The Perfume Collector(66)

‘Influenza,’ Mrs Ronald repeated, sucking hard on her back teeth.

‘Or maybe she ate something that didn’t agree with her.’

‘Isn’t that interesting. Especially as you all eat in the canteen together. I’ve had no other reports.’

‘With all due respect, ma’am, she is foreign. They eat things no one else would touch.’

Mrs Ronald sighed. It was almost impossible to tell when Sis was lying; she was clever. It served her right for hiring a clever girl in the first place.

‘I’d be happy, ma’am, to clean her rooms in addition to my own,’ Sis offered.

Mrs Ronald leaned back in her chair, folding her hands together in her lap. ‘Would you now? Perhaps we should call a doctor for Miss Dorsey?’

Sis didn’t flinch. ‘As I said, ma’am, I can’t say for certain, but to me it looks like something that may well pass in a couple of days.’

‘That’s a lot of work, even if it is only a couple of days.’

Sis straightened. ‘She’d do the same for me, ma’am.’

‘Would she?’

For the first time, Sis dared to look Mrs Ronald in the eye. ‘Yes, ma’am, I believe she would.’



It was almost the end of October when Mr Lambert finally returned.

Eva caught a glimpse of him as he was riding the elevator one morning. She was dusting the light fixtures in the hallway when the doors opened and another patron got off. They were about to close again when he recognized her. ‘Oh, hello, it’s you!’ He jammed his hand between the doors and bounded off. ‘What have you done to your hair?’

His suit was badly in need of a press, his collar grey and frayed, but his eyes were just as blue as she’d remembered; his smile instantly disarming. She made herself concentrate on dusting.

‘So, you’re still here.’ His voice was low, conspiratorial.

‘Yes. I’m still here.’ Then she added, against her better judgement, ‘Did you enjoy Niagara Falls, sir?’

‘Niagara Falls?’ His brow furrowed as if he had no idea of what she was talking about. ‘I can’t say I did. Place with all the water, isn’t it?’

And the Laughing Blonde, she thought. But instead she just nodded. ‘That’s what they say.’

‘Yes, well, it’s been a busy summer. I’ve been all over the East Coast so it’s hard to remember.’

‘Must be.’ She moved a little further down the hallway.

‘Well, here’s the thing,’ he said, strolling up behind her, hands in his pockets. ‘I’ve been thinking of you quite a lot. Of your many admirable qualities.’

She glanced at him sideways. ‘Have you?’

‘And I have a small favour to ask of you. Well, a proposition really. You know,’ he leaned casually against the wall, ‘I’d like to discuss it with you sometime, only not here. It’s a private matter. Nothing one would talk about in a public hallway. You understand.’

‘Of course, sir.’

‘I’m in room 701. So, what do you say?’ He smiled charmingly. ‘Come and see me, say, in an hour?’

‘I’m not sure I have time,’ she said quietly.

‘Of course. Well, I mean. You know where I am, so you can come when you like.’

She continued to avoid his eyes; gave a little shrug. ‘I’ll think about it, sir.’

Mr Lambert blinked, as if suddenly seeing her for the first time. She’d changed. Her face was different; there was a shift in her demeanour and tone. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped.

The little maid was off, heading down the hallway.

He stood, more than a little surprised, watching as she walked away.



Two days later, at the end of her shift, Sis came down to Eva’s floor with a message.

‘I’ve got someone asking after you,’ she informed her, hand on hip.

‘Who?’

Sis leaned up against the counter, watching as Eva washed out dirty glasses in the tiny room-service kitchen. ‘Mr Lambert, of all people.’

Eva kept her eyes down. ‘Really.’

‘Humm. Why’s he asking after you?’

‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged. ‘He was on my floor for a while. Maybe he misses the way I change the sheets.’

‘Maybe he does.’

Eva looked up. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Evidently, you’ve caught his eye.’

‘I doubt it. Actually,’ she gave Sis a look, ‘I believe he favours blondes.’ Eva scrubbed the glasses hard, running them under hot water.

‘That haircut makes you look fast. I’m only saying this as your friend. You’ve filled out, your hair’s as short as a chorus girl’s and now I’ve got grown men asking me where you are. What am I supposed to think?’