“Goodbye,” she said, and cut off the call.
CHAPTER FIVE
Cassie couldn’t understand why the au pair job was no longer available if it had been advertised so recently. She felt disappointed that this opportunity had come and gone before she’d even been able to attend an interview.
Now she had no idea what she should do. She was tempted to get in her car and drive in a random direction for an hour or two, in the hope that she would end up closer to her sister, or even, miraculously, in the same town.
Cassie knew in this densely populated country, which was studded with towns and villages of all sizes, that was not just unlikely, but impossible.
She opened her trunk, rummaged in her suitcase, and took out the tablets she’d missed last night, plus her morning dose.
Then, seated in the car, she drank them down and called her friend Jess.
Cassie had spent a week’s holiday with Jess over Christmas and New Year. Jess’s employer had given her time off, with money to travel, and Jess had invited Cassie to come along to Edinburgh.
Jess had paid for the accommodations, and Cassie had done all the driving. They had rented an apartment on the outskirts of the city, and spent the days sightseeing and the nights partying. During that time, they’d had the chance to chat, so Jess knew exactly what Cassie had gone through, and the soul-shattering truth about her last two assignments.
“Hey, stranger!” Jess answered almost immediately. “Have you found your sister yet?”
“Not yet. I found someone who spoke to her recently. He said she was staying in a town an hour or two away from Milan, but he couldn’t remember the town’s name.”
“Oh, no.” Jess sounded horrified. “That’s like—so close but so far. What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to try and stay here for a few weeks because he said he’ll message me if he remembers. I phoned about an au pair job, but it had already been taken. Do you know of anyone in Milan, or in Italy, who might need a helper?”
Cassie had serious respect for Jess’s networking capabilities. The tall, friendly blonde seemed to have a natural talent for picking up strategically placed connections. That was how Cassie had gotten her last job, even though it hadn’t turned out well; and it was also how they’d been able to secure their holiday apartment at an affordable rate.
“In Milan?” Jess sounded thoughtful.
“Or anywhere nearby,” Cassie reminded her, hoping to widen the net.
Jess sighed.
“Not offhand. Milan’s in the north of Italy, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“So even something in Switzerland, or southern Germany, would actually be doable too, wouldn’t it? I guess you don’t want to go back to France right now.”
Or ever, Cassie thought.
“I’d rather steer clear of France.”
“Let me ask. Everyone’s jetting off skiing at the moment and my employers know some people who own ski chalets. You could work as a chalet maid. The money’s not great, but you get to ski for free.”
“Please ask them,” Cassie said.
“Meanwhile, pester that guy who spoke to your sister,” Jess advised. “Don’t be shy. Tell him to sit with a map in front of him and look at all the towns until the right name jogs his memory.”
She laughed, and Cassie found herself laughing along with her.
“I’ve got to run,” Jess said. “Dental appointment. For the children, not me. Chat later, Cassie, good luck!”
As Cassie disconnected, her phone rang again. She found herself speaking to Abigail, the woman who had answered when she called about the au pairing job.
“Hello, I am speaking on behalf of Ms. Rossi. You called about a job earlier, is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Which job was it, please? Was it the junior fashion designer, or was it the au pair position?”
“It was the au pair position.”
“Please hold for a moment.”
The woman sounded anxious and Cassie could hear a whispered conversation in the background.
A few moments later, she spoke again.
“I am so sorry. Please accept my apologies. I did not know about the au pair position. Ms. Rossi has confirmed that this job is available, and it is the designer one that was filled. She has asked me to find out if you are still interested.”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
“Ms. Rossi will be available for interviews this afternoon at her home, from two-thirty p.m. onwards. The first successful candidate will be hired, and will be required to start immediately. Can I message you the address?”
“Please,” Cassie said, feeling worried all over again. It sounded as if she’d have to make an instant decision about whether the job was right for her or not. She wondered what the children would be like, and that thought made her feel nauseous with nerves.
She couldn’t take the job without meeting the children, she decided. They were the ones she would be spending every day with. Their mother sounded like a wealthy woman and from Cassie’s limited experience, this meant the children might be spoiled or neglected.
When her phone buzzed again and the directions came through, she decided to drive there immediately.
After all, if she wasn’t first in the interview queue, there wouldn’t be a decision to be made at all.
*
Cassie reached the neighborhood just before noon. The streets were quiet and immaculately maintained, with large houses set far back from the road among well-treed gardens. Cassie guessed that in summer, when the trees were clothed in greenery, the houses would be invisible from the road.
She was surprised at the amount of security that she saw present. Every house was fenced or walled, with tall automatic gates. Cassie wasn’t sure whether the wealthy valued their security and privacy, or whether there was a crime problem in this affluent area. She suspected it was probably the former.
Driving through the streets in her small, elderly runabout, Cassie noticed a few of the locals in their brightly colored sports cars and dark SUVs peering at her suspiciously. She and her car looked out of place in
