frowning as she reaches in and pulls out half a cookie. She raises an eyebrow at Sybil.
‘I only had half!’ says Sybil. ‘I couldn’t help it. I was starving. I’m back on the wagon tomorrow.’
Grace starts to laugh, feeling a wave of love for her friend, who is always late, always disorganized, and always, always, starving.
Grace orders the niçoise salad and an extra baguette for the table, i.e. Sybil; while Sybil has the warm goat’s cheese on toast, followed by mussels. And a side of fries to share – she looks at Grace for agreement and Grace smiles. Sybil will likely inhale the fries before Grace has a chance to touch them.
‘Make that two orders of fries.’ She smiles at the waiter. ‘With extra mayonnaise.’
‘It’s been ages!’ Sybil says when the waiter has gone. ‘I’ve missed you. Have you been busy being glamorous and important? I did read something in the
Times
about a magazine gala where you were honoured.’
‘That was ages ago!’ Grace says. ‘Honestly, we’ve been trying to get our lives back together since Ellen left. I’ve been a little overwhelmed. That’s why I’ve barely seen anyone. Between running my house and Harmont House, and looking after my husband . . .’
‘. . . Which is a full-time job if ever there was one.’
‘Exactly. I don’t need to tell you what that’s like, but it’s all been a little much.’
‘Last time I spoke to you, there was someone you were trying out.’
‘We are now at the beginning of week three with Beth.’
‘And?’
‘And so far she may be the greatest thing since Mary Poppins.’
‘Really? Does Ted think so too?’
‘That’s the truly extraordinary thing. My husband, possibly the most difficult man in the whole world—’
‘—Unless you know how to handle him.’
‘Well, that’s just it. The only person I’ve seen able to handle him, apart from Ellen, is you.’
‘And you, my dear.’
Grace sighs. ‘I’m really not sure I handle him all that well. But this young girl, Beth, really does. He actually seems to respect her. He’s been completely calm and happy since she started. In fact, I don’t think I’ve heard him shout once in the last two weeks.’
‘My God! Is that a record?’
‘I think it might be. But there’s nothing she’s not able to do. I was nervous about giving her the bills to pay – you just never quite know and I do hate giving new people that kind of access – but I just couldn’t do it myself. She not only took the bills and paid them, she also redid the whole filing system. Now you can actually see where everything is. And it’s logical! Beautifully labelled and alphabetized! I hate to say this, but it’s much more efficient than it ever was before.’
‘She sounds unbelievable.’
‘She is! She’s unbelievably efficient and organized – the house has never looked more spotless.’
‘She cleans too?’
‘No. She doesn’t clean, but wherever she goes she organizes. I came home last week and all the chair covers were missing. She said she noticed they all looked a bit grubby, so without asking she’d just removed them all and taken them to the dry cleaner’s. And she hauled all the pool furniture out from the back barn and cleaned it with teak cleaner. It’s ridiculous. I feel like I’ve died and woken up in some version of heaven.’
Sybil fixes her gaze on Grace. ‘Is she married? How old is she? She’s not a big, busty blonde who’s going to steal your husband, is she?’
Grace shakes her head. ‘I’m reticent to ask too much, I don’t want her to think I’m prying, but she’s thirty-eight, although honestly, she looks thirty-two, and she’s newly divorced. She didn’t say much about the ex-husband, just that it didn’t work out, and I quite like that. I would have felt so uncomfortable if she’d said awful things about him. It shows discretion, which is, as you know, so important to us. And her references were amazing.’
‘Have you had her
‘I only had half!’ says Sybil. ‘I couldn’t help it. I was starving. I’m back on the wagon tomorrow.’
Grace starts to laugh, feeling a wave of love for her friend, who is always late, always disorganized, and always, always, starving.
Grace orders the niçoise salad and an extra baguette for the table, i.e. Sybil; while Sybil has the warm goat’s cheese on toast, followed by mussels. And a side of fries to share – she looks at Grace for agreement and Grace smiles. Sybil will likely inhale the fries before Grace has a chance to touch them.
‘Make that two orders of fries.’ She smiles at the waiter. ‘With extra mayonnaise.’
‘It’s been ages!’ Sybil says when the waiter has gone. ‘I’ve missed you. Have you been busy being glamorous and important? I did read something in the
Times
about a magazine gala where you were honoured.’
‘That was ages ago!’ Grace says. ‘Honestly, we’ve been trying to get our lives back together since Ellen left. I’ve been a little overwhelmed. That’s why I’ve barely seen anyone. Between running my house and Harmont House, and looking after my husband . . .’
‘. . . Which is a full-time job if ever there was one.’
‘Exactly. I don’t need to tell you what that’s like, but it’s all been a little much.’
‘Last time I spoke to you, there was someone you were trying out.’
‘We are now at the beginning of week three with Beth.’
‘And?’
‘And so far she may be the greatest thing since Mary Poppins.’
‘Really? Does Ted think so too?’
‘That’s the truly extraordinary thing. My husband, possibly the most difficult man in the whole world—’
‘—Unless you know how to handle him.’
‘Well, that’s just it. The only person I’ve seen able to handle him, apart from Ellen, is you.’
‘And you, my dear.’
Grace sighs. ‘I’m really not sure I handle him all that well. But this young girl, Beth, really does. He actually seems to respect her. He’s been completely calm and happy since she started. In fact, I don’t think I’ve heard him shout once in the last two weeks.’
‘My God! Is that a record?’
‘I think it might be. But there’s nothing she’s not able to do. I was nervous about giving her the bills to pay – you just never quite know and I do hate giving new people that kind of access – but I just couldn’t do it myself. She not only took the bills and paid them, she also redid the whole filing system. Now you can actually see where everything is. And it’s logical! Beautifully labelled and alphabetized! I hate to say this, but it’s much more efficient than it ever was before.’
‘She sounds unbelievable.’
‘She is! She’s unbelievably efficient and organized – the house has never looked more spotless.’
‘She cleans too?’
‘No. She doesn’t clean, but wherever she goes she organizes. I came home last week and all the chair covers were missing. She said she noticed they all looked a bit grubby, so without asking she’d just removed them all and taken them to the dry cleaner’s. And she hauled all the pool furniture out from the back barn and cleaned it with teak cleaner. It’s ridiculous. I feel like I’ve died and woken up in some version of heaven.’
Sybil fixes her gaze on Grace. ‘Is she married? How old is she? She’s not a big, busty blonde who’s going to steal your husband, is she?’
Grace shakes her head. ‘I’m reticent to ask too much, I don’t want her to think I’m prying, but she’s thirty-eight, although honestly, she looks thirty-two, and she’s newly divorced. She didn’t say much about the ex-husband, just that it didn’t work out, and I quite like that. I would have felt so uncomfortable if she’d said awful things about him. It shows discretion, which is, as you know, so important to us. And her references were amazing.’
‘Have you had her
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