The agent moderated his tone. ‘This is not a decision. We’ll follow our normal processes. I just needed information.’
‘Then don’t make itsoundlike a decision. I’ll be reading my policy document carefully and will alert mynotaioif necessary.’ Jade made her voice hard and determined.
The conversation had all taken place in Italian, of course. When she’d rung off with shaking hands, Leo said, ‘Oh, crap.’
‘What? What?’ Erin asked.
Jade’s throat ached. ‘The insurance company hinted we might not be covered. I haven’t taken Vittoria off the list of people responsible for overnight security. And I haven’t put you on. In the past, owners didn’t have to be listed – so Gran wasn’t, but I and Vittoria were – but it’s a new policy. I need to check the specifics.’
Of course, she hadn’tmeantto be absent. She’d just fallen asleep in Leo’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-One
Over the following two days, sunlight returned to Lake Como and water cannon were set up in the lakeside road to return flood water to the lake. Mario applied for permission to erect scaffolding. Jade tried not to worry about the insurance company. She didn’t feel their policy document was even ambiguous.Of courseowners didn’t need to be listed. They were not employees. She’d notified the change of ownership. The insurance company couldn’t pluck from their back pockets conditions that didn’t exist at the time of policy purchase.
But still she felt sick whenever the wordinsurancecrossed her mind.
Carlotta, though busy with her silk shop and Ludovica, had soon spotted Pensione Three Sisters suffering the indignity of being crowned by blue plastic tarpaulin. First she and then Vittoria phoned to say they could come back for a while if Jade needed them.
Vittoria added, ‘Oh,bella. I feel as if I deserted you.’
Jade’s heart filled to know that her friends and erstwhile employees would put apartment hunting or a new business on hold to help her. ‘Thank you.’ Jade sniffed. ‘I think I’ll manage.’
Still, she mentioned Vittoria and Carlotta’s kind offers to Rosalie, Erin and Leo over lunch in the apartment kitchen onSaturday. Erin shrugged. ‘We’ve been doing OK on our own, haven’t we? You have new staff beginning Monday week. We don’t need to incur unnecessary costs at a time like this.’
Jade tried to stay patient with Erin. ‘You can leave worrying about money to me.’
Rosalie wrinkled her forehead. ‘But the insurance company—’
‘All in hand. One of the many joys of management,’ Jade said, as if the subject wasn’t worrying her at all. ‘You’ve done brilliantly. But although we joked about it on WhatsApp, you didn’t really come to Como to work. And Leo has his own stuff.’ He was just being his own lovely self in continuing to work alongside Jade every day.
Rosalie’s frown vanished. ‘I’m enjoying it. I feel grown-up taking responsibility during a crisis. More grown-up than wearing a bear costume, anyway.’
Erin grinned. ‘I’m happy to be part of the team too.’ She gave everyone a fist bump, to prove it. Jade didn’t think she’d fist-bumped since school.
Leo sent Jade his slow, sexy smile. ‘I’m still mulling my options. A new, unexpected opportunity has come up,’ he added tantalisingly.
Jade’s heart dipped as she tried to read the expression lurking in his eyes. Would this new opportunity still involve staying in Como? With her disaster at the pensione and his now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t bank balance, they hadn’t discussed it lately. She swallowed. It was inappropriate to question him before Rosalie and Erin, especially when he’d been deliberately cryptic about the mystery possibility. ‘OK,’ she said brightly. ‘Thanks, everyone. I’ll tell Vittoria and Carlotta.’
Rosalie sent Jade a sympathetic look. ‘Geneva’s not coming back?’
Jade smothered a sigh. ‘Doesn’t look like it.’ Geneva had never returned to Three Sisters, not even for her boots and theoversized coat. That she’d left the building the instant Harry from Huddersfield had reported the theft was just one of the weights on Jade’s shoulders – and one on her heart, too. Though wondering guiltily if she could have dealt with her mother better, she had no idea what to do... if anything.
Apart from Yara on Reception, the others finished work in the early afternoon. Unable to settle to time off herself, Jade went into the office. The nameHarry Markhamin her email inbox gave her an unpleasant jolt. Harry Markham was the guest who’d reported the missing money.
The subject line wasRed faceand his communication was blunt.
We had 2 girls in our room. Just received a msg from 1 saying she saw the other take the money while I was in the bathroom and my mate was passed out. Sorry to have created. I owe you 130 euros. Can I send by PayPal?
Really sorry. Dead embarrassed.
Harry.
Jade’s first thought was that Harry had shot up in her estimation for having a conscience and acting on it. The next was to wonder atSorry to have created, which was a new English idiom for her. Presumably it was short for created a fuss, or something. Then, like a punch to her stomach, she realised thatGeneva didn’t do it! Mortification turned her blood to water. She’d let Geneva remove herself from Pensione Three Sisters under an unjust cloud. Jade wanted to rip into Harry and make him feel as conscience-stricken as she did. But that wasn’t fair. He’d told her the situation as he’d understood it, and she’d reacted.
She tapped out a reply, including her PayPal details. Thanks for being honest, she added. Not everyone would be.
With feet that felt as if they dragged twin burdens of responsibility and chagrin, she sought the apartment. She found Erin working on her laptop at the kitchen table while Rosalie looked ready to go outdoors. Jade plummeted into a chair. ‘It wasn’t Geneva who took the money.’ She recounted the contents of Harry’s email.
