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envelope.
    "You should know, however," he said as he handed it to her, "that your new position means we'll be working together at times. Will that be acceptable to you?"
    "Of course," Lucy said and gave a quick curtsey before leaving the room.

    * * *

    She waited until she was down the hall to stop. With her back up against he wall, she held the envelope against her chest and then withdrew it slowly, looking down at it in disbelief.
    A promotion. A raise. Insurance. Lucy couldn't believe it.
    Missy. She had to tell Missy. Tucking the letter inside her apron pocket she went down to the kitchen to find her friend stirring a pot of boiling bayberries over the fire.
    "I thought Mrs. Nusbaum said this would be done outside."
    "It's supposed to be," Missy said grumpily. "But it started raining and Mr. Ellis apparently wants the wax extracted by Saturday."
    "That's right. I almost forgot. The demonstration."
    "Yeah," Missy said. "And we'll be working it."
    She rolled her eyes and wiped sweat from her brow. "So what did he want?" she asked, jerking her head towards the upstairs.
    Lucy looked around to make sure no one was listening. "You won't believe me when I tell you." She smiled broadly, eager to share her secret with her best friend.
    "Try me," Missy said.
    "I got promoted!" Lucy studied her friends face for sign of happiness, and when it didn't immediately appear she continued.
    "I'm head of the maids now and I got a raise and insurance, too. Now I won't have to worry so much if Kegan gets sick." Can you believe that, Missy? Yesterday I thought my job was in jeopardy and today..."
    "Today you're my boss."
    Missy took the pot off the fire. "Excuse me," she said tersely and took the pot over to the table.
    Lucy looked after her, stunned.
    "Are you all right, Missy?"
    "I'm fine." Missy gave the pot one last stir. "I'm just wishing you had told me sooner."
    "Told you what?"
    "The truth," Missy said, her voice laced with irritation. "A man like Mr. Ellis doesn't go from threatening your job one day to giving you a promotion the next. This is why you didn't want to talk to me this afternoon, isn't it? You knew he was going to offer you the job."
    Lucy looked at her friend in disbelief.
    "No," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "How can you say something like that, Missy?"
    "You're not the only one who needs a raise and insurance," she said, and turned away. "It would have been nice if you'd let all of us know there was a job opening. I don't think what he did was even legal. Aren't jobs supposed to be posted?"
    "Missy," Lucy said, upset now. "Even I didn't know about it. Besides, this is a foundation, not a company. They don't have to post jobs."
    "So that makes it OK?" Missy asked.
    Lucy stood in silence, looking at her friend. The happiest moment she'd had all week had been tarnished and he truth of her own words came back to her. "Some things can't be predicted..."
    She'd been defending her devotion to friendship against his devotion to history. Mr. Ellis had said friends were fickle. Perhaps he was right.
    "See you after work?" Lucy asked hopefully as Missy removed her apron and prepared to leave the room.
    "No, something's come up," Missy replied. "We'll have to make it another time."

    * * *

    Lucy was given new garb of better quality and stitching and a parking space in the management section closer to the house. She felt guilty parking there, and then even guiltier as she was directed to the private dressing room where she could change alone.
    She knew she should not feel guilty. Mr. Ellis was right. She did understand the chain of command and knew she could do the job being asked of her. It still bothered her deeply that her friend wasn't enjoying the perks she was, but in the end told herself that she had to think of herself and Kegan before anyone else.
    And this was a remarkable opportunity. The pay was a full ten thousand dollars a year extra, and she'd cried tears of joy when she found out. Paying for Kegan's