I passed the note off to Donny the next day, and he actually asked me how I was doing. That was nice of him. I felt like it was a good sign.

  I’d not been able to feed the cats that morning, due to Sydney being sick and me having to take care of her and get her out of bed, so I went after school. I knocked on the back door, and Ms. Higley let me in as usual. I fed the cats and talked with Ms. Higley, long enough for her to pull muffins out of the oven and invite me to “set a while” until the muffins cooled.

  “Go on, dear, get out your homework. I know how you children are, always keeping away from your lessons. Well, if you’re going to be in my kitchen, you’re going to have to be productive.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled at me.

  I pulled out my math homework and started on the assigned problems. I was actually able to focus pretty well with Ms. Higley chattering away at me. As the oven dinged, she got up to check the muffins again, and then brought a plate back to the table, beaming. “They’re perfect! Go on, try one.” She passed the plate to me. I picked one up by the top; the cap broke off and steam curled up from the base and a bit of chocolate chip melted down onto my fingers. She smiled delightedly. “I told you they were perfect.”

  I practically inhaled that muffin. Never had I ever had anything that tasty, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when there was a loud scuffling out in the hallway and two heads poked around the door. “We smelled the muffins, Ms. Higley.” Stenway had on the cheesiest smile I have ever seen on a person, ever.

  Mr. Left stepped around him and entered the kitchen. “May we, Jen?” He reached out for a muffin, slowly.

  “I suppose so, you hooligans.” Ms. Higley stood up and tapped Mr. Left’s hand gently. “At least be civil, boys. I’ll serve them to you. Mr. Left, would you like your tea in your study?”

  He glanced down at me, smiling. “Stenway and I would hate to interrupt this lovely party you have down in here, ma’am, but...”

  “Nonsense.” Ms. Higley smiled, pinking up to her ears. “We would love it, wouldn’t we, Miss Tyler?”

  I stood up, because that seemed the thing to do, and slid my homework into my bag. “I should be getting home. Thank you for the invitation…”

  “Nonsense.” Stenway had finally made it into the kitchen. “You won’t be having dinner for at least an hour still.” He pulled out a chair for first Mr. Left, and then Ms. Higley, then he pulled mine back out.

  Mr. Left leaned back in his chair, popping the top off of his muffin. “Specific bit of information you have, Stenway. I imagine she knows her own business better than you do. Although, that is your job for me. So maybe not. Ms. Kelly?”

  The kettle on the stove whistled piercingly and Ms. Higley stood up to get it. “Tyler, come help me with the tea.”

  I followed her to the stove, thankfully, trying very hard to listen to the two men bicker back and forth, but I realized I really had to concentrate on not breaking this tea set. It was very beautiful, I guess, at least, it looked expensive. Paper thin china, with a swirling green and silver pattern. Ms. Higley poured the tea off while I set cups on saucers and arranged them all on a tray. “Very good, dear.” As she poured out the tea, Mr. Left and Stenway fell silent.

  It was like watching a ritual. My parents only ever drank coffee, and Syd only had tea when she and her friends gossiped on the weekends, so I’d never seen even a tea set before. Ms. Higley came to each of us in turn, pouring tea, asking “milk or sugar?” and serving it out. When all the tea was poured and Ms. Higley was seated, conversation began again.

  “Miss Kelly, I just wanted to say again how thankful we are for how you help us.” Mr. Left nodded at me seriously, but there was a smile in his green eyes. I stared back, barely able to say anything.

  “Th-thank you, sir. They’re good cats.”

  Stenway laughed. “You’ll have to teach me your ways, Wright. Miss Tyler always has words for me.”

  I was torn; sass Stenway, or ask why in heaven’s name Mr. Left’s parents gave him the first name Wright. I made up my mind.

  “Why’d your parents do that to you?”

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  Mr. Left laughed. “That’s a nickname Stenway gave me a few months ago. First day on the job, actually.”

  “That’s cute. Are you always that good with nicknames?” I glanced over at Stenway.

  “Only when something springs to mind.”

  “They’re good boys.” Ms. Higley beamed.

  I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was actually sitting in the kitchen with a Super. At least a potential one, and at any rate, I was having tea with Mr. Left. How many people could say that? I didn’t really care for the tea; it was very bitter, even with the milk and sugar. As the steam swirled around the top of the cup it made pretty, shifting patterns. I gulped mine down quickly, as soon as I could, and listened to Stenway, Mr. Left, and Ms. H. discuss the weekly bills. As Stenway grumbled at the way the launderer had wrinkled the collars of the shirts, I stared down into my empty cup.

  “Reading our fortunes, are you?” Mr. Left gently slid his empty cup over towards me. “What does mine say?”

  I looked at him quizzically. “I’m sorry?”

  “Years ago, one method of fortune telling was to read the dregs in one’s teacup.”

  I looked into his cup, but the black flakes just sat in a long thin puddle against one side. Ms. Higley drew herself up. “Hmph. Old superstition. Pay him no mind, Miss Tyler.” I pushed the teacup back to Mr. Left.

  He smiled. “What do you think of our little household, Miss Kelly?”

  “Well, sir, I think...” I don’t like when people ask me questions like that. You aren’t really supposed to tell adults what you think; they don’t usually like the answer and get mad at the response. Even though they asked the question.

  Stenway laughed. “Come now, T.J. You always have an opinion.”

  ‘Would you like to hear mine on you?”

  “Delighted.”

  “It's probably not polite.”

  “Enough child’s play." Mr. Left chuckled. "Stenway, don’t bully the girl. We need her, remember.”

  “I like the cats. They’re nice.”

  Mr. Left smiled. “A diplomatic answer to an uncomfortable question.”

  A phone rang somewhere in the depths of the house, shattering the relative calm in the kitchen. Mr. Left stood up rapidly, excused himself, and rushed out of the room. I glanced at the clock. “I should probably go home.”

  “Let me walk you. I’ll just get my coat.” Stenway slipped out of the room.

  “Thank you for a lovely afternoon, and for tea, Ms. Higley.”

  “My dear, it’s the least we can do for you. You’ve been one of our most devoted employees.” She helped me into my coat and held my bag out to me. “You’re always welcome in this kitchen, child.”

  “Thanks.” I scuffed my foot against the floor and pulled my coat tighter. Usually, I tended to fly under the radar with adults, unless I had done something wrong.

  “Are you ready, Miss Tyler?” Stenway breezed back into the kitchen, straightening the collar of his grey peacoat. “Let’s away.”

  He held the door for me and we started the walk back to my house. We were silent for a while, until we reached the tall green hedge on the edge of the Left property. Stenway glanced down at me. “The mansion is a pretty quiet place, you know.” I didn’t say anything. “It’s a bit of a change of pace to have other people come around.” He sighed. “Listen, Tyler. I’m going to preface this by saying that yes, I do want you to lay off me and relax when I take your sister out.” I stiffened. “But that’s not where I’m going with this.” He looked down at me out of the corner of his eye. “You should come around more often.”

  I noticed his speech beginning to change. He was slipping out of his “proper” speech and talking more like a human being.

  “Ms. Higley likes the company. We’re a small household, and things get dull after a while. She can’t even play with the cats.”

  I snickered.

  Stenway saw his chance and leapt at it. “I’m not saying that you have to sit down to tea every day, just… I know it’s a lot to ask, sitting around and talking with an old lady, or with Mr. Left, or even with me, given your dislike, but it helps. All of us. It’s a good change of pace. It’s… nice to have someone outside of the house.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all that I’m asking. You’re already a huge help. You can learn a lot from Ms. Higley, and I suppose from Mr. Left and myself. We would all appreciate if you would come over more often.”

  “I’m over every day.”

  “I know. But… you know. Today was different.” We were walking down the sidewalk to my house, now, and Stenway stopped. He held out his hand. “Thanks for considering it.”

  We shook, and I walked to my house, alone. It was a nice gesture, him not coming to the house. I knew that he was trying to get my approval, but I wasn’t entirely sure why. The obvious answer was what he started with, me getting off his back about Syd. But he seemed like he was trying to get past that. At any rate, I’d received a standing invitation to invite myself over to the Left mansion, and that was going to be so useful. Maybe now the fellows would let me back in.

  That weekend was the most boring one that I could remember. Somewhat spitefully, I decided not to tell Chris Blue and the fellows about my tea-time with Mr. Left and sundry and instead to wait for the next week, when I assumed I would be off of parole. I liked keeping things to myself sometimes. Plus, Dad had agreed to come speak to the class about his job, and when I had passed that information along, Clive had not frowned at me. He didn’t smile, but still, at least he didn’t frown. From him, that was as good as a handshake. Let them think I was miserable and desperate. I had a lot to surprise them with.