“Perhaps not, but itisillegal.”
Illegal! “Is it, then? What’s he doing?”
“He delivers packages and messages to other men in the same business as Mr. Carboni.”
“Delivering packages is illegal?”
She shifts slightly. “What these men do is illegal, so if Mr. Walsh is apprehended with one of their messages or packages, he will be treated as one of them. Please inform Mr. Walsh that if he continues along this path, thehotel may have to reconsider his position here. Unfortunately, since you are together, we might have to reconsider yours as well.”
I stare wordlessly at her as she walks away. Now I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I will never do anything to jeopardize my job here, but I cannot imagine not seeing Damien every day. He has become as much a part of my life as waking up and going to work.
I can’t stop my thoughts from running, and when I am in Mr. Carboni’s suite at half five, what she said is the biggest thing on my mind. Everything in here feels different now. A bit more intriguing, I suppose, now that I know he’s a criminal, and a fierce one at that, according to Mrs. Evans. I reckon that explains the brassiere. Criminals probably have wild parties with whisky, cigars, and brassieres, and who knows what else. I’ll never say, but a secret part of me wishes I could get a peep at something like that.
Since I was here this morning, Mr. Carboni has returned with other people, because the ashtrays are full again, and the bed needs making. Other than that, I don’t find anything interesting, and sure, I’m slightly disappointed.
Granny would drop dead to hear I’m nosing after such notions.
Good thing she’ll never know.
On the way home that night, I tell Damien what Mrs. Evans said to me that morning. About how he could lose his job at the hotel out of working for Mr. Carboni, and so could I. He doesn’t like that.
“I’ll be careful, Rosie,” he promises, kissing my brow.
That’s not what I was hoping he would say, but ’tis all I can ask. Sure, I trust him to be aware of spies all around, but he is quick distracted. His attention is everywhere when it is not on me. Mind you, he knows what he wants, and he aims to get it. He wants to get out of the life we are living so we can live someplace clean and happy. He wants the same as I. He’ll get there quicker than me, though, since I don’t break rules.
The next morning, I find Damien waiting in his usual spot, listening to Bianca.
Slipped my mind that today was her first day at work, and I feel a flashof annoyance seeing her there. She’s my best friend, sure, but this time of day is for Damien and me, not for Damien and me and her. When he spots me approaching, he gives me a sweet wink, and I can tell Bianca is wearing him thin with her chatter.
“Rosie!” Bianca says. She’s bouncing on her toes with excitement. “I thought you’d take all day to get out here. Can we go now?”
I glare at her, though truly, she’s done nothing wrong. “Will you be talking the whole time? You’ll wake the neighbours with your babbling. Granny says that morning is a good time for silence. Listen to the birds, that sort of thing.”
“You ain’t gonna suck the fun out of this day from me, Rosie, so don’t even try.”
“I’m not after doing that. I just—”
Damien curls a hand around my waist, then draws me in. “You’ve eyes to melt stone, Rosie Ryan,” he murmurs, then he pulls closer still for a kiss. I am instantly distracted and calm.
“Would you look at this!” Bianca cries, goggling.
I cannot help smirking at her as we start walking. “Now you know. We’re not telling anyone. Not that it’s secret. It’s just easier this way.”
“For you, maybe,” Damien teases.
“You know ’tis true.”
“I suppose ’tis. I’d never get any work done if I could be with you instead.”
A block from the hotel, we give each other a kiss. Bianca walks ahead, cock of the block for knowing our secret. When Damien turns toward the back door of the hotel, the one that leads to the kitchen, I catch up to her.
“Please don’t tell anyone about us,” I say.
She does that thing where she pretends to lock her lips, then throw away the key, and all I can do is hope she will behave.
chapterSEVENTEEN
First of all, I take Bianca to the room in the subbasement where us chambermaids ready ourselves for the day. She brightens when she sees Deirdre, and she’s fair bursting to show that she’s got a job here, too. Deirdre shoots me a look of surprise over Bianca’s head, and I shrug. The three of us grew up near each other, and Deirdre knows Bianca cannot hold her whisht. Everyone at home knows that. But there’s nothing I can do. ’Twasn’t me who hired her.
