Readers Guide for The Maid’s Secret

Present Day

Molly is happily planning her wedding to Juan Manuel.

Meanwhile, the Regency Grand Hotel is hosting Hidden Treasures, an Antiques Roadshow-style show.

Molly decides to bring a few treasures to be appraised by Brown and Beagle the married couple who hosts the show.

She chooses a tea cup, some trinkets, and an old key. Juan asks her why she’s not bringing the jeweled egg that we learned about in book two. He puts it in the box.

Brown and Beagle tell Molly that her Gran’s key is probably for a diary. They also reveal that her egg is a genuine Fabergé worth million. Molly promptly faints.

Gran’s Diary

Gran (aka Flora) is a wealthy young woman who lives in Gray Manor with her parents. She is a gifted student but her parents are eager for her to make a good marriage, as their finances are shaky.

Present Day

Brown and Beagle ask Molly how she got the egg, and she says a gardener gave it to he when she worked with her Gran as maids for a famous writer. Who is dead (This is basically a summary of book two, The Mystery Guest.)

Molly says she visited the mansion and Jenkins gave her a box of old old junk, including the egg. (This also happened in book two. Molly went back to the mansion with Detective Stark, who even calls the egg a “silly old trinket.

Gran’s Diary

We meet the people in Gran’s world: Uncle Willy, his sister Maggie the housekeeper, and their son John, with whom Gran (Flora) attends school.

Present Day

Molly agrees to let Brown and Beagle auction off the egg. Molly becomes a minor celebrity and is chased by reporters. The media also interviews Jenkins and Serena Sharpe, who agree that Molly owns the egg. Molly’s landlord tells her she needs to buy her apartment or leave.

Molly gets a free wedding dress in exchange for being filmed.

Gran’s Diary

Uncle Willy tells Flora that her father’s financial problems are serious. She and John have a bit of a love-hate relationship. And of course, Flora confirms that John is … John Preston.

Flora and her parents are hosting the Brauns. They invite him and their son to an upcoming ball.

Present Day

Molly’s egg sells at auction for $10 million. But then it’s stolen.

Gran’s Diary

As Flora helps Mrs. Mead polish silver, Mrs. Mead explains that Flora’s father expects her to marry Braun’s son. (They use lye, which is referenced in a story that Gran tells young Molly in The Mystery Guest.) Later Molly gives Grimthorpe the idea of lye to make a body disappear. He uses the idea in his most popular novel.

The Brauns arrive at the ball with their son, Algernon, who asks her on a date.

Present Day

Detective Stark arrives to investigate the stolen egg. They decide that thieves stole the egg by sucking it out of its case using a central vacuum system.

The thief has left a note for Molly: find the egg and you die.

Molly learns that the egg wasn’t insured for $10 million, so she’s out of luck. Angela watches heist films in an attempt to solve the case.

A familiar woman comes to warn Molly. It’s Maggie, who saw Molly on TV. She warns Maggie that the egg a gang of hired thieves stole the egg. But really she just wants money.

Gran’s Diary

Mrs. Mead tries to warn Flora’s parents at Algernon is not a “good egg,” as Molly likes to say. Flora rebelliously disagrees even though she and John are still heavily flirting.

Flora goes on her date with “Algie.

Present Day:

Molly decides the egg is nothing but trouble. But she, Angela, and Sharpe feel that Gran is the missing link to the egg thief.

Preston gives Molly her Gran’s diary. He says that Gran wanted Molly to have it “when she was ready.” Which, apparently, is now! And the key fits!

Gran’s Diary

Both the Grays and the Brauns are happy with Flora and Algie’s blossoming romance. Flora basically drops out of school.

Algie proposes and the Brauns offer the Fabergé egg as an engagement present to Flora.

Present Day

Stark tells Molly to lay low while Stark investigates Maggie’s claims. She is ready to read Gran’s diary when Mr. Snow calls with some news: the egg has been found.

Gran’s Diary

The Brauns and the Grays merge their firms. Flora’s father tells her that even if Algie dumps her, the egg is hers.

The Brauns arrive for a hunting expedition, Algie suggests that the Fabergé egg might be stolen. Mrs. Mead dies in a hunting accident.

No one seems to be able to explain wha happened. John gives the eulogy for his aunt. Penelope, a maid, tells Flora that Algie attacked her when she was working for another employer, a baron. Mrs. Mead has been trying to warn the Grays about Algie.

Flora goes to her parents, who tell her she’s being ridiculous to doubt Algie.

John gives Flora a present that his aunt bought for her: a diary.

Flora and John declare their love and sleep together.

Flora breaks her engagement, causing her father to lose his company. Then she discovers she is pregnant. Uncle Willy gets fired and he and John are banished from the mansion.

Flora is sent to a home for unwed mothers. She flees and is taken in by the mother of one of her former classmates. Her employer offers to sell the egg and does, giving Flora a few thousand dollars, which she calls her “Fabergé.”

Present Day

Someone has left the egg on Molly’s cleaning cart with a note that says “Sell the egg or you die.”

Molly meets with Brown and Beagle. Thomas Beagle tells Molly that his grandfather was a Baron.

Then Molly reads the entire diary and says she knows who stole the egg.

The Maid’s Secret: Ending Explained

Molly tells Stark, Juan, Mr. Preston, and Angela in her living room and tells them Gran’s story.

She points out that “Braun,” the name of the family that Gran’s parents wanted her to marry into, means Braun.

• Braun is the name of one of the hosts of Hidden Treasures: Baxley Brown.
• The Braun family were business associates with a Baron, who attended the ball
• Thomas Beagle said that his grandfather was a baron

Angela proposes a sting: sell the egg and see what Baxley Brown and Thomas Beagle do.Speedy the doorman will run surveillance, Molly will watch Beagle and Brown, Angela will play a fake bidder, and Juan will guard the egg.

Madame Orange (Angela) buys the egg for $13 million. But the surveillance fails, so Molly and Angela have to spy through the vacuum outlet.

Beagle tells Brown he stole the egg, which belonged to his grandfather, Baron Beagle, until Algernon Brown stole it. Beagle also has a receipt for the egg’s original purchase.

Stark arrests Beagle. Molly tells Brown that she has proof that his father and grandfather stole the egg from Baron Beagle.

We learn that John Preston and Flora Gray exchanged wedding vows right before she died.

Molly and Juan get married at the hotel. Baxley Brown slips Molly a check for $500,000.