Mrs. Gordon studied her face. “Need is not the same as endurance.”

“No,” Maya replied. “But it certainly teaches it.”

From that day on, Arthur watched her constantly. Maya felt it even when he said nothing. His eyes followed her when she crossed the foyer with fresh towels.

He noticed whether she paused near the study or glanced at the locked door. He noticed whether she touched anything that didn’t belong to her.

So Maya did her work, and only her work. She polished the dining table until the dark wood reflected the ceiling like a mirror. She aired out rooms no one entered.

She repaired a loose button on a guest cushion because she couldn’t bear to see it hang by a thread. She found old water stains on the piano and removed them with patient hands.