and have a two-hour bath and a ten-hour sleep, but it appeared that wasn’t going to happen. She paused beside the furniture grouping closest to the front entrance and set her briefcase on a wicker chair. “Certainly, Luc. What can I do for you?”
He adjusted the knot of his tie and smoothed his hair. “I need to talk to you about the fire.”
She regarded him curiously—the nervous fidgeting with his appearance was unusual for Luc. It would make a person think he had a guilty conscience. Her gaze was caught by the edge of the bandage that poked out from the cuff of his shirt, and she felt a quick jab of guilt herself.
Before Jackson had stated with such certainty that Luc had been putting out the fire, she’d actually considered the possibility that he’d been involved in setting it. The problems that had been plaguing the hotel had begun a few months afterLuc had come to work here. Charlotte’s assistant had gone as far as suggesting that Luc was deliberately causing trouble so that he could make himself look good when he helped solve the problems. Yet hotel security had investigated him and hadn’t found anything untoward. And Charlotte trusted Jackson’s take on the situation—he’d always been a good judge of people.
She really hadn’t wanted to suspect Luc of trying to hurt the business. He was an excellent concierge as well as a pleasant and charming young man. He was terrific with Daisy Rose, too, and Charlotte’s mother and sisters had grown quite fond of him. It would have upset them if it had turned out that their faith in him was misplaced.
She touched her fingertips to his sleeve above the bandage. “Is this injury bothering you? If you want to take some time off, I’ll understand.”
“No, I can’t even feel it. I don’t need time off, it’s the other way around.”
“What do you mean?”
“I realize we lost customers because of the fire. I’d like to offer a portion of my wages as a way to help out.”
Startled, she dropped her hand. “That’s very generous of you, Luc.”
“It’s the least I can do, Charlotte. I know I haven’t been here long, but you’ve all been so nice to me….” He cleared his throat. “You’ve treated me like part of the family.”
She smiled. Many of the hotel’s employees had expressed the same sentiment. It was one of the factors that had allowed the business to flourish as long as it had. “I’m happy you think so.”
“I didn’t expect it to happen when I took this job, but I feel as if I’ve finally found where I belong. You and your sisters and Miss Anne have taught me a lot about loyalty.”
“That’s good. We—”
“I never had any sisters or cousins around when I was growing up,” he said, his tone growing more urgent. “But if I had, I know I would have wanted to protect them.”
“Protect?” Her smile wavered. “Luc, what are you trying to say?”
The bell that sat on the concierge’s desk chimed softly. A stocky gray-haired man was standing in front of it, his fingers drumming impatiently on the wood as he looked around the lobby.
Luc glanced at the customer and cursed under his breath. “I promise I’m going to do my best to watch out for all of you,” he said firmly. “But, please, you need to be careful.”
Had he heard about the knife in her desk? she wondered. She’d done her best to keep that quiet, but it was possible word of the vandalism had spread. “Let’s talk in my office,” she said, reaching for her briefcase. “You appear to have more on your mind.”
The bell chimed again. Luc’s cheek pulsed as if he were clenching his teeth. “I would like very much to talk with you, Charlotte, but it will have to wait. I have too much to do first. I’m sorry.”
Concerned, she watched him return to his post to deal with the customer. The stocky man started speaking as soon as Luc reached him. They were too far away for her to discern the conversation, but from the expression on Luc’s face, it
He adjusted the knot of his tie and smoothed his hair. “I need to talk to you about the fire.”
She regarded him curiously—the nervous fidgeting with his appearance was unusual for Luc. It would make a person think he had a guilty conscience. Her gaze was caught by the edge of the bandage that poked out from the cuff of his shirt, and she felt a quick jab of guilt herself.
Before Jackson had stated with such certainty that Luc had been putting out the fire, she’d actually considered the possibility that he’d been involved in setting it. The problems that had been plaguing the hotel had begun a few months afterLuc had come to work here. Charlotte’s assistant had gone as far as suggesting that Luc was deliberately causing trouble so that he could make himself look good when he helped solve the problems. Yet hotel security had investigated him and hadn’t found anything untoward. And Charlotte trusted Jackson’s take on the situation—he’d always been a good judge of people.
She really hadn’t wanted to suspect Luc of trying to hurt the business. He was an excellent concierge as well as a pleasant and charming young man. He was terrific with Daisy Rose, too, and Charlotte’s mother and sisters had grown quite fond of him. It would have upset them if it had turned out that their faith in him was misplaced.
She touched her fingertips to his sleeve above the bandage. “Is this injury bothering you? If you want to take some time off, I’ll understand.”
“No, I can’t even feel it. I don’t need time off, it’s the other way around.”
“What do you mean?”
“I realize we lost customers because of the fire. I’d like to offer a portion of my wages as a way to help out.”
Startled, she dropped her hand. “That’s very generous of you, Luc.”
“It’s the least I can do, Charlotte. I know I haven’t been here long, but you’ve all been so nice to me….” He cleared his throat. “You’ve treated me like part of the family.”
She smiled. Many of the hotel’s employees had expressed the same sentiment. It was one of the factors that had allowed the business to flourish as long as it had. “I’m happy you think so.”
“I didn’t expect it to happen when I took this job, but I feel as if I’ve finally found where I belong. You and your sisters and Miss Anne have taught me a lot about loyalty.”
“That’s good. We—”
“I never had any sisters or cousins around when I was growing up,” he said, his tone growing more urgent. “But if I had, I know I would have wanted to protect them.”
“Protect?” Her smile wavered. “Luc, what are you trying to say?”
The bell that sat on the concierge’s desk chimed softly. A stocky gray-haired man was standing in front of it, his fingers drumming impatiently on the wood as he looked around the lobby.
Luc glanced at the customer and cursed under his breath. “I promise I’m going to do my best to watch out for all of you,” he said firmly. “But, please, you need to be careful.”
Had he heard about the knife in her desk? she wondered. She’d done her best to keep that quiet, but it was possible word of the vandalism had spread. “Let’s talk in my office,” she said, reaching for her briefcase. “You appear to have more on your mind.”
The bell chimed again. Luc’s cheek pulsed as if he were clenching his teeth. “I would like very much to talk with you, Charlotte, but it will have to wait. I have too much to do first. I’m sorry.”
Concerned, she watched him return to his post to deal with the customer. The stocky man started speaking as soon as Luc reached him. They were too far away for her to discern the conversation, but from the expression on Luc’s face, it
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