‘Shit,’ I whisper under my breath, raising a trembling hand to my hot cheek. Taking a deep breath, I glance round the room, satisfied that I haven’t left anything out of place. ‘Coming!’ I call, as the shrill doorbell rents the air again, and I hurry down the stairs to the ornate, oak front door.
There is a woman standing on the doorstep, chic and glamorous, and clearly not expecting to see me answer the door.
‘Hi,’ I smile, ‘can I…’
She pushes past me with barely a glance, calling down the hallway towards the kitchen. ‘Rupert? Darling, are you home?’
I wait a moment, letting the fizz of irritation in my veins cool a little before I follow her into the kitchen, my bare feet silent on the Italian tiled floor. ‘He’s not home. Can I help you?’
‘Oh.’ The woman turns to me, and I catch an expression that I can’t read flit across her face. It’s definitely not friendly though. ‘Where is he? It’s Saturday, I thought he’d be home.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m not too sure,’ I say, even though Rupert left me a note yesterday, asking me to make sure his rugby kit was clean, as he was planning on playing this morning. ‘Is there something I can help you with?’ I fix a smile on my face.
‘Who are you?’ She flicks her eyes over me in an attempt to look me over without me noticing. I fight the urge to smooth down my blonde hair, to tighten my ponytail and brush the dust from my jeans. Instead I smile at her, showing off my perfect white teeth (they cost my mother’s second husband a fortune), and apologize for not introducing myself.
‘I’m so sorry – how rude of me. I’m Emily.’ I hold out a hand, but she ignores it, instead tapping her chin as if thinking.
‘Emily? Oh, of course.’ She smiles at me now, and I get the feeling I imagine a tiny gazelle feels when a lion is sizing it up, ready to pounce. ‘You must be Rupert’s new cleaner.’
‘Housekeeper,’ I say, keeping my tone neutral, ‘well, Rupert isn’t home, so if you wanted me to pass on a message…’ I trail off, hoping she’ll take the hint.
‘Oh, just tell him that Sadie was here. I’ll catch up with him later, it wasn’t anything important.’ She runs a hand over her already immaculate black bob and tucks her Hermès bag under her arm. Everything about her oozes money – from the tight-fitting designer jeans to the expensive scent that follows her. It reminds me of the nectarine perfume I found in Caro’s drawer. ‘How are you getting on here? Are you enjoying the job?’ Her tone is distinctly warmer now she knows I’m just the housekeeper.
‘Fine, thank you.’
‘Oh, good. Rupert did need someone to take care of him after Caro… died. We were all so worried about him; I’m just so thankful that he took my advice and got you in. He isn’t very good at taking care of himself – he was just devastated after what happened with Caro.’ Sadie throws herself dramatically into a kitchen chair, and I realize that she isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.
‘Can I get you a cup of tea?’ I ask. ‘Although if you’re planning on waiting, I’m not too sure how long Rupert will be.’
‘Oh, OK. Peppermint,’ she says and I turn to the kettle, mustering up the courage to mention Caro’s name. ‘This place looks marvellous now you’ve given it a once over. Caro was always very house-proud.’
There. She’s dropped Caro’s name twice already in the past two minutes. Surely it won’t look odd now if I ask her about Caro? I’m itching to know about the woman who lived here, and I don’t feel I can ask Rupert.
‘She’s made a lovely home. Caro, I mean,’ I say, placing a steaming mug in front of Sadie.
‘Yes. She had a wonderful eye for interiors, and I always told her she should do something professional with it, but she was more about saving the world than decorating.’ Sadie lets out a little laugh, tinged with pain. ‘Caro was very lucky – she had it all really. Such a waste.’ She looks down at her cup, and I think for a moment she might burst into tears.
‘I’m so sorry for your loss. It must be very hard on all of you.’
‘Yes, it is. Especially Rupert, obviously. They were the perfect couple. I wasn’t at all sure that he’d cope without her, and it was touch and go for a while, but he’s been so brave. I’m not sure he’ll ever move on, though. Caro was the only one for him.’
‘I’m sure.’ I get the feeling that Sadie is warning me off, even though I am just the housekeeper. ‘I should get back to work. I’ll let Rupert know that you stopped by.’
Sadie opens her mouth as if to say something, before thinking better of it and getting to her feet. ‘It was nice to meet you, Emily. I’m sure I’ll see you again.’
Relief floods through me as Sadie closes the front door behind her and I am alone again. I head back upstairs, intent on putting away the last of the laundry, but pause outside the spare room. Sadie’s words ring in my ears, ‘they were the perfect couple’, and my heart aches for Rupert. Caro may have been the only one for him, but I wonder if he ever gets lonely. Silently, I push open the door to the spare room, my body gravitating towards the huge wardrobe that houses Caro’s clothes. Her scent wafts out as I open the door, and I suppress a shiver. It feels as though she is in the room with me, a ghost of what was before. I glance down at the row of shoes that
