Essie fixed her with a bemused stare. “I haven’t told you what they are yet. Would you be interested in assisting me with Georgia?”

“Me?” Liv pressed a hand to her chest. She felt her heart beating hard. “How?”

“After reading my review, you observed that Georgia is a little...stuck. I’d like your input.”

Liv tried not to nod her head too many times. Wow, she thought to herself. Was this really happening? Essie wanted her help with her books? She ignored Jake’s voice when it dropped into her head urging her to ask for a pay increase. Although she could really use one, it felt cheeky to ask. She had no idea how much extra work Essie wanted her to do, and this was a golden opportunity to get involved with her favorite book series of all time. It was something others could only dream of, and she wasn’t going to spoil it by appearing greedy. She reached for a scone and ate it too quickly. “Sure,” she said.

“I should clarify, I’ve never asked anyone for this kind of help before,” Essie said. “Not even my assistants...” She looked over the top of her glasses, making the task feel even more prodigious.

Liv swallowed nervously. “That’s fine. I understand.”

“Splendid. I’m going away for a night or two and I shall give it some thought. We can reconvene on Thursday.” Essie batted a crumb off her sleeve and put her glasses back on. “Now, we should both get back to work.”

Liv wanted to ask Essie where she was going. She hoped it was somewhere nice, perhaps a luxury spa or a retreat. She had been looking rather pale and thin recently and could do with a break. “A writer’s work is never done,” she quipped, then wished she hadn’t.

Essie smiled tightly. “Quite,” she said.

Liv returned to her work. She listened to Garden Spells again as she mixed together water, lemon juice and a few drops of lavender oil. She cleaned all the windows until they sparkled and sunshine spilled into the rooms. She boxed up the remaining sandwiches so the bread wouldn’t curl, and found a container for the cakes. As she waltzed around Essie’s bedroom with the vacuum, she noticed a small Louis Vuitton suitcase that she hadn’t seen before parked in the corner of the room.

When she finished working, Liv tidied her cleaning stuff away. The writing room door was ajar, and she gave a small rap. Essie sat at her desk staring out of the window. Her right hand rested on a yellow notepad. When she turned, her eyelids looked lilac and heavy.

“I’m leaving now,” Liv said. “I’ve boxed up the afternoon tea for you.”

“You may take it with you.” Essie waved a hand. “I’ve finished with it.”