Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

You said that you were hiring me for my attitude rather than my professional
skills, I wanted to say. Well, here I am, being cheery every ruddy day. Being
robust, just as you wanted. So what’s your problem?
But Camilla Traynor was not the kind of woman you could have said that to.
And besides, I got the feeling nobody in that house ever said anything direct to
anyone else.
‘Lily, our last girl, had rather a clever habit of using that pan for two
vegetables at once,’ meant You’re making too much mess.
‘Perhaps you’d like a cup of tea, Will,’ actually meant I have no idea what to
say to you.
‘I think I’ve got some paperwork that needs sorting out,’ meant You’re being
rude, and I’m going to leave the room.
All pronounced with that slightly pained expression, and the slender fingers
running up and down the chain with the crucifix. She was so held in, so
restrained. She made my own mother look like Amy Winehouse. I smiled
politely, pretended I hadn’t noticed, and did the job I was paid to do.
Or at least, I tried.
‘Why the hell are you trying to sneak carrots on to my fork?’
I glanced down at the plate. I had been watching the female television
presenter and wondering what my hair would look like dyed the same colour.
‘Uh? I didn’t.’
‘You did. You mashed them up and tried to hide them in the gravy. I saw you.’
I blushed. He was right. I was sitting feeding Will, while both of us vaguely
watched the lunchtime news. The meal was roast beef with mashed potato. His
mother had told me to put three sorts of vegetables on the plate, even though he
had said quite clearly that he didn’t want vegetables that day. I don’t think there
was a meal that I was instructed to prepare that wasn’t nutritionally balanced to
within an inch of its life.
‘Why are you trying to sneak carrots into me?’
‘I’m not.’
‘So there are no carrots on that?’
I gazed at the tiny pieces of orange. ‘Well … okay … ’
He was waiting, eyebrows raised.
‘Um … I suppose I thought vegetables would be good for you?’