Victoria waited patiently while the waiter wheeled in the lunch and tea she had ordered upon checking back into the Shangri-La. He removed each item from the trolley and arranged it carefully on her suite’s dining room table.
Behind him, a widescreen television showed a man smothering a yawn. The moment she had arrived she had woken Michael in New York and demanded an immediate Skype conference. As her lawyer, he was used to such demands and didn’t express irritation or surprise at her command.
Finally, the waiter seemed to realise that he was interrupting an important conversation and rushed from the room, the service trolley squeaking as he did.
The moment the suite door closed, Victoria let out a sigh and returned to where she had been standing in front of the television. The little square at the bottom right showing her irritated posture.
“You’d think the Shangri-La would have some oil for that trolley,” Michael commented.
“They’ve been sent to try me.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Where were we?”
“I was saying that my guy in London will be with you in a couple of hours.” He smothered another yawn.
“Is that the best you can do, Michael?” She started to pace. “This really is of the utmost urgency. I need to fly back to New York as soon as possible.”
“My guy in London is the best. He knows French and European law inside out. If getting back to New York is that pressing, then you can always leave your former assistant there and we’ll deal with the legal details for you.”
Victoria paused and glared at him. “Leave her here? Absolutely not! I promised her I would remain until this ridiculous mess is sorted out.”
Michael chuckled.
“This is not funny,” she told him darkly.
“No, it’s not. But your reaction is a little amusing,” he admitted. “Are you really sure you want to be responsible for power of attorney over this woman? It’s a lot to ask of anyone, never mind someone with your workload.”
Victoria rolled her eyes at the ceiling before pinning him with a glare.
“Yes, yes, I know all of that. I just need to get Holly out of that terrible facility.”
Michael held up his iPad in his hand. “According to this report, it’s one of the finest facilities in Europe. She was very lucky to be placed there.”
Victoria snorted a laugh. “Don’t believe everything you read online. I changed my own Wikipedia page to knock a few years off and no one batted an eyelid.”
He lowered the iPad. “Regardless of the state of the hospital, we’ll move as quickly as we can.”
She walked over to the dining table, still in view of the camera mounted to the television. She picked up a cup and placed it on a saucer, then looked into the teapot to check if they had managed to get it right this time.
“What are the chances of expediting this matter?” she asked.
“We’ll do our best, but the French courts are slow. To get her American identification officially recognised and name you as power of attorney, you will need to go to court. When Gareth gets there, he will set up an emergency appointment. Hopefully that will be this afternoon, but more likely first thing tomorrow morning. Once you have that, it’s a matter of going to the American embassy and getting an emergency passport so that she can travel.”
It sounded longwinded and exhausting. Victoria poured herself some tea. “And how long will an emergency passport take?”
“Same day, there’s a walk-in service. As long as it isn’t a weekend or a public holiday,” he replied. “But I can’t make any promises, this is very much out of our hands. And pushing them will just make the process slower.”
Victoria’s phone vibrated on the table, and she looked at the screen. HR had finally earned the redecoration of their offices.
“I have the photocopy of her passport,” she told him. She forwarded the email to Michael. “I just sent it to you.”
His iPad pinged. “Great, I have it. I’ll send it to Gareth so he can speak to the embassy and get the ball rolling.” He yawned again, swiping the screen to unlock it.
“Do you need anything else from me? I’m rather fed up with seeing your tonsils on a fifty-inch screen.”
He chuckled. “Sorry, it’s early here…”
“So everyone keeps informing me,” she muttered.
“Oh,” he said as he looked at his iPad.
She looked at him and frowned. “What?”
“Nice-looking girl.” He looked at her over the top of his iPad, a cheeky look clear in his eyes.
Victoria shrugged. “I suppose she is.”
“Mm.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Oh, go away,” she told him.
“I’ll get to it, don’t worry. And Gareth will contact you when he arrives. He’s very good, I have complete faith in him,” Michael reassured her.
Victoria was still cross at being mocked. She simply shrugged her shoulders again and focused her attention on the lavish spread that the hotel had provided her.
“Good,” she said simply.
“I’ll contact you later,” Michael said, wisely choosing to stop teasing her. He disconnected the call.
Victoria reached for the remote control and switched off the television. Her thirty-plus-year friendship with Michael often led to mutual teasing, but she suddenly found herself without a sense of humour. Her mind swam with questions, theories, and fears. Mostly fears.
Holly had been at the brunt of Victoria’s moods ever since she started at Arrival. Someone with no understanding or care about fashion working for one of the most powerful women in fashion was laughable. Victoria had assumed she’d be gone within a week.
As they crossed the threshold into her second month of employment, Victoria realised that Holly had staying power but still no interest in fashion. Sure, she’d improved her dress sense, but she was using the role as a segue into editorial. Not that that affected her determination. In fact, it made her one of the best assistants that Victoria had ever had.
Disastrously so.
Holly was always a few steps ahead of Victoria’s needs. Ordering lunch, sending for cars, and booking meetings before she said a word.
While that should have been a dream come true, it was actually infuriating. Holly possessed an understanding of and familiarity with Victoria’s needs that was distracting.
And so, Victoria rebelled.
The lunch was thrown in the trash, the car was cancelled, the meeting was delayed. Victoria tried to assert her authority, to not feel as transparent. She demeaned the girl, chastised her publicly, and sent her on ridiculous errands in the hope of her failing.
But Holly didn’t back down. She redoubled her efforts to be everything Victoria needed and more. To be the best assistant.
They were stuck in a battle of wills, with one participant having no idea they were even at war.
And now the tables were turned. Holly would be utterly dependant on Victoria. She’d have control over her life, her finances, her living arrangements, and her medical treatment.
In her heart, she knew she hadn’t been truthful at the hospital. While she hadn’t outright lied, she hadn’t been forthcoming with the truth. She hadn’t explained to Holly who she was, what she was like, how she was feared and even hated at times. She certainly hadn’t mentioned how Holly surely loathed her.
The knowledge that she may have found Holly only to lose her again, forever, was terrifying. And so, she shaped her own story. She omitted certain pieces of information from her conversations with both Charlotte and Holly.
Once the girl was safely home and recovering, then Victoria would show her true colours. Of course, there was a fine line to be walked. A balance to be had. She couldn’t run the risk that Holly’s memories might return before she had a chance to expose the truth of their relationship. Having power of attorney came with certain responsibilities, and honesty was one of them.
She speared a slice of apple from a plate and delicately bit into the flesh.
Still, she realised that she had time. Holly’s memories wouldn’t return in a flash, Charlotte had told her as much, which gave her the opportunity to be what Holly needed her to be. And if in the process she managed to cleanse her guilt, so be it.