He did not turn around immediately when he heard a woman's chiming tones. They were on his time, on his rules now, so he made her wait. Over the years he had learned that he could tell the worth of someone on how well the waited. He could also learn how much they wanted whatever they were coming to him for. Once he decided he had made her wait long enough, he pulled his hands out of the pockets of his slacks and turned around. He noticed her first, but he focused on the man malingering in the circular arch of a doorway.
Rafe leveled the man with a disapproving look. Any employee of his should no better than to ever enter his rooms without being sent for. The man should have waited on the first floor, where he belonged. Clearly the work of escorting Ms. Beaumonte-Richardson had gone to his head. Rafe thought that a week of kitchen duty would solve that. The man fled back through the doorway and down the narrow hall, Rafe could hear his mad scramble down the staircase from his office. The workers down below would not be unduly bothered, it was somewhat normal to have people escaping from his office like a bat out of hell.
Now that the last of his work was dealt with, he turned to Ms. Beaumonte-Richardson. His first impression was that she was a proud woman, the sort of pride that comes from a life of privilege. However, she was attractive enough for him to overlook her failings. He had always liked red hair on women for a reason that he had not yet figured out. Having passed his scrutiny, he finally spoke. "Ms. Beaumonte-Richardson? This meeting has been awaited for long enough."