High Life | 19 September 2009

There is a mordant Eskimo proverb that says a good butler is worth at least three wives. The only trouble being I’ve never heard of an Eskimo with a butler. Gianni Agnelli had two he couldn’t do without: Pasquale, until he reached 40, and then Bruno, until the ‘avvocato’s’ death. I inherited mine from the Agnelli household. His name is Andrew Rolleston, and he is an Aussie — along with the Kiwis, the Poles and the Germans, in my Pantheon of best people. On his first day of service I was having dinner with the mother of my children in Cadogan Square when the telephone rang. ‘No, Mr Smith,’ I heard Andrew say, ‘Mr Taki is dining and he will ring you back.’ ‘Who the hell is Smith?’ I asked him when Alexandra was out of earshot. ‘It was a lady — Francesca — and she wants you to call her…’ said Andrew.