Under His Influence

“I’m going to turn up the air conditioning,” she commented, then she nodded on her way past Mimi’s chair. “He does love beautiful things. Not that I’d class myself as a beautiful thing. Gosh, that sounds awful, doesn’t it? I’m not one of his Louis the Umpteenth carriage clocks.”

“I wonder where he acquired all these qualities. Fabulous wealth, fabulous taste and a scientific genius to boot. He’s superhuman. Does he plug himself into some kind of generator at night?”

Anna forced a laugh over the bilious waves. “You know, you might be on to something there. He has more energy than anyone has a right to.”

“So I suppose he’s a dynamo in the sack as well then?”

Anna blushed, her silence revealing the answer.

“God, he makes me sick,” muttered Mimi sotto voce, but it was Anna who had to run to the nearest bathroom and vomit.

“Why don’t you go and lie down,” Mimi suggested once Anna had washed her face and sipped a bit more water. “And I’ll show myself around.”

Anna nodded gratefully and staggered off to the bedroom.

Mimi’s journalistic instincts told her that, in any five-storey mansion belonging to a mysterious millionaire, the most interesting things would be found at the very top or very bottom of the house. She decided to begin at the attic, even going to the lengths of finding a stepladder and poking her head into the loft, but all she found was rolled-up lengths of insulation material and dust balls big enough to swallow any passing mice whole.

Most of the upstairs rooms were guest bedroom suites, impeccably styled and furnished with an eclectic mix of antique and modern pieces. Mimi opened all the unlocked drawers and cupboards, but found mostly mothballs and coat hangers, scented pouches and secondhand paperbacks. On the second floor, she found a huge, fully-equipped gym.

I’d have put that in the basement. So what’s in the basement?

Down past the kitchen, past the sunroom that opened into the extensive London garden, down into a chilly stone space filled with dusty racks of wine, and then there was a flagstone with a metal ring set in it, indicating that even lower depths lay beyond.

Mimi crouched and tried to pull at the metal ring, but it was far too heavy; indeed, the flagstone seemed cemented to those that surrounded it. Disappointed, she sat back on her heels, presuming that whatever was underneath was no longer in use. She sighed heavily. Nothing incriminating so far. Perhaps it was all in his City office. Whatever it was. If she even knew what she was looking for, that would be a start.

She made her way back upstairs, looking for John’s home office but finding it locked. She tried the door handle a few times, then sprang back in alarm when a voice behind her spoke.

“Why you want go in there? Is private. The master say no go in.”

She turned to find herself facing an unblinking, soberly-dressed woman with sharp cheekbones. This must be the fearsome Luana. I can see why Anna is so freaked out by her.

“Oh. You must be Luana. Hello. I’m Mimi, Anna’s best friend.”

Luana ignored the ingratiating behaviour and failed to take the proffered hand.

“I am servant, you do not be my friend.”

“Oh.” Mimi shook her head, a little bemused by the woman’s odd manner.

“Why you want this room?”

“Oh…I don’t really. Just taking a look around. Getting my bearings.”

“Where is mistress?”

“Asleep.”

“Oh.” Luana rolled her eyes a little. “Always

asleep.”

“Well, she is pregnant. I suppose she’s tired. Anyway, lovely to meet you, goodbye.” Mimi rushed down the corridor, looking for the sanctuary of her room so she could plan her next moves.

Later, having overindulged in ice cream and chick flicks in the huge home cinema, lying on cushions and chatting sleepily in front of the dark screen, Mimi said, “Luana is a creepy woman, isn’t she?”

“I told you she was.”

“I totally get what you mean now. I wonder why John hired her. He must have had his pick of high-end housekeepers.”