NC for this, I'm a regular lurker, don't post much but unlurking now as need advice.
A bit of a backstory. I have had my current cleaner for over 4 years, since she first arrived in the UK (she is east European) and helped her with papers to set up her cleaning business. I trust(ed) her and treat her well, I'm always polite to her, I always make her cups of tea, we chat, she receives a Christmas bonus every year and I have just raised her money per hour as she requested and generally try and keep her happy. We have a good relationship. She is highly reliable and cleans to a good standard.
Before she arrived this morning I checked my purse and knew exactly how much money was there. When she was 2/3 done, I took her payment out of the purse and left it on the table for her as usual. I put the purse in the bag and went upstairs out of her way/relax. The bag stayed downstairs. When she finished, she popped half way up the stairs, said goodbye and let herself out with her key. When I came downstairs there was £10 less in the purse than it should have been.
I'm in bits over this. I don't know what to think. I don't want to believe she could have done this, but £10 is missing and it's a fact.
Now I think it wasn't the first time she did it. There were couple of times before when I thought there should have been more money in the purse, but normally I'm quite lax and can't remember how much money I have in my purse exactly. Now I also think she might have done it with the cleaning products too as sometimes I expect there to be a product and it's not there. She probably started with nicking the cleaning products, clocked that I'm not watching and moved onto money.
I don't know what to do, help!