Passage to Australia [Passage to Australia Trilogy Book One]

Chapter VI A Model Niece

Chapter VI

A Model Niece

"Knock, knock, knock," came the persistent pounding on the door. Paris moaned and pulled the blanket higher about her shoulders. Let one of the others get it, she told herself.

"Knock, knock." It was louder this time. "KNOCK, KNOCK!"

"I'm coming!" Janine replied loudly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and stumbling sleepily to the door. On the way she managed to hit her toe on the corner of the sofa, the edge of Brandon's hard case carry-on, and the wall of the bathroom. Paris heard her mutter a few indiscernible words before she reached the door. "Don't beat the door down." There was a silence after she pulled the door open.

"Who is it?" Brandon asked in a sleep slurred voice from the other side of the bed.

"Room service!" A woman's voice rang through the room. Paris and Brandon jerked upright at the same time, to stare with wide eyes at a maid, pushing a cleaning cart in front of her with a maddeningly bright smile pasted on her face.

"Who are you?" Paris asked and looked at Janine; her cousin stared silently at the intruder, mouth open wide.

"Room service." The maid said again, pushing her way past Janine and glancing around. Her nose wrinkled at the sight that met her eyes; there was clothing, including unmentionables, scattered all over the floor and furniture. Hardly anything had been put away the night before. "I'll have to ask you ladies to leave so I can clean up in here."

Paris sent a quick glance at the clock. 5:00 a.m. "Do you know what time it is?" She was incredulous. Surely this was a dream.

"Of course I know what time it is, lady," the maid replied. "I've been up for an hour already."

"Four o'clock?" Brandon squinted as if her tired brain couldn't fathom getting up so early.

"Now if you ladies would step outside for half an hour so I can clean."

"Excuse me," Paris recovered from her surprise. "This is our room and as far as I'm concerned it's still night time! If you don't apologize and leave this minute I'll make sure you're superiors hear about this."

"Lady," the maid turned to her with a hard glint in her eyes. "I've got over thirty rooms to clean this morning and laundry on top of that. We're short handed this trip and I've got about three shifts to cover. So if you don't mind." With that she pushed her cart further into the room and picked up one of Janine's emblazoned shirts. She threw it carelessly into the closet, turning to stare the other two down. "I'll throw all your clothes on the bed after I've made it. Now out!"

Paris would have liked to say more but no ready retort came to mind. She stumbled off the sofa and snatched her wrapper from the hook on the bathroom door. Brandon followed her mutely into the hall with Janine and they stood in silent shock when the maid closed the door in their faces.

Janine was the first to speak.

"Oh, management is going to hear about this!" She spat.

============

"Come again?" Erik squinted his eyes and leaned closer. "She did what?"

"She kicked us out!"

"Of our own room!"

"At five in the morning!"

The girls were irate now that they had fully woken up and realized the situation. They had come at once to Uncle Parker and Aunt Fiona's cabin to complain, and Parker had sent for the boys to be in on the group conference.