It was a very nervous Leah who stood with the other interested parties in the large reception hall, waiting for the auctioneer to begin. If the hotel didn’t reach its reserve price as a whole, it would then be split up into separate lots. Leah wondered nervously just what that reserve price was.
The bidding was slow to start, but once it got under way the speed accelerated alarmingly. It was clear from the beginning that there were two other seriously interested parties. Philip had warned Leah not to jump in too quickly and she let the others bid against each other till one looked likely to drop out, then, with a nod of encouragement from Philip, she made her first bid. There was a flurry of surprise as heads turned to look at her. Her main opponent upped his offer — she bettered it, holding her breath. One more bid and she would be out of her depth. Suddenly it was the most important thing in her life. Her heart pounded. She wanted ‘The Ocean’ more than she had ever wanted anything. The auctioneer glanced across at the other party who hesitated then shook his head and turned away.
A moment later the gavel came down with a loud bang and the sale was over. Slightly dazed, Leah turned to look at Philip.
‘Is it me? Did I get it?’
He laughed. ‘You certainly did, my dear. And at quite a reasonable price for all that’s included.’ He slipped an arm around her shoulders. ‘And all my best wishes go with you. You’ll never know what you've done for Marie today. I’m sure you won’t regret it.’
*
Marie had waited restlessly all afternoon. When Leah and Philip arrived back at the flat she could hardly bring herself to look at them, let alone ask about the outcome of the sale. But the moment she saw the broad smile on Leah’s face she knew that she’d pulled off the deal.
‘There’s so much to do if we’re to open for the summer,’ Leah said excitedly. ‘I must write to Sally at once and offer her the job. I’ll have to apply for a licence and then there’ll be the advertisements to insert in the papers and magazines. We’re going to have to hurry.’ She looked at Marie. ‘And I’m sure you can think of a million other things. I suggest that we move in as quickly as possible.’
Marie looked at Philip and laughed. ‘I’m seriously beginning to wonder if this girl really needs me,' she said.
‘Of course I do,’ Leah told her gravely. ‘Don’t for one minute imagine this is some kind of charitable act, Marie. Without your promise of help I’d never had dared to think of embarking on something so ambitious, and don’t you forget it.’
*
In spite of Leah’s suggestion that they should all move into the hotel, Marie decided that it would be better if she and David remained where they were at the flat. David had settled well there. It was on the ground floor which made it easier for him. He enjoyed the garden too, it gave him something with which to occupy himself when she was at work. But apart from all that, she wasn’t sure that going back to live at ‘The Ocean’ was a good idea for him. The place held too many traumatic memories for them both. She was still young enough to put them behind her and start again, but they had left marks on David that nothing could ever erase.
‘If Sally comes to join us you’ll be needing the room for her,’ she told Leah. ‘It’ll give the two of you a chance to get to know each other.’
*
When Sally had first received Leah’s hurried letter explaining what had happened and offering her the job she’d had mixed feelings. After weeks of searching for a job, both at home and in London, all in vain, she was almost ready to take anything, but she hadn’t visualised going as far away as Dorset. Clearly it would be impossible to get home every weekend to see James. In the summer season, maybe not for weeks on end. She hated the thought of all she would miss: his first words, the first wobbly, faltering steps. But worst of all she hated the thought of his not recognising her when she came home on infrequent visits. Already Mavis filled the role of mother for him far more than she did. If she spent even less time with him he would hardly know her at all.
She re-read the letter wistfully. Even with this snag, it would be mad to pass up such a good chance. With her lack of experience and the shortage of work it wasn’t likely she’d get another opportunity like this. She told Mavis and Ken about Leah’s offer that evening after supper.
‘First of all, would you like to take the job?’ Ken asked practically. ‘Is it what you want? Because you’re going to be spending a lot of time doing it.’
‘Leah says we’ll all have to be prepared to do a bit of everything to begin with,’ Sally said. ‘But I’ll be in charge of all the floral work, of course. Leah even suggests that I might take on some freelance floristry work too, going round to other hotels to do their flowers on a weekly basis. It sounds wonderful.’ She sighed wistfully.
‘Where would you live?’ Mavis asked.
‘There’s a flat on the top floor of the hotel,’ Sally told her. ‘Leah and I would share that, so I’d have no expenses. It’s just that it’s so far away. I’d miss James terribly — and you two, of course.’
Ken looked thoughtful ‘Well, if it’s what you want …’ He cleared his throat. ‘I’ll be retiring in a few months’ time. Mother and I have been talking about what we’ll do. We’d already discussed buying a little place near the sea, somewhere healthy for young James to grow up in. It might as well be Dorset as anywhere else.’
Sally looked from one to the other. ‘You mean — you’d move too? You’d leave this house that you’ve lived in all these years, just for me?’
Ken shook his head. ‘Not just for you — for all of us. Leicester is getting too hectic for us now we’re getting older. Somewhere sunny by the sea with a warm climate sounds just the job, eh, Mother?’
Mavis wasn’t as sure as Ken. She didn’t trust the Evans woman after what she’d read in the papers. She was torn two ways, visualising her dream cottage and long walks along the beach with James, then at the same time imagining the bond that would grow between Sally and her natural mother if they were to work together. But then she reminded herself that she held the trump card; James. As long as she and Ken had him Sally would be theirs too. ‘It sounds very nice,’ she said with a smile.
Chapter 24
To Leah’s relief ‘The Ocean’ needed very little in the way of refurbishment. By the time she had paid all the bills run up in the course of the sale there was perilously little cash left over in her bank account. Everything hung on the coming season. It was a gigantic gamble, but deep in her heart Leah felt sure that her investment would pay off.
She had written to Bill, telling him what she had done and explaining her reason for not taking up his offer of help to buy Bella’s. It had been hard not to sound arrogant and selfish but she had done her best, thanking him for his help and support. She had hesitated as she concluded the letter, wondering whether to ask him to tell Terry where she was, but she decided not to weaken and quickly sealed the letter into its envelope. Better to leave things as they were. She could not stop loving Terry, but neither could she forgive him for what he had done.
Marie threw herself wholeheartedly into her new job as Leah’s mentor. It was wonderful to be working at ‘The Ocean’ again and she was enjoying working with the girls and getting to know them. They were so unalike, both in looks and temperament. It was difficult even for her to believe that they were twins. Leah reminded Marie of herself when she had first become interested in the hotel business, full of drive, inspirational ideas and enthusiasm. Already she was talking about building a larger ballroom that could be let out for functions in the off-season, a swimming pool and larger car park. Marie was delighted and inwardly excited by Leah’s enthusiasm, but she felt obliged to exercise cautious restraint, knowing from bitter experience what could happen when ambition overtook reality.
In Sally she recognised the vulnerability and stoicism that she herself had possessed as a teenager, and the girl resembled her so much in appearance that at times it was almost like looking at herself through the wrong end of a telescope. It wa
s as though her daughters had inherited the two sides of her own personality, neatly divided down the middle.
The three of them worked very hard preparing the hotel for its reopening. There was very little time to spare before the onset of the season and from the beginning it was clear that Leah could not afford to employ a full complement of staff until they were on their feet. They shared the work, allocating the jobs according to each one’s capabilities. Marie was to handle the bookings and secretarial side, Leah the organisation of kitchen and dining room, whilst for the time being Sally was to act as temporary receptionist and general assistant. Apart from a couple of daily cleaning women, they managed the domestic chores between them.
Marie was an invaluable source of information about the hotel business as Leah had known she would be. She reminded herself again and again that she couldn’t possibly have taken on anything of this magnitude without her. They worked harmoniously together and as the weeks went by they grew not only to know but to like and respect one another as well, each of them looking forward to their first summer season with a sense of adventure born of Leah’s infectious zest and ambition. The advertisement they had prepared carefully between them began to bring results and as the first of the summer bookings began to trickle in, a feeling of nervous excitement pervaded the atmosphere.
Occasionally, when she was unable to sleep at night, Leah would panic, frightened by the sheer magnitude of the task she had set herself. She would ask herself how she’d had the effrontery to imagine that she could run a hotel. But the clear light of morning usually brought calm and reassurance. And if she was nervous and lacking in confidence, Marie was always there to quell her doubts. In quieter moments she often amused the girls with anecdotes about her own first foray into the hotel world, and of the time she’d persuaded David, against his better judgement, to buy the almost derelict ‘Marina’. She described the pleasure she’d had in the refurbishment of the rundown place and her youthful audacity in throwing a dinner to celebrate its reopening. It was this story that stirred Leah’s imagination and gave her an idea.
‘Why don’t we give a reopening dinner?’ she suggested one morning as the three of them were taking their coffee break.
Marie looked doubtful. ‘You haven’t engaged a chef yet,’ she said. ‘And when you do it’ll be a week or so before you could spring a dinner like that on him. They’re notoriously temperamental, you know.’
‘Then I’ll cook it myself,’ Leah announced.
‘You? Marie and Sally looked at her. ‘Are you sure you’re up to it?’
Leah laughed. ‘Thanks for the vote of confidence. We won’t invite too many people. No more than thirty, say, mainly the press. We’ll have some advertising people and a few civic dignitaries. I want them to see that women are perfectly capable of making a go of things on their own, and that you’re not beaten, Marie. Well?’ she looked at them with bright, enquiring eyes. ‘Are you game?’
Marie and Sally looked at each other, then back at Leah. ‘All right,’ Marie said at last with a smile, ‘I can hardly veto the very thing I once did myself, can I?’ She smiled. ‘So I suppose we’d better start making plans, hadn’t we?’
*
‘God — this place stinks.’
Janet stood in the middle of the kitchen in her elegant suit and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Piles of dirty dishes covered the draining board and filled the sink. The table was covered with a stained table cloth, and ashes from the Aga had been spilled on the hearthrug. Bill sat in his dressing gown in the rocking chair, eating canned tomato soup from a cracked basin. He looked up disinterestedly at his ex-wife.
‘What brings you out of the woodwork?’
‘I rang you at the office. They said you were off sick.’
‘So you thought you’d come round and gloat.’ Bill returned his attention to the soup; lifted the spoon to his lips, then grimaced and dropped it back into the bowl.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Janet asked abruptly, taking in the pallor under a week’s growth of beard. ‘You look like shit.’
‘Thanks. I’ve had a touch of ’flu, that’s all.’ He glowered at her with bloodshot eyes. ‘Seen what you came for then?’
Ignoring his deliberate boorishness she began to fuss round the room. ‘If it’s like this down here, God only knows what your bedroom is like.’
‘Since when have you been interested in my bedroom?’
She stopped and looked at him. ‘Have you seen a doctor?’
‘No. How many more times do you need telling? It’s a bit of’flu. I’m over the worst. Bugger off and leave me alone, can’t you?’
Janet sighed. ‘I suppose I’d better go up and see what I can do.’ In the doorway she paused to look back at him. ‘Men,’ she said scathingly. ‘You’re pathetic, the lot of you.’
An hour later she had changed his bed, dusted and swept the room. Downstairs, she washed up and made the place more comfortable generally. The whole time she worked, Bill grumbled.
‘I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. Why do women always think they know best?’
‘Because we do,’ Janet said, scrubbing at the layer of grease on the sink. ‘When I’ve shifted this gunge I’ll get you something to eat. I suppose there’s no point in asking if there’s any food in the house?’ Bill shrugged. ‘That’s what I thought. Why don’t you go up and have a sleep while I do some shopping?’
‘For Christ’s sake, stop bossing me about,’ he snapped, ‘I don’t want you doing my shopping for me, and I don’t want to sleep either. Over the past week I’ve slept my brain to a jelly.’
Finding some eggs in the fridge and a loaf of sliced bread sitting in solitary state at the bottom of the freezer, Janet rustled up a poached egg on toast which Bill ate with an air of disgruntled indifference. ‘Why are you really here?’ he asked suspiciously over his second cup of tea. ‘I didn’t even know you’d left Pennine TV until someone mentioned it in passing. Can you imagine what a prat I felt, having a comparative stranger tell me my own ex-wife was back in London?’ He peered at her. ‘Why didn’t you tell me at Christmas? You must have known then.’
Janet avoided his eyes. ‘I meant to. I really did. I came here to tell you I’d split with Mike. Then I realised that your interests were elsewhere.’
He frowned. ‘Would you mind telling me what you’re talking about?’
‘Don’t pretend you don’t know. That girl. The dark one with the eyes.’
‘Leah?’
‘Yes, Leah. And don’t come the innocent.’ She shot him a challenging look. ‘Don’t bother telling me you haven’t slept with her because it won’t wash. I know you too well.’
Bill lifted his shoulders helplessly. ‘I’ve no intention of arguing with you. I haven’t the strength. It wasn’t the way you make it sound. Anyway, you’re the one who’s always pointing out that we’re not married any more, so why should you care?’
She chose not to rise to that particular bait. ‘Anyway, I take it from the mess that she’s gone,’ she said. ‘And your other paying guest too?’
‘Yes to the first — partly yes to the second. Terry’s due back soon. He’s been sent to Yugoslavia on a special assignment.’
‘Yugoslavia, Eh?’ Janet raised an enquiring eyebrow at him. ‘Why is it they never send you on any of the exciting jobs any more, Bill?’ She smiled smugly. ‘And what happened to Luscious Leah? Get fed up with your slobby habits? Or did she find someone younger and better-looking?’
‘Neither. As a matter of fact, she came into some money,’ Bill said. ‘I had a letter from her not long ago. She’s gone down to Dorset — bought a hotel and gone into business with her mother and sister.’
Janet was immediately alert. ‘The sister who had the baby?’
‘She’s only got the one, as far as I know.’
‘And the woman whose husband topped himself when they went bankrupt?’
He stared in horror as she pulled a notebook out of her handbag and bega
n to scribble furiously. ‘Hey, all that was in confidence. You’re not going to start bothering her, are you? She’s had enough hassle.’
‘Not bother her, no. I should think some high-profile publicity is just what she can do with right now. Besides, it’ll make a super follow-up for the article I did about the three of them in the Recorder.’
Bill stared at her as the realisation of what she had just said sunk in. ‘Wait a minute. Are you telling me you wrote that?’
She looked up at him in surprise. ‘Yes — well, it was too good a story to pass up. Cropped up just when I needed something really dramatic to get me back into free-lancing.’ She met his blistering stare unflinchingly. ‘Don’t tell me the tough old Bill Fenton we know and love is going soft in his old age?’ She laughed. ‘Has the old Tiger of Fleet Street lost his teeth then? Oh, come off it, Bill. We’re both journalists, for Christ’s sake. There’s no sentimentalism in newspaper work. Not if you want to get to the top, that is. You of all people should know that.’
‘Did it bother you at all that your article was probably responsible for the Evans guy topping himself, as you so delicately put it?’
Janet shook her head. ‘I was right, you have gone soft. You know, I worry about you, Bill. You’ve never been the same since you reported on that MP’s blackmail case a couple of years back, have you? You really blamed yourself for his suicide, didn’t you? It’s our job to …’
‘Get out,’ Bill growled. ‘Get out before I throw you out. And I’m warning you, if you hassle Leah again I’ll … ’
‘Oh, all right.’ Janet stuffed the notebook back into her bag. ‘That’s all the thanks I get for coming round here and mucking out for you. If you really want to know I was going to offer to move back in. God knows why. You certainly don’t deserve it. I must need my head examining to worry about someone as boorish and cantankerous as you.’ She thrust her face close to his. ‘Your trouble is that you’re getting old, Bill.’ She smiled mockingly. ‘Old and washed-up.’
The Long Way Home: A moving saga of lost family Page 46
