‘As long as you enjoy it.’ She smiled, still completely aware of Max as he walked over to get in one of the lifts. ‘I—’
‘January…?’
She turned to find Peter Meridew walking purposefully towards her. Just what she needed at the end of an already stressful evening!
‘If I could just talk to Miss Calendar alone…?’ The manager’s words and look gave John a pointed dismissal.
John gave her a rueful grimace. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, then, January. Mr Meridew.’ He nodded abruptly, leaving with obvious reluctance.
What had she done now? January wondered frustratedly. Okay, so she had been five minutes late arriving, but as the bar had been particularly busy this evening she had also carried on singing fifteen minutes over her usual time…
‘Perhaps you would like to come through to my office?’ Peter Meridew said firmly.
And perhaps she wouldn’t! It was almost one-thirty in the morning, for goodness’ sake—and she had a home to go to, even if this man preferred to stay out of his as much as possible; it was common knowledge amongst the hotel staff that Peter Meridew often stayed on working long after his shift should have ended because of the formidable wife waiting for him at home! Normally she felt quite sorry for his obviously unhappy home life, but at one-thirty in the morning she had to admit her sympathy was running a little thin!
‘Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow evening?’ she suggested lightly.
His expression tightened. ‘I received a visit from the police today in connection with the attacks being carried out in the area,’ he bit out tersely, obviously not at all pleased at having police calling at his hotel, for any reason.
January frowned her confusion. ‘What does that have to do with me?’
‘On a personal level, nothing,’ he accepted. ‘However, they are suggesting we change our policy as regards ensuring the safety of certain employees.’
Somehow January didn’t like the sound of this…! Besides the fact that it sounded extremely familiar…?
‘Yes?’ she prompted warily.
Peter Meridew gave a terse inclination of his head. ‘I am afraid that, until such time as the attacker is found and incarcerated, we will have to dispense with your services.’
‘What?’ January gasped, not seeing the connection at all.
The manager’s mouth thinned. ‘Yes. Of course you may finish off the week,’ he added hurriedly.
‘That’s very big of you,’ January muttered, too tired—and angry!—to feel like being overly polite; besides, the man was effectively putting her out of a job at the end of the week!
‘I’m really no happier about this than you are.’ Peter Meridew sighed. ‘We have been more than pleased with your work. But apparently one of the guests has complained that three evenings a week you regularly leave the hotel, alone, at a very late hour—’
‘One of the guests…?’ January cut in forcefully, turning to look at the lifts; as she had suspected Max had already gone up to his suite. But it didn’t take her two guesses to know who ‘the guest’ was who had lodged the complaint.
Or to guess why he had done such a thing! He really was Jude Marshall’s man, wasn’t he, out to ruin the Calendar sisters if he couldn’t get them out of the farm any other way? First put her out of a job, and then he would no doubt start on March. Well, that was what he thought!
She gave Peter Meridew a warm smile. ‘I’m sure the police don’t actually have the authority to instruct you to sack me?’
‘I’m not sacking you, January.’ The manager looked slightly flustered at the suggestion. ‘But, after giving the situation due consideration, I am of the opinion it is the best way to deal with the problem. For the moment,’ he added hastily. ‘We don’t, of course, want to lose your services indefinitely.’
No, she would just bet they didn’t; she never demurred about staying longer than she was supposed to do, or coming in for special occasions if necessary, and the wages really weren’t that good. Just necessary in order for them to be able to keep the farm. Which brought her right back to Max Golding…!
She forced herself to remain calm. ‘Did they tell you which of the guests made the complaint?’ she prompted interestedly.
r /> ‘I did enquire, but… They were disinclined to tell me,’ Peter Meridew snapped abruptly, obviously most displeased with this police reticence. ‘However, I do accept that it is in the interest of your safety, and as such—’
“‘You have to dispense with my services”,’ January finished for him tautly. ‘And I have no say in the matter whatsoever?’ she prompted disgustedly.
His expression softened. ‘January—’
‘It’s okay, Peter,’ she cut in impatiently, shaking her head. ‘I fully accept the position you have been put in.’ And who had put him—and her!—there! ‘If you don’t mind, I would like to leave now…?’
‘Not at all,’ he accepted, obviously relieved she hadn’t made more of a scene about the situation. ‘Perhaps I could escort you out to your car?’ he offered.