"You take care of it."
Mabel was momentarily caught off guard.
The daily meals at the house were always prepared by Mrs. Carter herself; all the chefs had been let go long ago.
Whenever there were guests, Mrs. Carter would handle the menu herself before heading out, leaving everything in perfect order.
But Mr. Carter''s guests were people of considerable stature, and Mrs. Carter''s homey,forting dishes hardly seemed grand enough for such asions.
"Ma''am, I''m not sure I can manage this..." Mabel said anxiously.
Jessica understood her worry, so she scribbled a note: "Don''t worry. You can order something from the hotel. I''ll cover the expense."
Timothy had given her a credit card-every month on the first, funds would be transferred in right on time.
It was meant for all household expenses at The Gilded Whisper Estates, including the staff''s sries.
Timothy had impable taste and spared no expense when it came to the home. The allowance he provided was always more than enough.
He certainly wasn''t short on money, but Jessica never spent a penny more than she had to. Every transaction was meticulously recorded in her ledger.
She worked hard to fulfill her responsibilities, hoping he''d notice that she''d never been after his money, his status, or his name.
But what did it matter?
No matter how much she gave, he never seemed to see her at all.
Mabel noticed Jessica''s attention was fixed on herptop, indifferent to the news of iing guests. Not daring to say more, she quietly slipped out of the study.
In the past, Mrs. Carter had always handled such things with joy, running the household with warmth and precision.
She was the very image of a gracious, capabledy of the manor.
Because Mrs. Carter took on so much, Mabel''s own workload was lighter. Now that Mrs. Carter no longer wanted to be involved, it simply meant Mabel had to shoulder those duties herself.
She didn''tin-it was her job, after all. But she couldn''t help worrying about the distance growing between Mr. and Mrs. Carter. This couldn''t be a good sign.
After Mabel left, Jessica quietly pulled up the divorce agreement on her screen and began revising it.
She''d wait for Timothy to return. Tonight, they needed to talk about ending their marriage.
***
Night fell.
Timothy''s car glided up the long drive, headlights slicing through the dusk.
Tonight, he''d invited Ines.
He''d rushed back from a meeting just for this.
He remembered how often Jessica used to help Henry with his crafts-paper
cuttings and little projects at the kitchen table.
When he called Ines this time, she''d surprised him by mentioning she''d like to see Henry''s creations in person.
That Ines valued Henry''s work was, inrge part, Jessica''s doing.
Jessica would be pleased to hear it, he thought.
And this visit gave him the perfect chance to discuss taking She on as Ines''s student.
When Ines stepped out of the car, she gazed at the sprawling manor with a gentle, knowing smile.
No wonder Jessica had chosen love.
Timothy was exceptional-handsome, aplished, the very picture of sess and refinement. Any young woman would be swept off her feet.
Ines hade not just for Timothy, but to see Jessica as well.
Seven years had passed since they''dst met. She missed Jessica-though she hadn''t told Timothy that, hoping to surprise his wife.
She followed Timothy inside.
Mabel hurried forward to greet them.
"Where''s Mrs. Carter? She shoulde wee the guests."
"She''s in the study. I''ll go get her," Mabel replied, slipping off Timothy''s coat and bag, hanging them on the rack by the door, and quickly heading toward the study. She pushed open the door.
It was empty.
Mabel stood in the doorway, stunned.
She hadn''t seen Mrs. Carter leave.
Timothy noticed Mabel lingering by the door, unmoving.
"What''s wrong? She''s not inside?"
He started walking toward her, concern tightening his features.