jaylar
When Zelda arrived at the home of Phil and Dotty that night, she told them that Martha needed her to live above the shop. She made it sound that Martha was tired and needed time off.
“That’s great…” Dottie blurted, then babbled something about being kind to Martha.
She and Phil were happy to see Zelda go.
Yes, they liked the free maid service and the freedom from Minna, but Zelda had become obstreperous. She was always underfoot.
She did too much, and it made them uncomfortable. Yes, they liked having no house work, but, seeing Zelda go would give them breathing room.
They drove her and her things to Martha’s shop. They felt Martha a bit cold towards them, but her happiness at having Zelda was to the fore.
Phil and Dottie drove away, treating themselves to dinner at a restaurant and ordering wine.
There was something about Zelda, something they couldn’t name but which made them feel uneasy.
Martha, however, was happy to give Zelda the keys.
Instead of having to come in at eight and clean and fix before opening at nine, Martha didn’t have to arrive until past nine.
Instead of having to stay after nine at night to get things organised, she could leave at six.
For the first three weeks everything was perfect. Martha felt blessed. She was seeing Zelda as a daughter.
