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“I guess,” Ellie said without too much enthusiasm. Sarah was only reminding her of what Ellie herself had said back at the beginning—so why, Sarah wondered, was she doubting herself now?
“I’m sure it will be great,” she told her, and Ellie nodded, not looking at all confident.
Matthew came in then, seeming far more cheerful than his wife. “Everything ready? I just saw a car coming down the lane.”
“Already?” Ellie squeaked, and Matthew pulled her into a quick one-armed hug.
“Relax, Ellie. However this goes, it’s going to be okay.”
“Easy for you to say,” Ellie muttered, shooting him a rather pointed look as she pulled away from his relaxed embrace.
Sarah’s eyebrows rose of their own accord. What on earth wasthatabout?
Matthew met her gaze with a wry smile. “Some other things are going on,” he said in a low voice as Ellie hurried to the front door. Sarah had no time to ask what those were.
A few seconds later, she heard a flurry of voices, plummy London tones that sounded strange here in little Llandrigg, and as Sarah and Matthew started forward, they met Ellie with a female journalist, early thirties and elegant, dressed in flowing trousers, a relaxed cashmere jumper, and a scarf thrown over one shoulder. She was followed by a male photographer in a T-shirt and dirty jeans, hoisting a camera.
“Susannah Ellington,” the journalist introduced herself, holding out a manicured hand. “And Danny, my photographer. Why, isn’t this so very… quaint,” she continued, without waiting for either Sarah or Matthew to introduce themselves. She looked around the sitting room, wrinkling her nose a little. “So very… homely.”
As much as that was the vibe they’d been going for originally, Sarah had a sinking sensation in her gut. Already she had a feeling this wasn’t going to go according to plan.
“Well, that’s the idea, really,” Ellie replied bravely. She’d clearly clocked the journalist’s tone, as well. “There are plenty of posh hotels around, and we wanted to do something different. Imagine a staycation, but one where someone else does the dishes, the cooking, and the entertainment and activities are organized for you. Everything with a lovely, homegrown feel but in a new yet comforting space… the best of both worlds.”
A flicker of interest passed over Susannah Ellington’s face, and Sarah felt a rush of admiration for Ellie. She was certainly rising to the occasion.
“And that’s what our guests have loved,” Matthew chimed in smoothly. “As you can see from the comments in our guest book out in the hall. Visitors have absolutely adored being cared for in a way that is both friendly and personalized, with all the thoughtful touches that you’d expect from a five-star hotel, but in the comfort of a house that really does feel like a family home… in all senses of the word.”
Susannah’s eyebrows lifted as a smile quirked her mouth. She looked impressed, if somewhat reluctantly so. “Why don’t you give me the full tour,” she suggested, “and then we’ll take some photos.”
Ellie and Matthew exchanged quick, relieved smiles as Gwen came into the room as if on cue, bearing a tea tray, complete with antique teapot, sugar bowl and creamer, and a plate of homemade flapjacks.
“I thought you might enjoy some refreshments while Ellie and Matthew talked you through the inspiration behind the Bluebell Family Inn,” she said with a warm smile. “And then I’d be happy to talk to you about how it all started. After that, we’d love to take you on a tour.”
Susannah looked both discomfited and charmed. “Why, thank you,” she said after a moment. “That’ll be lovely.”
And she sat down, while Gwen, smiling serenely, poured her a cup of tea.
CHAPTER12
GWEN
“I think that went all right, don’t you?” Ellie asked as she brought the tea things into the kitchen.
The photographer and journalist had just left, after several tense but hopeful hours, having taken dozens of photos of the sitting room, the dining room, the garden, and one of the bedrooms upstairs that Ellie had done up in Christmas style, complete with a miniature Christmas tree with several luxuriously wrapped gifts underneath, bespoke chocolates on the pillows, and hot chocolate and marshmallow mix added to the little tea caddy. She really had given thought to all the extra touches… Gwen just hoped it had the desired result. She’d been encouraged by the morning’s activity, if rather exhausted by it all, but she smiled at her daughter-in-law, who was looking more than a little frazzled, as she took the tray from her.
“Yes, I think so. Ms. Ellington warmed to us, it seemed!”
“Yes, it did seem as if she wasn’t all that impressed at the beginning,” Ellie replied with a grimace. “We’re probably not a patch on all the big spa hotels she usually covers. Thank goodness Matthew came in with all his comments about a five-star hotel in a house that feels like a home.”
“What was that I just heard?” Matthew remarked as he came into the kitchen with an easy smile. He seemed quite relaxed and upbeat compared to Ellie, Gwen thought. “Were you actuallycomplimentingme?”
“I do it on occasion, you know,” Ellie replied. The words were meant to be teasing, Gwen suspected, but the tone held a bit of a sting. As she saw Ellie give Matthew a rather tart look, which he returned equably, she wondered what lay beneath the slightly barbed exchange. She’d sensed a bit of unspoken tension between her son and his wife these last few days, and she wasn’t sure if they were both simply stressed about saving the inn—Ellie more so than Matthew, admittedly—or if something else was going on.
And what about Sarah? Recalling her daughter’s tearful confession this morning made Gwen’s stomach hollow out with anxiety and concern. Did Sarah really suspect that Nathan was… well, Gwen didn’t even want to put that thought into words. Surely not! NotNathan. She’d always thought he was a good match for Sarah, even if she’d sometimes found him a little intimidating herself—he’d always been focused on work, unapologetic about his ambition, and perhaps slightly disdainful of those who didn’t share his opinion or drive. She remembered him taking part in the parents’ race at Mairi’s sports day in primary school—he’d brought a pair of proper trainers, and had been close to exultant when he’d won by at least ten meters.
But then, that was a bit how Sarah was—or at least how she’d used to be. Just as ambitious, certain in her own views, striding ahead of everyone else with assertive confidence. Gwen wasn’t entirely sure where her daughter had got such confidence from—certainly not her, and David, although opinionated, had been a fairly unassuming person. But Sarah had been determined to make her mark from the word go—even as a baby, she’d pushed Gwen’s hands away when she was feeding her, attempting to grab the baby spoon herself when she was barely six months old. It wasn’t a bad way to be, Gwen thought, and, in truth, she admired Sarah’s certainty about what she wanted out of life. But if Sarah had somehow changed, had Nathan, too?
“When will the article appear, do you think?” Matthew asked, drawing Gwen back into the present.
