Muriel

Muriel, Andrew Glasson’s daughter, is an important offstage presence whose decisions shape both her father’s care and Blake’s departure from his household. Living in Bristol and visiting infrequently, she intervenes from a distance, but Andrew ultimately complies with her demands because he regards her as the only family he has left.

Identity and Family Circumstances

Muriel lives in Bristol and, during Blake’s time working for Andrew, did not come down often. She objects to having live-in help when that help is Blake in particular. Her conflict with Blake is described as a personality clash, with the sharper underlying accusation that Blake cared more about Andrew’s family than Muriel did. Andrew, for his part, did not want Blake to leave, and later acknowledges that he still misses her companionship.

Blake’s Departure

Muriel insists that Blake leave, a decision Andrew presents as the consequence of his daughter’s opposition rather than his own wishes. Blake understands that Muriel and she did not get on; Andrew makes clear that the disagreement was more severe than that mild description suggests. After Blake is gone, Andrew has a rota of young women organized by Muriel to help him. He considers them pleasant and efficient, but they are not Blake, and the replacement arrangement does not erase his sense of loss.

Intervention over Wynsum Fry

When Andrew tells Muriel about Wynsum Fry and the possibility that Jane Glasson might still be alive, Muriel reacts furiously. Andrew thinks she had convinced herself that Jane was dead and did not welcome suggestions otherwise. He also credits her with fearing that Fry might exploit him, a concern he admits could have been justified. Muriel forbids further contact with Fry and orders Andrew to dismiss Blake. Andrew complies, explaining that Muriel is all the family he has left and that he acted to appease her. Her intervention thus combines concern about her father’s vulnerability with a response that cuts him off from both Fry and Blake.