The gesture – one that had not been imitated by a single other member of her staff apart from Louisa, in whose intentions she had nothing but the greatest trust – immediately put her on edge. If Mr Podmore was giving her gifts then he was probably angling for a promotion and whilst she was technically in a position to give him one now it was the only thing she regretted about her recent elevation. Now she couldn’t fob him off with insistences that she was not the person to speak to. She very emphatically was.

“I probably shouldn’t accept gifts you realise?” She said archly, still reaching to pull the package a little closer. She was intrigued to say the least as to what he could possibly have found that made him think of her – quite how one put a sharp word and irritating about someone’s flirting into the form of a present she wasn’t sure but it was the season for goodwill, perhaps she could simply accept it and indulge him?

“But I’ll bear the shame of being the most loved head of department somehow,” she quipped with a twitch of her lips, running a finger underneath the packaging to pull away the paper. It was a book, which was something of a disappointment really, until she saw the title and her face set to rigidity.

“What is this?”

---

MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat