Geneva’s lips lifted, as if seeing the ironic humour in Jade having to ask her birth mother to prove who she was. ‘Sì. Carta d’identità.’ The standard ID card.
Jade nodded and the two women headed towards the office beside the front doors. Leo returned to the kitchen.
She returned in ten minutes, telling Geneva, ‘This is Leo. Carlotta’s also on today, and soon Yara will arrive to work on Reception.’ Politely, she showed Geneva where to wash her hands and find a clean apron, then set her to clearing tables and loading the dishwasher. When the reception bell dinged, Jade went to answer while Leo whizzed into the breakfast room with an order of cappuccinos.
Peak breakfast time today turned out to be 9 a.m., when the breakfasting guests numbered seventeen. Jade, having silently watched Leo successfully scramble eggs and toast sliced bread, let him fulfil some of the orders. Geneva continued to silently clear and stack. Leo caught her casting furtive glances after Jade, always darting her gaze away if Jade might turn and catch her.
Yara arrived on Reception. Carlotta came into the kitchen and was introduced. She treated Geneva to a long, speculative stare, then turned to Jade with a warm smile. ‘Yara says we have two early checkouts. Shall I service those rooms?’
Jade nodded. ‘Yes, please. Take Geneva. Show her where to get a tabard.’ To Geneva, she added, ‘Carlotta will explain what to do.’
Geneva followed Carlotta from the room, like a child on her first day at school trying to get used to the unfamiliar without drawing attention to herself.
When the door closed behind them, Jade’s cool calm cracked and she sagged as if her bones had vanished. He scooped her against him for a big, comforting squeeze. ‘You’re awesome.’
‘Actually, I’m freaked.’ But she laughed, squeezed him back, then straightened up and went on with her day. Fresh respect for her swelled in his heart.
Late morning he was left alone to lay the breakfast room tables afresh, smoothing on snowy white tablecloths and adding pink top cloths and napkins. When his phone burbled, he was surprised to see it was Isabella calling again. He stepped into the kitchen of gleaming stainless steel, now empty, to answer. ‘Hi. I’m working—’
‘The police have Daddy.’ Isabella blurted it out, her voice as sharp as glass. ‘In London. He’s not in South Africaat all. Apparently, he was stopped driving a stolen car. The number plate pinged one of those cameras.’
His mind spun at this shocking news. ‘Do you know what’s going on? Do you think he just told you he was going back to South Africa, while he slipped off somewhere else entirely?’
She choked back a sob. ‘I don’t know. The police notified me that they’ve detained a suspect – and then Dad had the cheek to ask that I be informed he’d been arrested, as if I might bail him out or something! I think he must just be a liar and a con man. I feel sick.’ Isabella began snuffling and rasping as she cried.
‘Wow. That’s horrible for you.’ Leo waited for her to calm enough for speech, absently swinging the door between kitchen and breakfast room. When he detected his mother’s voice, he pushed the door further open, frowning as he tried to make out her words as first Sheenagh spoke Italian, and then English.
Isabella gave an enormous snotty sniff, a noise so inelegant he wouldn’t have considered her capable of making it. ‘I suppose it means that at least we might make progress with the banks now.’ She blew her nose, then coughed. ‘Well. I’m speculating. But if he’s been arrested at the wheel of a stolen car, Daddy’s def-definitely a cr-criminal.’
He searched for a hopeful scenario. ‘Maybe he’ll confess and make our situation easier.’ Though Isabella’s news was BIG news, he didn’t seem able to concentrate on it, because he could hear his mother’s voice rising, stiff and annoyed. He stepped into the breakfast room and his heart bounded at the sight of his mum, a bewildered-looking Sofi in train, frowning at Jade. The receptionist, Yara, spectated with evident interest.
And beside Jade stood Geneva.
Rapidly reprioritising, he hurried across the room. ‘Thanks very much for telling me,’ he said into the phone. ‘Sorry it’s so shit for you, Isabella. I’ll let you know if I hear anything from the bank or the police.’ As he ended the call, he came up behind Jade and Geneva.
Sheenagh caught sight of him and blinked. ‘Leo?’
‘Hi, Mum.’ He didn’t explain his presence, but glanced enquiringly at Jade.
Her face was stiff. ‘Let’s go into the office,’ she said tightly, in English. Then, in Italian, ‘Geneva, please go upstairs to help Carlotta.’
‘Sì.’ Geneva hurriedly skirted the group and mounted the stairs in jerky steps, her gaze fixed straight ahead, colour staining her cheeks.
Jade brushed between Sheenagh and Sofi, and led the way into the office with quick, decisive strides. Sheenagh swept after her. Sofi shifted from foot to foot and then remained in Reception, clearly reluctant to be caught up in whatever was happening. Leo, with no such scruples, tagged on behind his mother.
Once inside the small office, he closed the door and leant on it. Jade and Sheenagh faced one another before the desk, glaring. ‘What’s your problem?’ Jade snapped. Leo’s brows flipped up. When had Jade ever spoken to his mum that way?
Sheenagh looked equally shocked. ‘I had to say something, Jade. I couldn’t believe it when I heard you call her Geneva. Then I only had to look at her to see exactly who she was.’
‘And?’ Jade barely moved a muscle, but Leo could see the curls below her bun of chestnut hair trembling. She was seething. Transferring his gaze to his mum, he tried to telegraph with a flat stare that she should butt out.
Sheenagh, however, seemed intent on butting in. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked, forehead puckering.
Jade’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve given temporary employment to an unemployed person, while I recruit full-time employees to replace Vittoria and Carlotta. If you must know.’ She tagged that on coldly.
Aware of Jade’s level of anger from her uncharacteristically formal language, Leo tried to intercede. ‘Mum—’
Sheenagh didn’t even glance his way. ‘Vittoria and Carlotta are leaving? I had no idea.’
