Hayley had only just finished her lunch when she heard the doorbell ring.
“Come in, Mrs Briggs. Thank you so much for coming round. I’ve been meaning to get a cleaner for ages.” Cassie Briggs was a lot younger than she thought she would be. But she knew that she had been at school with Abigail, so she guessed that she was in her late thirties.
“I think I’m the only one in the village now. There’s some big firms that come in from Gorebridge and work in groups of two or three, but you don’t really know who’s coming. With me, you get the personal touch and know you can trust me. I do all the big houses around here.”
“That’s good to know. So I could get a reference?”
“You could, but I’ve never had to give one before,” she bristled.
“I’m sorry, Mrs Briggs, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s
