Juliana didn't usually care enough about this job to be annoyed about anything that happened during her work day, but today was an exception. She'd shown up today already in thin spirits, as the timing of the full moon this month and its coincidence with the holidays had set her worrying about all her subjects with whom she'd corresponded over the years. She wanted nothing more than to finish an uneventful day and get back home to spend a little time with herself, but Mrs. Reading had determined to make her day quite eventful. She'd decided, apparently this morning, that she was to buy a new Lytton dress for Christmas, and wanted to wear it to a party on boxing day. Even under normal circumstances that sort of turn-around for a custom designer dress would be unreasonable, but it was especially silly given that Mr. Lytton had given every one in the shop Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day off.

Jules had explained politely that it was impossible, then she'd explained it impolitely when her first explanation didn't seem to get through to Mrs. Reading. Then they'd argued for at least twenty minutes — as though berating her would change the facts — until Mr. Lytton had intervened. He'd said much the same thing Jules had, but had also managed to pacify Mrs. Reading, which left Jules wondering why the infuriating woman would listen to Mr. Lytton and not to her. Was it because Juliana had less money than either of them? Because she didn't wear haute couteur to work herself? Because she was a spinster? Because Mrs. Reading had no respect for women who worked, or women in general?

In any case, the interaction had left her seething as she tidying up the store to close. She was doing everything just a bit more forcefully than usual, making the front room echo with little bangs as she cleared the tea set. She opened the front window and dumped the bucket of old, cold tea that had been collecting throughout the day in the gutter, as she always did — except today she sent the liquid sailing down over the eaves instead of just into the gutter, and it splashed over a passerby, soaking them in what would very soon be freezing tea.

"Oh my stars! I'm sorry!" she called down immediately, mortified by this turn of events.