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‘Of course some staff have to work,’ said Antonietta, dragging her mind to their conversation as she dragged the vacuum cleaner from the doorway. ‘Are the guests supposed to make their own beds and get their own food? What would be the point of people taking a Christmas Break?’
‘Well, there could be a skeleton staff,’ said Chi-Chi, as she needlessly rearranged the herbal teabags. ‘That way some of the staff who have been here since the place opened could have the day off.’
‘Tell Nico.’ Antonietta shrugged.
‘I intend to,’ Chi-Chi said. ‘In fact—’
Whatever Chi-Chi’s grand plans were, Antonietta chose not to hear them and switched on the vacuum cleaner. She turned it to full suction and wished that drowning out her thoughts of Rafe was as easy as drowning out Chi-Chi’s whining voice.
‘Antonietta!’
She heard her name and then heard it again.
‘Antonietta!’
‘What?’ she snapped, wondering what gripe Chi-Chi had this time that couldn’t possibly wait—except it was Francesca who was calling her.
‘Scusi,’Antonietta said and turned off the vacuum. ‘I didn’t see you there.’
‘That’s fine. I can see thatyouare busy...’ Francesca shot a look at Chi-Chi, who was suddenly polishing a mirror. ‘Signor Dupont has asked for his room to be serviced and he has requested you.’
‘But I thought he was checking out?’
‘Checking out?’ Francesca frowned. ‘Where did you hear that?’
‘I’m not sure...’ Antonietta attempted to cover her mistake. ‘I thought you said he wouldn’t last until Christmas Eve?’
‘Well, that might be the case, but for now he is here—and, given that he has been in the August Suite for a week now, it requires a deep service, so I shall come with you.’
Oh, God! Please, no, Antonietta thought as they left Chi-Chi to it and collected linen before taking the elevator and heading along the cloisters.
What on earth was Rafe thinking, requestingher? She had visions of him lying naked on the bed as she and Francesca walked in, and was actually sweating as Francesca knocked and then opened the door.
It would seem Rafe had better manners than that, though.
‘He’s out,’ Francesca said, after she’d made herself known but got no response.
Thank you, Antonietta breathed to herself.
‘Let’s get started,’ Francesca said.
It felt odd, being back in the August Suite after last night. There on the table were the glasses that they had drunk from, but Francesca soon whipped them away.
‘It looks as if he had company last night. Antonietta, why don’t you get started in the master bedroom?’
From riches to rags.
Well, not quite. But she was no longer his lover and she was back to being his maid.
First she swept out the fire before which he had slowly undressed her. It felt as if it had been a dream. And then she rebuilt it, adding kindling under the logs and kneeling back for a moment. But there was no time to daydream, so she went to make up the bed.
As she pulled back the heavy cover she had lain beneath she saw the evidence of her lost virginity.
It had not all been a dream.
Quickly, and with her cheeks burning red, she bunched up the sheet. She was about to toss it to the floor when, glancing up, she saw Francesca standing in the doorway, watching her.
‘You’re a good worker, Antonietta.’
