Chapter 16

In the midst of death, life never stopped. Or rather, the jobs that needed doing never stopped. I wondered if Heaven employed domestics to keep everything running smoothly. Or was that Hell, where you found yourself a housemaid for all of eternity to the toffs residing upstairs?

For one day, at least, Alice and I had managed to escape outside, enjoying the sunshine and gentle breezes. With our skin protected by thick gauze and gloves, we tackled the beehives. I wielded the smoker and kept the bees dreaming while Alice removed the frames and used a scraper to pry the honey free.

Alice kept up a steady chatter about her intensifying romance with Frank. I could see the appeal. Tall and handsome like Seth, but Frank seemed quicker to laugh and more comfortable in his skin. From Alice's waffling, it seemed he was handy in all manner of things. There were even scandalously delicious details she would need to confess under cover of dark, once the rest of the house was asleep. I had to know