Irene Rumsey walked as fast as she dared across the wet slate, her large purple brolly protecting her from the onslaught of rain falling from the heavens. Thankful for the small overhang above the front door, Irene took the time to close her umbrella and fasten it before entering the house. Flicking on a switch, the entrance hall emerged from the darkness, and after placing her umbrella in the stand to dry, she hung her coat in the cloakroom. She didn’t need to look at her watch. She knew she was an hour early, but well aware Prudence Craddick had covered the night shift, early seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

Irene was not a woman to judge others, but when it came to Prudence, it was hard not to find fault. Having worked with the woman on and off for almost fifteen years, Irene had had her fill of Prudence’s constant complaints and her holier-than-thou attitude. As far as Prudence was concerned, she knew everything. She spoke for everyone, and even though there was no hierarchy in place, pity the nurse who didn’t stand her ground when she replaced Prudence on a shift. More than once Irene went to their employer to complain about Prudence’s peevish and sometimes sly work ethic, but the lack of experienced private nurses had always been her downfall.

Letting out a sigh, Irene headed to the stairs. The sooner this was over, the sooner she could enjoy the rest of her day conversing with Robert and taking care of his needs. She was accustomed to the stillness of the house at this hour, and with carpets on the stairs and down the corridors, she made not a sound as she headed to Robert’s room, but when she walked inside, the silence of the house was almost broken.

“Mrs. Kane!” she said, trying her best to keep her tone hushed. “What are you doing here?”

Holding back the groan that came from sitting in the same chair for nearly four hours, Addison got to her feet. Grabbing her mobile and iPad from a nearby table, she motioned to the door. “Drop the Mrs. Kane and follow me.”

In less than no time, both women were in the hallway, and being a woman of very little pretense, Irene thought nothing about standing toe-to-toe with the Addison. Her job was to take care of Robert Sheppard, and that was the only thing on her mind. “What’s wrong? Has something happened? Where’s Pru—”

“I sacked her last night,” Addison said in a whisper.

It took all the self-control Irene had not to smile, but she still couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up just a tad. “You fired her? Whatever for?”

“I don’t pay people to sleep, especially ones who are supposed to be caring for someone who is ill.”