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Authors: Susan Barrie
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compose her face into an amiable smile. “You will apply for it at once, and you will go on duty at midday. Is that clearly understood?”
Toni answered even more stiffly that it was quite clearly understood.
B y the time lunch was nearly over Toni was receiving the co-operation of the other girls with whom she worked, and she was surprised—as well as extremely grateful—because they put themselves out to give her confidence, and prevent her appearing in front of a sea of strangers as if she was as inexperienced as she actually was.
The girls—Vera, Gerda and Elisabeth—encouraged her every time they passed her with their own trays.
“You’re doing fine!” Or its equivalent in German. “That fat man over there can’t eat you, although he looks as if he’d like to! The dress really suits you! ... You look much nicer in it than Trudi did.”
Toni was not at all sure about that. Her skirt felt ridiculously short, billowing out from her slim waist—a froth of lilac banded with black velvet; and her muslin blouse, although crisp and immaculate, had an extremely décolleté neckline. As for her absurd little apron, and the flower in her hair ... those were the final musical comedy touches!
What with her consciousness of her appearance, and her fear that she would drop a tray every time she hurried with one along the sunlit terrace, she was in a continual state of nervous tension, and perspiring profusely—although, fortunately, no one would have guessed it—by the time the terrace had emptied and everyone had disappeared for lunch.
One good thing about this new arrangement was that the waiters served coffee, and she was allowed to go off duty once the aperitif rush was over. Another good thing about that first morning was that neither Kurt Antoine nor Philip Gresham appeared on the terrace d uring her period of duty, and for this she could not have been more grateful.
Although Antoine was her employer, and it was in his interests that she was dressed up in her eye-catching uniform, she shrank from the thought of meeting his eyes when he first caught sight of her wearing it. And Gresham would be certain to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to her, since all he had to do was lift his finger and beckon her to his table.
“ Fraulein, bring me a nice cool lager, will you?”
It was quite easy to imagine the anile in his eyes, and the efforts he would make to detain her.
But somewhat to her surprise when Gresham did first catch sight of her in her new role, and beckoned her over to his table, it was to ask her somewhat explosively what in the world this meant.
“Are you determined to learn the hotel business from the bottom to the top, or vice versa?” he asked. “I could take it when you first appeared on my horizon as a chambermaid; but I’ m not at all sure I can take this.” He touched her ridiculously short skirt, and her absurd little apron. “Do you like wearing this get-up?” He was frowning heavily. “If you do you must be more like the sort of girl I first took you for, and somehow I don’t think you are!”
She flushed, because his voice was not merely characteristically English, but it carried clearly as English male voices so often do.
“Really, Toinette, you have handed me a surprise! Or are you doing it for a wager?”
“Of course not,” she answered hurriedly, and bent to excuse herself because someone else wanted her. “I’ll have to go. I—”
“ Fraulein !” a guttural German voice called just as impatiently, and just as clearly, as the English voice.
“Tell him to wait on himself!” Philip Gresham exclaimed, with snapping, cold blue eyes. He rose and pushed back his chair. “I’d like to have a few words with you—in fact, I must have a few words with you! —as soon as it’s possible, Toinette. I’m off to Vienna after lunch tomorrow, and I’ ll be away about a week. C ould you manage to slip out and meet me some time this evening? In that woo d where
Toni answered even more stiffly that it was quite clearly understood.
B y the time lunch was nearly over Toni was receiving the co-operation of the other girls with whom she worked, and she was surprised—as well as extremely grateful—because they put themselves out to give her confidence, and prevent her appearing in front of a sea of strangers as if she was as inexperienced as she actually was.
The girls—Vera, Gerda and Elisabeth—encouraged her every time they passed her with their own trays.
“You’re doing fine!” Or its equivalent in German. “That fat man over there can’t eat you, although he looks as if he’d like to! The dress really suits you! ... You look much nicer in it than Trudi did.”
Toni was not at all sure about that. Her skirt felt ridiculously short, billowing out from her slim waist—a froth of lilac banded with black velvet; and her muslin blouse, although crisp and immaculate, had an extremely décolleté neckline. As for her absurd little apron, and the flower in her hair ... those were the final musical comedy touches!
What with her consciousness of her appearance, and her fear that she would drop a tray every time she hurried with one along the sunlit terrace, she was in a continual state of nervous tension, and perspiring profusely—although, fortunately, no one would have guessed it—by the time the terrace had emptied and everyone had disappeared for lunch.
One good thing about this new arrangement was that the waiters served coffee, and she was allowed to go off duty once the aperitif rush was over. Another good thing about that first morning was that neither Kurt Antoine nor Philip Gresham appeared on the terrace d uring her period of duty, and for this she could not have been more grateful.
Although Antoine was her employer, and it was in his interests that she was dressed up in her eye-catching uniform, she shrank from the thought of meeting his eyes when he first caught sight of her wearing it. And Gresham would be certain to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to her, since all he had to do was lift his finger and beckon her to his table.
“ Fraulein, bring me a nice cool lager, will you?”
It was quite easy to imagine the anile in his eyes, and the efforts he would make to detain her.
But somewhat to her surprise when Gresham did first catch sight of her in her new role, and beckoned her over to his table, it was to ask her somewhat explosively what in the world this meant.
“Are you determined to learn the hotel business from the bottom to the top, or vice versa?” he asked. “I could take it when you first appeared on my horizon as a chambermaid; but I’ m not at all sure I can take this.” He touched her ridiculously short skirt, and her absurd little apron. “Do you like wearing this get-up?” He was frowning heavily. “If you do you must be more like the sort of girl I first took you for, and somehow I don’t think you are!”
She flushed, because his voice was not merely characteristically English, but it carried clearly as English male voices so often do.
“Really, Toinette, you have handed me a surprise! Or are you doing it for a wager?”
“Of course not,” she answered hurriedly, and bent to excuse herself because someone else wanted her. “I’ll have to go. I—”
“ Fraulein !” a guttural German voice called just as impatiently, and just as clearly, as the English voice.
“Tell him to wait on himself!” Philip Gresham exclaimed, with snapping, cold blue eyes. He rose and pushed back his chair. “I’d like to have a few words with you—in fact, I must have a few words with you! —as soon as it’s possible, Toinette. I’m off to Vienna after lunch tomorrow, and I’ ll be away about a week. C ould you manage to slip out and meet me some time this evening? In that woo d where
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