Page 58 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

‘No, I suppose not,’ said Belle, biting her lip as she considered whether Pete was right.

‘Just give Andre a chance,’ urged Pete.

‘I will if he gives the rest of us the same courtesy,’ said Belle before sighing heavily. She looked around the space which was still a work in progress. ‘Do you really think we’re going to be ready for the first of November?’

It looked a mess and she wasn’t sure how on earth it was going to turn into the dust-free, gorgeous restaurant that Pete had promised her.

‘Mr Reynold’s team seem to have it all in hand,’ said Pete. ‘Look, let me deal with Andre. He might be a diva, but if his food is as good as I’m hoping it will be, he can be as awful as he likes in the kitchen. Just as long as it translates into reservations and lots of bookings.’

‘Is that all that matters to you?’ she asked.

He looked down at her with his eyes suddenly serious. ‘It’s business,’ he told her. ‘If you want encouragement and a spirit of togetherness then the community hub is right over the other side of the river.’

‘Why can’t we have both?’

‘Because that won’t balance the books and then The Black Swan will close forever,’ he told her in a solemn tone. ‘So just trust me, okay? A quarter of all inns have shut down since the year 2000. I don’t want The Black Swan to join that number.’

‘Me neither,’ said Belle.

‘Good,’ said Pete with a nod. ‘Then for once we’re in agreement.’

As he walked away to discuss something with the electrician, Belle sighed again. She was seriously worried.

What if the inn was successful but lost everything that she had always held dear about it? What about the community and village as a whole? What if the inn no longer felt like home at all?

She knew that she had to trust Pete and hope it was all okay. Otherwise last orders would be called on her time at The Black Swan forever.

32

Pete’s initial rush of confidence about the way the renovations for the inn had been going had begun to fade somewhat. Standing outside the inn and looking down at Mr Reynold’s estimate for the huge costs so far, that hope kept disappearing.

The initial budget had gone way over the projected sum as further problems continued to be discovered. This time it was the water pipes that had corroded and needed replacing.

Perhaps Mick and Angie had the right idea to sell up before they were declared bankrupt, but it was too late now. Pete had sunk every penny into The Black Swan and he had no choice but to keep going forward towards the grand opening of the restaurant.

He had surprised himself by being so worried about it. Not that he let on to anyone about his concerns. Especially Belle. She was already concerned enough without him adding to her unease.

That was it. Perhaps it was just unease. After all, this was an entirely new business venture for him. But it felt more than that. It felt like make or break, as if there was far more riding on the success of the renovation than just a run-down inn in a village that he had used to call home.

But he had never failed at anything before. And he wouldn’t fail this time either, he decided.

But when he looked down at his iPad again, rereading the email that Andre had just sent him, there it was again. That tiny pinprick of unease.

He hitched his mobile under his chin, still looking at the iPad with a gnawing sense of worry in his stomach. Perhaps it was just the thought of all the food and he’d only just had lunch.

‘Hi, Andre,’ he said, when the call was answered. ‘It’s Pete. Thanks for the sample menus. They’re, er, certainly interesting.’

‘They’re very of the moment,’ said Andre, almost purring down the line in his smooth way.

‘Are you sure? They seem pretty fancy,’ said Pete.

The expensive ingredients whirled in front of his face. Foie gras. Lobster. Wild boar. Scallops.

‘Could we not use a few items that don’t cost as much?’ asked Pete, scrolling past the sample menus that Andre had provided and on to the costing for the actual food. It was an eye-watering amount, far more than he had anticipated having to spend.

‘I’m afraid, in culinary terms, you get what you pay for,’ said Andre.

‘I see.’ Except, despite his words, Pete was having trouble understanding.