Kitabı oku: «The Ticket to Happiness»
THE TICKET TO HAPPINESS
FAITH BLEASDALE
Published by AVON
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
Copyright © Faith Bleasdale 2019
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
Cover illustrations © Shutterstock
Faith Bleasdale asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © March 2019; ISBN: 9780008306977
Version: 2019-03-22
To Sally, wishing you love and happiness in your new adventure!
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
The Singer Family Tree
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Keep Reading …
About the Author
About the Publisher
Prologue
The Californian sun streamed through the window, highlighting the house she was looking at on the computer screen. Meadowbrook Manor, a boutique hotel in Somerset, the UK. The house drew her in as she peered at the big windows, the impressive front door, the inviting interior as shown in the photos that had been taken of the inside. She could almost see, almost feel herself there.
She noticed a tear sliding down her cheek, which surprised her, as she hadn’t realised she’d been crying. She angrily brushed it away. There had been so much, too much that had brought her to this point, and as she stared at the hotel she begged it to give her the answer she needed. Although it felt hopeless, she was desperate to understand. After a while, she felt her heart start to warm. She knew it was crazy, but it really felt as if Meadowbrook was talking to her, calling her.
Before she had time to change her mind she pulled up another website, this time for flights, and with a few clicks she’d booked herself a ticket. She hoped, no she knew, in her heart that it was the right thing to do. That ticket was going to take her to just where she needed to be.
Chapter One
Pippa could feel a smile inching its way across her face before she opened her eyes. Today was going to be a good day. She sprang out of bed with childlike enthusiasm, opening the curtains in her small bedroom that overlooked Meadowbrook’s magnificent gardens. Meadowbrook Manor, a grand Georgian house, had been home to her and her three siblings for their entire childhood. They’d lived with just their father, Andrew Singer, throughout most of this time, as their mother had passed away when Pippa was only four years old.
And since Andrew’s death, Meadowbrook had become much more than just a family home to the Singer siblings. They’d turned it into a boutique five-star hotel.
Pippa looked out at the sweeping gardens. Even in winter, they were perfectly maintained and deserving of the reputation that made them an attraction. They had been her father’s pride and joy, so they remained important to Pippa and her three siblings, as did the animal sanctuary that lay just beyond – another great love of their father’s before he passed away.
She took a moment to enjoy the view that stretched out over the Mendip countryside. It was a rare interlude, as Pippa was now busier than ever. Opening and running the hotel was pretty much the only job she’d ever had, but she was lucky that she loved doing it. She was a people person, so managing a hotel, charming the guests, making sure their every whim was catered for, played to her strengths. Although her sister and two brothers were involved in the hotel in their own way, it was still largely her baby. The only baby she had.
She brushed this negative thought away. She often thought about how just a few short years ago she’d been married to Mark, a controlling man who’d turned out to be ruthless and uncaring. But she didn’t see it until it was almost too late, as one often did in such relationships, and since then she’d been largely single.
Before her divorce, Pippa had always thought she’d have children and become a mum, rather than run a hotel, but she had learnt the hard way that life didn’t always work out the way you thought it would. And she was better off now. Surrounded by her siblings and their partners, she did sometimes feel a little sad about being single, but she was only thirty-two, after all – it wasn’t as if she was an old maid just yet … although she felt like it at times. Pippa once again pushed those negative thoughts away. Lately, she’d been letting negativity creep into her head, but not today.
She hopped around the room with an energy that seemed on endless supply since the hotel opened. Though the first few months had been anxious ones, Pippa had barely come up for air, but now the hotel had found its rhythm. In fact, Pippa was preparing a party to celebrate its one-year anniversary.
Like with many things at Meadowbrook, the anniversary was slightly unconventional in that they were celebrating over a month early. The official opening of the hotel had been held on Valentine’s Day last year, and her brother Gus’s wedding to Meadowbrook garden designer, Amanda, had marked that occasion. But as they had bookings this year for those in search of romance, they were holding the party early during the first week of January. Not only was it quiet, but everyone involved with Meadowbrook would also welcome a party to fend off the post-Christmas and New Year blues. No one she knew did dry January, after all. Her brother Freddie said if you were going to pick a month to give up drinking, why pick the coldest, longest and most depressing? She had to admit he had a point.
Although they all had different strengths and often bickered, the Singer siblings all agreed that Pippa should take the lead on the hotel as manager and they supported her in different ways. She often wondered what her father would think of her now. Andrew Singer was driven, complicated, successful and loving, and she missed him every single day.
Harriet Singer was the business brain behind Meadowbrook, the hotel and the animal sanctuary, as well as their father’s various investments and complicated estate. Gus, the second oldest, took care of the gardens; Amanda and he ran a gardening company that was hugely in demand. He also painted and ran increasingly popular painting workshops at the hotel. Freddie, her third sibling, was sort of her co-manager but he ran the bar, his particular area of interest, and took care of all the marketing and social media. Somehow, they’d figured out how to do this together, without too much fighting. They’d almost made it to a year with no casualties at the very least, and Meadowbrook was open for business.
After showering, Pippa dried herself and pulled on a pair of jeans and a new cream jumper. Having kept this weekend free of guests for the anniversary party, the hotel felt eerily quiet, and Pippa wasn’t used to being here on her own. But this morning, for a little while at least, it was just her. She smiled as she made her way to the kitchen and poured a large mug of coffee. She leant against the counter, thankful for a moment’s peace and quiet. Yes, today was going to be a good day …
Chapter Two
Hilda, Harriet’s dog, bounded through the door and jumped up at Pippa, knocking her mug of coffee all over her and getting muddy paw prints on her jumper. What on earth had possessed her to wear cream?
‘Thanks, Hilda.’ Pippa rolled her eyes but petted the big Old English sheepdog, who was boisterous but adorable. Harriet and her partner, Connor, a vet, had adopted her from the animal sanctuary a couple of years back and she was part of the family.
‘Sorry, Pip. I tried to contain her but you know what she’s like,’ Harriet sighed as she walked in behind Hilda with her new baby, Toby, strapped to her chest.
They were in the Meadowbrook kitchen, the hub of the house. It had been the scene of many a family meal growing up when they’d shunned the formal dining room for the warmth of the kitchen, with its Aga and Gwen, their housekeeper, baking, which kept the kitchen smelling inviting. Now, it was more of a commercial kitchen, but they managed to retain some of its history, not least with the huge, old kitchen table that sat in the room, etched with their childhoods on it.
‘Can I have my nephew?’ Pippa asked, itching to get her hands on four-month-old Toby.
‘If you can figure out how to get into this bloody thing. It almost needed an engineering degree to get it on; you should have heard my language. If Toby’s first words are all swearwords then you’ll know why.’
Harriet, the oldest at forty, sounded harassed, which was unlike the normally cool-headed woman, but then Pippa guessed being a new mother could do that to you. Harriet was taller than Pippa, with dark hair cut into an efficient bob, and she looked a little like their father, whereas Pippa took after their mother. Harriet was attractive and slim, with translucent skin and brown eyes, while Pippa was more delicate with her blonde hair, pale skin and bright blue eyes. They did share some similar traits, but initially to look at them you wouldn’t guess they were sisters.
Pippa managed to unhook Toby and engulfed him in her arms, where he wriggled before nuzzling into her. She sniffed his head, something she couldn’t resist doing. He looked like Harry, she thought, but his eyes were similar to his father, Connor. He was the most beautiful baby she’d ever seen. Although she was, of course, biased.
‘Right, I need coffee, and loads of it,’ Harriet announced as she left Pippa cooing and moved to the coffee machine, Hilda wagging her tail at her heels.
Pippa opened her mouth and then promptly closed it. Harriet appeared to have her jumper on inside out but Pippa wasn’t sure she dared point it out.
‘Are you all right?’ Pippa asked instead.
Harriet was so strong she rarely showed weakness, or rather vulnerability; she didn’t believe in it. As sisters, Pippa and Harriet were polar opposites. Harriet took being the oldest seriously and Pippa did the same with being the youngest, even milking it, some might say. They bickered, all four of them did, but they were closer than they ever had been – closer than their father even imagined they’d be, Pippa often thought.
‘Yes, I’m absolutely great,’ Harriet said, taking a large gulp of coffee. ‘Even better now.’
‘Good.’ Pippa frowned. She knew she worried about her siblings, but Harriet wasn’t someone who took kindly to being worried about.
‘Anyway, what needs doing for this party?’ Harriet asked.
‘I think it’s all under control. But you’re all staying here, aren’t you?’
‘Yup. I’ve got a baby monitor for Toby, so I can put him to sleep and enjoy the party,’ Harriet grinned.
‘You’re going to drink actual alcohol?’ Pippa asked.
Harriet had barely taken a sip of wine since Toby’s birth. Personally, Pippa thought maybe it would do her good.
‘Yes, I’ve pumped milk for his feeds for tomorrow, and then I can pump and dump in the morning,’ Harriet explained.
‘What?’ Pippa grimaced.
‘There might be alcohol in the breast milk if I drink, so I have to pump it out and get rid. It’s called pump and dump according to the baby book.’
‘Yuk. Anyway, can we stop talking about your breasts?’
Just then, Toby gave out a wail.
‘Well we can, but I’m going to have to whip them out now as my baby’s hungry.’
Harriet reached out and took her son, settling herself down at the kitchen table to feed him.
‘Why is my timing so bad?’ Freddie said as he walked into the kitchen with a grimace on his face.
‘For God’s sake, Fred, you can’t even see anything,’ Harriet snapped.
She had a muslin cloth covering both her and most of Toby. Freddie was the youngest of the male siblings. Only two years older than Pippa, they looked the most alike. Freddie was tall and slim, with the same colouring as Pippa. His messy blond hair crowned his head, but he had the same strong nose as their father and their other brother, Gus.
‘You know what he’s like. Hello, guys,’ Gemma said, appearing from behind him.
Gemma was originally Meadowbrook’s hotel consultant and although there was a huge amount of drama before they opened the hotel, she’d done an amazing job. Gemma was thirty and she was shorter than Pippa, with dark blonde, highlighted hair, but was far prettier than she ever thought she was. When she’d worked for the hotel, Gemma and Pippa had become firm friends. But then just as the hotel opened, she and Freddie fell in love – a case of opposites attract, obviously. Freddie was her loud, party-loving brother and Gemma was shy, quiet, anxious and, especially when she first arrived at Meadowbrook, a bundle of nerves. But she was also bright, sensible and with a fun side, and Freddie seemed to have unearthed those qualities in her. In fact, they brought out the best in each other. When the hotel opened, Gemma had resigned. She wanted to do something outside the family now she was dating Freddie. But Meadowbrook Hotel still felt as if it were a part of Gemma; it was important to all of them and of course Gemma was roped in to help when they needed her. She’d gone to college to study business as a mature student, which she loved.
‘Right, well, back to this party. What do you need us to do?’ Gemma asked.
‘I need you guys to stay here and help set up, if that’s OK?’
‘Sure, but I need to go and get my cocktail bar ready,’ Freddie said.
The bar was his domain, which given his predilection for alcohol could have been a bad thing, but Freddie took the bar seriously and hadn’t – yet – drunk it dry. He was becoming known for mixing fantastic cocktails and actually, having the responsibility had done him good. That and Gemma, of course.
‘Can’t wait to try them; although seeing’s as I’ve hardly touched a drink for the best part of a year, you need to go easy on me,’ Harriet grinned, the old spark seemingly back in her eyes.
‘Harry, have you got your jumper on inside out?’ Freddie asked.
Pippa carried two mugs of steaming coffee out through the back door of the kitchen and into the garden. She wasn’t surprised to have seen Gus pottering out there earlier. Gus, her eldest brother, loved the gardens and he could often be found out there when he wasn’t painting or with his family.
‘Hey,’ she called, waving at him as he was trimming one of the garden’s many bushes.
He stopped, squinted and then beamed.
‘Pippa, just what I need,’ he said as he bounded over to her.
Gus was thirty-nine and looked like a male version of Harriet, apart from his nose. He was tall, with thinning dark hair and a stocky build. Despite his looks, he was sensitive, quiet and creative. Definitely the most creative of the Singers.
She handed him the mug and they stood side by side in silence, looking at the winter sun glinting in the greenery.
‘It looks beautiful,’ she said, which was true.
‘All the hard work’s definitely paid off. Amanda’s flat out today, but she’s going to finish early so she can come up to the house. I know you probably need me to help with the party, but I just fancied being out here alone for a bit.’
‘I understand, Gus.’ Pippa gave his arm a squeeze. ‘But, yes, when you’re ready, it’s all hands on deck. Where’s Fleur, by the way?’
Amanda, who was in charge of the Meadowbrook gardens and had worked for their father, was Gus’s second wife. Fleur, her niece, was his sixteen-year-old daughter from his first marriage.
‘She’ll be up later with the rest of the family; although I’m sure she’ll be wearing something inappropriate and trying to sneak alcohol,’ he complained.
Before Toby’s arrival, as their only niece, all the Singers doted on Fleur and she was also very close to their late father. Gus and she had a tempestuous relationship, mainly owing to the fact that he was overprotective and not ready for his little girl to grow up.
‘I’m sure she won’t,’ Pippa lied, as that was exactly what Fleur would be doing. ‘Anyway, I’d better go and check on the caterers. All OK?’
‘Yes, I’ll finish up here and be in in a bit to help.’ He gave her a hug, handed the empty mug back to her and went back to his pottering.
The peace of earlier in the day was forgotten as Pippa moved around the house. The kitchen was full of catering staff now, who were preparing food for the evening, so Pippa, on discovering everything was under control, ducked out. She stood in the doorway to the bar, watching Freddie and Gemma laughing. It was heartwarming to see how close her best friend and her brother were, they were so in love. Gemma was passing bottles to Freddie, who was making drinks, but every now and then he’d stop to kiss her. Pippa felt a little like a voyeur, but she didn’t want to interrupt their moment, so she carried on.
She ran upstairs and checked the rooms were all ready. It might seem silly but she wanted her siblings and her to sleep in their old rooms for one night. She’d got them all prepared, her room, Harriet’s, Gus’s and Freddie’s. Fleur and Gus’s stepdaughter, Hayley, had rooms on the top floor, which used to be the attic rooms for staff back in the day, and Gwen said she may stay over with her partner, Gerry, but she hadn’t quite committed. Gwen had never slept in the main house, only in her apartment, and although she was family, she still said it didn’t seem right. The rooms weren’t the same as when they all lived there, of course, for they were now decorated as hotel rooms, more neutral. Pippa finished her inspection, satisfied that it was all ready as she headed back downstairs.
Flower arrangements were being set up in the reception area as well as the bar and dining room. Pippa had a florist who delivered every week to ensure the hotel always looked its best and in summer they used flowers from the gardens, too. The dining room was ready to receive the buffet food, which would be laid out on the huge dining table. It was all under control and Pippa was almost disappointed to find that she really didn’t need to do anything.
She decided to head out for a walk before it was time to get changed. As she passed the drawing room, she glanced in and saw that Toby and Harriet were on the sofa. Toby was on her chest and they were both fast asleep. She smiled at the sight of mother and child and quietly headed out.
She found herself at the sanctuary, where the animals, oblivious to the festivities, carried on as normal. One of the paddocks saw the donkey, Gerald, and the ponies grazing, while another was home to four goats – three adults and a baby. The pigs, who were Gus’s favourites, had a space beyond that, next to the field where the two alpacas, Sebastian and Samantha, glared at everyone who passed. In the far field were the cows, or to be precise, the bull, David, the cow, Madonna, and their baby calf, Drake. They weren’t the friendliest, either. Fleur got to name most new arrivals, and liked to name them after rappers – hence baby calf Drake and baby goat Kanye.
As Pippa made her way to the sanctuary office, she passed the chicken pen, the cat quarters and the large kennel, which was apparent by the noise coming from it. Although she loved the sanctuary, she wished that the domestic animals had all been re-homed. She wanted them all in loving homes and the fact they weren’t made her sad. Although Meadowbrook did have a good re-homing success rate, there were always animals coming in to replace those who left and that wasn’t good – or at least not for the animals, as it generally meant they’d suffered.
‘Penny for them?’ Connor asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Connor, Harriet’s partner, was tall, good-looking in a scruffy way, with unruly dark hair and the kindest smile. He had dimples that Toby seemed to have inherited in his cheeks and where Harriet could be scary, Connor was the most laid-back person Pippa had ever met. Yet again, opposites in many ways, but they’d been soulmates from childhood; although they didn’t realise it until after Andrew’s death and when it was almost too late.
‘I’ll have you know they’re worth more than a penny,’ Pippa replied. ‘I was at the house and everything’s under control for tonight, so I thought I’d get some fresh air and I found myself here, maybe thinking of Dad a bit today, you know.’ Pippa tried not to get emotional but she always did when she thought of her father.
‘I know, and look how far you’ve come. He’d be so proud of you.’
‘And you and the sanctuary.’
‘Hey, we’re like a mutual appreciation society. By the way, I seem to be missing a girlfriend and a baby.’
‘At the house, both fast asleep,’ Pippa smiled.
Connor ran his hands through his hair.
‘Harriet, day-sleeping? Wow. Right, well, I’ll finish up here and head up in that case.’
‘See you soon.’
Pippa watched him depart and then headed back to the house. She was so happy that all three of her siblings had such wonderful partners – however, she did wonder, just briefly, when it would be her turn.
Chapter Three
Pippa called it the Meadowbrook magic as she happily floated around the group of partygoers. The celebration was going exactly to plan. The family were having fun, as was most of Parker’s Hollow – their village, their community. There were a lot of people who were important to Meadowbrook, and there were also many who Meadowbrook was important to, so they all deserved to be part of this: of Meadowbrook’s success. Their father had always taught them the value of community and he’d involved as many of the local people as possible in Meadowbrook life. Pippa and the rest of the Singers had carried this on and it was heartwarming for her to see everyone here tonight, people who loved Meadowbrook, people whom she loved.
She took some time out to watch and listen to them all as if she were invisible. Gus was dancing with his wife, Amanda. This was almost their anniversary party, too, in a way – albeit a bit early ahead of their real anniversary on Valentine’s Day. Pippa felt warm to see bliss written across both of their faces. They made a great couple – Gus a little serious and a worrier, and Amanda who loved the outdoors and embraced life in a way that was helping Gus to do the same.
Freddie was ordering the bar staff around and trying to ply Gemma with alcohol so he could also ply himself with it, without getting into trouble. Gemma’s cheeks were flushed and she was giggling with happiness and alcohol. Pippa knew her friend well and Freddie’s plan seemed to be working.
Fleur was trying to sneak drinks off the tables that were dotted around and she was followed by Hayley, her stepsister. They were being so obvious but luckily, Amanda and Gus hadn’t yet noticed. Gwen, Connor’s mother, was laughing at something Gerry was saying. Gwen had met Gerry at Meadowbrook and although they both claimed their relationship was really more of a deep friendship, they all noticed how much time Gerry spent with Gwen these days; in fact, he practically lived with her. Pippa impulsively landed a kiss on Gwen’s cheek. She was like a second mum to them all and she felt so much love towards her in that moment.
The music that Freddie had selected was loud and vibrant but didn’t seem to be a deterrent to the older members of the community, from what she could see. Many of the gardening club ladies, ladies who were retired and who loved gardening so came to Meadowbrook regularly, were dancing with the enthusiastic morris dancers. Even the volunteers and workers from the sanctuary who didn’t often let their hair down were giving it a good go. Pippa let John, the vicar, who was also the leader of the morris dancers, spin her around the makeshift dance floor a couple of times before giggling and going to find another drink.
After checking all the guests were having fun, Pippa went over to Harriet and Connor, who were both pale-faced, talking to John – his wife, Hilary, by his side. John and Hilary were pillars of the Meadowbrook community. Not only was he the vicar and head of the morris-dancing troop, but he and his wife were also the people who knew everything that was going on in Parker’s Hollow, the village. They also looked scarily alike, both tall, slender or bony, as Harriet said, with glasses that dominated both of their faces. Freddie still found this hard to accept – to him, they looked more like brother and sister than husband and wife.
‘You really shouldn’t leave it too long to get the lad christened,’ Pippa heard John say as she approached.
‘Pip,’ Harry said, grabbing her.
Harriet was holding a baby monitor, so she could hear if Toby so much as murmured in the room he was sleeping in upstairs.
‘Yes?’ Pippa smiled.
John, the vicar, was grinning enthusiastically.
‘John thinks we need to organise a christening for Toby.’
‘You should. We’ve got the family christening robe and the way he eats he won’t fit in it if you don’t hurry up,’ Pippa laughed, thinking that a christening would be another wonderful Meadowbrook event. She might even get to organise it.
‘Thanks for the support,’ Harriet hissed in her ear. ‘OK, that’s great, John, but Connor and I still need to find godparents and then we need to organise a party, I guess,’ she said carefully.
‘I’ll do the catering,’ Gwen cut in, as it turned out she’d been listening. ‘And I insist on making a very special cake. I’ll go and get some brandy from Freddie now while I think of it.’
‘Mum, are you all right?’ Connor’s brows etched in concern.
‘Oh, yes, just had one too many sherries,’ Gwen replied, swaying slightly.
‘Now, if I might interfere, I’d be very happy to put my hat into the ring for a godfather role,’ Gerry offered.
Harriet looked so startled she was unable to speak.
‘Gwen’s Granny and I’m her partner, so it’d be nice for me to have an official title, too,’ he said. ‘I’m also willing to dress up as any character he might like for any of his birthdays.’
That was Gerry’s pitch. No one knew what to say. Gerry did like to dress up, though, at any excuse, which no one liked to think too much about; although it did come in handy for the Meadowbrook events.
‘Oh, and I should be godmother,’ Edie – one of the gardening club members and a pillar of the Meadowbrook community – said, appearing suddenly as if from nowhere.
Edie was eccentric to say the least. She’d just turned seventy-something but pretended she was sixty. No one dared argue with her.
Pip stifled a giggle. Harriet’s face had turned grey and even Connor looked concerned.
‘Great, well, you have two godparents right here. You only need one more man if tradition serves or, as I’m a very progressive vicar, you can have more if you like,’ John offered magnanimously. ‘I know some people these days like to have quite a few.’
‘We’ll definitely need more,’ Connor said, sounding a little shell-shocked.
‘Let’s think about it and we’ll call you soon to lock down a date.’
It wasn’t often that Harriet gave in but, Pippa realised, they’d caught her on the rare occasion she’d had a drink since Toby’s birth. She’d have agreed to anything, Pippa thought as Harriet downed the wine left in her glass.
‘And after the service we’ll be happy to do a special morris dance for Toby,’ John finished.
‘Oh, how lovely. A christening and morris dancing. Of course, I’ll make the quiches,’ Hilary offered. ‘I should go and find Gwen so we can discuss the menu.’
As Pippa watched Connor shrug helplessly and Harriet’s eyes fill with panic, she wondered if she should intervene.
‘I think I heard Toby crying,’ Harriet said. ‘John, it all sounds lovely, thank you.’ And grabbing Pippa’s hand, she thrust the baby monitor into Connor’s hands then pulled her sister with her before she was coerced into anything else.
‘For God’s sake, we’ll need to get Toby other godparents – you know, those who might even outlive his parents,’ Harriet whispered when they were in her old bedroom.
Toby was in a Moses basket sleeping soundly, silent but for the occasional snuffling noise.
‘Think of the pictures!’ Pippa laughed. ‘Oh, but Gerry’s so sweet, though, and so’s Edie. It’ll mean so much to them, too. They love little Toby.’
‘I know that,’ Harriet hissed, ‘but I’m not sure it’s the best thing for Toby. I mean, aren’t the parents meant to choose godparents, not the other way round?’
‘I wonder what Edie’ll wear?’ Pippa felt uncontrollable laughter bubbling up. They loved Edie and she certainly lent colour to Meadowbrook.
‘I dread to think, Edie in her finest. I adore her but tonight she was definitely channelling Madonna circa 1988.’
‘But she was delighted with her ra-ra skirt; she got it when Gemma took her to the charity shops in Bath.’
‘At least Toby’ll be oblivious to it all, so that’s one good thing—’
The door burst open and Connor ran in, brandishing the other baby monitor.
‘Oh no!’ Harriet cringed.
‘What did they hear?’ Pippa said, her heart falling.
‘Thankfully, as soon as I heard Harriet blaspheme, I ran out of the room. I think John heard you take the Lord’s name in vain, but I definitely saved you from the worst.’
‘Oh, Con, how can I ever thank you?’ Harriet giggled, throwing her arms around him.
‘You could always ask Edie if you could borrow her ra-ra skirt,’ he winked.
Chapter Four
Pippa was woken by a quiet knock on her bedroom door. She slowly sat up, acknowledging that hungover, sleepy feeling as her memory seeped back. She was in her childhood bedroom, not her normal room. Of course, the bedroom now belonged to the hotel now. It had a four-poster bed and was one of the more romantic rooms, she often felt.
‘Come in.’ She stretched her arms above her head.
Harriet walked in clutching Toby and a baby’s bottle.
‘What time is it?’ Pippa asked.
‘Half six, but your nephew needs feeding and Connor’s snoring, which makes me want to stab him. How can he sleep through a baby crying? It’s ridiculous!’ Harriet hiccupped. ‘Pip, I think I might still be drunk and I’m not sure I should be allowed to be in charge of my baby. Gwen offered to have him sleep at hers but I’ve never spent a night away from him and …’
‘Hand him over.’
Pippa took Toby, cradled him in her arms and planted a kiss on his head. She loved babies. She loved this baby. When Harriet was first pregnant, Pippa didn’t like to admit it but she was jealous, or maybe that was envious, because she was so happy for Harriet and Connor at the same time. When she was married to Mark, she’d been so desperate for a child and now she was single, it wasn’t looking likely to happen anytime soon. She loved being an aunt, although she needed to persuade Harriet to let her spend more time with Toby. It would do them both good.
She took the bottle and looked into Toby’s eyes as he began to suck contentedly, his eyes flickering as he drank. Harriet collapsed in a heap next to them on the bed.
‘Why don’t you go back to bed and leave Toby with me for a couple of hours? I’m only going to be pottering this morning. The clearing up can wait and I’ve got help coming in later anyway.’
‘I couldn’t—’ Harriet started.
‘Don’t be silly, Harry, you’re in no fit state and if you have a few more hours’ sleep you’ll feel much better; you might even be sober. He’s safe with me and I’m not leaving the house, so if I need you, I promise I’ll come and get you straight away.’ Pippa tried to sound stern.
‘I love you, Pip. Hey, why don’t you join Edie as Toby’s other godmother?’
‘You asked me a hundred times last night and I’m his aunt. If anything happens to you and Connor I fully expect to get him anyway. But if you really want me to be—’
‘I do. Then if anything happens to Connor and me you’ll have a better case to argue with Edie. Godmother and aunt, she won’t stand a chance. You’ll trump her!’
‘I know nothing’ll happen to you, by the way, Harry, but you know, those alpacas are a bit evil. Not to mention the no-longer-gay bull.’
Pippa was referring to some of the animals at the sanctuary that were part of Meadowbrook. The two alpacas, Samantha and Sebastian, had perfected being rude to everyone they encountered.
‘Now I’m never going to sleep again. Except I will right now, actually. I’ll put the nappy bag outside your door and if you need me, then you know where I am. If he sounds upset or anything, please let me know.’
‘We’ll be fine, Harry. Now go.’
As Harriet staggered off, Pippa giggled – Harry was definitely still drunk.
Pippa finished feeding Toby, burped him and then laid him across her as they relaxed in bed. She fancied a coffee but then she wanted to keep cuddling her nephew for a bit longer. He really was the most divine child and he had the Singer look about him with her father’s nose, or the beginning of it. He was beginning to look like a perfect mix of both of his parents, actually.
Pippa’s phone rang, interrupting her doting, and she looked at the screen. It was Hector. Why was he calling so early?
‘Hector, it’s practically the middle of the night,’ she said, snatching the phone.
Hector Barber was a long-time friend of Meadowbrook, having been introduced by Freddie as a ‘celebrity’ at their summer fête. In truth he was a reality TV star, having appeared on a show called Singles Holiday, though he’d been kicked off for having sex with most of the women on there. From there, he’d gone on to feature on most ‘celebrity’ reality TV shows going and was a huge national heartthrob. But he’d become firm friends with the Singers and over time, he’d become like part of the extended family. Just before they opened the hotel, he’d announced he was writing a novel and after they’d all managed to get past the shock, he’d been the hotel’s first official guest, moving into the hotel to write his first book.
And despite all the cynics, Hector’s book had been a huge bestseller and all of a sudden, he was being taken seriously both as a person and a writer. He’d dedicated his first book to the Singers and Meadowbrook.
‘I know,’ he’d said in response, ‘but I’m at the airport in New York and I couldn’t remember the time difference. Oh, and Happy New Year. I’m so sorry I missed the party, but having to promote my book here meant I really couldn’t get away.’
Hector had spent Christmas in America because of an extensive book tour.
‘I know, you told us and it’s fine. We missed you but there’ll always be another party.’
Pippa thought about how much everyone loved Hector, especially the gardening club ladies. She surprised herself by thinking that even she missed him.
‘Right, well, that’s why I’m calling. I’m getting on a flight in a minute and I’m on deadline, so I wondered if I could book into the hotel.’
‘Hector, you have a perfectly good flat in London and although of course we’d love to see you …’
Pippa wasn’t sure if Hector was lonely. Now he had his success and was in demand, he seemed to want to be around them more than ever. Freddie said it was because he was in love with Pippa, but she brushed that off. He flirted with her terribly, but then he could flirt with a candlestick, he was that kind of guy. Lovely, fun, clever, not to mention gorgeous, but too young and too frivolous for Pippa. He was only twenty-nine and although he claimed his playboy days were behind him, she wasn’t convinced.
‘But you know I write best at Meadowbrook. I need to get my next book finished. There’s so much pressure on me, Pippa, and I was thinking three months would do it.’
‘You want to stay here for three months? You do know we’ve put our prices up?’ Pippa teased as Toby wriggled contently in her arms.
When Hector stayed he’d had opening prices, plus a huge discount. Actually, they didn’t want to charge him at all, but he’d insisted. The thing was that the publicity that Hector brought the hotel had been amazing. Not least because of the groups of women booked in hoping to meet him. They should have been paying him, in fact.
‘Pip, I’m going to talk to Harriet about the rate, because she’ll charge me properly.’
‘You’re family and you can stay with us anytime, but I still don’t see why you’d want to be holed up here for three months.’
‘And you call yourself a businesswoman? What would Harriet say if I told her you were turning down paying customers?’
‘She’d kill me.’
‘I’ll call you when I’m in London to let you know when to expect me. Oh, bugger, last call for my flight.’ He hung up.
‘Hector’s coming, Toby. You’ll like him. He’s fun.’
Hector hadn’t met Toby yet. He’d been so busy with his book tours that he hadn’t managed to come over since his birth. Pippa had to decide where he’d stay. Probably in one of the attic rooms; for some reason, Hector loved being at the top of the house. She had a few bookings coming up, but they had plenty of space for the quiet season. Meadowbrook only had ten bedrooms, all doubles, and she always knew who was staying. One magazine had said Meadowbrook was the very definition of a boutique hotel. And that was exactly their intention when they’d opened it. Pippa loved that it was small and it ensured they knew what their guests liked and didn’t like. They made sure they had food that suited their preferences. Catering to their individual needs, as a small, luxury hotel they were more than able to do so. It meant that guests felt they were having an experience suited to them, rather than just a generic five-star hotel stay.
Pippa was actually pleased that Hector was coming. It would be nice to have him around. She grinned – Harriet would be really pleased. One three-month booking to take them through the slow season wouldn’t hurt at all, even if they did heavily discount. Although they weren’t empty, they weren’t full either for the next few months. They had some short mid-week corporate bookings coming up, a couple of groups embarking on Gus’s painting workshop and some more on Gwen’s baking course, which had proved so popular. And because of the baking show on TV – Hector had even taken part in the celebrity version of that – people clamoured. Baking was the new knitting, apparently. Pippa knew they might have some last-minute bookings, too, but she’d been prepared for it being quieter after Christmas, probably until Easter at least.
Soon after the hotel opened, they realised that the Meadowbrook hotel kitchen wasn’t going to be able to accommodate the baking experiences that they were getting requests for. Especially as it was needed to cater for the guests at the same time. However, next to Freddie’s house, one of the barns they’d converted, was another barn that they’d been able to turn into a kitchen – a little like the actual Great British Bake Off layout; although not a tent, of course. There were a number of ovens and fridges, and Gwen ran her baking courses there. They were so well-known that she’d had to rope others in to help her now she was working less, or at least trying to. Hilary, John, the vicar’s wife, helped out regularly, as she was a keen baker, too.
The good news was that the hotel wasn’t running at a huge loss. To Harriet’s dismay, it hadn’t made a profit yet, either, but then as Gemma pointed out, hotels never made money in the first year, which had almost satisfied her. The fact that the hotel was doing OK was enough. For now.
Pippa sat at her desk in the office going through the bookings. Everyone had left, the housekeeping staff were turning the rooms around and Pippa was nursing her persistent hangover with a much-needed cup of tea while making notes to ensure that during the coming week she was on top of things.
Growing up, with her three siblings and their father, not to mention Gwen and Connor, who were there most of the time, Meadowbrook had felt alive. But when one by one her siblings left – first to boarding school, then university, before going off to jobs in various places – it was just Pippa, the baby of the family, her father and Gwen. They’d filled the house with people: her father’s friends, the village community and Pippa’s school friends, who’d practically lived there when they were teenagers. When Pippa left Meadowbrook to marry Mark, she’d felt a stab of guilt – no, more than a stab of guilt – about leaving the house with just her father and Gwen. But she’d visited often and her dad never complained about being lonely. He kept busy and that was when he’d started the animal sanctuary.
Pippa felt tears surface. She still missed him and she wished he was with them; although she felt his presence in the house every day and that was why she’d always take care of Meadowbrook. It was the one place she could feel her father and she never wanted to lose that feeling.
Pippa wiped the tears off her face furiously as there was a knock on the office door. Gus appeared with a big smile. Mainly calm – apart from when it came to his teenage daughter – and level-headed, he was the most sensible of the siblings. He was also creative; although he’d been an insurance salesman before he managed to find his true passion: painting and gardening.
‘Why the tears, Pip?’ he asked, chewing his bottom lip anxiously.
‘I was thinking of Daddy. I’m not sure how I got there but with the party, it was emotional. You know, we’ve kept this place open for almost a year and it’s all going well, but I miss him. I wish I knew what he thought of it.’
‘I know.’ Gus came over to where Pippa was sat and bent down to hug her. ‘He’d be so proud of you, you know. All of us, but especially you.’
‘Thanks, Gus. Oh! by the way, Hector’s coming to stay. He needs to finish his new book.’
‘It’ll be nice to have him back. Anyway,’ he hopped awkwardly from foot to foot, ‘I need to get the details for my painting workshop. And Amanda said to complain about the lack of gardening interest.’ His lips curled in a slight smile.
‘Gus, it’s winter. Who wants to garden in the winter?’
‘Amanda!’ they both said and laughed.
Gus’s wife, Amanda, lived for her gardens. She was even out there in the snow, protecting her plants. But although the gardening courses were popular – funnily enough, especially with the younger generation – they weren’t in demand in the winter, when bookings had all but dried up.
‘I’ll sign Hector up,’ Pippa joked. ‘That’ll keep her happy.’
‘She’s got enough to do, really,’ Gus groaned. ‘Not only with existing clients, but she’s also taken on a new client. A rich family have bought a crumbling old manor house near Bath and they’ve got acres of grounds that need restoring. The house, too. Amanda hasn’t met them yet, but I think they might be Russian billionaires from the sound of it. Probably Mafia or something like that.’
‘Tell her to be careful, then. Although it sounds like a great project.’
‘She says it’s all grand statues and water features at the moment. But I’m worried she’s overstretching herself.’
‘Let Amanda do what she wants to do, Gus. Don’t clip her wings.’
Gus’s first marriage broke down because his then wife ran off with one of his friends, but afterwards she’d said that Gus had suffocated her by trying to please her all the time. Gus could be a bit like that. Unfortunately, he was the sensitive member of the family and their hard-to-please father didn’t really do sensitive. So Gus had spent most of his childhood trying to please their father, something their father recognised later in life and apologised for, but Gus was still battling with insecurity as a result. Amanda made him happier than he’d ever been, but old habits died hard.
‘I know, she’s happy, we’re happy, and I need to remember that. You know what a nightmare I can be!’
‘Exactly. Right, here’s your next two painting workshops.’
‘Any sign of Freddie?’ Gus asked.
‘No. Gemma dragged him home a couple of hours ago but that hangover isn’t going anywhere soon.’
‘Typical Fred.’
Pippa laughed. The Singers had settled into themselves and for four siblings who were so close, they were all so utterly disparate. Harriet the boss, Gus the sensitive one, Freddie the fun one and her … Pippa was still trying to find herself. She was on her own now for the first time, she was working for the first time and she was getting to know herself for the first time, but she still had a lot to learn. She might be in her thirties, but she felt as if she was only just now discovering who she really was.
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