A Small Town Affair

by Chrissie Loveday

  ‘If there’s nothing I can do, I might go back across to work. There are a few things I still need to do. Will you be all right?’

  ‘Of course I will. I might wander down to the café after all. The police have my mobile number if they want to contact me. I’ll see you later.’

  She went down the hill, slowly. Her parents would be sure to come down to Cornwall and do their best to seek her out. She remembered the man who’d recognised her when she was working on reception. He’d be sure to comment that he’d seen her. The mess she had created was compounding by the minute.

  The café was busy and Audrey was looking quite flustered.

  ‘Do you want some help?’ Georgie asked.

  ‘Oh, bless you dear. Don’t know where they’re all coming from this morning.’

  ‘It’s turned quite chilly out there. Think people want to get out of the wind. I’ll just grab my apron and make a start.’ At least being busy took her mind off her troubles. It was well after lunchtime that Audrey was able to ask for news of the car.

  ‘There isn’t any news. They think it might have been stolen to order. They put new numbers plates on and re-spray the cars. Horrible people.’

  Make us some tea, will you love? And help yourself to something to eat. You’re looking a bit pale. I suppose it’s the shock.’

  ‘Indeed.’ If only Audrey knew just how much of a shock she was suffering. It seemed an age since this morning when she had first suspected she could be pregnant.

  The afternoon was less busy and they cleared up in plenty of time before closing. Her phone had remained stubbornly silent all afternoon. There was nothing she could do. When she got back to the caravan, Jay had tidied up and had even set the table for dinner. He’d got two candles and a small vase of flowers, probably from the dining room, she thought. But it was a lovely gesture.

  ‘What’s all this?’ she asked.

  ‘I thought you deserved a bit of a treat after all the shocks of the morning. I’ve ordered dinner from the restaurant and there’s champagne in the fridge. Go and have a shower and change and I’ll be waiting for you.’

  ‘Oh Jay. That’s all so lovely. Thank you. But aren’t you working this evening?’

  ‘No. I’ve swapped duties till tomorrow.’

  She did as she was told and she changed into one of her better outfits, wanting to make the effort for him.

  ‘You look lovely,’ he said softly, drawing her close to him. ‘That’s the blouse you wore when we first went out together. Makes your eyes look very blue.’

  ‘Used to match my car too,’ she said before she could stop herself.

  ‘Come on now love. This is supposed to make you forget about your woes. I’ll open the champagne.’ Expertly, he popped the cork and poured them a glass each. ‘I borrowed the glasses too,’ he laughed.

  ‘Sorry I was so mopey. Thank you for doing all of this. It’s lovely.’ She was halfway down the glass when she remembered that she might be pregnant. You weren’t supposed to drink, were you? She said nothing and continued to drink. She may not be pregnant anyway.

  ‘I’ll go and collect our meal now. You sit there and try to relax. Won’t be long.’

  How lovely he was, she thought. He may not be taking her out for expensive meals but this was even better. The hotel’s chef had a good reputation and she could look forward to something delicious.

  It was a lovely evening, gentle, romantic and exactly what she needed to make up for the terrible day. It was almost ten o’clock when her phone rang.

  ‘Hallo you,’ Jenny said.

  ‘Hi Jenny.’ Jay pulled a face and mouthed at her to hurry up.

  ‘Just wondered if you’ve any news for me.’

  ‘Not really. Except that someone’s stolen my car.’

  ‘Not your lovely blue peril?’

  ‘Indeed. Don’t know who or when but the police are handling it.’

  ‘And your other dilemma?’

  ‘No progress as yet.’

  ‘I take it you can’t talk?’

  ‘That’s right. Jays just poured champagne into me and provided a delicious meal so I mustn’t be long.’

  ‘Well, that sounds like progress.’

  ‘I guess so. I’ll call you when there’s any news.’

  ‘Make sure you do. And take great care. Hope the champers isn’t a problem.’

  ‘Course not. Night love.’

  ‘What did the lovely Jenny want?’ Jay asked.

  ‘Just seeing how I am and how things are going. Shocked to hear about the car.’

  ‘Maybe it could be a blessing in disguise. If you get the insurance money for it, we could ... sorry, you could buy something more practical to drive and still have cash left over. Clear your debts and make life easier for you.’

  ‘For us, you really mean. I won’t get anything for ages. I might get the loan of a car until there’s some news but don’t start counting your chickens. It could take weeks.’

  ‘Of course it could. Sorry, I was thinking ahead. We do need to make plans. Everything here comes to an end in two or three weeks.’

  ‘I thought you were planning to rent a bedsit near your college or something.’

  ‘I wasn’t really thinking straight. We can hardly live in a bedsit can we?’

  ‘Oh, so I’m included in your plans, am I?’

  ‘Well yes. Of course you are.’ he looked a little dubious for a moment but smiled his glorious smile which completely melted her heart. ‘Shall we go to bed now?’ He reached for her and touched her cheek. His gentle fingers explored her face and touched her lips sending waves of desire through her. It was all going to be all right. This might even be a good time to confess the truth.

  Chapter Nine

  The feeling of sickness persisted the next morning and Georgie was now convinced that she must be pregnant. She hadn’t slept well and had lain still for much of the night, not wanting to disturb Jay or let him see she was worried. Fortunately, he left the caravan early so she was able to get up slowly and deal with the waves of nausea that were assailing her body. She hated being sick at the best of times and this certainly wasn’t one of the best. She absolutely must get a pregnancy test kit as soon as possible. The opportunity to talk simply hadn’t happened the previous evening. Jay fell asleep almost immediately. Should she say anything about the baby or wait till the confessions were out of the way?

  The police rang to report their progress or lack of it.

  ‘I’m sorry to say Madame, but we have found no trace of your car. We’ve got alerts out nationwide and the local ports are also on the lookout. We’ll keep you posted.’

  ‘Thank you. It’s very upsetting to think this can happen in such a quiet village.’

  ‘Way of life these days, I’m afraid. Did you get any joy from the insurance?’

  ‘Not yet, I’m afraid. Thanks for your efforts.’

  ‘You still look a bit pale,’ Audrey told her when she arrived at the café. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Just worried about my car I suppose. I didn’t sleep well.’

  ‘If you want me to call Wendy in, I can do. You look as if you need a rest.’

  ‘I’m fine. Besides, I need the money if I’m honest. They say two can live as cheaply as one but it doesn’t seem to work out that way.’

  It was late afternoon, as she was finishing work, she saw the large car driving up the hill towards the hotel. She recognised the model and colour. She watched as a man and woman went into reception. Her parents had arrived.

  ‘Oh heavens, no,’ she muttered.

  ‘What is dear?’ Audrey asked. ‘I’m getting quite concerned about you. You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.’

  ‘I have, in a way. Someone I know has just driven up to the Clarence. Look, do you think I could leave in a minute? The rush is over but it means I shall be leaving you with extra clearing up.’

  ‘You get off dear. I’ll finish up now. It’s almost closing time anyway.’

  ‘Thank you
so much. Sorry. I’ll make up the time another day.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. You do your fair share of the work every day. You go. And I hope it’s good news.’

  She dashed off and almost ran up the hill, desperate to get there before her cover was totally blown. She was praying that Jay hadn’t met them and that they had told him who she was. She was panting with the effort and cursing herself that she hadn’t followed her instincts and told him the truth last night. She rushed into reception, unaware that she still wore the silly cap and her Beach Café tee-shirt. Her mother was sitting at one of the tables in the reception area, while her father was making his presence felt at the desk.

  ‘I know my daughter is here, working at your reception desk. I don’t know what she’s told you but I have a friend who visited and saw her.’

  ‘I assure you sir, we have no Georgina Hetherington working here.’

  ‘Don’t try lying to me young woman. If she’s told you not to reveal her name, then just realise who I am. My name carries great weight in the hotel world.’

  ‘Yes sir, I certainly recognise the name. It isn’t a common name so of course I’d have known if your daughter was working here.’

  ‘Don’t you take up references?’

  ‘Of course we do sir. Nobody working here can do so without references.’

  Mrs Hetherington joined her husband.

  ‘Don’t make a fuss dear. It’s obvious this young lady doesn’t know Georgina.’

  The girl looked startled.

  ‘Actually, we do have a Gina working for us part time. She does occasional cover when someone’s off sick.’ She saw Georgie rush in through the doors. ‘Oh, here she is right now.’

  ‘Georgie, Darling,’ her mother said, rushing over to her. She enveloped her in a hug, much to her daughter’s embarrassment.

  ‘Mummy. Daddy. I asked you not to come. How did you know where I was?’

  ‘Someone Daddy knows visited here one evening and recognised you. He mentioned it to Daddy when we arrived yesterday.’

  ‘What the hell are you wearing?’ her father demanded.

  ‘Sorry. I came straight from work, when I saw your car.’

  ‘But I thought you worked here?’ Mrs Hetherington said.

  ‘I do. But only occasionally. Mostly I work at a café in the village.’

  ‘Good grief. My daughter, a waitress.’

  Georgie tried to draw them away from the receptionist who staring wide eyed at the spectacle. It would certainly provide a good story for later.

  ‘Nothing wrong with being a waitress,’ Georgie told them. ‘But please, can we move to somewhere a little more private?’

  ‘Where are you living?’ her father asked.

  ‘Well, I’m ... I’m sharing a caravan. We can sit out on the terrace, if you like.’

  ‘This gets better and better. You’re sharing a caravan. My daughter living in a caravan. Not only does she look like some kind of scarecrow, she’s sharing a caravan.’ The emphasis he placed on the words made it sound like the worst kind of slum imaginable.

  ‘Waitresses are poorly paid and the apartment I was renting became too expensive. If you remember, you cancelled payment of my credit card.’

  ‘Oh Darling, but you said you could manage,’ her mother gasped. ‘I can’t believe you were short of money.’

  ‘You can’t seriously think I’d go on supporting you when you were behaving so badly.’ Her father’s face was a furious red.

  ‘I’ve managed. It just meant compromising.’

  ‘And what’s happened to your car?’

  ‘It was stolen. The police have no trace yet.’

  ‘You are possibly the most irresponsible person I know. How could you be so careless?’

  ‘I can hardly control the entire population of robbers and criminals. It’s everywhere Daddy. There’s a crime wave in case you hadn’t noticed.’

  ‘If it had been left safely locked in the garage at home, it wouldn’t have been stolen.’

  ‘With whom are you sharing?’ her mother asked, trying desperately to move the conversation away from recriminations. Georgie blushed furiously. She opened her mouth to speak and saw Jay going into the dining room. He paused and came towards her. He put a protective hand on her shoulder.

  ‘Is everything all right?’

  ‘Jay, I should introduce you to my mother and father. This is Jay Jacobs. I’m sharing with him. Jay, my parents.’ He stared for a moment. Her mother extended a polite hand.

  ‘Fay Hetherington,’ she said graciously. ‘Do I take it you’re more than ... what’s the correct term? Roommates?’

  ‘Well, yes. Mrs Hetherington. Mr Hetherington.’ He seemed to have taken the name change rather well, Georgie thought nervously clutching at Jay’s hand. ‘And I want you to know that I love and respect your daughter.’

  ‘I’ll bet you do,’ snapped her father. ‘Waiter are you? That’s a waiter’s uniform you’re wearing.’

  ‘Jay’s studying hotel management. He’s been working for the summer before he returns to college.’

  ‘And you saw my daughter as an easy way into a decent job I suppose?’

  ‘Nothing of the sort, sir.’

  ’I’ll bet. Not too many Hetheringtons around, are there? I expect you saw the name and made your move.’

  Jay went white with anger. Georgie clutched his hand tightly, trying to stop him from saying anything they might all regret. Her father had a temper that brooked no argument. If they were ever to make a future of any sort, Jay mustn’t get into one of the terrible sorts of row she had heard his employees subjected to in the past.

  ‘If you must know, Jay had no idea of my real name. He doesn’t know who I am. Strange as it may seem to you, he fell in love with Gina Hind. A simple waitress at the Beach Café.’

  ‘You’ve lost your mind girl. He didn’t bat an eyelid when he heard our name. If you think you got away with some sort of pseudonym, you were living in a dream. Of course he knew who you were, you silly child.’ Georgie grimaced, remembering exactly why she had left home in the first place.

  ‘I have known since yesterday, as it happens.’ Jay spoke calmly and quietly. ‘When Georgie’s car was stolen, I saw her name on her driving licence and insurance documents. I couldn’t resist looking up the name. I’ve only called her Georgie and not Gina since her friend came to visit.’

  ‘You mean to say, Jenny’s been to see you?’

  ‘Well, yes. She came for a weekend.’

  ‘Naughty girl. I’ve been asking her to give me a clue as to your whereabouts.’

  ‘I swore her to secrecy. I didn’t want you charging down and trying to take over my life yet again. Just like you’re doing now.’

  ‘But you’re coming back with us, aren’t you Darling?’ Mrs Hetherington pleaded.

  ‘I don’t think so Mummy. Not yet. Jay and I have a lot of things to settle and talk about.’ She looked up at him, her eyes begging him to say something to agree with her.

  ‘If you really believe he didn’t know who you were right from the start, you must be an idiot. How do you explain the sports car that cost in excess of thirty thousand pounds?’

  ‘I said I’d won in it in a competition.’

  ‘You devious little madam. I’m washing my hands of you. Come along Fay. I no longer have a daughter.’

  ‘Please sir. Hear us out. Let me organise some tea and we can talk.’ Jay let go of Georgie’s hand and seemed to be taking command of the situation. ‘Please. It isn’t what you think at all.’

  ‘I’d love some tea. Thank you Jay. Please Darling, let’s give them a chance to explain.’ Mrs Hetherington caught at her husband’s arm and held him back. The scowl never left his face but he relented and allowed himself to be led towards a table. Georgie gave a weak smile of gratitude to her mother. Mrs Hetherington usually managed to get what she wanted.

  Jay came to join them and one of the waitresses arrived a few minutes later with a tray of tea and cakes. G
eorgie leaned forward to pour and handed a cup to her mother. Jay passed the cakes and smiled.

  ‘Thank you for giving us the chance to talk. I’d like to explain. I certainly had no idea at all that Georgie was anyone other than who she said she was. A waitress, Gina Hind, working here for the summer and with no great ideas of what she wanted to do. Of course I realised she had a good education and was probably wasted doing the job she was. When I saw her name on the driving licence yesterday, I recognised the name of course. Anyone working in hospitality knows the name and reputation of Hetherington Hotels.’

  ‘Why didn’t you say something?’ Georgie asked him.

  ‘I was waiting for you to tell me yourself and anyway, I didn’t want to spoil our evening.’

  She smiled but had a momentary doubt flit through her brain. Last night’s meal had been very special and he’d produced champagne. Why had he chosen that particular time to do it? Precisely when he had discovered her true identity? Odd timing, when he had been complaining about his cash shortage days earlier. She smiled and made no comment.

  ‘So, how long have you been seeing each other?’ Mrs Hetherington asked.

  ‘A few weeks.’

  ‘It took me a while to pluck up courage to ask her out,’ Jay confessed. ‘I didn’t think I stood a chance but I was lucky and well, we fell in love.’

  ‘Yes well, that’s a may be. The situation has changed now. She’ll be coming back with us to take up her rightful place in the business. You’d better pack your things, Georgina. We shall be leaving in the morning. I have a few things to sort out in the hotel this evening. I’ll come and collect you at nine o’clock sharp tomorrow.’

  ‘No Daddy. I’m not going back with you. Jay and I are together. I’ll tell you when and if I’m coming back.’

  ‘You don’t come now, then I shall disown you. Nothing more to do with you. Clear enough? We’ll see if this waiter still wants you.’ Jay was listening, his face white and eyes flashing in anger. He said nothing but the tight line of his lips proved how hard he was fighting his temper.

  ‘I’m sorry Mummy. Daddy. But I can’t just leave in that way. Jay and I ... well, we need to talk. There are things I want to tell him and we need to discuss the future. Besides, I do have a job, I can’t let the owner down, whatever you think about me being irresponsible.’