Mary winced at Slater's tone, and put her hand on his. "Oh, I'm not workin for him. He wrote to Lord Stanley to say I wasn't coming back, and had me come stay with him at his place is all. Guess he decided it was his brotherly duty." She shrugged, but her blush deepened as he patted her nose and she laughed. "You flatterer. It's just you ain't seen me in..." she paused, not quite sure when exactly she'd seen him last, "a fair few years anyway. I suppose I'm old enough to join your girls now?"