Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"You take care of it."

Mabel was momentarily caught off guard.

The daily meals at the house were always prepared by Mrs. Carter herself; all the chefs had been let go long ago.

Whenever there were guests, Mrs. Carter would handle the menu herself before heading out, leaving everything in perfect order.

But Mr. Carter's guests were people of considerable stature, and Mrs. Carter's homey, comforting dishes hardly seemed grand enough for such occasions.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure I can manage this..." Mabel said anxiously.

Jessica understood her worry, so she scribbled a note: "Don't worry. You can order something from the hotel. I'll cover the expense."

Timothy had given her a credit card-every month on the first, funds would be transferred in right on time.

It was meant for all household expenses at The Gilded Whisper Estates, including the staff's salaries.

Timothy had impeccable taste and spared no expense when it came to the home. The allowance he provided was always more than enough.

He certainly wasn't short on money, but Jessica never spent a penny more than she had to. Every transaction was meticulously recorded in her ledger.

She worked hard to fulfill her responsibilities, hoping he'd notice that she'd never been after his money, his status, or his name.

But what did it matter?

much she gave, he never seemed to see

news of incoming guests. Not

such things with joy,

image of a

Mrs. Carter no longer wanted to be involved, it simply

worrying about the distance growing between Mr.

quietly pulled up the divorce agreement on her screen and

return. Tonight, they needed to talk about ending their

***

Night fell.

glided up the long drive,

Tonight, he'd invited Ines.

from a

remembered how often Jessica used to help Henry with

projects at

time, she'd surprised him by

Ines valued Henry's work was, in large part, Jessica's

to

him the perfect chance to discuss taking Sheila on as Ines's

gazed at the sprawling manor