She was busy in the bathroom for a long time, and she was hoping that Carol would have left her by the time she got back into bed. Finally, she did return to her bedroom and she was alone. There was some coffee in the pot and she poured that for herself. Then she settled back in the bed, and as she thought further about her vivid dreams and the awful things that she had done during the night, she knew that it had to be just a dream.
After all, she just wasn't that type of girl.
CHAPTER THREE
Norma dressed in slacks, blouse and sandals. She intended to begin doing the work that she had been hired for, but when she got downstairs she smelled the enticing fragrances of bacon and coffee and she found Lennie and Carol in the kitchen.
"Hi," Lennie said, with his charming grin. "Sit down and have some breakfast. We've got lots of eggs and bacon and coffee. And I want to talk with you."
She smiled at him, shyly, and when she sat down and looked at his nice, friendly face she knew that her dreams had been nothing but that. Lennie was much too nice to do the things that her wild imagination had thought up. Carol was smiling as she watched Lennie's admiring gaze practically devouring Norma.
"It is fantastic," he said, apologetically. "You are so lovely it is incredible."
His admiration embarrassed her and she was glad when he turned his attention to other matters. She ate and he explained something of what he had in mind to her.
"This place is loaded with pictures that are originals and worth a great deal of money. My uncle was a very wealthy man and he put a great deal of money into possessions. Now I am faced with the task of cataloguing everything and disposing of it.
"What I would like you to do is to locate the most valuable stuff and identify it for us so that we may dispose of it. In the den you will find all sorts of catalogues so the work is really a matter of you finding the most expensive pieces and pointing them out to us. Do you think that you can do that?"
"I'm sure I can," Norma said.
"We have already disposed of some of the paintings but there we were able to deal with experts. The otner treasures in this house you will find for us."
Carol was sitting in the breakfast nook having breakfast, too. She smiled at Norma as she said that they would help as much as they could, but most of the work would fall upon Norma's shoulders.
"That's all right," she said. "That's what you are hiring me for. I will manage."
A moment later, Lily wandered into the kitchen. She was not yet entirely awake and she sat down at the table, her tee shirt and too tight jeans showing off her very young, very ripe body. Norma felt that she would have to say something to Lily about her too tight clothing. She would have plenty of chance to talk with Lily while they were working together.
The twins arrived a few minutes later and the kitchen became a noisy place as everybody talked and ate at the same time. She was a bit surprised to learn that Lennie had the day planned for everyone and she was not going to have Lily with her, after all. Carol would work with her and Lily and the twins were going into the local town to get food and supplies.
"We will deliver a few pieces that I have already sold," Lennie said. "and I will keep the young ones with me. They can help me with what I have to do."
Norma began her work as soon as she was finished with breakfast. Lily and the twins cleaned up the kitchen and Lennie was very busy loading up a small panel truck that he had in the garage. Carol went into the library with her and showed her where all of the catalogues were. She was decidedly helpful.
They had little to do with the art works. Lennie had already made arrangements to sell every piece of art in the place. Carol said that they would spend most of their time, to start with, going through the books. The previous owner had obviously spent fortunes on first editions and prized pieces.
"That's what we have to do," Carol said. "We have to identify and itemize all of the books. Then Lennie can know what they are worth before he offers them for sale."
They worked well together, Norma thought. She liked Carol and at one point, when they took time out for a smoke, she sat back and looked at the beautiful brunette and she was amazed to realize that Carol was really spectacularly lovely. Her long brown hair hung straight down her back and framed her face like an arch. She parted it in the middle and she used eye makeup and lipstick sparingly. There was a quality of softness and warmth in Carol's big brown eyes and her slow, almost sensuous smile often made her seem exceptionally ethereal and unbelievably lovely. Carol noticed that she was looking at her rather intently and she blushed. Norma laughed, a bit self-consciously.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to embarrass you. But, you are so pretty. It just dawned on me."
"Thank you," Carol said.
They were sitting on the carpeting, looking at the catalogues and Carol got to her feet with an effort. She stood, smiling, as she looked down at Norma.
"I'll get us some coffee," Carol said. "I'll be right back."
She decided that she liked Carol and she was glad to have her for a friend. She tried to remember the horrid dream that she had had about Carol and the others and when she tried to remember what Carol had looked like in her dream and without her clothes, she was abruptly ashamed. She was becoming a really weird one. She was still blushing when Carol brought the tray with the coffee things into the library.
Carol didn't notice any change in Norma's complexion, apparently.
"They've gone," she said. "Now we have the house to ourselves. And I, for one, am glad. It gets so noisy with those twins around."
They took time out for some coffee and then they resumed work again.
There were hundreds of books and each one had to be examined and authenticated. Norma held a copy of a book in her hand that was devoted to witchcraft and Satanism and while it was a beautifully bound volume and in mint condition, Norma was not prepared to discover that that particular book was said to be worth twelve thousand dollars. She placed the book on the glass-topped desk and she gazed at Carol a bit uncertainly.
"What was the name of Lennie's uncle?" she asked.
"Lorimer Todd," Carol said. "Why?"
She was getting down some more books and dusting them off. She paused as she answered Norma's question, and lit a cigarette.
"It says in the catalogue that the only known copy of this book belongs to Lorimer Todd," Norma said. "That's why. This little beauty is worth twelve thousand dollars."
Carol nodded and her big, brown eyes were even larger than usual. "I know," she said. "This guy spent all kinds of money and time on the weirdest stuff. Set that aside so Lennie can peddle it right away."
Norma placed the book on a far corner of the desk and she felt a twinge of sadness, knowing that the volume would be sold on the open market. It was really none of her business but it did disturb her sense of the fitness of things.
The others of the household were gone for most of the day and when she and Carol took time out for a late lunch, Norma realized that she had taken on quite a job of work. She was weary and the work was just beginning. They dawdled at lunch and Norma learned that Carol was barely eighteen years of age. Lennie was twenty-seven and he and Carol belonged to the new breed. They considered marriage old fashioned and Carol had a lot of ideas about marriage and sex she was willing to discuss.
"I think that the thrills and pleasures the human body can experience because of sexual activity represents the ultimate in pleasures and sensations available to mankind."
Norma listened to Carol and she did not argue. She was tempted to say that many people simply did not feel that way about sex and the sensual pleasures but she could not bring herself to say such things. Carol was watching her rather intently and she had the feeling that Carol was deliberately trying to shock her.