He Strikes at the Hotel

Chapter Two

As I was walking back to Room 34 to deliver the laundry Nerissa requested; I realised I was shaking, squeezing the laundry so tight that my knuckles had turned white.

"Did that really just happen?" I asked myself aloud. I couldn't have imagined that. I'm aware the mind can conjure up crazy thoughts when you have nothing else to think of, and lord knows I had no real excitement this morning, but those shelves were actually shaking. And now it seemed my body was imitating the scene, trembling like a fawn waiting for the mother doe to help it stumble onwards. Whatever it was that happened, it would have to wait, I can investigate later whilst Nerissa is busy swooning over the Duke, and right now I needed to make sure that she hadn't hyperventilated in my absence.

By the time I reached the room, I had just about managed to calm myself and put a hold on my thoughts of the laundry room, and replaced them with thoughts of what Nerissa would do if this room wasn't immaculate in time for the Duke's arrival. The door was propped open with a bucket full of various cleaning items, from mildly intoxicating spray to highly intoxicating spray; mainly identified by colour for the purpose for which it be used, as no one really knew what went into these sprays, and therefore they had no real name other than 'glass polish' or 'furniture polish'. They all had one thing in common however, which was a chemical that produced an aroma that could most likely make the fittest of athlete wheeze in discomfort if exposed for long enough.

From within the room I could hear Nerissa's footsteps pacing back and forth like an anxious parent waiting for their child to return home after curfew, and then within a split second of me entering, she leaped at me so full of energy that I swear my soul jumped a step backward from my body, just for a moment.

"I wish you were always this excited to see me, Nerissa, it truly warms my heart." I smirked at her icy expression that shot back to me.

"Honestly Audrey-Rose, what were you doing down there that took so long? Did you stitch the sheets yourself? Or was there an issue more pressing down there to steal your time? A lost animal? Abandoned newborn?" Nerissa hissed these possibilities to me with venom which was lethal at the very sound.

With this in mind, I carried on my duties obediently, working alongside Nerissa in near silence, with the air feeling heavy with anticipation. I wished this would end. This was too much for one man, regardless of who his father is, or what estate he is the heir to.

To my amazement, as I was just finishing flattening the bed sheets and plumping the pillows, an assistant came to the door with flushed cheeks and an excited grin upon his lips.

"The Duke's carriage has now arrived. He will be entering the hotel shortly, which means he shall be ushered up to his room in around five minutes. Please remove the cleaning products and stand at attention by the door to welcome him. I'll see you shortly ladies, and the room looks lovely may I add." He added this last part as he darted his eyes towards Nerissa, who I could have sworn felt something other than panic at that moment, as her eyes flashed a gratitude towards the man, amongst something else I couldn't quite place my finger on.

"Right. Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in." Nerissa said this in rhythm, as if it had been drummed into her from a young age, or she had spent too much time around soldiers, one or the other.

"Yes, Sir!" I said authoritatively, whilst saluting her, and sticking my tongue out at her to reassure her that I was playing with her. I stood correctly, and waited for the arrival of this oh so grand gentleman, that I have been breaking my back for all morning. And just then, we started to hear the faint sound of footsteps. One set obviously of the assistant who we saw earlier, escorting the Duke to his room. The second must have belonged to the Duke himself, as there was something in his step that even held the position of authority and power; the footsteps were strong, but not heavy; they were calculated, but relaxed. The footsteps even sounded expensive, if that is even possible.