Fully Booked

by Cressida McLaughlin

  ‘It doesn’t work with anything else,’ Robin said. ‘Cheese on toast can’t be improved with wine or beer – or even coffee. It has to be tea.’

  Will narrowed his eyes, cut a soldier off his toast and dipped it in the mayonnaise. ‘Did you say you made this mayonnaise? It’s delicious.’

  Robin sat back, enjoying the compliment before she gave the game away. ‘It’s Hellmann’s mayo. I just added some crushed garlic cloves.’

  Will nodded, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. ‘Classy move. Why go to the effort of making it from scratch when a couple of well-placed modifications will do?’

  ‘I am running a guesthouse, after all,’ Robin said. ‘I have to strike the right balance between quality and efficiency.’

  ‘It sounds like you’re already a pro.’ Will sipped his tea and glanced towards the sofas, where Darcy had chosen to snooze.

  ‘My parents ran the guesthouse before me,’ Robin said. ‘So I grew up in the environment, absorbing it all without ever considering that I would end up making my living this way.’

  ‘This wasn’t your plan all along, then?’

  Robin shook her head. ‘I lived in London for a long time, and only moved back here last year. My parents wanted to move to France, and it seemed like the logical thing to do, taking over from them. I’ve restyled it completely, though. My parents didn’t go in for room names or themes.’

  ‘It’s a great idea. I saw the other rooms in your welcome pack, and I think I should be staying in Wilderness.’ He smiled at her, and Robin took a moment to get the joke.

  ‘Ah,’ she said, ‘Bear Grylls. Of course.’ Remembering how Will had compared himself to the celebrity adventurer when they’d first met. ‘Well, Starcross is my favourite room, so in my opinion you’ve got the best deal.’ She glanced at the table, suddenly embarrassed that she’d admitted this to him.

  ‘I’m honoured. And a little bemused, if I’m honest.’ Will mopped the last of the mayonnaise up with his final piece of toast and rested his elbows on the table. He was wearing a navy jumper speckled with threads of different colours, the sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms and reminding Robin – as if she was likely to forget – that she’d seen a lot more of him than that.

  ‘Why?’ Robin asked, wrapping her hands around her large mug and letting the steam hit her face.

  ‘Because – and don’t take this the wrong way – I hadn’t expected everyone to be so friendly.’

  Robin felt a wave of discomfort. ‘You’ve come from London to the seaside. Everyone’s bound to be friendlier down here – we’re not all trying to live our lives at a hundred miles an hour.’

  ‘Yeah, but this is extreme. The guy from the teashop a few doors down – Ashley – brought me a box of cupcakes as a welcome present. And then he stayed and helped me bag up loads of rubbish. How did he know I was here? And does everyone go out of their way to help here – I mean, all the time? How do you live your own lives?’

  Robin closed her eyes. Will is going to love it here. Molly must have asked Ashley to take those cakes round to him.

  ‘It … uh, Will?’

  ‘Yes?’ He looked directly at her, his face open and expectant, clearly pleased by the acts of kindness, and Robin found she couldn’t tell him. She should, but already, the thought that he might see her behaviour towards him – offering to help with Tabitha’s house, the cheese on toast – as something other than genuine, was too horrible. And if she told him about Tim’s plan for his aunt’s house, and of Molly and Mrs Harris’s concerns about the possible development, then that’s what he would think. It was inevitable that her kindness would be seen as part of Molly’s charm offensive, with the sole aim of stopping him from selling the house to Tim.

  He gave her a questioning smile when she didn’t answer. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Yes, sure. Of course. What flavour cakes are they?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘The cakes Ashley brought you? What flavour? They do an amazing lemon and poppy seed muffin down there, and their scones are the best I’ve tasted.’

  ‘I haven’t even looked, to be honest,’ Will said. ‘I was so busy sorting things out that I just took the box and put it down …’ His words faded away and his eyes widened. ‘Shit, I’ve left them at Tabitha’s house.’

  ‘Well, that’s OK, I don’t think the grime will be able to get inside the box.’

  ‘But what about the furry friend Darcy was so terrified of?’ Will was already standing. ‘After having to hunt out scraps in an abandoned house for the last six months, mice will home straight in on cake. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and if they’ve survived, we can have them for pudding – the cakes, not the mice.’ He grinned at her.

  ‘You don’t need to—’

  ‘You provided the first course, it’s only fair. Darcy, stay.’ He pointed at the little dog who, from what Robin could see, had no intention of leaving her cosy spot on the sofa, and hurried out of the room.

  Robin couldn’t resist.

  As soon as Will had gone she went over to the sofa and sat next to Darcy, putting her hands in the Cavapoo’s soft, springy fur. Darcy sniffed and moved her head forwards, licking Robin’s hand with her rough tongue. Robin bent and buried her nose in the dog’s coat, and then felt the lightest weight land on her lap. She sat up to find Eclipse looking at her, his kitten eyes too big for his face. He gave a squeak of a meow, and then put a paw out and tentatively tapped Darcy’s leg.

  Robin held her breath, waiting for Darcy to spring to her feet and bark, but Eclipse kept pawing gently and Darcy just looked at the small cat, her eyes barely visible beneath curly eyebrows, and after a moment started whining, so quietly that Robin could only just hear.

  ‘Oh, Darcy,’ she said, stroking the dog with one hand and Eclipse with the other, ‘it’s OK. Eclipse won’t hurt you, he’s about a fifth of your size. You won’t, will you?’ She smiled at her cat and he blinked at her. ‘You could be great friends. It would be like Homeward Bound, only without the horrendous journey.’

  The doorbell pealed and, thinking Will had forgotten his key, Robin put Eclipse in her space next to Darcy and went to answer it. When she opened the door, it wasn’t Will and some cupcakes smiling down at her.

  ‘Tim,’ she said, swallowing down the panic. ‘Hello.’

  ‘Robin. How are you?’ He stepped into the hallway before she had invited him. He was still wearing his suit, dark grey with a white shirt beneath. The tie had gone, the top button open, and he looked like a model doing post-work dishevelled for a magazine shoot. ‘How was your first night with a house full of holiday makers?’

  ‘Good,’ she said, and then remembered she hadn’t told Will about the incident with Eclipse in Rockpool, just as she realised she didn’t want to give Tim this anecdote. Even though it was harmless, revealing any signs of imperfection to Tim didn’t sit right with her. ‘I’ve actually got a full house. Someone booked into my last empty room yesterday evening, so it couldn’t have gone better.’

  She gave him a bright smile and he nodded distractedly, surveying the hallway as if talking to her was bottom of his to-do list.

  ‘Can I help you with anything? Did you come round for a drink, or …?’

  ‘No,’ Tim said. ‘I came by with a question. You see, I’ve heard that—’

  His words were cut off by a loud commotion coming from Sea Shanty, which Robin recognised as unhappy animals.

  ‘Oh no.’ She rushed into the room to find Eclipse standing on the arm of the sofa, his tail fluffed, squeaking down at Darcy, who had managed to fit herself under the piano stool. Anyone else would have found her kitten’s attempt at dominance hilarious, but she already knew that Darcy was lacking in the bravery department.

  ‘Eclipse,’ she said, pulling him into her arms. ‘What happened? What did she do to you? I’m sorry Darcy’s here; I shouldn’t have left you alone together so soon. I promise she’s lovely, and if you just give it time …’ She stroked him and eventually h
is body stopped shaking, his purrs much louder than his attempts at meowing. She kissed him on the forehead and put him gently on the sofa. He eyed Darcy warily.

  Tim appeared in the doorway. ‘That’s a lot of commotion for such a small cat.’

  ‘It’s my fault,’ Robin said. ‘I should have prepared him for dogs.’ She crouched next to the piano stool, turning her back on Tim. ‘Come on, Darcy, you can come out now. I’m sorry about Eclipse. He’s just protecting his territory.’ She stroked her paw and the dog padded forward, whimpering, and allowed Robin to gather her on to her lap. ‘You’re a soft thing. You and Will are like chalk and cheese.’

  ‘Who’s Will?’ Tim asked. ‘And more to the point, who’s this? Are you opening a home for stray animals as well as a guesthouse? I’m not sure they’re the most harmonious businesses.’

  ‘This is Darcy,’ Robin said. ‘She belongs to a guest. And I shouldn’t have left her alone with Eclipse – not so soon.’ The dog was still whimpering, but Eclipse had calmed down and was curled into a ball, almost lost against the navy fabric of the sofa.

  ‘Right,’ Tim said, his pale brows knitting together, his voice laced with irritation. ‘Look, Robs, I just came round to ask about next door. Malcolm hasn’t had a chance to get in touch with Tabitha’s family yet – there’s a nephew he’s tracked down – but I heard that someone’s moved in. And the curtains were open as I passed.’

  Robin focused on Darcy, rubbing the thick fur on her nose. ‘You’ve been driving past?’ She knew she sounded cross, but if she ended up being the reason Tim and Will met, and then Tim used his salesman tactics to secure a sale while Will was off guard and undecided, then she’d have let everyone on Goldcrest Road down, not to mention lost Will before she’d even got to know him properly. It was so hard to think with Tim standing over her.

  ‘I drove past just now,’ he said. ‘There’s a light on, too. If you don’t know anything, then that’s fine.’ Robin didn’t answer. He shrugged and turned towards the door, and Robin breathed a sigh of relief. But then his whole body stiffened and he rotated slowly, staring down at her. ‘Hang on. You mentioned someone called Will?’

  ‘Did I?’ Her voice was falsely light.

  ‘You said to the dog that it and Will were like chalk and cheese. Will is the name of Tabitha’s nephew.’

  ‘It is? What a coincidence.’

  ‘Robin, come on. You’ve always been a terrible liar. Is it Will next door? Is Tabitha’s nephew in Campion Bay?’

  ‘Tim.’ His name came out as a sigh as her brain scrambled madly for a way to get out of this, just for tonight. She needed more time with Will before Tim got his claws in, so that he was more resilient against the expert sales patter. She stood slowly, placing Darcy on the floor and facing him at full height. ‘Today has been so busy. Is there any chance we could have this conversation tomorrow?’

  ‘Why?’ Tim asked, folding his arms over his chest. ‘I’m pretty sure I know the answer to my question. What I’m not so clear on is why you would want to hide it from me.’

  Because I don’t want Will to sell to you, she thought, unable to meet his gaze. I want him to stay here, to become my neighbour. Nobody wants you to do this. Saying the words in her head made her feel better, but it didn’t give her a reply that she could actually use.

  The front door banged and she closed her eyes, knowing she was out of time. Darcy barked and raced into the hall.

  ‘The mouse didn’t get them,’ Will called. ‘And I’m not sure what the flavours are, but they might be lemon and chocolate. Hey, Darcy, I wasn’t that long, come on.’

  Will appeared in the doorway of Sea Shanty and came to a sudden stop. ‘Oh, hello.’

  ‘Will,’ Robin said, swallowing down her panic, ‘this is—’

  ‘Tim Lewis.’ Tim was advancing on Will with his hand out, a grin planted firmly on his face, beaming smile switched on like Christmas lights. ‘Great to meet you. Robin’s been telling me a lot about you. It’s so nice to see a new face in Campion Bay – these seaside towns need a new insurgence of life from time to time, don’t you think?’

  Robin watched as Will gave Tim a wary smile and held his free hand out. Tim had, in only a few seconds, already made her complicit in his plans by suggesting she’d been talking to him about Will. She wanted to kick his ankles, to push him out of the front door and tell him never to come back. Instead, she offered the two men cups of tea and hurried to the kitchen, thinking her only chance now was to act as mediator, to temper Tim’s advances.

  She didn’t want to leave them alone for too long. Knowing Tim, she thought it might only be minutes before the damage he did was irreparable.

  Chapter Two

  Robin carried the tray with teapot, mugs and plates down the hallway, the crockery jingling. She heard the two men laughing before she had reached Sea Shanty, and swore under her breath. Planting a smile firmly on her face, she put the tray on the coffee table and sat on the sofa next to Tim, as if by being close to him she could somehow control what came out of his mouth.

  ‘I was just telling Will about Campion Bay property,’ Tim said, taking over the role of mother, handing out the plates and opening Will’s box of cupcakes. ‘It’s not as heartless a job as people think it is. We encounter a lot of sadness, houses that have fallen into disrepair because of a death in the family, businesses that have run out of capital and have had to close. Tabitha was loved by everyone she knew – I used to visit her, along with Robin, when I was a teenager. I was very sorry to hear about her death, Will.’

  Will waved a dismissive hand, but Robin thought she could see a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there before. ‘If I’m honest, I didn’t know her as well as I should have done. She was estranged from her brother, my dad, and mentioning her name in our house was forbidden. My mum finally put me in touch with her, against my dad’s will, when I was old enough to make my own decisions. I only started to get to know her in my twenties.’

  Robin felt a squeeze of sadness alongside the flurry of questions Will’s words had opened up. Why had Tabitha and her brother been estranged? Had Will’s dad cast him out when he found out he’d been in touch with her? What did Tabitha think about the whole situation? But she didn’t want to ask him while Tim was there. She could see that Will wasn’t entirely comfortable, but already, in a couple of swift moves, Tim had made him open up more than he had to her. She didn’t want to break down his defences any further or he wouldn’t survive the evening, and would have signed the house away to Tim – maybe his soul too – before his tea was cold.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said instead. ‘I didn’t realise any of that had happened, though it explains why I didn’t meet you when I was growing up. Tabitha never mentioned it.’

  ‘She wouldn’t discuss it with me either,’ Will said. ‘The subject of my father was strictly off limits whenever I visited.’

  Tim whistled through his teeth. ‘That sounds tough. It must be hard, having to face it all now. I know what it’s like having to work through a property of someone who’s sadly passed on, and if there’s a family rift, that must make it all the more difficult.’

  Robin could see Will’s jaw muscles work as Tim played the sincerity card a bit too strongly.

  ‘I don’t think any situation like Will’s is easy,’ she said carefully. ‘But Tabitha was his aunt, so even though it’s hard, I think it’s worthwhile to go through her belongings, to find out more about her.’ She risked glancing at Will, and he gave her a quick smile. ‘You know I’ll help you as much as I can.’

  ‘You?’ Tim laughed gently. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be running a guesthouse, Robs? You don’t want to spread yourself too thinly. I can always give Will a hand. I’ve offered to pop in tomorrow and take a look at the place, and we’ve got professional house-clearers if it comes to it. As I said, I’m familiar with this kind of situation. Besides, Will, if you’re a friend of Robin’s, then you’re a friend of mine. I’m sure we can sort something out.’
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br />   Robin rolled her eyes.

  ‘More kindness.’ Will shook his head.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Tim asked.

  ‘I’ve been wondering if Campion Bay is the friendliest place in the world. The cupcakes came from Ashley, down the road. Robin’s already offered to spend time at Tabitha’s house when she can, and now you. Though I’m sure your services come at a price.’

  Robin looked into her tea mug and held her breath. Was Will suspicious, or was it just Tim’s overbearing nature putting him on edge?

  ‘A very fair price,’ Tim said, offering Will his winning smile. ‘I agree that Campion Bay is great, and you’ve fallen on your feet with Robs here, but the house clearly doesn’t have very happy memories for you.’

  Robin sensed that his assault was moving to the next level. Tim wasn’t stupid; he would be aware that the residents of Goldcrest Road would be against any kind of change to the seafront houses, and now he knew that not only was Will dealing with some difficult family business, but he was being treated as a Very Important Visitor – and Robin was doing some of the treating.

  Will ran his finger round the edge of the plate, scooping up the butter icing that had tried to escape. ‘The house always had happy memories. It’s the situation around it that doesn’t. My time at Campion Bay certainly hasn’t been all bad, so far.’

  Robin’s insides flipped as he trained his green eyes on her, the smile not quite reaching his lips. ‘And just having one more person to sift through things will make it easier,’ she added, encouraged. ‘I often get some free time in the middle of the day, and I’m perfectly placed to help Will out.’

  ‘I don’t think living next door trumps being an industry professional, Robs.’ Tim patted her knee.

  Robin opened her mouth to speak as irritation coursed through her, but she didn’t want to raise her voice. If she did, Tim would win. He needed to leave. He had already had a cupcake that wasn’t meant for him, and he was circling closer and closer to Will, like a charming vulture. Robin remembered Molly describing Tim’s boss, Malcolm, as weaselly, and wondered how she could suddenly be feeling the same way about Tim when only two days before she’d been entertaining the possibility that their romantic reunion was in the stars.