CHAPTER SIX
Cassie sat in silence, with her mind racing. She knew Ms. Rossi was waiting for her to speak, and that any hesitation would raise questions, but she had no idea what to say.
The word “murder” would be enough to put any potential employer off. Regardless of the circumstances, they would decide it wasn’t worth the risk.
Cassie couldn’t blame them. She was beginning to wonder if she herself was the bringer of bad luck—or else whether her own decisions had caused these horrific incidents to occur.
Her only option was to gloss over her recent experience, and focus on the work she’d done back in the States.
She cleared her throat and began speaking.
“I left home when I was sixteen and I put myself through college, working mostly as a waitress,” she said.
She didn’t elaborate on the reasons why she had left, but hoped that being independent and self-sufficient would win her favor in Ms. Rossi’s eyes. To her relief, the business owner nodded approvingly.
“I did some tutoring during that time, helped younger children with their studies, and I also worked at a daycare center for a short while, to cover for someone’s maternity leave. I was fully cleared and got all the necessary approvals to work, which I can show you on my phone. I also have a reference from the restaurant where I worked for two years, saying that I am a reliable and hard worker who always went out of her way to make customers happy.”
Fortunately, those documents had formed a part of her first au pair application and she had the copies saved online. Even though the restaurant work wasn’t relevant, it was her only real reference.
“Excellent,” Ms. Rossi said.
“Since being in Europe, I’ve traveled quite a bit. I started out au pairing for a family in Paris. The children then moved to the South of France, so I spent some time in the UK over December.”
Cassie’s face felt hot. Her story was riddled with holes. If Ms. Rossi questioned her version she would quickly find that Cassie hadn’t told her the full truth. But, to her surprise, the businesswoman seemed satisfied, and spoke in turn.
“I will give you some background on my situation. I was divorced a few months ago, and while I was able to work from home for a while, the business has become too busy now. We have expanded into a number of new markets and acquired more brands. We planned for this growth, of course, but it’s happened faster than we expected. My mother is going to move here to take care of the children, but she needs time to prepare and pack up. So I will need you for three months. It will be live-in, of course. The children are well behaved, and we have a cook and a driver, so it will not be too onerous a responsibility.”
Cassie swallowed.
“What are the children like? Could you tell me more about them, please?”
“Two girls, aged eight and nine. Nina is the older, and Venetia the younger. They are well behaved.”
Since Ms. Rossi did not seem to have much more to say about the children, Cassie gathered her courage to ask.
“Could I meet them, perhaps? See how we get along, before I decide?”
She had no idea whether Ms. Rossi might think this question rude, after she had vouched for her children’s behavior.
The businesswoman nodded.
“Of course. They will be back from school by now. Follow me.”
She stood up and swept out of the room with Cassie hurrying behind.
Cassie felt awestruck by this woman’s air of authority. If this was what it took to run a successful international company, she couldn’t imagine herself ever doing the same. Not in a million years. She was not the caliber of person and did not have the same commanding presence.
Luckily, she felt that Ms. Rossi seemed to like her. At any rate, she didn’t seem to have an inherent dislike for her, which was what she’d sensed with her French employers.
They headed to the marble staircase and upstairs. The house was built in the shape of a horseshoe, with two main wings. The children’s rooms were upstairs and to the right of the horseshoe.
The click of Ottavia Rossi’s heels on the tiled floor was loud enough to signal the children that she was arriving, and Cassie was impressed to see the two dark-haired girls come out of their bedrooms and stand side by side, waiting, as they approached.
They were wearing smart, long-sleeved dresses that looked identical except for the color—one was yellow, the other blue. Their brightly colored moccasins made Cassie wonder whether Rossi Shoes had a children’s range and if so, whether this was part of it.
“Children, I would like you to meet Cassie,” Ms. Rossi said. “She is here for an interview, and might be looking after you for the next few weeks. Perhaps you would like to greet her, and answer her questions?”
“Good afternoon, pleased to meet you,” the children said in chorus, and Cassie was surprised that their English was excellent.
The taller girl stepped forward.
“I am Nina.”
She held out a hand and Cassie took it, surprised by the formal greeting.
“I am Venetia,” the younger girl said.
Cassie shook her small, warm hand. Although this setup felt rather awkward, and standing formally in the corridor was not the ideal place to chat and relax, she knew she needed to prove that she was a friendly and likeable person.
She smiled at the children.
“You both have beautiful names.”
“Thank you,” Nina said.
“Did you go to school today?”
Venetia seemed eager to reply.
“Yes. We do our homework in the afternoon. That is what we are busy doing now.”
“Wow, you are very good girls. What is your favorite subject at school?”
The two girls exchanged a glance.
“English,” Nina volunteered.
Venetia paused.
“I like math.”
Cassie was amazed. Clearly, this was what it took to be successful—discipline and a love for studying from a young age. She could see already that these girls were following in their mother’s footsteps and could envision the golden path
