As Mr Davenport's footsteps retreated, Betsy felt like she was in an alternative reality. Her stomach was still full of butterflies but it was difficult to know if it was due to the overwhelming presence of Mr Davenport himself or trepidation about what lay ahead.

A week ago she never would have imagined she would be here, in a mansion staring down at two dirty faced children. Then again, things had been so very different a week ago. She had been happy in her little flat and completely oblivious to the fact her life was about to be derailed. 

Two sets of eyes were watching her intently. It drew Betsy from her thoughts and had her shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. She quickly locked up her muscles.  Don't show fear, Betsy thought, they can sense it. She was sure the nature program had been talking about vicious animals but these children were just as terrifying. The rule had to apply to them too.

They were standing side by side, smiles pasted on their adorable faces. If it wasn't for the evidence surrounding them, Betsy would have assumed they were both completely incapable of any wrong doing. They looked angelic – minus the egg and flour at least.

Dragging her eyes away from the children, Betsy glanced over at the older woman. In the absence of Mr Davenport, Ms Reed had released her shoulder from the firm grip and was now propped up against the breakfast bar. Her face was pale and in the lines of her face, tiredness was plain to see.

Trying not to frown, Betsy offered a smile. "Hi, I'm Betsy."

Ms Reed smiled back, weariness evident in the slump of her shoulders and the way she clung on to the counter for support. "I'm Mabel."

"It's nice to meet you, Mabel."

"Let me just catch my breath love and I'll be right with you. I'm not as young as I used to be." The white haired woman said as she fanned her face with her hand.

"Not a problem." 

Allowing the woman time to recuperate, Betsy turned away from Ms Reed and took in the kitchen with awe. Underneath the mess and grime, she could see the makings of a beautiful kitchen. It was everything she had always dreamed about but never thought she could actually see in person. And the sheer size of it was at least five times the size of the galley kitchen in her flat.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT."

Betsy's feet left the floor she was startled so badly and her ears rung from the volume of Ms Reed's voice. With wide eyes, she glanced over her shoulder at the older woman but Mabel's focus was wholly on the two children. In her distraction, the two Davenport children had moved so they stood less than a foot away.

When Mabel raised a single brow in their direction, both yelped and a moment later there was a splat.  Bits of gooey egg and shells littered the floor around their feet. Their eyes darted towards the newest member of the household before ducking their heads and scuffing their feet on the floor. Guilt clung to them like a second skin.

"My sister didn't mention there would be two children or that they were so..." Betsy paused trying to think of the right word.

"Lively? Yes, there are not many words which can be used to describe these two." Mabel frowned down at the two children, finally standing up of her own volition with her hands planted on her hips. "Unfortunately, I am too old to keep up with the two dears and the last housekeeper-."

Intrigued, Betsy rolled forwards on to the balls of her feet. She knew it was none of her business and yet she couldn't stop her mouth from opening and the words from spilling out. "What about the last housekeeper?"

Mabel shook her head. "That's better left unspoken. I will advise you of this. Mr Davenport values the privacy of his family above all else. The last housekeeper broke his trust in the worst way possible. Do not break his trust." 

At the gravity in the older woman's voice, Betsy gulped in an attempt to clear the lump which had formed in her throat. Unable to get the words out of her dry mouth, she could only nod her head.

"Now, let's forget all about this nasty business and concentrate on getting order back. Mr Davenport likes his house to remain in top order and he'll want all of this sorted before he gets home. We'll start with you two."

The white haired woman allowed her hard gaze to fall upon the two children. They could only meet her stare for a second before they had to look away. Their shoulders slumped and both kept their heads bowed under the weight of her reprimanding stare. Chastised, they scuffed their feet against the floor causing bits of eggs to flick even further across the floor.

Ms Reed did not even twitch. Instead she turned to Betsy and offered a weary smile. "I'll take Thomas up for a bath. If you could follow us upstairs with Miss Delilah it would be a great help."

"Not a problem." Betsy answered, grateful for the worn comfy jeans cladding her legs. If she had followed her sister's instructions and gone with her formal attire for the first meeting with her new employer her one and only suit would have suffered an eggy ending.

Little Miss Delilah lifted her head and stared up at her. It was difficult to judge what was going through her mind but it made Betsy's heart skip a beat within her chest. Still, she pasted a warm smile on her lips and tried not to let any of her fear shine through. She was just a child, there was no reason to be scared of her.

Straightening her spine, Betsy sought out her strength. Everything rode on this job and two children definitely would not be her downfall.

"Follow me then." Mabel instructed, taking the small boy's hand in hers and crossing the kitchen.

She paused at the door, slipping her house shoes from her feet before lifting the small boy into her arms.

Betsy followed suit, slipping her boots off of her feet before stepping onto the plush carpeted hallway in her holey socks. It was futile to attempt to keep the carpets clean as there were already glistening footprints leading down the hall from Mr Davenport's hasty retreat.

Lifting the small girl into her arms, Betsy's shuddered as the cold and gooey paste seeped into her clothing. Delilah stared into the blonde's face for several long seconds before abruptly turning her head away and folding her arms across her chest. Fighting back a smile, Betsy followed the white haired woman as she tottered down the hallway.

Tommy seemed to be enjoying the ride, his messy fingers toying with the white curls on Ms Reed's head. Tugging on another curl, he giggled loudly when the woman tapped him lightly on the nose.

It took twenty minutes of wrestling to get both children cleaned and clothed. More water ender up on Betsy than on the children. She pushed back a strand of wet hair which had been clinging to her cheek and took a quick peek around the doorframe. Both Tommy and Delilah were sat before an oversized television, their attention captured wholly by the irritating pig cartoon on screen.

She hated to give in and let them watch television but it appeared the easiest way to keep them both occupied longer than ten seconds. The two of them were partners in crime, quick to get the other in trouble. Yet while the TV was on, both sat quietly and made no attempt to bicker with the other.

With a shake of her head, the blonde slipped back into the bathroom. Betsy glanced at herself in the mirror and tried not to laugh out loud. She couldn't have looked more pathetic if she tried. Despite the children's failed attempt to egg her, her clothes were still covered in yolk and there was even a smudge of flour on her cheekbone.

As a result of the bathing debacle, in which both children attempted to ensure more water ended up on her and the floor than was in the bath, Betsy's saturated clothes hugged her form.

Her hair tie chose that moment to snap allowing her hair to spring loose. Riotous blonde curls sprang out in every direction. The wetter stands dropped down with the weight of the water as they were finally freed from their confinement.  A slightly hysterical laugh escaped Betsy's lips a moment before a traitorous tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Hastily swiping it away, she drew in a few deep breaths. A few more giggles escaped her lips before she managed to regain control of her emotion.

Stretching out a hand, Betsy closed the bathroom door gently. It clicked shut with a strange finality. She listened for a moment but all was quiet other than the chatter of the TV. Content they were occupied for the moment and not causing any mischief, she turned her attention to the matter at hand and allowed her breath to his out past her clenched teeth.

Carefully peeling her wet clothes off of her body, Betsy averted her eyes as she caught sight of her exposed body in the mirror. She gritted her teeth, her fingers stroking over her stomach while her gaze remained averted. She didn't have to look to know what would be there. She was small and slim, her waist nipped in nicely under pert breasts. Her figure had always been something she was proud of despite her small stature but in that moment she could not even stand to look at it.

And there, nestled between her hips, right where her knickers would sit there was an ugly scar. An infection had set in shortly after the cut had been made. The antibiotics had eventually done their job but by then the worst had been done. The scar was now an ugly and twisted line which bisected her body.  It was no longer the violent shade of red it had been a year before. It had turned light pink and even silver in places. The change in colours showed her body was healing but as Betsy's hand moved up rub at the spot over her aching heart, she knew it would take a lot longer to heal the pain with her soul. If she could ever get over the pain and loss the one mark symbolised. One scar bore the memories of everything she had held for one fleeting moment before it was all lost to her.

Bile rose up her throat so Betsy hastened through the shower change of clothes. Steam covered the mirror when she stepped free of the shower so did not have to look upon the damage to her body again. She didn't need to see it to know it was there.  

Shuddering, Betsy pulled a blue knee length dress over her head and then dried her face on a towel. Drawing in a few deep breaths, she took a moment to compose herself. Finally she forced her lips into a smile and did her best to feel it.

As prepared as she could possibly be the blonde pulled open the bathroom door.

The television was flickering with advertisements for overpriced toys and the children were gone.

"Oh no."

Panic welled with Betsy as her eyes swept over room. Toys littered the floor but other than the irritating voiceovers there were no other sounds to be heard. Fear instantly filled her heart. She had been in charge of them for a matter of minutes and already she had lost them.

Betsy crossed to the bedroom door, ready to start running down the halls in search of the children when she heard it.A small childish giggle came from the far side of the room.

Head snapping around, Betsy held her breath and waited. Then the long floor length curtains twitched. Head falling back, she blew out a breath and tried to calm her racing pulse.

"Shush Tommy or we'll be caught." Delilah ordered only to be met with another round of giggles from her younger brother.

Tiptoeing across the space, Betsy felt her lips twitch up into a smile.

"Oh no, I wonder where the two munchkins have gone to." She said theatrically, stomping her feet to pretend she was walking away. Another giggle, this time it was from Delilah.

Edging closing, Betsy pinched the curtain between her thumb and her forefinger. Then with a whoosh, she pulled the fabric aside, her own laughter filling the air as two screams filled the air before both Tommy and Delilah charged from their hiding space and tackled the blonde to the floor. She landed on the floor, winded from the impact but Betsy didn't care.

Laughing, she ruffled their children's hair before slumping back onto the floor.  She couldn't have been more out of her depth. And yet, as she fought her way out from under the children Betsy felt a little bit lighter. It wasn't much but it was a start.