Help! How should I reply to rude freelance client?

I've been having trouble with this client and seem to never do anything right with them. The below message is confusing to me. When I left the initial meeting they told me that they would get me the text file but that the other project I was working on was higher priority and to work on it first. I finished that project last week. No deadline was given. Here is the e-mail I got yesterday:
Have you not started on this project at all?
It's been almost a month, I would have hoped that if you did not have information to move forward on this project that you would have said something to me earlier. I thought you had everything that you needed to get started.
Tracey is back in the office today and I know she was hoping to see something this week.
I'm attaching the files that I believe you are requesting. I know that you had hard copies of all of this so from our initial meeting, I hope that you just need this info to fill in text and that a design layout is already complete.
How do I reply

OK Can we say 'NO CONTRACT'. How close to hitting home on that am I?

What does it take for you younger people to learn that verbal agreements are difficult to prove and consistently create you confrontations over deadlines and expectations.

I'm betting there is not only no contract on this disagreement but there was also none on the first.

Deadlines, source code, and payment are all included in your contract.

It's obvious to me that your client either misinterpreted which job was to be completed first or you over promised your ability to do both projects in their time frame.

Without a contract your options are pretty thin. With a contract you could have pointed out that 'per our agreement, such and such job was to be done by this time and this was to be done by this time. I fully intend to complete your second project in our agreed to time. According to our agreement I was to present a spec of this to you by <date>. At this time I fully intend on doing that.'

But you don't have that do you? So now you have some lackey that works for Tracey getting heat and passing it on to you.

Did you not see this coming? Do you now understand the importance of a contract? YOU ARE IN BUSINESS! Act like you are.

So what are you left with?

'Idiot(real name here), there obviously was a misunderstanding on what took priority. I felt that your company wished your first project completed before I started the second. This confusion is entirely my fault and I apologize for that. However, I have started the second one and can give Tracey a heads up when she returns as to the progress on the second. I still fully intend to complete your second project in the time frame we agreed on. Please send me a time when I can show Tracey the spec of where I'm at. Again I sincerely apologize for this. If you have any further questions on status, as always you are welcome to call or email me.

Sincerely
Blah

CC that to both Tracey and the idiot

After you have done that, contact an attorney that handles contracts and have him/her draw up a fill-in-the-blank contract that protects your interests. In the future all jobs, regardless of how large or small they are have a contract.

Don't reply in anger.
Don't get defensive.
Reply calmly and factually with what you stated in your note about the situation. Let them know what your plan and request a deadline if it wasn't given. If you get defensive, it will only escalate.

Has it really been a month ?

If it has - you are at fault.

Just say Tracey and I are going over last few details and make it look like Tracey has the say in going forward with the project.

I hope this sounds clever . I'm unemployed :)

I know it's easy to read into what clients say, but you have to remember that it's not personal, it's business. It's pretty assertive, but you just need to be up front with them and let them know you were getting their priority project done, and you had been unaware of the timing on the project. If you had hard copies, I can understand why they're asking you about it.

Either way, in the future, I would recommend you always set a deadline so the expectations are always clear. If a client doesn't have a particular deadline, I will suggest a deadline to make sure we're thinking along the same lines.

Dear name here,
I am entirely into your project. Tracy can expect progress report about the design layout by the end of the week. Those files were really needed.
Regards,

Where is the rude comment? It seems a bit assertive, but hardly rude. Reply with the truth as to why you haven't started on it.

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