Page 37 of Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge

‘Even then?’ she prompted after a short silence.

He figured, what the hell, and decided that it was a time for confessions. The fact that it was to Lily of all people amazed him.

‘My dream never worked out either,’ he told her, with a wry smile. ‘I ended up designing these dull box-like structures for shopping malls and offices. Never what I wanted to design. Never anything from the heart.’

She looked at him for a long moment before asking, ‘What was it you liked about architecture in the first place?’

He picked up a nearby block of wood and held it in his hands. ‘I guess I’ve always liked building and designing things that can last, ever since those early days messing around with Dad and Grandad in the workshop. I thought that I would be creating buildings that would be around for generations to come.’

‘You mean, like Maple Tree Lodge?’

He felt startled. ‘Yeah, I guess,’ he said, frowning in thought. He had never thought of it like that.

‘So you’ve got more in common with your grandad than you thought you had,’ she said softly.

He smiled ruefully. ‘Not sure he’d see it that way.’

‘Don’t sell yourself short,’ she told him. ‘He’s proud of what you achieved by qualifying as an architect. I know he is because he’s told me so.’

‘Much use that will be if the place goes bankrupt,’ he muttered.

But even so, a small part of him felt touched that his grandad might just be proud of him.

‘I should have come home sooner,’ he said out loud. ‘Dad was a great father but not a good businessman.’

‘You’re here now,’ she told him. ‘That’s all that matters. And you could still have your dream if the hotel makes it.’

He looked up at her. ‘How?’

‘Look at all the land you’ve got around here,’ she said, pointing out of the window. ‘Why can’t you design and build something amazing right here on the lakeside?’

‘I did have this one idea,’ he began to say.

‘What was it?’ she asked, leaning forward and looking interested.

‘Lodges. Private accommodation,’ he told her. ‘Oak-framed cottages dotted about on the edge of the lake.’

‘That sounds wonderful.’ She paused before carrying on. ‘And not very minimalistic.’

He looked at her and saw a smile in her eyes.

‘I got sidetracked,’ he confessed. ‘I thought we should turn into this bland place, just like the competition. I thought if we completely changed it from top to bottom then it would survive. That my family could keep their home.’ He gulped before carrying on. ‘I also wondered whether I should stick to what I already know, in other words modern buildings. I think I was trying to prove to myself that I wasn’t my dad. That if I was completely different then the place might make it.’

He knew deep down that was true. He didn’t actually like the minimal look. It wasn’t him. He had just been proving a point.

He looked at Lily.

‘I’ll let you into a secret,’ she said, in a soft tone. ‘The first rule of design is that there are no mistakes. Sometimes it’s a lucky accident and the thing that really shouldn’t work is the thing that’s actually really cool. Look, you could have something special here,’ she told him. ‘Stop pretending to be what you’re not and embrace what you are, what you’ve always been. This place has a charm. Use it. Don’t decorate for your guests. Decorate for your family and for you.’

‘You were right,’ he told her. ‘You are right. Your design in that bedroom was great, by the way. I admit I was totally wrong.’

She smiled. ‘If we decorate the whole place like that, people will want to check in, cosy up, unplug and enjoy the seasons. Snuggle up in front of the fire or look at the amazing view. They want peaceful afternoons with a book on a comfy chair in front of the fire. They want bracing walks around the lake before coming back to warm up. Hot chocolate. Fairy lights. A big piece of cake. Back to basics but make them luxurious.’

He tried to imagine how that would look. ‘And you think redecorating can do all that?’ he wondered aloud.

‘Of course,’ Lily told him, sounding certain. ‘Choose décor that exudes cosy charm. Guests want to get away from all the dreadful daily news, busy lives and relax. Your ideas for the bland and corporate weren’t relaxing. It just felt as if I should be on a Zoom call at some awful online meeting.’

He smiled ruefully to himself.