"Oh, live-in, Ma'am," she answered quickly, allowing herself—though only for a moment—to think that this was actually going well, to think she might be about to secure a job. When the lady had mentioned that there would be a need for sewing, Imogen had felt her breath catch, but the conversation had moved on so swiftly that she suspected it would not be as much of an issue as she had worried.

"I've a room in a boarding house for now, but Missus Blickwick always says that a good servant is a nearby servant."