The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel

The young Molly dreams about cleaning, the Fabergé egg, and not having to go to school. The next morning, she tells Gran that she wants to be a maid, but Gran tells her that such work has hidden perils and advises her to aim higher. As Mr. Grimthorpe’s secretary enters the mansion through the side door, Gran gives Molly the silver polish and tells her to wear gloves. She also tells a story about a maid who left lye out, and the owner almost lost his hands when he mistook it for water. She says that the maid’s actions may not have been an accident, and that fate works in mysterious ways. Mrs. Grimthorpe takes Gran to town while Molly has fun polishing. When she needs to use the toilet, she is too scared to go to the servant’s washroom in the basement, so the gardener tells her to go upstairs and that no one will know if she is quiet. While there, she sees a library and hears a typewriter somewhere nearby. On the other side of the library wall, she hears someone curse and stomp their feet. She suspects that it is Mr.