NOVEMBER 10, 1861

Desiree peeked into the dining room from the kitchen, there were no customers there, so she decided to go and see Walter.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Walter called. The door opened and in stepped Desiree. He pushed his papers aside to give her his full attention. "Desiree come in, sit down." She took his advice and sat down across from him. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about the house out back." Desiree said.

"Oh yes, the little house out back of the hotel here. Well, I've decided to spruce it up a bit and sell it, since I don't need it cause I already have a home."

"I was hoping that you might let Marta and Devany have it, to live there I mean. I think it would be great if they could have a little place of their own. Devany could have her own room instead of them having to share a hotel room." Desiree hoped Walter would see it her way.

"You mean let them live there without paying rent?" Walter inquired.

"Yes, you know Marta can't afford a place of her own. Now with feeding and clothing Devany, she won't even have that much money."

Walter could see that Desiree had her heart set on Marta having that little house out back. Well, he didn't really need the money. The bank and the hotel was good, financially, so he could afford to give the house to Marta and Devany, and then rent out their room at the hotel.

Knowing Walter was a shrewd businessman, she decided to throw a little incentive into the proposal. "I'll pay you some to let them to stay in the house, Walter, but just don't let Marta know that I'm doing it because then she would never move into the house."

Walter made up his mind. "No need to pay me anything. Go and tell Marta that her and Devany can move into the house whenever they want to, free of charge of course. She'll need to clean it up before she moves in though. She'll actually be doing me a favor. That old house needs some improvement, and I think a lady's touch is just what it needs."

"Oh thank you, Walter, thank you. I know she'll be pleased to have a home of her own." Desiree felt like kissing Walter for this wonderful thing he was doing, but she reframed herself from doing so because after all he was her employer. She immediately left to go and find Marta and tell her the good news.