Page 13 of Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge

Ben smiled to himself. His grandmother had always had a passion for life, although the loss of her son had taken its toll. She seemed a little older these days, not wanting to socialise with her friends and staying in most of the time despite encouragement from everyone else.

‘Thankfully we’ve always had plenty of trees to use,’ added Walter. ‘Our very own builders’ merchants here on our doorstep.’

‘The wood certainly adds a lovely warmth to the place,’ replied Lily.

Walter nodded. ‘It does. I like to think that’s what my grandfather thought all those years ago.’

Ben waited in anticipation for the familiar story to be told.

‘Five generations of the Jackson family have lived here,’ began Walter. ‘In 1918, my grandfather bought the land. We’ve got fifty acres of woodland and a fifty-acre lake as well, you know. So he had lots of materials to start building himself a home for his family.’

‘Amazing,’ murmured Lily. ‘Which bit of the building was the original part?’

‘This here kitchen,’ Walter told her. ‘The reception hall was the sitting room in those days. Then he added the stairs and added the bedrooms upstairs.’ Walter pointed at the ceiling. ‘Then my father and me added the other wing, the lounge downstairs and more bedrooms.’

‘That must have taken a lot of work,’ Lily told him with a soft smile.

‘I was younger and fitter back then,’ he admitted.

Ben found himself surprised at his grandad’s admission that age had taken its toll.

‘I’m still cutting logs and doing my bit,’ he carried on quickly, with a glance at Ben. It was as if he didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t cope any more, thought Ben. That he needed to be helpful and necessary to the hotel.

‘I’m sure you are,’ said Lily.

‘But it was always about the trees and the lake for me,’ carried on Walter. ‘Tony, our son, loved working with wood, like me. Made this table and chairs, didn’t he, Ben?’

Ben nodded in response, taking a sip of his beer instead of looking at his grandad. He’d practically grown up with a chisel in his hand, it felt. And yet it had been years since he had cut down trees or worked with the wood to create anything. Growing up, it had been his grandad, his dad and Ben busy in the outsideworkshop, chatting and laughing as they worked. It had been a happy childhood spent mostly outside. Now it was just him and his grandad and the gulf between them felt huge.

Feeling uncomfortable, Ben drained his beer and pushed his chair away from the table. ‘Well, I’ve got some admin to do in the office,’ he lied. But he stayed in his seat, reluctant to face up to the paperwork.

Most of the time he spent in the office was looking at the invoices for all the expensive work that had been carried out over the summer and worrying about the next payments.

Dotty yawned. ‘Time for us to wander back home, Walter,’ she said, looking weary.

They wished everyone goodnight and left soon afterwards to head back to the small lodge a few yards away.

‘How about a nightcap in the lounge?’ Hannah asked Lily.

‘I’d love it,’ replied Lily.

‘Great,’ said Hannah, standing up. ‘Just let me go and get a sweater. It’s colder tonight, isn’t it?’

Lily stood up, looking a little awkward as Hannah suddenly left the room. Frankie was helping Faye in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and setting up some breakfast things in the kitchen, which left Lily alone with Ben at the table.

‘Have you seen the lounge yet?’ Ben asked her.

She shook her head in response.

‘Oh, yes, show her the view across the lake,’ said Faye with an encouraging smile. ‘It’s a full moon.’

So Ben led Lily out of the kitchen, across the hallway and into the large lounge where he switched on the overhead lights.

The lounge had always been one of his favourite rooms. Perhaps it was the happy memories growing up of Christmas days spent in front of the tree or lively games of Monopoly which the whole family participated in.

The room hadn’t changed at all since he had grown up. It always felt light and airy, with its high ceiling and oak beams. The large windows and new French doors framed the glorious view outside when it was daytime. The huge chimney breast had been made with the same sandy brick stone used elsewhere and the fire that had been lit before dinner had begun to run low.

Ben went over to place another couple of logs on the fire before turning around. In deference to the many workmen who had come and gone over the past few months, any decorations had been taken down with only the large brown leather sofas and oak coffee table remaining, positioned near the fireplace.