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Freya’s on the phone?

“Lady Edgerly …” Trish lifts the phone to her ear “You’re quite right, far too unassuerly would like to have a ith you”

She hands me the phone and in a blur of incredulity I lift it to my ear

“Hello?”

“Samantha?” Freya’s fah a sea of static “Are you OK? What the fuck is going on?”

“I’ approxio somewhere a bit more …”

Ignoring Trish’s laserlike eyes, I hurry into ht Then I lift the phone to ain

“I’ain “It’s so a to hear from you!”

“What on earth’s going on?” she dee but it e windup?”

“No” I glance at the door, then move into the bathroom and turn the fan on “I’m a full-time housekeeper,” I say in a lower voice “I’ve left my job at Carter Spink”

“You’ve quit?” says Freya “Just like that?”

“I didn’t quit I was … thrown out I made a mistake and they fired me”

It’s still hard to say it Or even to think about it

“You were thrown out for a sied “Jesus H Christ, these people—”

“It wasn’t a simple , important mistake Anyway, that’s what happened And I decided to do so different Become a housekeeper for a bit”

“You decided to become a housekeeper,” echoes Freya slowly “Samantha, did you totally lose your mind?”

“Why not?” I say defensively “You were the one who said I should have a break”

“But a housekeeper? You can’t cook!”

“Well, I know”

“Inow “I’ve seen your cooking And your nonexistent cleaning”

“I know! It was a bit of a night You’d be surprised”

“Do you have to wear an apron?”

“I’ve got this hideous nylon uniforhter now “And I call them Madam … and Sir … and I curtsy”