Grace nearly dropped the wand when Anna came through the door. Obviously flustered, she stepped back, tripping the foot switch to turn the machine off. ‘‘I’m sorry. I thought I’d be finished before anyone got home.’’

‘‘I’m early.’’ Though her arms were full, Anna crouched in front of the chair where Aubrey sat manically scribbling purple crayon on a picture of an elephant in her coloring book. ‘‘That’s beautiful.’’

‘‘It’s a phant.’’

‘‘It’s a terrific phant. Prettiest phant I’ve seen all day.’’ Because Aubrey’s nose just seemed to demand it, Anna gave it a quick kiss.

‘‘I’m nearly done.’’ Nerves danced down Grace’s spine. Anna looked so professional in her business suit. The fact that her hair was tumbling out of its pins only made her seem . . . professionally sexy, Grace decided. ‘‘I finished upstairs, and in the kitchen. I didn’t know . . . I wasn’t sure what you’d like, but I made up a casserole—scalloped potatoes and ham. It’s in the freezer.’’

‘‘Sounds great. I’m cooking tonight.’’ Anna rose and jiggled her bag cheerfully. She nearly stepped out of her shoes but then stopped herself. It didn’t seem right to start cluttering things up when Grace was still in the middle of cleaning.

She’d wait until later.

‘‘But I won’t get off early tomorrow,’’ she continued. ‘‘So it’ll come in handy.’’

‘‘Well, I . . .’’ Grace knew she was a little sweaty, a little grimy, and she felt miserably outclassed by Anna’s crisp blouse and tailored suit. And oh, those shoes, she thought, doing her best not to make her survey obvious. They were so pretty, so classic, and the leather looked soft enough to sleep on.

Her toes curled in shame inside her frayed white sneakers. ‘‘The laundry’s nearly done, too. There’s a load of towels in the dryer. I didn’t know where you wanted me to put your things, so I folded everything and left it on the bed in your room.’’

‘‘I appreciate it. Catching up after a couple of weeks away takes forever.’’ Anna caught herself before she squirmed. She’d never had a housekeeper in her life, and she wasn’t quite sure of the proper procedure. ‘‘I should put these away. You want something cold to drink?’’

‘‘No, thanks. No. I should finish up and get out of your way.’’

Curious, Anna thought. Grace had never seemed cool or nervous before. Though they didn’t know each other well, Anna had felt they were friendly. One way or the other, she decided, they had to come to terms. ‘‘I’d really like to talk to you if you have the time.’’

‘‘Oh.’’ Grace ran her hand up and down the metal wand of the vacuum. ‘‘Sure. Aubrey, I’m going in the kitchen with Mrs. Quinn.’’