I blinked. “Oh... OK.”
Henry rubbed his neck. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with it, but other people might, and things are quite tricky right now. Every little thing makes the headlines, and every tiny slipup is blown up into a scandal. I don’t want you to get caught up in it, and—”
“It’s OK, Henry,” I interrupted. “I can lie.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
“It’s fine,” I replied with a smile.
Henry lingered for a moment longer before wishing me a nice day and turning to leave.
I didn’t move. My heart pounded wildly, and my thoughts raced as I watched the door close behind him. With his departure, the chaos in my head returned, bringing back my doubts about whether there really was a place for me here at The Darlington.
The Blackroom
Miranda McCloud
Chloe Lawrence
Amiyah Marsh
These are the names of the three courageous women who—despite numerous insults, attempts at intimidation, and online death threats—have filed charges against Richard Darlington.
Miranda McCloudworked at The Darlington six years ago as a room attendant and was assaulted by Richard while cleaning a guest’s room alone.Chloe Lawrenceaccused Darlington of sexual abuse after a company event a few years ago. She says she kept quiet for fear of professional repercussions and continued to work at the hotel until the end of last year.Amiyah Marsh, a former receptionist, has made similar allegations that Richard Darlington made advances towards her during a night shift. The night’s footage from the hotel foyer was suspiciously never retrieved.
A coincidence? We don’t think so.
18
I have employed a new room attendant, Kaitlynn Hamilton. The HR department is to finalise the contract as soon as possible. We will provide Miss Hamilton with a room as compensation for her work.
Excerpt from Henry’s email to Rakesh
Kate
“Do you have any more questions?” Giulia asked as we sat in The Darlington’s housekeeping office. She had just finished giving me an overview of what to expect in my new job.
It was Monday, my first day as a hotel employee. I’d already been to the HR department, where I’d had to sign an NDA that forbade me from talking to the press about the hotel, the Darlington family, or the rape accusations. I’d also signed an employment contract that guaranteed me not only a room at the hotel but also a small salary of three hundred pounds a month to cover everything The Darlington didn’t provide. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to get me started. Perhaps I could find a second job when I got thechance. But for now, I had a place to live and, thanks to Rakesh’s help, a new bank account. I might even be able to start saving money. The thought was wonderful and frightening at the same time. I’d learned the hard way how deceptive hope could be.
“I don’t think so,” I replied.
Giulia’s warm smile etched dozens of fine lines onto her face. Her black hair was gathered up in a bun. Despite the British weather, she was tanned, as if she’d spent the summer in a country much further south. “OK. But if you think of any questions or have something weighing on your mind, you can come to me,” she reassured, rising from her chair. “Let’s find Grace. She’s one of our most reliable employees, and she’ll spend a couple of days training you. You’ve already met, right?”
I followed Giulia out of the office. Even behind the scenes, everything at The Darlington was sleek and fancy, with heavy wooden doors and elegantly curved wall lamps. Only here, instead of carpet, there was dark parquet. “Yes, we ran into each other in Henry’s apartment.”
“Have you known Mr. Darlington for long?”
I shook my head as I tried to memorise the route we were taking, confused by the many corridors and hallways. “No, we’ve only just met. But he’s very nice.”
Giulia gave me a knowing look. It was as if she could hear what I was thinking: that Henry was ridiculously hot and that I’d spent far too much time thinking about him over the weekend. “Mr. Darlington is a good guy, and he’s doing pretty well given the circumstances. I’ve worked at the hotel for thirty years, and I’ve never experienced anything like the last few months.”
“Wow, thirty years? That’s a long time.”
Giulia clicked her tongue. “Well, I’m old.”
I held up my hands defensively. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
She gave a cheerful laugh. “I know, but it’s the truth. I started working for the Darlingtons right after I finished school. First as a temp, and then I got a permanent contract as a room attendant. After a while, I oversaw Mr. and Mrs. Darlington’s private apartment, and a few years after that, I was promoted to housekeeping manager. Since then, I’ve been responsible for all things hygiene and cleanliness here at the hotel.”
