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"If you insist I’ll be in touch" As she winked out of existence I realized I could have asked her about the ice rink incident, but that could wait for later It sounded like I was going to have to talk with her, like it or not, if I ever wanted to get rid of her

I closed theand the curtains, then turned to head back to bed and nearly bitout loud A small creature with a feather duster in its hand stood on top of the chest of drawers I ed not to scream, but I did jump and squeak a little I must have startled the creature, for it, too, juht not notice it

Keeping edin here?" I asked in a whisper

The creature blinked in surprise "You can seethat sh and husky, as though it had sarettes a day for a couple of hundred years

"I’ spell doesn’t work on me But you haven’t answeredin ical world, I’d yet to run into anything like this There was so elfin about its features, but it was to the elves orked at MSI what a raisin is to a grape--shrunken, shriveled, and brown It had long, wispy white hair and wore a shapeless brown garuessed it was a feerous to make assuender roles

"I keep house for the family," it (she?) said "But no one’s supposed to know Mistress Gloria would be most upset if her secret were out" She rolled her Rs and had the slightest trace of a Scottish accent "You won’t go tellin’, will ye?"

There was souely familiar about this situation, an old story I’d once heard I had aa brown beanie "Hey, you’re a brownie!" I said One of the first things we’d done atwas listen to the story about the helpful little creatures orked in the night

The brownie rolled her eyes "Of course I aodain "You won’t be tellin’, will ye?"

"No, of course not Though I think it would actually make her son feel better if he knew she had help He’s worried about her"

She frowned in thought--at least, I thought she was frowning; as wrinkled as her face was, it was difficult to tell--then said, "Fine He can know once you’re gone, but he mustn’t let on he knows The mistress couldn’t bear that"

"Have you worked here long?"

She went back to her dusting, talking as she worked, "Oh, I lose count of the years The boy was just a wee thing when I cah, and she gave me a home when my oas torn down This is ave the mirror a final swipe "Well, now, I have dishes to do, and you’ll be needin’ your sleep" She disappeared before I could tell her good night or wish her a merry Christmas As I settled back onto the pilloondered as next At this rate, Saint Nick would have needed Rudolph and the Grinch with hiht

Fortunately, I was able to sleep the rest of the night without any ,Gloria to let me sleep late I dressed in Gemma’s red sweater and a pair of black slacks, put on a touch of makeup, then opened my bedrooet a sense of the situation Owen’s bedrooo downstairs I didn’t want to be alone with James and Gloria, and the faint sound of voices downstairs told h so far, but I wasn’t sure I was yet ready for a lot of alone time with them On the other hand, I didn’t want to be the last one downstairs

This looked like a good time to make use of that squeaky board in the hallway I took a deep breath and stepped outsidefor the spot that would nal to Owen that I was up and about But just as I hit the squeaky board, Owen’s door opened and I found h reflexes to stifle ht my arm to steady me when I wobbled "Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you," he said