort.

'Sorry. I'm afraid that was my best attempt at flirting. Believe it or not I'm actually considered charming here in this country.'

I give him a small smile and take the gum from his hand and put it in the bin. I spit mine out.

'No need to apologise,you never knew. And with the flirting, no offence, you're not my type. Maybe... Greta can give you an answer.' I winked at them both.

Greta grabs the bread quickly. 'Bread?'

Malcolm clears his throat uncomfortably. 'Cupboard, behind you.'

'So, what's the family like?' greta asks.

'The family? Well... They're nice. Very generous. As good as people as you'll ever hope to meet.'

'And their son. Brahms?' she asked.

Malcolm searching for works as the door opens in another room.

'Here they are now.'