Today our patron, M. Ermerod, was away from work. I understand this completely. I, too, would stay away from work if I thought everyone was sort of trying to give me the cold shoulder. Unfortunately, I can't do that because M. Ermerod demands (and gets) complete control over his staff's comings and goings. Nothing less than an itemized account of your whereabouts every day would meet with M. Ermerod's grudging approval.
Now, of course M. Ermerod is probably tired from his many long meetings, during which various hobbledehoys question everything we are doing, and I am sure he has stuck up for us: 'What?!! Do you realize these people are the backbone of', etc. I'm pretty sure that's what happened, and that's why our chef needed an afternoon off. I would, too. Actually, I should like an afternoon off. But I would have to beg for that from M. Ermerod, and he's not here. Also, he wouldn't make an easy time of it. He would make me feel like a Marine asking to go home on the second day of Iwo Jima.