. , miles fairchild ⁰¹ .

Flora loves dairy products and berries. Meat, however, is sometimes a challenge: sometimes she eats it, sometimes she can't stand it. Flora takes everything else in stride.

Miles, on the other hand, doesn't like dairy products at all, only occasionally trying cheese. He also hates berries. But he loves bloody meat, and any meat for that matter—even fried. He accepts everything else just as easily.

According to the plot, Miss Grose initially forgot to give Abe a list of what the boys generally like and what they don’t like, so that he wouldn’t make mistakes.

I was about 12 years old at the time. I was actively blogging about food, but then I gave it up to focus on my studies. My dad always said it wasn't a man's job, of course. My mom, on the other hand, thought I wasn't experienced enough to take responsibility for other people: who knows, I might poison them or something. But I didn't really listen to them, believing it wasn't true and that I could do anything, but my studies came first. And then I swore to myself that after school I would definitely find a job as a chef.

As I got older, I kept my promise to get a job as a cook. After looking through job postings on various websites, I realized I wasn't satisfied with anything: it was too far away, the pay was low, or the hours weren't right. I was about to give up, but one ad caught my eye...

"Personal chef urgently needed."

Without thinking twice, I clicked on the vacancy and started reading the details.

Schedule: from 9:00 to 23:00 with breaks for rest. Location: large estate (accommodation strictly on the premises). We provide: a separate bedroom, a separate bathroom, access to the living room, and free time to explore the property. Salary: $600 per week.

Job requirements:

· lack of negotiations, bad habits, desire to work alone. · Do not conflict with any family members, especially those with strong nerves.

Responsibilities:

· cook food for only two people.

The most important thing:

· Never talk to anyone about the past, don’t ask where your parents are and what happened to them.

This proposal amused me most, but the last duty intrigued me even more. However, it's none of my business, and I won't find out. Knowing there would be no turning back and I wouldn't find anything better anyway, I decided to write. And what can I say—after a short conversation, I was accepted.

The next day, I arrived at the address they'd written to me earlier. Standing with my things, I looked at this estate: so big and... old. How could anyone even live there? But that was their business.

As I walked inside, I saw an old woman—she must have been waiting for me. She politely introduced herself as "Miss Grose." She led me to the kitchen, telling me where I'd be working, and then took me to the bedroom, where I'd actually be living. The room seemed quite nice, but also dated: a bed with a new pillowcase, an old nightstand, a lamp, and some strange paintings. But apparently, that was just me. Judging by the condition of the wallpaper and floors, it was basically fine. The windows themselves looked out onto a field where the maze was. At first glance, it seemed like you could get lost in there... but who knows. The bathroom was right in the bedroom, with a door—quite nice, and you didn't have to go anywhere.

The tour ended, and Ms. Grose added to my duties: no social media, so to speak—a hint of isolation. Ms. Grose finally mentioned two family members who were there. One girl, Flora, was about 8 years old, and seemed nice and quite sweet. The other boy, Miles, was 16 and very different from his sister, so I was told not to contact him. I nodded and was left alone, processing this information. And so, very soon, my beginning would begin. But who knew? Maybe I'd get along with the family members who lived here.

Another expulsion from the boarding school. How many already? The second... or third? He wasn't counting. Another scandal: Miles had given the boy a good beating for mentioning Miles's family. It was unpleasant, considering what had happened.

It was already dark when Miles returned home. He knew they had a new tenant—a nanny, apparently, who was now taking over Flora's duties. He'd gone again... He wouldn't be surprised if she, too, ran away. He'd seen her before: she was strolling along the right wing of the mansion, where strangers were forbidden. Miles caught her closing a window. She saw Miles and was horrified by the cold way he looked at her. She said she thought she heard a hum. Miles said she was just tired and should go to bed.

The next morning. Miles reluctantly descended the stairs, quietly, until he overheard someone talking on the phone. Mrs. Grose was talking to someone. All he heard was "a vacancy for a cook," which meant they were getting another tenant.

On the one hand, Miles didn't care, as long as he kept his nose out of things and just did his job without talking. On the other hand, he hoped he wouldn't be annoyed by his presence on the first day.

When Abe first started working here and began his first day in the kitchen, Miles was like a shadow, scrutinizing the guy, trying to figure out what he was cooking and whether he could hold his own in isolation. He seemed calm, not the type to talk. But that was just speculation, because he didn't really know what the guy was like. And he didn't want to know. He just wanted him to keep his nose out of his way and not know anything about the house.