Ginny smiled. She liked the idea and wondered if it was something she could do. She liked her harbour house. It took a battering from storms, but it was snug inside, and she got to stare out to sea every day and dream about her soulmate. Perhaps it was time to move inland. Sell up and buy a farmhouse of sorts, then she could enjoy rescuing animals as well. It certainly brought a smile to Mrs Henshaw’s face.
‘What made you buy a hotel?’ she asked, squatting to give some extra feed to Hettie.
‘Oh, this was a working farm when we came here, dear. We were only young and had run away from home. The people here took us in, gave us jobs, and left this place to us when they passed on.’
That was intriguing. Ginny straightened, lowering her scoop. ‘Run away from home? Sounds like you have some backstory there, Mrs Henshaw.’
She gave a little shrug as she closed the large metal dustbins containing pellets and mixed corn. ‘Probably a bit different to most.’
‘How different?’ Ginny was being nosey, but she figured after running a café for years, she’d heard all the stories of the world. She now had the feeling she was about to hear a new one.
‘We grew up in the same neighbourhood, but our families were at war with each other.’ She shook her head slightly. ‘Hated each other more than I could tell you. Had been that way for generations. Started with some dispute over a business deal. I honestly don’t even know the half of it. Over the years, it just became normal for our families to fight.’
‘But you and Mr Henshaw didn’t fight.’
Mrs Henshaw linked her wrinkly fingers up high. ‘No. We fell in love.’
‘They do say love is stronger than hate.’
‘It is, and we thought it might be the thing to bring our families together, but no. Just made things worse.’
‘Oh, that’s sad.’
‘It was for me. I was devastated, as they tried to keep me from him.’
‘So you ran away together.’
Mrs Henshaw nodded. ‘We did, and it wasn’t easy leaving my family. It took all the courage I had, but with my love by my side, I knew we’d be fine somehow.’
‘Did you ever contact your family again?’
‘No. It was for the best to leave that life behind. They weren’t exactly the reasonable type.’
Ginny smiled warmly. ‘I’m glad you found happiness.’
Mrs Henshaw sat on a wooden stool. ‘The hard part for us was not having money. But faith is strong, dear.’ She pointed at the sky. ‘Some might say we stumbled across this place, but we were guided. Just like you.’ Her smile was filled with wisdom.
‘Maybe it’s all mapped out for us before we even arrive.’
‘Some say that.’
Ginny glanced around at the snow-covered fields rolling on forever. ‘So this was a working farm?’
‘Yep, but we changed that once it became ours, as we liked the idea of a honeymoon hotel. It stands for everything we are.’
Ginny walked over to the bins holding the feed to put the scoop away. ‘It’s good you both wanted the same thing.’
Mrs Henshaw chuckled. ‘Oh, we’re two peas in a pod, us. It’s like we were made for each other.’
Ginny’s thoughts turned to Will. ‘Do you think all soulmates have to be the same?’
‘No, dear. None of that matters. It’s about love and respect. Being a team. You can do that with ease with the right one. They’ll love you as much as you love them. Balance, see?’
Ginny nodded, leaning on the side of the enclosure. Had she ever had balance in her life? Her scale seemed to lean more to the side of misery.
Mrs Henshaw started to hum as she petted the chickens snuggling around her wellies.
She changed her life. What have I done . . .
