“You’re only coming with me in case any of our guests are as doubtful of my abilities as François and Mary apparently are. In case you need to mansplain things for me,” she snapped. Then she took a calming breath. It wasn’t Eamonn’s fault. She’d expected him to act like a jerk, to laugh with François — but he didn’t. “I’m going to call it right now: the honeymooners will jump at the chance to go home early and christen their bed as a married couple, and the Princes will be difficult until we give them an extra voucher or a bottle of champagne to take home… both, probably.”
Eamonn laughed, a deep chuckle that made Nell want to purr. “I never bet on a sure outcome, babe. Let’s go so you can do your thing.”
She was right. Of course she was.
Mrs. Prince crossed her arms, with a dissatisfied twist to her mouth and an ever-so-slightly calculating glint in her eyes. “A voucher for just one night isn’t much compensation for having to leave early. I mean, we’re not likely to drive all this way another time just to stay the single night, are we? Is that the idea behind the policy — to hope we either leave the voucher unused or pay for more nights to go with it?”
Probably, yes. Nell fought the urge to say the words aloud.
Eamonn stood slightly behind her, so she couldn’t see his face, but she heard him snicker. “Very likely,” he muttered, just loud enough for the Princes to hear. Craptastic.
“My assistant Eamonn has been with the company less than a week and is just being a smartass.” He’d wisely shifted out of reach, so she couldn’t jab him with her elbow.
But Mrs. Prince’s eyes had fixed on Eamonn’s all-too-recognizable face. “Say, do I recognize you from somewhere…? Are you…?” Her voice trailed off.
Nell waited for him to switch on his Easy persona, to flash that charming smile and take over the conversation. Why yes, and aren’t you sweet to recognize me, darling…
But he didn’t. “People often say that,” he mumbled. As Nell turned to look at him, he waved a dismissive hand, and a red flush crept up his neck. “I guess I look like some pop star.”
Embarrassed? Oh. She’d introduced him as her assistant with the company — and no plausible way to backpedal on that. He wouldn’t want to be recognized here, like this, with the inevitable questions that would come and the gossip that would follow. Nell took pity on him. “Fortunately, I have the discretion to offer a second voucher. Would two nights’ stay make the drive worthwhile, Mrs. Prince?”
The woman pursed her lips, considering. “I don’t know…”
Considering whether she can wring anything more out of us by pretending to hesitate. Nell gave Mrs. Prince an artificially benign smile. That’s enough. “Of course, you’re not obliged to leave at all. If the flood warning for the freeway doesn’t worry you, you’re more than welcome to stay for the full visit you booked — and there’d be no need for a return visit. Or vouchers.”
She heard a snort from Eamonn, just as Mrs. Prince huffed and said, “Well. I don’t want to be stuck here. Two nights’ vouchers will do. And our package included a bottle of champagne with each night’s stay. Do we get tomorrow’s bottle to take with us?”
The smug look on Mrs. Prince’s face as she got into her car, clutching her bottle of champagne, galled Nell a little. But being right about her sort of made up for it. And giving the honeymooners a totally unexpected and appreciated bottle of champagne too — in the interest of fairness — felt good.
The rain and wind had picked up to an alarming degree by midafternoon. “Time to go,” Nell said to François and Mary. “You both live off-site, right? Do you have far to drive?”
“I live in Omak — it’s about an hour away,” Mary said. “He has a place in Twisp.”
The cook shrugged. “Fifteen minutes, more or less. Where are you going? Back to Seattle now?”
“Eamonn can do as he pleases, but I’m staying. Company policy, unless the site itself is in actual danger, and it’s not.” Nell braced herself for their worries and protests. A woman alone, and all that.
But François had his mind on the food in his kitchen. “You’ll have plenty to eat — too much, eh? Mary, you must take some meals with you. Nell, if the power goes out, you must get the generator going right away or everything in the freezer will be lost.” His efficient hands were packaging and labeling portions of food as he talked. Some he loaded into bags for himself and Mary, and the rest went into the fridge. “Beef stew, maple salmon, chicken pot pie, pulled pork… these will all go bad if they’re not eaten. I’ve put heating and preparation instructions on the containers for you. Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?”
“We’ll take good care of your kitchen, François,” Eamonn said. “You just get home while the roads are still good.”
As Mary and François headed to their cars, Mary turned back with a quizzical expression on her face. “Eamonn, I feel like I know you from somewhere…”
“Well, maybe you do, sugar. Let me know if you remember, all right?” Eamonn waved her off with a laugh, which Nell thought sounded a little forced. A gust of wind slammed the back door of the kitchen as soon as François let go of it, leaving Eamonn and Nell alone.
“You should go too,” Nell said at once. “You’ve got a solid truck and you’re
