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And that she loathed him.
But if there was to be a hope of finding Beatrice then she needed this rich man on-side and would swallow her pride.
Alicia entered the hotel through the less than glamorous staff entrance and made her way to the changing room, where she chose a locker and put in her code. Stripping off her dress, Alicia took a fresh mint-green uniform from the laundered pile and did up the poppers one by one, then tied on her apron. She took her compact mirror from her bag and placed it in her apron pocket, and from her locker she took out flat, soft-soled shoes. She tied back her thick, black, wavy hair and twisted it into a neat bun with a little more care than usual, because she wanted the best of the room allocations—certainly she was not grooming herself for Dante.
‘Buongiorno.’Alicia smiled at the head of housekeeping, and then to each of the morning crew as they arrived, but her greeting went pretty much unreturned by the bleary-eyed crowd.
She stood trying to feign nonchalance as the room allocations were given, although her heart was racing.
‘Grand Presidential Suite...’
The woman had started at the top, and Alicia knew that this suite was the best, and the one reserved for Dante when he was in residence. This was her chance.
‘Rosa.’
Damn!
Alicia exhaled heavily, reminding herself that there was still time. Dante Schininà was in Milan for three nights on this visit, and only one of them was already gone.
‘Rosa?’
Alicia looked up and saw that her superior was frowning.
‘Where is she?’
‘I haven’t seen her,’ someone said.
‘I’m here!’ Rosa had arrived—almoston time for her five-thirty start, but a moment too late for the best and rather more prominent role.
There was a reason Alicia was never late.
‘Alicia?’
‘Si?’
‘You can take the Grand Presidential Suite—the guest is Signor Schininà...’
Alicia was second choice but she didn’t care—she had the job. The head of housekeeping took a moment to read out the relevant requests on his booking. Alicia’s reading, despite her best efforts, was still poor, and as guest preferences were sometimes hard to decipher she was glad the woman was reading them aloud. Dante’s didn’t really veer from the standard, even though he stayed in the best suite.
‘You are to leave the breakfast trolley at the butler’s kitchen but deliver his coffee. Knock on both the main entrance and the door to the bedroom suite. Even if there is no response you are to take in his coffee, open the drapes on the Duomo view and then offer to pour.’
‘Si.’
‘Pour even if he remains asleep—which is likely, since he only just got back.’
Alicia felt her nostrils pinch as the head of housekeeping explained that Dante and his international guests had taken a helicopter to Switzerland for a night at a casino.
‘Signor Schininà likes still iced water, no lemon. Black coffee, with two raw brown sugars. Although ensure cream is on the coffee tray in case he should have company.’ As Alicia nodded and moved to walk off and get started, the head of housekeeping offered an added insight into this esteemed guest. ‘Alicia, may I suggest that, even if you get no response to your knocking, you pause and listen before going into the bedroom suite? Knowing Signor Schininà there is every chance he will beactiveat this hour, if—’
‘Of course,’ Alicia interrupted, her throat suddenly tight. ‘If that is the case I’ll return the coffee to the trolley and leave it for the butler to pour.’
‘Excellent.’
Alicia smiled, but her smile soon faded as she headed to the kitchen to check the trolley contents with the head chef. He kindly checked and ticked off the list for her, informing her that the pastries included Signor Schininà’s preferred anchovy, spinach and ricotta—yuk!
Although she nodded, her mind was largely elsewhere.Activeat this hour, Alicia thought angrily. How disgusting! What sort of animal...?
Alicia stopped herself then, refusing to stoke her own ire. It would serve no purpose for her to arrive at his suite flushed and resentful when it was imperative that she smiled. Many guests were...well,activein the morning, and it was part of her job not to interrupt.
