On her first day in the household, Ms. Stuart is praised for cooking but immediately pushed between laundry, the study, and nonstop cleaning by Mr. Finch. Staff warn that Mr. Finch demands spotless care across three floors, two basements, and two yards; breaks are denied and perfect work is required to stay. Convinced her husband Eric resents her prison past, she still donates 800 milliliters of blood to Mr. Finch. Doctors keep her a week in hospital, order three months without heavy work, and she ends the episode weak and dizzy—her recovery and place in the family left in doubt.