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“Stop selling yourself short, Elle. You’re a talented artist. People would pay good money to take classes from you. Plus, you’re a native daughter of Savannah and a graduate of SCAD. I’ll bet the college would partner with us.”
“Mom, the college has no shortage of guest lodging. I mean, Magnolia Hall is right down the street.”
“Yes, but as far as I know it’s only for visiting artists and people here on official college business. We could cater to a segment of the market that’s not being served.”
She had a point. It was an opportunity to grasp an underserved section of the tourism population.
“Why is Gigi so opposed to the idea?”
Zelda waved her hand in the air again. “She can’t get past the Zen part.”
Elizabeth should’ve known. Gigi was as traditional as a Sunday roast.
“I’d also like to offer spa services and yoga classes. And tea.” Zelda held up her cup. “How fun would it be to get Daniel Quindlin to build us a little tearoom?”
It happened again. Elle’s stomach did another flip at the mention of Daniel’s name. Only this time it was an extended version with a little stutter step at the end. She put her hand on her stomach to calm the ridiculous feeling.
“Maybe Jane would even come home and run a tearoom for us,” Zelda mused.
Elizabeth’s sister Jane was a pastry chef and was living her dream in New York City. She was in charge of desserts at celebrity chef Liam Wright’s über-hot restaurant, La Bula. Jane’s star was on the rise. Fat chance she’d leave the big time to come home and open a tearoom in a bed-and-breakfast with an identity crisis.
“Honestly, Mom, you had my attention when you were talking art, but adding the spa and tearoom seems like you’re muddying the waters a bit. Is it a spa or an artists’ retreat?”
Zelda raised her chin. “I want it all, Elle. Why can’t I have it all?”
Wasn’t that the age-old question? Didn’t everyone want it all? Whatever all was.
“I’m not saying you can’t have it all, but you’re courting two different markets with the spa and art retreat.”
Suddenly it hit her.
“Would you ask Kate to run the spa?”
“If I had my girls here to run the place with me, life would be just about as perfect as it could get. And to me, that’s the definition of having it all. I mean, the three of you will inherit the place after I’m gone...or after I sign it over to you. You’ll carry on the family legacy. I can’t think of a better way for y’all to learn the business.”
Zelda looked so hopeful, sitting there with her wide green eyes and her soft auburn curls framing her pretty face and falling around her slight shoulders, that Elizabeth hated to be the one to give her a reality check.
“Have you talked to Jane and Kate about your plan?”
“Well, no. Not yet. I wanted to bounce it off you first. You’ve always been the voice of reason around here. And I wanted to come to a meeting of the minds with Gigi before I did that. But she’s being so difficult. Elle, will you help me? Will you help me convince her that this is a good idea?”
The problem was, Elle didn’t know if it was a good idea. Even though the Forsyth Galloway Inn was desperately in need of a good facelift, the old girl was still 85 percent booked until after the first of the year. There was obviously a market for traditional bed-and-breakfasts in Savannah. Maybe they shouldn’t mess with a good thing?
“So, did you mention any of this in the meeting with Daniel Quindlin?”
Zelda toyed with the scone she had been picking at since they sat down. Finally, she looked up and shook her head. “We didn’t get to the point of talking specifics because Gigi and I can’t seem to agree on anything. To tell you the truth, I think Daniel left feeling a bit frustrated.”
Oh, he had. Elizabeth recalled the conversation and the strange, flustered breathless way she’d felt when she was talking to him. Certainly not the way that most women would act around the guy who’d caused them to get dumped.
Yes, that was what she needed to remind herself when Daniel Quindlin’s handsome face made her stomach go all fluttery. He ruined your wedding. He ruined your life. Okay, so that was a little dramatic. But not so long ago, he’d disliked her so much that he’d urged Roger to break it off.
