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“I can help you, Rose,” Lucie said before Frances could get up.

“Thank you.”

Frances watched as Lucie shifted her chair closer, leaning in as though cutting her mum’s meat were the most natural thing in the world. Something tightened in her chest as Lucie took care of what she had once managed alone.

“There we are,” Lucie said softly once she’d finished.

Her mum remained quiet during the meal, eating slowly, leaving Frances to wonder if she was enjoying herself or even fully present. Was this what her own future could look like? Would she one day fade away while someone else carried the weight of everything? The thought made her stomach churn.

“Only a week left, Lucie,” Mara said. “Have you made any plans for when you finish?”

Frances’s ears pricked up at that.

Lucie seemed to stiffen, as if she wasn’t expecting or didn’t welcome the question. “Erm... no. I’m not sure yet.”

Mara didn’t press any further, and they fell into small talk as they ate, discussing the highs and many lows of the seasonal television offerings, the unpredictability of the British weather and how it compared to Botswana.

“Oh, you have one of the snow globe baubles,” Mara said, pointing at the tree. “I must admit, I bought one just to sit on my desk.”

“They were a good idea of Judith’s,” Frances replied.

Her mum looked at it, her forehead furrowing. “Lucie, you bought me that for Christmas, didn’t you?” She tapped her arm.

“Yes,” Lucie replied evenly.

“I love giving it a shake every time I pass it,” her mum went on.

Frances froze, waiting for Mara to respond.

“Oh, that was kind of you, Lucie,” Mara said, a fraction too pointed to be casual.

Frances caught a flicker of puzzlement in her friend’s face as her gaze moved between her mum and Lucie.

“Well, that was delicious, thank you,” Mara said, setting her cutlery down on her empty plate. “I’m going to have to love you and leave you, I’m afraid. I’ve got a meeting in ten minutes.”

“I’ll see you out,” Frances said, pulling herself to her feet.

“Bye, Lucie. Bye, Rose,” Mara said. “It was lovely to see you again.”

“Bye, dear.”

Mara headed into the hallway, Frances close behind.

“What’s going on?” Mara demanded in a whisper as soon as the sitting room door had closed.

“Nothing,” Frances hissed.

“Could you have said that any quicker? You spent Christmas Day together, and from the bauble, I’d say you exchanged gifts. Is there already something going on between you?”

“No! Of course not.”

“Do you want there to be?”

Frances said nothing. She could barely admit it to herself that Lucie was consuming her thoughts night and day, let alone to anyone else.

“I don’t need to caution you about a relationship with an employee.”

Frances scoffed. “No, you don’t. I very much doubt she feels the same, anyway. Besides, she’s only working at the hall for another week.”