‘Are you sure you’re OK, darling.’ ‘Yes, Mummy. I’m trying to decide what to get you for a present.’ Laura chuckled. ‘Well, you have ple...nty of time. Maybe you and Sally can talk about it at school tomorrow.’ We pulled up outside the house, and when we got inside the door Evie made straight for the stairs. ‘Mummy — is it alright if I have a nap now?’ ‘Of course, dear. Are you tired, did you not sleep very well at Grandma’s?’ Evie shook her head. ‘But I think you and Tim need a cuddle now. I can. Just someplace where people might have a little of that old fashioned politeness. It didn’t occur to her that there was quite a bit of irony in a modern, hard-charging woman seeking out someplace that was likely to retain old fashioned attitudes toward women as well.Now, three months into her new job in Granger, Kansas, Erica had experienced an epiphany of sorts. She had come to the conclusion that boys were boys, and men were men - wherever they were.Oh, they weren’t as bald-faced about ogling. "Yes. We'd want you to take care of packaging, of course and provide some sort of distraction activity just to make sure the removal of the items in question does not cause undue excitement."Reg nodded, sagely. "And would this be a local arrangement or are we talking about importation?"Importation! As if, Harry thought. It would be quite a while before anyone in the UK could afford the luxury of importing product. One thing the credit crunch had fucked up for Clegg's business was the home. Even worse, he had stopped making an effort at hiding his many affairs. The marriage had been reduced to a sham and the couple now slept in separate rooms. Her two young kids and the business needed her. Divorce was not an option: in those days that would have left her without her kids, without a roof over her head and in all likelihood without an income. Her pride would never have let her return to her parents. Swati knew she was trapped. She carried a heavy burden on her shoulders. She was.