“Who is she?” Arthur asked Gillette, who was hovering nervously. “Just a temp, Sir Nora. She’s new. I apologize for her informality. I will have her fired immediately for speaking to your guests like that.” Arthur’s eyes narrowed. If you fire her, I will buy this building and evict you by morning. Gillette pald.
Understood, sir. Bring her here after we eat. The rest of the meal passed in a blur for Arthur. He couldn’t stop watching Lily. Usually after an episode, Lily would be catatonic for days. She would refuse to eat, refuse to sleep. But tonight, she was eating her pasta. She even pointed at the chandelier and whispered something to her doll.
It was a miracle. In the kitchen, Norah was hyperventilating near the dish pit. “You are insane,” her coworker Ben whispered, stacking dirty plates. “You lectured Isabella freaking Vance. Do you know who she is?” “Her father owns the tabloids. She’s going to destroy you.” I couldn’t watch it, Ben.
Norah said, her hands shaking as she scraped leftovers into the bin. They were torturing that poor girl. Well, hope it was worth it. Gillette looks like he’s about to have a stroke. 20 minutes later, the summon came. Norah walked out to table one. She kept her head high, but inside she was calculating how much money she had in her savings jar.
If she lost this job, she had 3 days before eviction. Arthur Penhallagan wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. He was taller than he looked on TV. “What is your last name, Nora?” he asked. “Kingsley, sir.” “Nora Kingsley. Where did you learn that?” “The napkin trick.” Norah hesitated. “My younger brother. He had similar struggles.
We didn’t have money for therapists, so I had to learn how to help him survive the world.” Arthur studied her. He saw the frayed shoes, the tired eyes, but he also saw a steel spine. “Lily has gone through six nannies in 4 months,” Arthur said quietly. “The best agencies in London and New York. None of them could stop an episode in under an hour.
” “You did it in 30 seconds,” Isabella let out a scoff. “Arthur, please. It was a parlor trick. She embarrassed us. She saved us,” Arthur corrected, his voice cold. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a checkbook. He wrote something quickly, tore it out, and slid it across the table. “This is for tonight, a tip.
” Norah looked at the check, her breath hitched. “$5,000. It was enough to pay Mr. Henderson and buy her mother’s heart medication for 3 months. I can’t accept this, sir. It’s too much. Take it,” Arthur said. “And take this card.” He placed a sleek black business card on top of the check. My driver will be outside this restaurant tomo
rrow at 10:00 a.m. I want you to come to my estate. We need to talk about a more permanent arrangement. Arthur, Isabella shrieked. You cannot be serious. She’s a waitress. She smells like garlic and desperation. Norah’s hand hovered over the check. Her pride told her to leave it. her reality. Her sick mother, the eviction notice, told her to take it. She took the check.
“Thank you, sir,” Norah said. She looked at Lily. “Bye, Lily. Remember the tent.”Lily looked up and gave a tiny, shy wave. As Norah walked away, she felt Isabella’s eyes burning holes into her back. She knew with a sinking feeling that $5,000 wasn’t just a tip. It was a declaration of war. The next morning, Norah’s world fell apart before the driver even arrived.
