‘There goes my first idea.Or, if Lydia doesn’t mind us borrowing her 4 x 4 again, I can drive to the closest supermarket. Stephen was going to return it to her this morning.’
‘Oh. Oh, okay. That’s worth a try. I’ll text her. I’m sure she won’t mind.’ I pulled my phone out of my apron and sent off a quick message. So far between Nick and Neeta they were solving my problems for me. And while that was a good thing for the hotel, part of me wondered if I would ever be able to cope with things on my own.
‘When I get back, I can help you with the other hideously boring stuff too.’
‘That’s really kind but not necessary. You’re on your holiday. And surely your family want to spend some time with you too.’
‘They don’t mind.’
‘Still…’ I chewed on my bottom lip and his eyelids lowered to half-mast as he studied it.
‘I’ll be on my best behaviour.’ He dropped his voice and leaned in closer to me. ‘I’ll only kiss you anytime you look like you want me to.’
I laughed. ‘That is definitely not going to work then.’
‘Okay. Amendment: I’ll only do it when you tell me I can.’
‘Hmmm.’ With every trembling nerve ending in my body, I wanted him to join me. But he’d turned my brain to mulch last night and I needed to be working at full capacity.
‘Beth, Idowant to help, and I need to keep busy today. If I’m with you, I think I’ll find it easier…’ He broke off, picking at the edge of his napkin, suddenly finding it fascinating.
It was the closest he’d come to telling me about what he was dealing with. I wanted to take him upstairs to my flat, make him a cup of tea and talk to him about it. Maybe just hold him, if that’s what he wanted. Tell him that the hole that had been torn in his life would never really repair but that he’d learn to live around it.
‘Okay, Nick.’ I caught his hand again. ‘But I’m a hard taskmaster and you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.’
I left him to finish his breakfast as I started clearing away and when he was done, I took him into the kitchen and introduced him to Neeta. She set him to work but I warned her she couldn’t use him for too long; as soon as Lydia texted me back to say it was okay, he’d need to go off hunting turkey.
I walked out into the lobby slowly, my eyes lingering on the Christmas tree that was sans-angel. Mum had wanted everything to be perfect. She always wanted everything to be perfect, but Christmas was like her icing on the cake of being an all-round amazing woman. Without her around, the hotel was like that tree, doing its job but not quite right.
I was heading upstairs to help Elise finish turning down the rooms but as I reached the main staircase I thought I heard Julius’s dulcet tones, so I did a swift about-face and took the back staircase instead. Just like yesterday, Elise was already steaming through. I was going to tell my mum that she needed a raise and try to send her home early. It was Christmas Eve and she had a little girl and I figured that would be some kind of thanks for all the hard work she’d put in covering the last few days. Maybe I was trying to make up for ruining Henry and Joseph’s Christmas too.
As I was helping her finish the last couple of rooms on the first floor my phone vibrated with a text.
Lydia: Of course you can use the car… Could you bring it back this afternoon?
Me: No worries, I’ll ask Nick to drop it off.
Lydia: No…you…come and have a cup of tea and a chat…
Me: I really don’t think I’ll have time.
Lydia: It’s Christmas Eve…you haven’t got time to talk to me before I go to my brother’s?
I blew out a long breath, thumbs poised over the keys on the screen. Damn it.
Me: I’ll do my best.
Lydia: See you soon. :)
When we’d finished the rooms, I checked the latest from the Hotel Hopper as I was walking downstairs. This would be the verdict on the Mince Pie Evening.
‘Rustic Vibes
‘Yesterday evening, in contrast to the crowds and noise of the festival, I stayed in for the Everdene Hotel’s special entertainment. It was definitely quieter and extremely comfortable. Complimentary mince pies and mulled wine were provided in the bar for all guests, with a gentle Christmas soundtrack playing in the background. On the whole a pleasant experience but with a buffet dinner and the mince pies decidedly rustic, I must admit to being disappointed about the food.’
Well, that was brief and to the point. All my efforts distilled into about three sentences. Obviously, Neeta or Henry’s mince pies would have been better than mine. I couldn’t disagree with that but there was a creeping tone of disgruntlement in the reviews that did not bode well. At least I had Neeta for today. Worrying about one thing at time seemed best.
In the kitchen, Nick was wiping down the counter and Neeta was on the phone, her voice was raised, as much as her gravelly tones could ever be raised. As soon as she saw me, she waved and pointed to the stool to indicate that I needed to sit down and wait for her to finish. My gut instinct told me I would probably be best off running in the opposite direction, but I overruled it.
