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</div><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">Following Grace down the stair, Karl saw the newcomer.  He was a smaller young man and Grace seemed to have no fear of him.  He did manage to overhear the man introduce himself to the maid, before they'd turned to go to the parlor and before Grace had caught the young woman's skirt in her hands.  His name was Ethan.<br/>
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Grace seemed to make the young maid quite nervous when she demanded the younger woman explain about the 'situation' in the parlor.  Seemingly satisfied with the maid's story, Grace allowed her to get back to her work.  The girl needed to collect the dropped bedding.  He might have helped, but the task was small and would probably take less time without his offering to help.  <i>'Was she eighteen?'</i>, he briefly wondered.  Dammit, Grace's bedroom teasing had gotten to him more than he wanted to admit.  He silently sighed to himself.<br/>
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Karl followed Grace and Ethan towards the parlor.  While the initial greeting between the two was nearly cordial, it began to become less so.  Ethan had chosen to openly defend the maid from Grace.  A major <i>faux pax</i> if one were trying to be in Grace's good graces, especially today.  Strike one.  Then Ethan had asked Grace to make a drink for him.  Strike two.  Karl could now imagine Grace having Karl throw Ethan out of the mansion, conceivably even from an upstairs window.<br/>
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As they entered the parlor, they encountered Audrey coming their way.  It seemed that something was agitating her and that she wanted to speak with Grace, but Grace was being preoccupied first with Ethan and then with what Grace wanted to do.  Grace called for Rikkie, the maid, to meet her in the study after the maid finished delivering the bedding.  Karl looked at his boss and with a nod and a look of displeasure in her face, Grace indicated that he ought to manage things in the parlor while she took care of whatever it was she wanted from the maid.<br/>
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Audrey came close enough to softly quiz him, saying, <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 102, 255)">"What happens to unknowing ladies who snoop about the wrong place?"</span> Karl briefly wondered what the woman who had wandered into the kitchen had done now, but then Audrey answered her own question <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 102, 255)">"They get bolder, apparently."</span><br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"Audrey,"</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> said Karl, softly,</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)"> "We probably got off to a bad start this morning and I was probably a big part of it by being late and a little flippant.  I apologize."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)">  He paused briefly, not expecting her to reply, before continuing. </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)"> "This is also a difficult day for Grace and possibly for you, since she takes her frustrations out on whoever is conveniently near by.  How about today we have a truce between us?  Then you can tell me if 'snooping woman' is just being a pain in your ass or if she's really some kind of serious threat."</span></span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">He gave Audrey a slight smile of comradeship.</span><br/>
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*  *  *  *<br/>
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</div><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">After being released by Miss Widcombe, Rikkie gathered and refolded some of the bedding that had begun to spread out before it landed on the floor.  While she was doing that, she heard Miss Widcombe say that Rikkie was to come to the study after delivering the bedding.  Miss Widcombe did not stay for Rikkie to acknowledge that Rikkie had heard the order.  Once everything was picked up and in her hands, Rikkie made her way to the parlor.</span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffffff">Rikkie presented the bedding to Miss Daniels, who was massaging Ms. Ishimoto's back, so she put her bundle on an unoccupied part of the bed.  She then gave a quick look to see how the pregnant woman was doing.  There didn't seem to be any distress.  After that, she excused herself, saying that Miss Widcombe had asked to see her in the study.<br/>
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Arriving at the open door to the study, Rikkie told herself that she was probably nervous over nothing.  Miss Widcombe was just someone that she didn't know very well.  Seeing Miss Widcombe inside, turned away from her, Rikkie took a deep breath and knocked upon the door frame, letting the older woman know that she was there.  Miss Widcombe turned to look at Rikkie and her expression told the maid that the lady expected her to come into the room.  </span></span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">She tried to hide her nervousness as she walked toward Marcus Widcombe's daughter.  Rikkie stopped about four feet away and softly spoke, forming in like a question, <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"You said that you wanted to see me, Miss Widcombe?"</span></span></span>