Robin told her that a temporary housekeeper would arrive while our regular staff attended a mandatory safety training seminar. I covered my silver hair with a dark wig, put on thick round glasses, stained my fingernails with dirt from the garden, and walked into my own house through the back service door.
Within an hour, Tabitha ordered me to carry six heavy garment boxes up to the second floor, openly mocked my slight regional accent, and accused me of stealing a expensive diamond bracelet that she had secretly hidden inside her own leather purse. When I easily found it right where she had placed it, she leaned in close and whispered, “People like you should be truly grateful that people like me even let you set foot indoors.”
Then she noticed a small muddy mark on the floor near the foyer.
She pointed down at it and ordered me to scrub it off immediately using my bare hands.
When I refused to follow her order, she marched into the utility closet and fetched the bucket.
Now Robin stood halfway down the sweeping staircase, staring down at the two of us in absolute shock.
Tabitha turned around quickly to face him. “Darling, this crazy woman was threatening me.”
I slowly reached up and removed the heavy glasses from my face.
Robin went entirely pale in an instant.
“Mom?” he whispered softly.
Tabitha’s face emptied of all its color, but I was not quite finished testing her yet.
