Page 29 of The Stranger

“Worry about what?”

“I know I won’t be coming back to a complicated mess because you’re not going to crush on him. I mean, you don’t even like men,” she adds with a laugh.

“I do,” I protest.

“I don’t mean you’re a man hater, or that you like women. You’re just…”

“I like men,” I say uncomfortably. “It’s just that I don’t find many men attractive.”

That used to be the official line, anyway. Maybe I should change it to I’m attracted to the wrong kind of men.

“I really love my job, Prim. I’m so fond of the kids. I get to travel with them, and my salary is amazing.”

I imagine it would need to be.

“You know, Mr. du Beaumont almost doubled my salary from my last gig.”

“Is that what you have to call him?” There’s no way I’m calling him that. Not after…

I’m not thinking about that.

“I just prefer to keep things professional.”

“That’s good advice.” But a little too after the fact. I’ll just stick to keeping things between us glacial, I think, as I resist the urge to nibble on my thumbnail.

“I suppose it should be monsieur technically, but as I speak to the children exclusively in English, I stick to mister.”

“Makes sense.” I think I’ll call him mister dickhead.

“I’m buying my parents a house,” she says suddenly, her words bursting out of her like a confession. “A new build in Chingford. I put down the deposit last month.”

“Wow, that’s amazing, Em!”

“I haven’t even told them yet.”

“They’ll be so stoked!” Her whole life, her parents have lived in a flat in a social housing tower block. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Her dad worked hard to look after the family and what they lacked in material possessions, they made up with love.

Her parents are lovely people—salt of the earth, and proud. In fact, they only allowed Whit to pay Emmy’s school fees to the stupidly posh school he sent me to because I couldn’t go to the local high school. It was a safeguarding risk, according to his security people, and as both our families knew we’d be miserable apart, Em’s parents agreed. Besides, there was no merit in depriving her of the opportunity.

“I won’t tell them until dad is on the mend. I don’t want to give him another heart attack!”

“Silly,” I say, tears stinging my eyes. She’s such a love. “He’ll be on his feet in no time. Just you wait and see.” She is so not losing this job on my watch.

Em blows out a breath as though glad to have shared her secret. “So now you know how much this means to me, Prim. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“Don’t be daft!”

“I know it might not be a very exciting job. Not like yours, getting to heal people and stuff.”

I make a noise, a sort of “eh,” and give a shrug she can’t see. “The glamor of frailties and falls, infection and bedsores. Honestly, I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

“You’ll be an amazing doctor. You care deeply about people, not just your people. And you always do the right thing.”

“Thanks, Em.” I do try.

“You and your family have already done so much for me.” There’s a little wobble in her delivery that brings a lump to my throat.

“Aw, Em. My lot love you too. And I personally appreciate how you put up with them. I mean, I only stick around because we’re related.”