There with You (Adair Family 2)

“No, I don’t want to rumple you or get my uniform caught on a sequin.” I was dressed in the server’s uniform. All the waitstaff wore the same traditional getup—white cravat, black waistcoat, coattails, flat-black dress shoes, and white gloves. Only Mr. Ramsay, the maître d’hôtel and my supervisor, and the butler, Wakefield, wore a dark green waistcoat to differentiate them from the rest of the staff. I thought girls in coattails were adorable and applauded Lachlan’s decision to be gender neutral rather than make the girls wear uncomfortable skirts and heels. The only thing that was a pain was the cravat. But I’d get used to it.

Robyn halted, her arms flopping to her sides. “Well, if I can’t convince you otherwise, I better let you get to work. I’ll see you at the party. No gawking at the famous people.”

I made a face. “I’ve seen plenty of famous faces the past forty-eight hours and have been totally cool, thank you very much.”

“But this is your first time serving them up close. Don’t be dazzled.”

“Believe me, Robbie,” I said, giving her a melancholy smile, “nothing can dazzle me right now.”

At the way her face fell, I hurried to say, “Except you in that dress.”

My sister didn’t buy my teasing. So I kissed her on the cheek before she could say anything else and hurried out of their private suite.

I couldn’t imagine the castle like Thane had once described it—cold and dreary—as I moved through the traditionally decorated hallways that were now warm and inviting. On the staircase, I approached the British actor Angeline Potter and some guy I didn’t recognize climbing the stairs hand in hand. They weren’t dressed yet for the party, though Angeline’s hair and makeup were certainly made up for it, so I assumed they’d be arriving “fashionably late.”

“Oi, you, come here,” she called as I descended toward them.

“Yes?” I asked as I slowed.

She narrowed her eyes at me as I stopped on the wide staircase beside them. “You’re new. I’d remember that face.”

“First night.”

“How nice for you. Could you be a dear and let Wakefield know I want a bottle of champagne sent to my suite?”

“Sure thing.” I moved to walk by her.

“Sure thing?” she called snottily at my back.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Pardon?”

“Darling, you’re new, so I’ll let it slide just this once. When you’re speaking to me, I expect you to be well-mannered. You don’t answer ‘sure thing.’ You reply, ‘Right away, Ms. Potter.’ Understood?”

Call it the rough week I’d just had or maybe fatigue of being condescended to, but I responded with, “I treat people how they treat me. If you’d like my attention in the future, instead of hailing me like a dog, you might try, ‘Excuse me, miss, can you help me, please?’”

Angeline gaped like a gulping fish while her companion covered a smirk with his hand.

“I’ll let Wakefield know you want that bottle sent up.” I hurried downstairs, my pulse racing a little.

Probably not the best start.

* * *

“We’re going to get this unpleasantness out of the way immediately.” Mr. Ramsay cornered me as I placed champagne flutes onto sterling silver serving trays.

At his agitated tone, I turned to him. “Is everything okay?”

“Mr. Wakefield has just informed me that our esteemed guest Ms. Angeline Potter has filed a complaint against you for your rudeness to her this evening.” His expression couldn’t be any more disapproving. “Now, I understand this is an unusual situation, as we’ve never had an extended member of the Adair family on staff before. However, I do not care if you are the Queen of Sheba, Ms. Penhaligon. You will not be rude to my guests because you think you can get away with it.”

Indignation fired through me, and I sought to stay calm. “I wasn’t rude because I think I’m immune to disciplinary action. I responded in kind to Ms. Potter.”

Some of Mr. Ramsay’s ire seemed to deflate. “It is your first night, Regan, and you are jumping into the deep end. There are more members here tonight than any night of the year. No one does Hogmanay like the Scots, and our members clamber to attend.”

I bit back a pithy reply about how only Scottish people technically did Hogmanay.

“During your time here, you will discover some members are more difficult to deal with than others. While no one gets away with outright disrespecting the staff, we cannot stop members from being generally ill-mannered or difficult to please. You must react in those situations with utmost professionalism. I suggest counting to ten in your head before responding.”

“Is that what you do?” I asked somewhat cheekily, grinning at him.

A gleam of amusement flickered in his eyes, and I knew he wasn’t immune to a little charm. “Back to work, Ms. Penhaligon. Best behavior, please.”

“Yes, Mr. Ramsay.”

Still, when he walked away, I huffed under my breath. I couldn’t believe the snot tattled on me.