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“It is what it is. Mum couldn’t look after me properly. It wasn’t her fault. It got a bit easier as I got older and could do my own washing, but reputations follow you, and by the time I got to secondary school, my card had been marked. Uni was different. No one knew me there so I could start afresh.”
“You’ve still got friends from your uni days?”
“Only Maddie. I fell in love in my second year, you know what it’s like, friends don’t seem as important all of a sudden. Then I dropped out just before finals and that sealed the deal where rocky friendships were concerned.”
“Why did you drop out?”
“Look, can we change the subject to something happier?”
“Well, here’s the turn off to the pub. Saved by the beer.”
“I think you mean bell, but I’ll take it.”
Bob led Kate up a steep slope, through a large car park and into a quaint old pub, complete with roaring fire and the smell of roast beef. The pub was busy, but they arrived just as a couple were leaving and managed to secure two armchairs by the fire.
“I hope you’re taking notes for your guest book,” said Bob, laying two pints down on the table.
“I’m taking plenty of mental notes. I’ll write it all up later.”
“Good. So how am I doing on my first day of tour-guiding?”
“Six out of ten.”
“Six? Why only six?”
“Well, I reckon if you went and got us a plate of roast dinner from the carvery, your score would suddenly climb higher.”
“Haha, your wish is my command.”
“I don’t like sprouts,” Kate called to Bob’s departing back.
“I know, Maddie told me,” he called back, raising his hand in the air with a thumbs up.
Bloody Maddie, thought Kate as she snuggled into the armchair, pint in hand.Was there anything she hadn’t told Bob?The warmth of the fire made her sleepy and her eyelids were drooping heavily by the time Bob returned with loaded plates.
“Wow, that’s a lot of food. Consider your tour-guiding score raised to a ten.”
“Why thank you, madam,” he said, giving a little bow. “So, when are you next guests arriving?”
“Guest, singular. She’s coming on Wednesday. It was a good idea to start in low season, I don’t think I could cope with having guests back to back.”
“Did the last guests leave a review?”
“Yes, I have a feeling the chap, Mark, left it. It was a rave five stars and I can’t see the woman ever giving me that.”
“Well, that’s a great start. You’ll have bookings flooding in before you know it.”
“I’m happy for a trickle at the moment. It still feels a bit weird having other people in the house.”
“You’ll get used to it, and you know you can always call if there’s trouble.”
“Thanks. You’ve been a really good friend since I arrived here.”
“It’s all part of the service. I’ll be adding my tour guide moonlighting to your final bill.”
Kate looked at him in horror, then realised he was joking. “Idiot,” she said, flicking a green bean his way.
*
