Chapter 26 Something Sinister Cooking

• Isabelle sat at the long, mahogany table, its surface gleaming under the soft glow of the crystal chandelier. Opposite her, a woman with a perpetual smile and a voice that seemed to never tire, sat sipping her coffee, her eyes sparkling with an almost unnerving enthusiasm. Penelope, the new maid Liam had hired before his sudden departure for a business trip, was a whirlwind of chatter, a human chatterbox disguised in a crisp, black maid uniform.
• 'So, dear, Liam never did tell you about his trip, did he? He always keeps things so close to his chest, doesn't he? Oh, but that's the charm of the man, isn't it? The air of mystery, the intrigue! He's got everyone completely captivated, from the moment he walks into a room, he's a magnet!' Penelope went on, her hands gesturing wildly, spilling a bit of coffee on the pristine white tablecloth.
• Isabelle sighed inwardly. Penelope's presence was a constant irritation, a buzzing fly in the otherwise peaceful solitude of the mansion. She was weary, her body aching from the argument with Liam the night before, an argument that had ended with her retreating to the bathroom for a fitful night's sleep. The bathroom, with its cold tiles and the monotonous hum of the air conditioner, was the only place she could find solace from the escalating tensions that had become a constant in her life.