Drake watched helplessly as the stress piled onto Grace. Between the list-making, watching Oliver come and go with woman after woman, dealing with Annie's apprehension surrounding everything, and her regular duties, he could see her wearing thin.
It was really no surprise when she began entertaining the idea of a job in Washington.
"You know that I don't want to leave, Drake," she said one evening while Mr. Warbucks was out on yet another date. "But suppose Mrs. Warbucks wants to take over some of my duties. He's been single for so long that some of the wifely duties have defaulted to me, even if those are few and far between."
"That doesn't mean you'll be fired. Mr. Warbucks is far too loyal to let that happen."
"You never know."
"Are you sure there isn't a part of you trying to avoid the changes taking place here?"
She looked up at him guiltily.
"It's okay to admit it."
Grace sighed. "It's not so much the changes. I'm adaptable. It's…"
"Mr. Warbucks?"
"I've become invisible to him. For a while after Annie arrived, he started treating me more like a person. Now I'm back to being his machine that blindly takes orders."
"No, you've just described my position here."
She rolled her eyes but showed some amusement. "I have a new appreciation for your career."
"I like to think of it as more of a lifestyle choice."
She laughed.
Growing serious again, Drake said, "Why don't you tell him? I saw you two on Christmas morning. You were smitten."
"I thought so, too," she admitted. "But clearly I misread him. He's made it clear he has no interest in me."
"If you ask me, he's only being stubborn."
"So stubborn he'd rather marry a perfect stranger?"
Drake gave a dramatic shrug. "Rich people."
Standing up from the desk, she said, "I haven't made a decision yet. I don't even know if there's a position for me yet. My friend Stephen works for President Roosevelt and mentioned it in passing. He's going to call me again in a few days. It's just nice to know there are other options the way things are going. It's my own fault. I knew better than to get attached to someone I work with."
"Yes…"
"I have some things I need to finish up. Meet you later?"
"It's a date," he said almost bitterly, though it was lost on Grace.
"Thanks for always being my sounding board."
"Any time, Miss Farrell."