Since she had to go back to work the next day, she got her mother ready and they went to the doctor's.Looking at the woman, the doctor already had a fairly good idea what the problem was but she did not want to alarm them unnecessarily. Other ailments had been known to exhibit same symptoms though she was almost 90% that the woman was suffering from a heart disease.She took samples from her fir the test and asked them to come back the following day for the results.'Doc. could you not get the results ready today even if it is by evening, so that we can start her treatment immediately?''It does not work that way Miss Cole. Getting the results by midday tomorrow is fast enough but I shall advise that you allow your mother to rest more. She should not be allowed to put herself through undue stress. Anything that would give her shock should be avoided. She should be surrounded with things that bring her happy memories. I would have prescribed some drugs but since the results will be o

Mira took in gulps of air, her chest heaving.Mirabel did not know what to do, she s reamed.'Mother what is it?'She could not leave to call the doctor now, she had to stay with her mother to stabilize her in any way possible.Mira's chest kept heaving in her attempt to get more air into her lungs so that she could spend more time with her daughter. She still had alot to tell her.Suddenly, she stopped heaving and fell flat on the bed, her eyes rolled upwards of, a drop of tear rolled down her cheek.Mirabel could not believe the evidence before her. She bent down to check her heartbeat and felt nothing. She placed her hands in her nostrils but felt no air.'No, no no, this cannot be happening. Mother cannot leave me this way'.Mirabel screamed. Then went numb.'Of course, she is just sleeping. She will wake soon and ask me for something or the other', she told herself.She started cleaning up and arranging things. She covered her mother up very well and lay her right on the bed.As

Things went on as normal on the surface but Mirabel knew that things were no longer the same. She still treating her boss with the utmost respect as normal but with repressed anger and disgust.She did not know that her feelings were not really as well hidden as she thought.Her mistress called her once and asked, 'Mirabel, ate you happy at all? Are you no longer happy working here?'Mirabel was shocked at that question.'Why would you ask that ma'am?''Sometimes, when you think no one is watching,there is an ugly look that creeps into your face and disappears immediately.If there is anything you are not happy with, feel free to tell me,I shall take care of it. Remember you are now like a little sister to me'.Mirabel would have loved to ask her to give Fanny the sack but if she suggested that, her mistress would want to know the reason for that and her boss would not want that and would definitely stop such a thing from happening so that he could continue his debauchery with Fanny.

Mirabel did not know what to do. She could not face her mistress now. She tried to avoid her madam as much as she could.She also made sure to make herself scarce whenever her boss was home.She felt very filthy.She had felt defiled when Ken had taken advantage of her but with Mr. MacDonald, she felt betrayed. She had never thought that a seemingly gentleman with principles could stoop as low as he did and she had come to love and respect him as the father she had lost.But now, she realised that it had all been a pretense.How was she better than Fanny now? One would argue that Fanny was doing it of her own free will but she must have been forced into it at first and she had no moral justification yo judge Fanny because now though against her will, she was betraying her mistress's trust as well.Her mistress noticed this and called for her one day.'Yes, ma'am. You called for me?''I did. Is anything the problem? It might be my imagination but I feel that you are avoiding me. Is it

Mirabel came out of hiding and went back into the house. She started packing her things.She went to the place she had buried the money she had been saving, together with that which her mother gave her but it was not there.She wanted to go mad.'Take it easy and search well. You must have kept it somewhere else' she tried to calm herself.But panic was rising because she knew that she had left it there.But she still calmed down enough to go through the room again. She found the tin in a place she had not expected.How had the position of the tin changed? Without the money in it, how was she going to start her life outside of the Macdonald's mansion?She poured the money on the bed and counted and as far as she was concerned, the money was complete.She hid it in her bag alongside her clothes and awaited her mistress's return.In the meantime, she finished her work and was surprised at the way the cook looked at her with something akin to pity.She was not sure but guessed that the c