Page 49 of Starry Nights over Dragonfly Lake

‘Let’s just hope that’s the end of Del’s involvement around here for the time being,’ said Ben, before looking at Noah. ‘Right. Do you want to join us for the next game? I’ve been losing badly up to now and could use all the help I can get.’

‘Sure,’ said Noah. ‘Just to warn you, I’m pretty good thanks to spending too many hours in the pub with Dad growing up.’

‘Excellent,’ replied Ben, with a grin. ‘Family vs mates it is,’ he told his best friends.

‘Bring it on, Jacksons,’ said Jake, chalking up his snooker cue.

It had been a long time since Noah had been part of a team. But as he played and won the next game of snooker with Ben, to his surprise he found himself enjoying it.

And he began to wonder whether perhaps staying at Maple Tree Lodge that winter might not be quite as bad as he had initially feared.

25

With the stargazing evening arranged quite hastily, her friends persuaded Beth to give up the last few weeks of tenancy in her ghastly flat and move into Maple Tree Lodge for a while.

‘We’ve got both spare rooms in the family quarters available,’ Lily told her. ‘You can have one and Noah has the other.’

Beth loved the idea of staying longer than the usual weekends at her favourite place in the world but she still felt uneasy about not paying her way whilst staying there.

‘Look at it this way,’ said Ella, as they drove back into London the following morning. ‘The stargazing night will generate footfall to the hotel which is all good. You’re still helping out Lily with cleaning the guest rooms as well as giving Hannah a hand in the café. In the meantime, my Saturday night post is always my most viewed. I’m going to mention your Starry Nights blog so you’ll be drowning in clicks after that.’

Ella was a social media whiz who was also fast becoming a popular influencer online.

Despite her best friend’s skills, Beth remained nervous about her future. ‘Perhaps I could get another job up here,’ she said, asthey pulled up outside the run-down block of flats where she had been living for the past five months.

Ella turned to her and made a face. ‘Working for strangers for an absolute pittance?’ she said, giving her a stern look. ‘And then trying to find somewhere to live in an expensive city? Was that why you studied so hard all those years?’

Beth sighed. ‘It’s just not been as I had dreamt it would be,’ she said.

‘It never is,’ drawled Ella, who had quite a cynical view on life unless it was supporting her friends, in which case she was absolute in her positivity. ‘But listen, give the stargazing guide thing a go. What have you got to lose?’

‘I think that’s what Noah was trying to tell me as well,’ replied Beth.

Ella raised her eyebrows. ‘Well, if two vastly different people are telling you the same thing then perhaps there might be something in it, don’t you think?’

They made quick work of packing up Beth’s rented room. She had no furniture to her name, just clothes, equipment and many, many books.

Ella grumbled about her sore arms as they went up and down the stairs many times but finally Beth’s Fiat was packed to the ceiling with all that she owned.

‘I wish you were coming back with me,’ said Beth, as she stepped forward to hug Ella.

‘Me too,’ Ella told her. ‘But I needed to go into the London office before heading home so thanks for the lift. Saves me one long train journey in any case. Besides, Lily and Hannah have promised me frequent updates on your glowing success on Saturday night.’

Beth blanched. ‘Let’s hope it is a success,’ she muttered.

‘You’ll be fine,’ replied Ella, taking her by the shoulders andgiving her a stern look. ‘If most people have got as minimal knowledge of the stars as I have then anything you tell them will be of huge interest. Oh, and wear one of your miniskirts as well.’

‘Why?’ asked Beth.

‘Just in case there’s any male guests,’ Ella told her with a grin. ‘Couldn’t do any harm, would it?’

Beth laughed as they parted company. But her good mood faded as her doubts remained. Over the long drive back to the Cotswolds, she built herself up into such a fret about how she wasn’t at all capable of running a stargazing evening that by the time she parked her car she was all ready to tell Lily that she had changed her mind.

But just as she had got out of the car, she saw Noah heading towards her across the car park.

‘Saw you pull up and thought you might need a hand,’ he said, going around to open up the car boot.

‘Thanks,’ she told him. ‘Listen, I’ve been thinking, and you’re wrong.’