Chapter 6
SIX
The house is extravagant until you take the door that leads down to the staff quarters.
I’m surprised I’m not treated as a guest and taken to one of the rooms upstairs.
Most times due to the intimate nature of the business I’m given the run of the house and encouraged to speak to the family members to get a good feel of the person I’m writing about.
I look around the spartan room. The small desk thrust in front of the window, wedged between a chest of drawers and the bed, is inadequate.
I sigh. “I’m so sorry, I can’t possibly work in this tiny little room. I suffer with claustrophobia.”
“Unfortunately, Isabelle treats me in exactly the same way.” Allison rolls her eyes. “Anyone she pays for a service gets to live in the staff quarters. Her guests get to stay upstairs. I’m next door and my room is the same size as yours. We all share the bathroom along the hallway.”
Dismayed, I stare at her. I’m not sharing a bathroom with anyone but I’m not sure if protesting will work.
I did sign a contract saying I’d stay in the house.
“Well, I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask Isabelle if she’ll consider giving me another room to work in, because there’s not enough room for me in here.
The desk will only fit my laptop and I need space for my research documents.
I doubt there’ll be room for my suitcases as well. ”
“I guess you can try.” Allison gives me an apologetic shrug. “I’m not sure if she’ll change her mind. She has her own rules and sticks to them. To her you’re an employee, here to do her bidding. I don’t honestly believe she cares about our well-being; she considers payment is sufficient.”
I frown. What have I gotten myself into? I pull out my phone. “I’ll talk to my agent, maybe she can help. Oh, and where can I find Isabelle at this time of day?”
“Do you recall the room with the grand piano? If you go through that room and out onto the deck, she is usually by the pool before breakfast.” Allison clears her throat. “She can be a bit, erm, difficult and you’ll need to work around the times she can spare for you.”
I can be difficult too and I nod. “Okay thanks. I need to make a call. I’ll see you later.
Thanks for the heads-up.” I call Christine.
“Hey, I’m at Isabelle’s house, and they’ve put me in a tiny room in the staff’s quarters.
If I bring my bags in here, there won’t be enough room for me to sit down.
It’s way too small for me to work here. What am I going to do? Can you call her?”
“You really don’t want to make waves the first minute you arrive, do you?” Christine’s voice rises in annoyance. “You know how prickly she can be. This is the chance of a lifetime, Alani, don’t go and screw it up now.”
My stomach drops. “Wait, you need to see this.” I disconnect and then make a video call back to her. I wave the phone around the room. “Look at this place. I wouldn’t keep a dog in here. It will be impossible to work in here. Isn’t there anything you can do?”
“Okay.” Christine pulls a face. “I’ll call her agent.”
I swallow hard as the tiny room closes in around me. “Why can’t you call her direct? This needs to be sorted now. I can’t stay here, Christine, it’s smothering me already. Please call her.”
“I can’t call her direct.” Christine looks away and stares into the distance. “I don’t have her personal number and need to go through her agent. I do have the number of her PA if you’d like to speak to her?”
I shake my head. “She just left. Would you believe that she lives in one of these hovels as well? The house is spectacular but there’s a very wide divide between her and the staff. It seems to me she treats her employees like dirt.”
“Look, Alani, leave it with me, I’ll get onto it right away.” She dashes a hand through her hair. “Although, I’m not sure if I can do it today. Her agent can be difficult to contact.”
After walking out on my parents the night before I went to college, and literally making my own way in the world, I usually deal with problems alone.
This is no different. Although Sam gave me a generous trust account, I make a point of never touching it.
It will always be there as a backup if anything goes wrong.
I admit I did accept the apartment in New York as a graduation gift.
I’d started my first job and it was very difficult and expensive to find a place to live and only a fool would have refused.
I stare at Christine’s blank expression.
She’s not happy. I smile at her. “Okay, have a nice rest of the day and we’ll chat later. ” I disconnect.
Moments later, I’m heading back along the hallways to find the room with the grand piano.
Along the way, I decide to get a better sense of the layout of the house.
Obviously, all the family’s bedrooms are upstairs so I doubt I’ll upset anyone wandering around the ground floor.
After all, my contract did state I wanted free range of the house.
The house is palatial. The place is like a magazine spread, and each room I peer into is immaculate.
Double doors open to a massive reception room.
A marble fireplace wide enough to roast a steer is surrounded with platinum records and photographs of Linc and Isabelle, and along the top is a line of music awards.
Fresh flower arrangements on pedestals are everywhere, some with dew as if only just placed inside the room.
As I walk through the house, the only actual signs of occupation I’ve seen are in the room with the grand piano.
The messy manuscripts are a reminder that someone was there previously and staff had obviously been told not to touch anything.
The room must be where Linc writes his songs, although I do believe he has a recording studio in the house somewhere.
Maybe in the basement? I follow the smell of fresh coffee and cooking to find the kitchen.
It’s huge and resembles the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant and has people moving around all over.
It seems they need to be on duty at all hours of the day to cook meals.
People turn to look at me but don’t ask me why I’m here.
I scan the room looking for someone in charge.
I watch as three young women with loaded trays all head out of the room and along the hallway together.
I touch the arm of another woman moving coffee pots and the fixings onto a tray.
“Sorry to bother you but who can I speak to about getting meals here?”
“If you’re not dining with the family, press nine on the house phone, put in your order and someone will bring it to you.” She glances at another woman behind her who is also carrying a tray filled with carafes of orange juice and other concoctions. “Ready, Millie?”
I glance from one to the other. “Where are you going now?”
“Ms. Croft is ready for breakfast. We’re heading for the dining room.” The women hurry along the passageway. “Follow if you need to speak to Ms. Croft but be aware, she’s not a morning person. In fact, she’s hard to get along with most times.”
Heart racing, I follow and with each step my confidence falls into shreds. I swallow hard. “So I’ve heard.”