Tears welled in her eyes when Lucas said "Irene".

"Do you still remember her?" she asked.

"She was my servant, so, of course, I remember her. You sound like you knew her," Lucas said.

She nodded. "I've seen her before."

"That's it?"

She hesitated and added, "We spoke, too."

"You are kind of like her. She liked working, too."

Ivy burst out laughing.

"But apart from that you two are different," said Lucas. "I'm sure you come from a well-to-do family because you always smile. She was poor and didn't even have decent clothes. She didn't laugh as much as you do."

Upon hearing Lucas's words, Ivy felt a lump in her throat as she could not even remember how she used to laugh.

"She must be touched that you remember so much about her," Ivy replied.

"She's dead. Didn't you know?" Lucas said.

"Perhaps she's not dead; she might have just gone to another place," Ivy suggested.

"She is dead. You don't have to console me."

"If she were not dead, would you have hired her?" I