A scene from “Unfinished Business”

Lady Whistledown: [narrating] Dearest Gentle Reader, like a butterfly that flaps its wings in London, causing a tempest at Land's End, it seems that the dismissal of a single housemaid from Penwood House some months ago has invited disorder even this author could not have anticipated. So skilled was this maid, apparently, that Lady Penwood was in need of four new maids to replace her. And where better to find new maids than amongst the well-trained staff of neighbors and friends. Lady Penwood is said to have enticed Lady Keswick's ladies' maids with promises of better pay, one of Lady Hamilton's laundry maids with the allure of prettier dresses, and poached not two but three housemaids from the Marquess of Leicester. With a shortage of capable staff already plaguing the ton, it seems Mayfair has fallen into disarray. I hear Lady Keswick has even resorted to asking her scullery maid to do her hair, leading to rather unpleasant results. Now, the demand for the best help has soared to new heights, the tempest growing as each household attempts to replenish their ranks. And so, the Great Maid War has begun. Who could have imagined that so very much would be upended by one unassuming maid?