London, England
November 2016

Daydream believer and a homecoming queen

It's Saturday morning at just past 7am, the sky is still mostly dark outside and there's an insistent knocking on the door.

"What the hell?" grumbles Ken and throws up an arm to hide his face. I pull the blanket to my nose and blink into the semi-darkness around us.

The knocking continues and grows even louder.

"Ken? Rilla?" comes Persis slightly muffled voice through the door. "Are you up?"

"No!" Ken calls back, his face still hidden. "Go away, Persis!"

"You need to get up!" she insists. "I need to talk to you!"

Ken lowers his arms and gives me an exasperated look. I shrug, though I don't know whether he can see it, huddled beneath the blanket as I am.

"Whatever it is, it'll have to wait," Ken informs his sister not too kindly. "We're sleeping."

"Not anymore," points out Persis through the door. (She's not wrong, I must say.)

"And whose fault is that?" her brother snaps back, his mood growing fouler by the second.

There's a second of silence and when Persis speaks again, her voice is nearly pleading. "I'm sorry I woke you up, but I really, really need to talk to you. It's important!"

Ken hesitates, then looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "Do we let her in?"

I lower the blanket so it's no longer covering half my face. "It sounds like she's serious."

"Yes, that's what I thought." Ken sighs. Louder, he adds for his sister's benefit, "Give us a moment to get dressed, Persis, and then we'll talk."

"Hurry!" she replies, a little desperate by now.

Sharing a look, Ken and I both climb from the bed at the same time. Our morning routine is well-tuned and with Persis's intermittently imploring us to hurry up through the door, we finish it even faster than usual. Thus, it's less than fifteen minutes later that Ken opens the door for me and I almost stumble over Persis sitting in the hall right outside our bedroom. Ken catches my arm and steadies me while his sister scrambles to her feet.

"You took a long time to get dressed," she informs us accusingly.

Ken rolls his eyes at her. "We took as long as we needed to. And since we're here now, tell us what's so urgent that it couldn't wait another hour or two."

Persis fidgets, looking between him and me. "I don't know what it is, but something is going on."

Next to me, I feel Ken stiffen as he begins to lose patience with her. (In his defence, he was in Carlisle on an Away Day yesterday and didn't return until after midnight, so I imagine he's pretty tired.) Slipping my hand into his to calm him, I angle my body to stand between the two siblings.

"What is going on, Pers?" I ask her.

She looks at me gratefully and takes a deep breath to compose herself. "I got up early today to drive to Windsor for training, but just as we left, I noticed a lot of these news vans lining up near the public entrance. You know the kind the press uses?"

Both Ken and I nod. He frowns, but it's not from irritation at his sister anymore but because he's thinking about what she's telling us.

"I got out of the car to investigate and it turns out they're setting up a press conference in the King's Gallery over at the main palace," Persis continues, shifting from one foot to the other.

"A press conference?" Ken repeats, his frown deepening. "Who would order a press conference to be set up without us knowing?"

But even as he says it, it dawns on all of us. His parents are still in Scotland and if it wasn't him and it wasn't Persis, that means…

"Teddy," Ken answers his own question. "But why would he…?" He trails off, looking at his sister for a solution to this equation.

Persis shrugs helplessly. "I couldn't find him and Overy wouldn't say." She pauses and frowns, before muttering, "I really need to get my own private secretary."

"Not now," Ken decides. "Now, we need to find out what Teddy is planning."

Because he clearly is planning something. To set up a press conference without telling anyone and to do it this early in the morning can only mean one thing – he never meant for anyone to find out about it beforehand.

Ken still clasping my hand and Persis trailing behind us, we leave Wren House and hurry through the maze created by the various buildings that make up the Kensington Palace complex. Of course, we steer clear of the King's Gallery where we already hear the press gathering. Instead, Persis directs us to the Cupola Room and this is indeed where we find Overy, though not Teddy himself.

"Mr Overy," Ken addresses the man, who starts and whirls around.

"Your Royal Highness!" he exclaims and his discomfort is clearly visible.

"Would you be so kind as to tell us why there are reporters gathered next door?" Ken asks and while his demeanour is outwardly pleasing, I can see a muscle twitch at his jaw.

Overy shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. He so clearly wishes he were anywhere but here and I can't say I blame him. I feel for him, too, because whatever this is, it wasn't his idea.

"Failing that, would you mind telling us where we can find the Duke of Kendal?" I ask kindly, hoping to put him out of his misery.

It's evident that Overy is not really permitted to give us that information either and when Ken impatiently raises an eyebrow, he lowers his head. He's saved by Teddy himself appearing in the doorway leading to the King's Drawing Room and announcing, "I'm here."

Everyone turns to look at him. His arms are crossed and he looks the picture of defiance. Whatever is happening, it's getting more mysterious by the second.

Ken nods curtly at Overy. "Be so kind as to make sure that the press people stay where they are," he orders him. "And just so we're clear, there will be no press conference about anything at all without my express permission."

Overy, clearly relieved to be dismissed, hurries from the room towards what is known as Queen Caroline's Drawing Room, undoubtedly on his way to the King's Gallery. When the door closes behind him, a heavy silence settles.

It is Teddy who breaks it after a few moments. "He's my private secretary, mine and Persis's," he informs his brother. "He doesn't take orders from you."

"He does if he knows what's good for him and his job," Ken counters.

The implication, of course, is clear. Regardless of who he works for, if Overy knows which side his bread is buttered, he won't displease the future king. We all saw how close Ken got to the throne in spring and when he's pulling ranks like he's doing now, the staff knows better than to cross him, not if their professional future could one day depend on his goodwill.

Teddy bristles at the words, but before he can say anything, Persis steps forward. She is clearly nervous to get in-between this, but there's a resolute tilt of her chin that tells me she's made up her mind. "Maybe if you two stopped glowering at each other, Teddy could tell us why he called the press and we can resolve this… this situation."

"Sure." Ken nods curtly. "Why don't you tell us, Ted?"

There are really only two announcements Teddy could make that would require a press conference, especially a secret one. One would be if he'd decided to give up his succession rights and step back from royal life, but I can't see him doing that. I've experienced first-hand how seriously Teddy takes his duties and anyway, he wouldn't do this with his father still not back to his old self. Which just leave one other possibility…

"I'm announcing my engagement."

Teddy's declaration is met with a deafening silence.

"Engagement?" Persis whispers after several long moments, clearly dumbstruck. "But… to whom?"

To whom, indeed.

It's a valid question, yet Teddy shows no sign of answering. He lowers his chin stubbornly, while uncrossing and re-crossing his arms.

Casting a quick look up at Ken, I can see that his face is set into a stoic mask. He must want to know the answer to Persis's question as well, but I know he'd never ask his brother outright.

We've clearly reached an impasse, so I take it upon myself to try and resolve it. Still clasping Ken's hand, I take a step towards Teddy and give him an experimental smile. "It's Amy, isn't it? That was her name, right?"

"You knew this?" screeches Persis and gives me an utter look of betrayal. Ken merely turns his head slightly and raises a quizzical eyebrow.

"I knew he had a girlfriend," I clarify quickly. "I didn't know there were any plans for an engagement."

"Well, there are," Teddy replies brusquely. But when our eyes meet, I notice his expression softening the slightest bit, showing that it's not me he's mad at. (Though I wonder why he's so mad at all. So far, no-one has given him much of a reason to!)

"There aren't," Ken counters tersely. "No-one will be getting engaged today."

(And there's the reason, I guess.)

"I don't think that's any of your business," Teddy snaps, but his voice is shaking slightly as he does.

"If you're making decisions that have the power to impair the future of this family, then yes, it is my business," Ken shoots back.

Teddy laughs mockingly. "Impair the future of this family? Aren't we being the slightest bit dramatic?"

"Far from it," Ken replies through gritted teeth. "Any woman you marry becomes a princess and thus, a representative of the family as well as a member of the Firm. I realise you might fancy yourself in love with her, whoever she is, but this is bigger than you!"

Uh…

I exchange a nervous glance with Persis. She raises her shoulders helplessly. This is getting out of control!

"What makes you think she won't be a good addition to the family?" Teddy challenges.

"How am I to know that she will be, never having met her?" Ken counters. "In fact, how do you know? You can't have known her for more than five minutes!"

"I've known her far longer than that," Teddy informs him defiantly. "She's a great person! She's kind and caring and clever and anyway, just because you can't get your act together and propose to Rilla doesn't mean that everyone has to wait for a years and years to get married!"

Beside me, Ken stiffens. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Persis wince. I sigh quietly. If Teddy meant to up the tension, he's certainly succeeded.

Not giving Ken a chance to respond, I fully move myself between him and Teddy. Keeping my gaze fixed firmly on the latter, I tell him, "We're not talking about Ken and me right now and I suggest we stick to the topic at hand for the time being." I make sure to keep my voice friendly, but add a warning touch to it, letting Teddy know that he's moving on thin ice.

Having my back to him, I don't see Ken's reaction, but I feel him squeeze my hand briefly and know he approves of what I said. Teddy, for his part, lowers his head a little and even looks a bit sheepish, but clearly he can't help muttering, "I don't understand why you get to have an opinion about my relationship when I don't get to have one about yours."

"Because we worry about you," Persis blurts out.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Her bluntness seems to throw Teddy, because he blinks in confusion and for a moment even forgets to glare. He quickly remembers himself again, however, and narrows his eyes, though not at Persis but at Ken. "He doesn't. He just worries about his future kingdom."

Quickly, I turn to gauge Ken's reaction, but despite his brother's words, he manages to keep a straight face. He doesn't rise to the bait either, instead inclining his head slightly to the side, as if considering something. I'm sure I'm not the only one holding my breath until Ken finally nods at the room behind Teddy and asks, "She's in there, isn't she?"

And the moment he says it, I know he's right. The entire time, Teddy hasn't moved from the doorway and when at first I thought he was merely trying to stay as far away from us as possible, I know realise he has, in fact, been blocking access to the room lying behind that door. There's only one real reason why he would do that.

She is, indeed, in there. And she must have heard every word.

Poor girl.

Teddy doesn't confirm or deny Ken's speculation, but he swallows heavily and continues to block the doorway, which is really all the answer we need.

"I thought so," Ken remarks pensively, obviously drawing the same conclusion I did. "May I suggest Persis goes to introduce herself while we continue this conversation in private?"

"Me?" squeaks Persis and jumps, looking plainly horrified. Meeting new people is not one of her strong points and especially not in a situation as tense as this.

"I'm sure she won't bite," Ken assures her with a slight, strained smile. "And I know you can do this."

Persis looks dubious. So, I must say, does Teddy.

I, however, can see what Ken is doing. He's had the same thoughts I had, probably even before I had them, and he, too, realised that it is quite cruel to make Teddy's intended continue to listen to a conversation that can't be encouraging to her at all. (To say the least.) Because of that, he's trying to make Teddy get away from that doorway and close the door between the mysterious Amy and us, sparing her from having to hear any more.

It's a noble undertaking and one I fully support, so I chime right in. "That sounds like an excellent idea! You go and meet Amy, Persis, while we wrap this up here and join you shortly."

There's no way in hell I'm leaving the brothers alone right now.

Neither Persis nor Teddy look convinced, but neither seem to have a good argument to counter the suggestion, so after a moment of hesitation, they do as told. Teddy steps further into the room, thus freeing the doorway for Persis to walk through. She looks like she's been sent into a dragon's den (Smaug's, maybe, or Katla's), but despite how uneasy she clearly feels, I see her raise her chin and square her shoulders. When the door closes behind her, Teddy unconsciously mirrors her stance, only that the metaphorical dragon he is facing is evidently his brother.

How has it gotten this far, I should like to know!

Once the door is closed, silence settles over the room and the tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife (to stick with the metaphors). Ken and Teddy stand facing each other, seizing the other one up and gearing up for the next step of the argument.

Clearly, I can't let that happen. If my role is to be the moderator in this, the moderator I will be.

Slipping my hand from Ken's, I walk forward so I'm standing between them, right in the middle, and turn at an angle so that I can look at them both.

"If you're spoiling for a fight, please tell me, so that I can set up some rules beforehand," I ask them, my tone clipped. "Also, I need to find something to cover the eyes of all those statues. I don't want their innocence to be compromised."

The remark is ridiculous, of course, but it's meant to be. At this point, my best bet to prevent a full-blown fight is to pull them out of their confrontational mind-sets and sometimes, a little well-calculated oddness does the job best. It makes people trip up in their thoughts and it confuses them, which tends to make them more receptive to listen to what else one has to say.

Ken blinks at me, the intended confusion playing clearly over his face. "They're Roman gods," he points out.

"And goddesses," I add, nodding at one of the female statues.

"And goddesses," he agrees and I might be wrong, but I think I can see the left corner of his mouth rise in what could be a smile if he weren't fighting it.

"There's nothing innocent about Roman gods and goddesses," remarks Teddy on my other side. "They loved a good fight. A good war, even."

I cluck my tongue. "Be that as it may, do you really want to be the ones providing the entertainment?"

A moment passes, before they both shakes their heads, Ken first and Teddy a second later. I sigh a silent sigh of relief. If they agree not to fight, that's the first step. We can build on that.

Of course, neither of them wants to be the first one to speak, so with a roll of my eyes, I take it upon myself to get the conversation going – hopefully in a civilised way. "Do you want to tell us more about Amy?" I encourage Teddy. "She's from… Kentucky, isn't she?"

"Kansas," he corrects, but not unkindly.

I shrug. "Same thing, really."

Ken snorts.

For a moment, Teddy looks like he wants to explain to me the difference between Kansas and Kentucky, but then he seems to realise that I'm deliberately being glib and lets it slide. Instead, he cautiously adds, "She's from Kansas, but we met early this summer in London when she came to do an internship here. She transferred to Richmond University in September so we could be together."

It all sounds perfectly logical, but something about it doesn't sit quite right to me. I can't put my finger on what it is though, until Ken asks carefully, "Ted… how old is she?"

Teddy's face tightens and I realise that Ken touched a very soft spot. For a moment, I think he won't answer, but then he does anyway, "She's twenty-one."

Damn it.

I was twenty-one when I met Ken. For us to have gotten married then would have been… well, disaster covers it pretty well.

Ken raises his hands to rub his face, but I know he's doing it less from exhaustion and more because he doesn't want Teddy to see his expression until he has it back under control. I also know that he couldn't possibly ask the question he desperately wants to ask without Teddy completely shutting off, so once again, it looks like it'll have to be me.

"Teddy…" I begin slowly, keeping my voice as gentle as possible. "I don't want to question your decision, but I feel someone should ask this, so I will do it. The thing is, you've only known her for a few months and she's still very young, so… are you sure?"

For a long second, it looks like Teddy won't tolerate the question from me either as he appears to deliberate whether to answer it or whether to stomp off in a rage. Finally, he decides to answer, but does so with a defiant expression. "I am sure."

Damn it, again.

"If you're so sure, why did you orchestrate all of this in secret?" Ken wants to know, lowering his hands. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Teddy juts his chin upwards and crosses his arms. "Because you would have stopped me!" he blurts out.

Ken eyes him for a second. "I would have." A beat. "I still can."

He's right. Short of bursting into King's Gallery and bellowing his news to the assembled press, there's little Teddy can do if Ken puts his foot down. And even then, he'd still need his father's permission to conduct a valid marriage and if Ken were to ask Owen not to give it… it would put their father into an impossible situation and I can't foresee how he would decide. He would never want to see Teddy unhappy, but at the same time, Owen, like Ken, has an institution to protect and rash decisions have rarely ever helped in doing that.

Swallowing heavily, Teddy looks at his brother, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "Will you?" he asks tightly.

There's no immediate answer from Ken as he deliberates his next step. When he does speak, it's not to answer Teddy's question but to ask one of his own. "Do you really want Mum and Dad to find out about your engagement from TV?"

Another soft spot. Teddy flinches and looks down, but doesn't say anything in return.

Ken nods. "I thought not." Reaching into his trouser pocket, he pulls out his phone. "I will call them and you will talk to them. That's my condition. Tell them, or I'll blow all of this off this very second."

All in all, it's not an unfair condition at all, though I can see that this is not a conversation Teddy is looking forward to having. Still, when Ken looks at him questioningly, he jerks his head upwards in an approximation of a nod.

Instead of handing over the phone though, Ken dials the number and raises it to his own ear as he walks over to the door that Overy disappeared through a short while ago. (It can only have been minutes and yet, it feels like so much longer than that.) I can see that Teddy doesn't like that one bit, because that way, he has no idea what Ken will tell Owen and Leslie beforehand, but he makes no move to intercept his brother, just hangs his head and sighs.

Moving over to him, I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly. He looks up at me and twists his mouth into a mirthless smile. "Are you also angry with me?"

"No-one is angry with you," I clarify, because I know for sure that no-one is. "Ken isn't angry with you either. It's really what Persis said. We worry about you."

"There's no need to," Teddy counters stubbornly.

I hum and shrug, not agreeing but not wanting to openly disagree either. The truth is, I do worry for Teddy and not only because his wife-to-be is woefully unprepared for the life she's entering. I also can't help but think of the conversation we had in September over tea and Dev's cookies. Teddy's need for something more to fill his life was clear then and I can't help worrying whether he's looking for it in the wrong place or at least whether his unhappiness is making him rush into something prematurely in a hope to fill a void that he doesn't otherwise know how to deal with.

But he's already said that he's sure, so I can't ask him that again. I also can't voice these concerns without him drawing back and shutting off, so instead, I focus on something else that I think he might receive more openly. "Teddy… if I may, I'd like to make two… requests."

He raises both eyebrows, indicating for me to continue.

I take a deep breath and jump in feet first. "One, wait a few years before you have children. Two, make sure she finishes her studies."

"So she will have an education to fall back upon if we don't work out?" he challenges, narrowing his eyes.

"So that she will have something familiar and normal to hold on to in the coming months," I correct. "One way or another, this will be an incredibly confusing time for her, so she's going to need all the normalcy she can get."

Teddy makes a thoughtful sound and lowers his head as he considers my words. When he looks back at me, there's a new sort of vulnerability in his eyes. "You will help her, won't you? You will help her get through this?"

I don't think Teddy has any concept of what awaits Amy or what he's asking of me and part of me just wants to shake him, to shake some sense into him. But really, who am I to deny his request when it's so clear that they're both in desperate need of help?

"I will do what I can," I promise and the way his face lights up makes my stomach lurch uneasily. He's clearly expecting too much from this. I can't protect Amy, no more than anyone else can.

But I know I can't say that out loud now and anyway, I don't get a chance to, because Ken re-enters the room in that very moment, holding out his phone for Teddy to take. "For you."

Teddy shifts uncomfortably. "Did you…?"

"No." Ken shakes his head. "That's for you to tell."

"Right." Taking a deep breath, Teddy accepts the phone. As he raises it to his ear, he's already crossing through the room, leaving for the privacy of Queen Caroline's Drawing Room that Ken also used for his conversation with his parents.

He's nearly reached the door, when Ken calls out, "Oh, and congrats, little brother!"

At first, Teddy looks genuinely surprised, but then he smiles tentatively. For a second, there's a visible connection as the brothers exchange a look and a nod, before Teddy turns and leaves the room.

Gazing after his brother for a moment, Ken shakes his head and comes over to wrap his arms around me and settle his chin on the top of my head. "The weird thing is that deep down, he knows this is a bad idea," he remarks pensively. "He wouldn't be so nervous and secretive about all this if he didn't know."

"He knows it in his head. He didn't make that decision with his head though," I reply and sigh.

"The heart wants what it wants?" Ken asks and without looking, I know he's raising both eyebrows.

I nod against his shoulder. "Something like that."

For a moment, there's silence, until Ken speaks again, this time sounding a little uncertain. "About what he said about the two of us… and about what I said about our marriage decisions potentially impairing the family…"

"It's okay, I know," I assure him when he trails off. "It's never just a marriage, it's also a job. I get that."

And I do get it. Six years of being with him gave me a pretty good insight into how the royal family works. Poor Amy didn't even get six months.

As if having followed my train of thoughts, Ken asks, "What do you think about… all this?"

I sigh. "I think they're moving too fast and I think she's both unprepared and too young."

He hums in agreement. "Do you think they can make it?"

"That's the big question, isn't it?" I look up at him and smile wryly. "They certainly need all the help they can get."

"We'll help them," Ken replies and it's not a question.

"We will," I agree, because that, after all, is what family is about.

That's all there is to say for the time being, so we both fall silent, both lost in our own thoughts (though I have a feeling they aren't very different). We only move again when, some ten or so minutes later, Teddy comes back. He looks flushed and jumpy, but also happy in a nervous, excited way, so whatever he said to his parents, it doesn't seem to have gone as bad as he feared.

Stepping out of Ken's embrace, I look up at him and raise an eyebrow in question. He nods, giving me a half-smile and wrapping my hand in his, before turning for the King's Drawing Room behind us.

This, clearly, was the first act. Now, to meet Amy.


The title of this chapter is taken from the song 'Daydream Believer' (written by John Stewart, released by The Monkees in 1967).


To AnneShirley:
No need to apologise! The last month has been a rollercoaster of the not-fun kind for me, too, so I completely understand what you mean. Sometimes, something just has to give so one can stay on top of the important things emotionally. We've all been there. I hope January will be a much-improved and much calmer month for you and that 2021 will be a much, much better year overall!
An adopted shelter dog! I'm all for adopting (I adopted my own cat from a family that otherwise would have given her to a shelter) and giving pets a new home, especially those in need, and I applaud you for actively working to help those shelter animals find a new home! A small appartment is not something one can (or should!) get around, but there's plenty of life still ahead of you and I'm sure that one day, it will hold a bigger home and and adopted pet for you as well =).

To DogMonday:
Never feel sorry for the length of a comment, please! I appreciate each and every review I get, irrespective of length, but there's something about the long, meaty ones that I enjoy especially. Maybe because they feel familiar to me, who I've never been known to use one word when I can use three instead ;).
I like to think that Rilla preparing for her inevitable encounter with Sam is a sign of her growth in the past year. If she hadn't gone back to the youth centre, the odds of seeing him would have been slim, but once she took a job there, she figured that she'd run into him eventually and she decided that she wanted to be prepared. As you said, Ken would have struggled to support her in this in the past, so just as her turning to him (and Anne, of course!) for help is a sign of her growth, him providing that help is a sign that he, too, grew as a person.
I like your praise of Sam, too. You're right that he could have made this conversation extremely difficult and that he chose not to is certainly worthy of acknowledgement. He took a chance and when Rilla shot it down, he was gracious and accepting about it, which not everyone could have managed. I know most people aren't big fans of Sam and that's a valid way to look at him, but to me, he's always been a good person who made a mistake. The mistake was big enough to end his friendship with Rilla, but despite that, he can still be a decent person and in their conversation, I like to think that he showed that he truly is.
As for Ken's staff, I believe that Rilla building a friendly relationship with them will also help with them doing their jobs in a way that is even more helpful to Ken in the long run. I imagine that Rilla, once she feels she can do it without causing offence, will take some of them aside quietly and ask them to make the report for Ken more concise, for example. As you point out, she's okay to handle them right now, but won't be able to do that sort of work forever, because let's face it, no daughter of Anne could ever be a quiet shadow behind anyone ;).
I enjoyed your thoughts about Lottie and George and what they signify in comparison to canon. George as the Jims of this story is definitely something I've been thinking about as well and what with how traumatised poor Lottie is, she could well signify the traumatised child. LMM likes to gloss over how truly awful Anne's childhood must have been, but she most definitely experience trauma and it's a sign of an amazing resilience that she turned out as well as she did in canon. In my story, she still lost her father too early, but that's a different kind of grief to battle through than what canon-Anne had and overall, her early life was much happier.
With regards to
Royal Correspondent and Anne's Diary, those story are written by OriginalMcFishie and DW.618 respectively and whether they get updated depends on when these two have time to write. I know OriginalMcFishie is currently kept busy by real life, but DW.618 just updated and I'm sure she'd love some feedback. A little birdie also told me that we can hopefully expect another new entry in Anne's diary very soon!
Thank you, as always, for your lovely review and all the best for 2021! Here's hoping it will be a better one than last year. We've all earned it!

To Guest:
It appears Rilla's finances are a source of much interest, but I can happily assure you that it's not very complicated. During the breakup, she didn't have to worry about money because her parents supported her. Anne suggested she visit her siblings and she and Gilbert basically said, "Don't worry about money, worry about getting better and finding your feet. We'll have your back." (Yes, parents
will do that for the children they love. I know so.) They paid for the flights and since she said rent-free with her siblings, her other expenses were rather low during that time. And when she was in London to assist the royals, no-one presented her the bill for room and board afterwards either.
Rilla simply didn't have a lot of expenses during the break-up time, except for the flights that her parents covered, so she didn't have financial worries. Now though, she's back on her own feet, paying her own way (except rent) - and doing so on half a social worker's wage! Sadly, jobs like that just don't pay enough money to reflect the importance of the work being done, so she really isn't earning any riches. Even with rent taken care off, she doesn't have that much money, especially for living in an expensive city like London. And, I mean... have you
seen the prices they charge for those West End shows? Anyone would want a deal! ;)