Suddenly someone sat on the seat beside me. “Hi Ayesha”, Jaya auntie said. “Hi, aunty. How are you?”. We exchanged pleasantries. Jaya was one ...f the society ladies I was talking about. Dressed in a long velvet gown and some expensive jewelry, she looked, I don’t know, annoying probably. She was the secretary of the association and looked perfect for the job today. “So, how do you like the show?”, she asked. “It’s good. I particularly enjoyed the kids dance numbers. It was super cute”, I said,. She will also not stop Sir Charles or Lady Alice from doing anything they wish, even if it horrifies her. The possibility of the lads seeking out random girls for sexual gratification worries her as well, and Lady Alice seems a safe alternative. For the time being.’ I knocked back my drink and went to the window to get some fresh air. Maurice stayed in place, waiting patiently, an eyebrow raised in possible invitation. ‘Stunned, just stunned. Thank you, Maurice, I don’t believe I shall need. It's the strangest case I've ever been involved with. Susan seemed disturbed by Jackson and his story, other than that she seemed to have enjoyed the trip. She said that she enjoyed working with you." Susan was very professional and she handled Jackson very skilfully. Well, I'll expect the painting tomorrow, thanks Arthur."Enjoyed working with me indeed, I'll bet she did. I decided that I did not like Susan; in fact, I was beginning to hate her because of the guilt that she was causing me.I was. We chatted about life in general until I noticed Julie was fighting to keep her eyes open, her head nodding. “Think it’s time for us to get a taxi home,” I said.“No need for that,” Tom said. “You can sleep in my parents' room if you want. They won't be back for another week.” The arrangement made sense and Tom directed us to the bedroom. Julie quickly undressed, dropping her clothes on a bedside chair before slipping into bed. She went out like a light so I returned downstairs to continue.