The English economy works on an arcane gentleman’s agreement that sources shall remain secret. Nevertheless, it seems relevant to point out the fiscal realities behind Mullin and Ketts here because I have no inherited wealth and these are the figures I have to bear constantly in mind in every contact I make, in every conversation I have, whether assessing a young actress’s earning potential or contemplating education or health matters for Grace and Liz. I know this may make me seem grubby, small-minded, like some Dickensian clerk, but that’s tough cookies, I’ll have to put up with the drop in image credibility in order to clarify my position, as much for myself as for any purpose. At Mullin and Ketts we have ninety clients, forty mine, forty Naomi’s. The remaining ten are looked after by Tilda, who is our trainee. These clients bring us in approximately £150,000 a year in commission. We pay Tilda £12,000 out of this, or more if she exceeds her targets. The office costs us £35,000 a year in rent and expenses.
