“You’re lost in thought, so you are,” said Vince O’Brian from her office doorway. She was surprised to see him. It was about five o’clock and he was not due to start his shift until eight.
“Vince! I was just thinking about you.”
“I’m very glad to hear it,” he said with a smile. Vince often tried to flirt with Anna, but she just laughed it off. He flirted with everyone.
“Not you personally.” She quickly explained about Major Dalyrymple’s complaint. “I was afraid the supplier might be watering down the whisky,” she added hastily.
“I’ll keep an eye on it,” said Vince. “I came to tell you that me, Reg and Florentyna are off out for a pub meal until the evening shift. We wondered if you’d like to come.”
Anna shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve loads to do here. I’ve barely caught up today.”
“You work too hard, so you do,” said Vince. “Come on with us. Reg said he’s got something to tell you.”
“Oh. Okay. I suppose I can spare an hour. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up.”
The pub they chose for their meal was not the nicest place in London. In fact, Anna would have said it was very dodgy. She felt uneasy as they took their seats.
“What is it for you, Anna?” asked Reg, who waited at the bar.
“Oh, just a shandy please,” she said. “This is …” she started to say to Florentyna, but could not finish the sentence. She could hardly say the pub was nice. It was far from it. “It’s nice to be out,” she said instead.
“Yes, it is. Reg wanted to talk to you.” Florentyna seemed ill-at-ease.
“Yes, Vince said. What about?”
“Perhaps you’d best let him tell you,” said Florentyna.
Reg returned with the drinks, and Anna could not help feeling uncomfortable under his searching stare.
“The thing is, Anna, we need to bring you on board so to speak,” he said, after he had taken a sip of his pint.
“On board?”
“Yes. You see, there are certain … shall we say … customs at Carmichaels … that you need to abide by. Now we all know how friendly you are with Mr. Dabrowski.”
“He’s my employer, just as he’s yours,” said Anna, not quite liking the tone of Reg’s voice.
“Yes, quite. Well … we’ve got a little money making scheme going…”
“The watered down whisky,” said Anna, feeling as though the ground had been taken from under her. “Reg…” She looked around the table, “Vince, Florentyna, you know it’s illegal. Carmichaels could be shut down if it were found we were giving guests watered down alcohol. I’ve no choice but to report this. You must know that.”
“Yes, yes, Florentyna said you might say that,” said Reg. “But … erm … I suppose that depends how much the boss knows about your little secret.”
“My secret?”
“That little redhead who was at the reception desk this morning. Pretty little thing she was. She asked if you were Anna Silverton. Of course, being a loyal friend to you, I told her you weren’t. But then I spoke to Florentyna here.” Florentyna was staring studiously at her glass of stout. “And she told me that you were. So I phoned Silverton Hall, pretending I was asking for a reference for an Anna Silverton. I had a very interesting chat with Lady Geraldine about you and what you did to her son. Oh and the theft of some money.”
“I didn’t do anything to him!” Anna said, tears pricking the back of her eyes. “And I didn’t steal anything.”
“That’s not what Lady Geraldine says. So the way I see it, Anna, if you keep our secret, we’ll keep yours. Isn’t that right, Vince?”
“Yes,” said Vince, looking at his feet as if his shoes were suddenly very uncomfortable.
“Isn’t that right, Florentyna?” Reg turned to his girlfriend.
“Yes, love,” she said, looking just as unhappy as Vince.
“So we’re agreed,” said Reg. “We’re all in this together.”
“I am not with you,” said Anna. “I want no part of your scam.”
“That’s alright. I didn’t think you would and I don’t want to split the money any more anyway. You’ll just be a good girl and turn a blind eye, won’t you? Won’t you?”
Anna nodded, miserably. It was all too much for her. Reg had left her little time to think about what to do. She should go straight to Janek and tell it all, whether she lost her job or not. But the secret she had kept for so long was threatening to ruin the life she had built for herself. If Reg wanted revenge, he could easily tell her stepmother where she was, and then she might be arrested.
“So,” said Reg, clapping his hands together, “let’s eat.”
“I’ve got no stomach for any food,” said Anna, standing up. “I’m going back.”
“Aw, now come on, love, don’t be like that,” said Reg. His vice-like grip on her hand belied his friendly tone of voice. “You sit with us and eat some pie and chips.”
“I don’t want anything.”
“I want you to stay.”
“I want to leave, and you don’t want me to make a fuss in front of all these people, do you?” said Anna, tight-lipped.
“Let her go, Reg,” said Vince. “You’ve gone too far, so you have.”
“We agreed…” said Reg, menacingly, his grip on Anna’s arm tightening as he spoke.
“You agreed, and we just followed along as we always do. But I’ll not stand by and see you harm a woman.”
“Oh,” Reg laughed. “Finally getting some backbone are we, Vince?”
Vince looked up at Anna. “I’m sorry, Anna. I didn’t want it to be like this. You run along home now. Let her go, Reg, or so help me…”
At that, Reg did what all bullies do when confronted. He let Anna go.
As she ran out of the pub, she could hear Vince and Reg arguing. She took one look back and saw Florentyna crying into a hankie. In her anger, she thought it served Florentyna right for getting involved with such a man.
By the time she reached Carmichaels, she was feverish and overwrought. She ran into the lift, barely noticing that someone followed her.
“Anna?” It was Janek. He quickly pressed the button so that the lift door closed, hiding them from the curious bystanders. “Anna, what is it?”
She burst into tears and he took her in his arms. She felt safe and warm, but deep down knew that she could not enjoy that feeling for too long. “Darling, please tell me who’s hurt you?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Luckily for Anna, Janek did not press the question. As if understanding she was too upset to speak, he helped her to her room and used to bedside phone to ask someone to bring up a pot of tea.
“Now drink this,” he said, when the tea had arrived. “Don’t the English always feel better after a cup of tea?”
“Yes,” she said, through a watery smile. “Thank you.”
“Now I want to know who’s hurt you.”
“I can’t say.”
“Is it …” Janek’s eyes darkened. “Is it a boyfriend? Is that it?”
Anna shook her head. “No. I don’t have a boyfriend.” She had never had a boyfriend, but she felt too embarrassed to admit that to Janek. Having a boyfriend might have resulted in her letting go of her secret in an unguarded moment and she could not risk that. Besides, for several years she had only ever loved one man and he stood in front of her, offering her tea. She could never admit that either. It would no doubt embarrass him, and make their working relationship awkward.
“Is it something that’s happened at work? Has anyone been unkind to you? If they have, so help me I’ll…”
Anna shook her head vigorously. They were getting on dangerous ground. “It’s nothing, really. I suppose it’s just … well … women’s problems.” As soon as she said it, she wished she had not. It was far too personal a subject to be discussing with her employer. Her face flushed bright red.
“Women’s problems?”
“Yes. Women’s problems.”
�
�Okay, well I’ll admit to not knowing an awful lot about them. Do you need a doctor or anything? Painkillers? A hot water bottle? Anna, let me know what I can do to help you feel better and I will do it.”
His kindness made her want to cry more than ever. How could she possibly admit to him what had happened at Silverton Hall? He was a good man, who helped people. She had seen it at Carmichaels, where he was adamant that the hotel should employ refugees and others affected by the war. He paid for all the European staff to learn English to improve their prospects, then rewarded them accordingly with better jobs when their English had improved enough so that they could deal directly with guests. It made her angry that Reg, Vince and Florentyna took advantage of that kindness. But what could she do?
She could almost see his look of horror when he learned from Reg that she had tried to harm Teddy. Janek might not believe her side of the story. In fact, he probably would not, on account of her having hidden the truth for so long. Only now did it occur to her that by keeping it a secret, she had made herself look guilty. But she was also betraying Janek’s trust by not telling the truth about Reg’s scam.
“I would … I would just like to be alone for a while,” she said, hiccoughing through her tears. “I don’t mean to be rude but…”
“I understand. Sometimes when one is wounded, it’s better to have time alone.”
“Now I feel worse,” she said, with another sob. “Because you really were wounded in the war and here I am making such a fuss about something so trivial.”
Janek knelt down in front of her and put his hand over hers. “If it makes you feel this awful, then it’s not trivial at all.” He reached over and kissed her head tenderly. “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”
When he left the room, Anna went to her bed and collapsed in a fit of sobbing, eventually crying herself to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When she awoke the next morning, Anna decided she would go and tell Janek everything. She owed it to him to let him know about the scam going on in his hotel, and if it meant she was dismissed because of what happened with Teddy, so be it.
Unfortunately when Anna went to Janek’s office, his secretary explained that he had gone out for the morning. “He has a meeting with the bank,” Miss Johnson explained.
“I see,” said Anna. “When will he be back? Do you know?”
“He has a lunchtime meeting with the board of directors, probably to discuss what was said at the bank. You know they’re looking to open another Carmichaels in Chicago. Mr. Carmichael is coming down from Scotland, especially.”
“Oh yes, I remember,” said Anna. She had been instructed to ensure Mr. Carmichael’s rooms at the hotel were in order. “I suppose I shall have to see Mr. Dabrowski later this afternoon. Thank you, Miss Johnson.”
“Are you alright, Anna? You seem unwell.” Miss Johnson looked quite strident and was known to be forthright, but underneath her austere expression was a good heart.
“I am a little bit under the weather.”
“You should take the day off. Only this morning Mr. Dabrowski was saying that you work too hard.”
“Did he? Well thank you.”
Anna left the office, feeling worse than ever. Janek’s considerate nature filled her with guilt, along with the fact that he was so busy himself. He was always so excited when they were working on opening a new hotel. She hated that she would probably ruin his day but did not know what else could be done.
It was difficult for her not to spend all day watching the clock, waiting until the moment that she could speak to him. When one of the staff called in sick, she took the opportunity to make herself busier, insisting she would happily deal with room service until a replacement could be found amongst the other staff.
It did help to take her mind off things, as she rushed from room to room, fulfilling the guest’s demands. Most of them were pleasant enough, but there were a few who were very demanding. Anna was able to calm them down, and make sure they were happy before she left. She also made sure that if anyone ordered alcohol that she brought it up from the storeroom herself. This earned her some dirty looks from Reg, but as he was stuck on the reception desk there was not much he could say or do about it.
Her final call of the day turned out to be to Mary Carmichael’s suite. Miss Carmichael had lunched there with some friends, and ordered coffee. In the way of people who are used to being waited upon, Mary hardly seemed to notice who came into the room with the coffee. Anna might just as well have been invisible. Not that she really cared. She did not like Mary Carmichael, though was sensible enough to admit that her dislike was fuelled by jealousy over Janek.
The women in the room were all much of a muchness. They wore the same high fashions, the same red lipstick and all carried the same handbags. They also all spoke in bored tones, as if life really were too tiresome.
“So?” said one of Mary’s friends, “When are you going to marry the Pole?”
“Oh darling, never,” said Mary, laughing.
“So why the rush down to London?”
“To make Jimmy Argyle jealous of course. The silly thing won’t ask me to marry him, what with me being nouveau riche, but I know he’s mad about me. And I want his title!”
“Janek has more money,” said her friend.
“Yes, and he’s very sweet, but he’s a foreigner darling. Besides, he hasn’t got a title.”
Anna had to bite her lip so as not to speak out. Her hands were shaking so much when she went to put the coffee on the table that the cup tilted over, pouring coffee all over Mary’s skirt.
“Oh you little fool!” Mary stood up, frantically rubbing the skirt with a napkin.
“I’m sorry, Miss Carmichael. It was an accident.”
“Accident! Oh yes, you would say that, wouldn’t you, Anna? Would you believe girls that this pale little idiot has Janek in her sights. Well you won’t anymore,” Mary said, viciously. “I’ll have my brother fire you.”
“It was an accident,” said Anna. “I’ll arrange the dry cleaning for you.”
“No you won’t. You’ll get out of my sight, now.”
Anna fled the room and as with the night before, ran straight into Janek’s arms. It occurred to her that her life would be simpler if he were not there at her most embarrassing moments.
“What’s happened Anna? Tell me,” he commanded. “Has Miss Carmichael upset you?”
She looked up at him, and realised that she could not possibly tell him what Mary had said. Mainly because she did not trust her own motives for doing so. “It was my fault,” said Anna. “I tipped coffee over her.”
“Yes, she did, and it was deliberate,” said a waspish voice from behind them. Anna had not realised that Mary followed her out into the corridor.
“I’m very sure it was not,” said Janek. “Of course we’ll cover any dry cleaning.”
“Are you taking my word against hers, Janek?” asked Mary. “Really, darling. You should be careful, or there will be further talk. I don’t want to have to go to my brother and tell him that your judgement is impaired, especially as he is still the major shareholder in Carmichaels.”
“Are you threatening me, Mary?” asked Janek.
“No, darling.” Mary looked contrite, but Anna felt sure it was all an act. “Of course not. I would never do such a thing. I just think you’re not thinking rationally. I’m sure you would have dismissed anyone else who tipped coffee over one of your most important guests.”
“Thank you, Mary, I’ll deal with this,” Janek said, coldly. “Anna, come with me.”
Anna followed him to his office, convinced that he was about to dismiss her. His face was dark and angry when he closed his office door and turned to her. “Now,” he said, curtly. “Tell me what happened.”
“It was an accident, honestly,” said Anna. “The cup could not have been on the saucer properly. If you wish to take the dry cleaning bill out of my wages…”
“That won’t be necessary.�
�
“I see. Well I suppose I should get my things.”
“Why?”
“If you’re going to dismiss me.”
“I don’t remember saying I was going to dismiss you.”
“But Miss Carmichael said…”
“Miss Carmichael is labouring under a major misapprehension.”
“Yes, I know and I’m sorry there’s been gossip about us. I know you’ve only tried to help me.”
To her surprise, Janek smiled. “That’s not the misapprehension. But never mind that for now. What am I going to do with you, Anna? You clearly need protecting from the Mary Carmichaels of this world.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, I saw that. Last night and today. You weren’t really doing a very good job of it, if I remember rightly. What’s going on, Anna? This is not like you. You’ve been through so many things in your life, yet at the moment you look more lost than when I first met you on the train in nineteen-forty.”
“I am lost,” said Anna, with tears pricking her eyes. “Look, you’re going to fire me anyway, so I may as well tell you what I was going to tell you.”
“About what happened with Mary Carmichael?”
“No, not that.” She would never tell him that. To hear him dismissed as a ‘foreigner’ had broken her heart. She would not break his too. She hoped that one day he might realise about Mary Carmichael, but she could not be the one to twist the knife it. “It’s about what’s been going on at the hotel behind your back. And in telling you about it, I’m going to be condemning myself.”
“What’s been going on?” Janek frowned.
“It’s Reg Turner…” Anna hesitated. She did not really want to tell on Vince and Florentyna too. She suspected that they had both been swayed by Reg’s stronger personality. Yet she had no choice. “Reg, Vince and Florentyna have been watering down the bottles of alcohol and selling off the left overs, then pocketing the difference.”
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