Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay: a heartwarming romantic comedy perfect for curling up with this Christmas for fans of Jill Mansell (Swallowtail Bay, Book 3)

by Katie Ginger

  ‘Surely it’s a kids’ movie?’ asked Kieran.

  ‘Not to Nell,’ Cat added, but her voice was fond rather than teasing.

  ‘I love the romance in it though. And when the helicopter lands at the end, and all those children are amazing after no one believed in them and then the lovebirds get together.’ Nell pressed a hand to her heart dramatically, but Tom knew that she really did love that film. They watched it every year without fail and it always made her cry. ‘I love it.’

  Tom tried to brighten and share in Nell’s excitement. As he did, he found a little of his worry fall away. Her face glowed when she was happy like this. Her fringe and long blonde hair framed her face so beautifully, emphasising perfectly sized features. She’d rimmed her eyes with kohl liner tonight and he loved how it made them stand out. She fluffed her hair, pulling it forward. She thought her ears were too big, but Tom never had. ‘The idea of the kids’ concert is amazing.’

  As little blurry dots danced in front his vision once more, Tom looked out into the dining room, hoping glancing away from the bright lights of the Christmas tree would help them clear. Through the large windows that ran the length of the external wall he could see out into the large gardens surrounding the house. The last few leaves rustled on the mature trees as the wind grew stronger. Most had fallen onto the grass. All the rain had made it a bright vibrant green and he could just make out the gorgeous shades of chocolate-brown, golden-yellow and crimson from the light spilling out through the dining-room windows. Soon, he and Kieran would be stringing up the fairy lights Nell always brought out and hung around the edge of the garden. She loved to look out and see them twinkling like stars. See, his eyes weren’t that bad. If he could make out the different colours of the leaves, there couldn’t be anything wrong. Perhaps earlier had just been a one-off freak accident. These things happened. Deep down Tom knew he was kidding himself. His head was beginning to pound again and as much as he loved being with everyone, all he wanted was to go and lie in a dark room. He clung to the fragile thread that maybe he’d had a migraine coming on and that had affected his vision. It certainly felt like a migraine now.

  Nell shifted her chair closer to Tom’s and her leg rested against his. She gently touched his arm. ‘What’s wrong, Tom? Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem yourself this evening. Is everything all right with Nigel? And you’re quite pale. Have you got a temperature?’ She placed her hand on his forehead and he enjoyed the coolness of her fingers and the affection with which she’d put them there.

  The sudden urge to grab Nell’s hand and wrap his fingers in hers pulsed through every fibre of his body. He fought hard, moving his hands and clasping them together in his lap. He wanted to tell her everything that had happened today and how worried he’d been about the kids in that car. How worried he was about his eyesight and the symptoms that were mounting up. He wanted to tell Nell how worried he was about Grandad Nigel and what would happen if he wasn’t there to visit. But if he said the words out loud, he’d have to admit to himself and to the world the possibility that the dreadful thoughts had substance, and no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn’t ready to do that yet.

  ‘Nothing,’ he replied tightening his hands. ‘I’ve just got a headache. It’s been a busy day.’

  She eyed him suspiciously but decided not to press. ‘Okay. Did I tell you that I’ve emailed HotelRater and asked them to remove that video as well?’

  ‘Have you?’ said Cat, sipping her gin. Tom suddenly realised just how tired she looked. Her job was hard both emotionally and physically, but he’d never seen it have this effect on her. Tom had hoped that tonight all Kieran’s worries would be put to bed, but now, his own were mounting. Cat really didn’t seem herself. She was quieter and more subdued. She also wasn’t teasing him the say way she normally did. Kieran kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him in adoration. Maybe she really was just tired; she certainly seemed to still love him as much as ever. ‘I’d leave it up there if I were you, Nell,’ Cat continued. ‘The Langdon Mansion come out of it looking worse.’

  ‘I can’t do that. I think it makes me look as bad as them. I’m sure it would be best for everyone if it just came down.’

  ‘Okay,’ Cat replied distractedly. ‘It’s your choice.’

  Tom tried to lighten the mood. ‘I think the school thing is a great idea. How did you get involved in that?’

  From the look on her face, she’d already told him once, but Nell went through it again and this time he pushed his problems to the back of his mind and paid attention.

  ***

  Bryan closed the office door behind him, happy to take a break from the madness of Saturday night at the Langdon Mansion Hotel. It was still busy even though they weren’t fully booked. They should have been, but since that damn video had been uploaded onto HotelRater, the most visited hotel rating website, they had lost several dinner reservations, and even a few more in the hotel. Bryan was positive Nell Jones had uploaded that video. She must have known the woman who took the recording and got a copy or asked her to do it. Bryan was new to the area, having moved down for the job of deputy manager, but he’d heard that everyone knew everybody else in this place so it wasn’t out of the realms of possibility that Nell had got the recording and was using it to save her business, because from his perspective, they came out looking far worse than she did. Either way, they were losing bookings and Kevin was fuming.

  Already in the office, peering at the screen of his laptop with a scowl fixed on his face, Kevin opened his mouth to place a manicured fingernail in for a chew. Bryan had never seen Kevin chew a fingernail and the effect was disconcerting.

  ‘Bry, I’m not happy at all about this situation.’ He shoved his chair back and began pacing around.

  The bright lights from all the hotel windows meant Bryan could see the gardens outside almost as well as in daylight. A great big bush of rhododendrons blew in the wind and though the branches of the tress were mostly bare, the last few leaves that held on tightly were forced off and carried away into the shadows.

  ‘We’ve got to do something about this bloody video. The only good thing right now is that we’ve secured that massive holiday firm’s Enchanted Ball. Find the Sun are huge. They’re taking over the holiday business and if we hold this ball for them and do a good job, it could undo all the damage this bloody woman’s done and make us one of their top recommended. To fit them in we’re going to have to dump the mayor’s party and that’s not going to go down well locally.’

  ‘When are you going to tell them?’

  ‘Monday. I can’t be bothered before then.’ Kevin rubbed a hand over his perfect eyebrows.

  Bryan nodded. ‘What are we going to do about Nell Jones? I’ve heard on the grapevine that she’s now hosting St Herbert’s Primary School nativity play or carol concert, or whatever it is. She’s making herself the darling of the town. And that’s in addition to this wedding fair that seems to be creating a buzz. I’ve had loads of people asking us when we’re going to do one.’

  Kevin’s head shot round. ‘How did you hear that?’

  ‘My cousin goes to the knit and natter group she holds at the hotel and Nell was apparently quite open, asking them all if they thought St Herbert’s would like to hold it at Holly Lodge as she’s right nearby. Apparently, the hall roof has a leak.’

  ‘I don’t like this, Bry, I don’t like this at all. The Summertons went from us to her, we’ve lost loads of dinner bookings because of her.’ He shook his head. ‘We need to discredit her as much as possible. I think we continue with the bad reviews on HotelRater, but I want to get inside that hotel of hers and see exactly how much of our business she’s stealing.’

  ‘How do we do that?’ Bryan was a reasonably clever man, but he couldn’t see how they could get inside the inner workings of her hotel. She wasn’t taking on any staff, she didn’t have that many on the books and the ones she had probably wouldn’t be open to bribery. He’d heard that most of them
had been with her since her parents ran the place and there was no substitute for family loyalty. Oh yes, he’d done his homework already and he told Kevin as much. His boss lifted his eyebrows, impressed.

  ‘Well done, Bry. Good work.’

  He really did wish Kevin would stop calling him Bry. He hated it. But he didn’t want to get on his bad side. If Kevin was right about Find the Sun, he could find himself in a really good position when all this was done. ‘So, what were you thinking?’

  ‘What about sending someone along to this carol service? Surely, she won’t know who’s a parent at the school and who’s not. If we can get someone in there they might be able to sneak a look at her reservations and report on how this event goes down with the local community, find out what they’re saying about us and if they’re talking about the video.’

  ‘Good idea, but I’m afraid it can’t be me because I kicked her out of the restaurant. She’s seen my face.’

  ‘It can’t be me,’ said Kevin. ‘I’m too busy.’

  ‘Then who?’

  Kevin went to chew a fingernail but after examining it decided not to ruin the paintwork. ‘Who served Nell that night?’

  ‘Tallulah Jacobs. Why?’

  ‘Damn it. She’s just come in asking me if she can train for reception too and get some extra shifts. Apparently, her dad has just lost his job and her mum’s stressed out about Christmas. She’s got quite a few brothers and sisters. Maybe they go to St Herbert’s Primary so it wouldn’t be amiss for her to be there.’

  A sudden flush of excitement filled Bryan. ‘Shall I call her in? I mean, no one remembers their server, do they? I doubt they’d be able to recognise her.’

  Kevin’s smile was enormous, bright and white. He had teeth that seemed to be two sizes too big for his mouth and where he had them artificially whitened at an extortionate amount it made them stand out even more. ‘Yes, get her in here. We’ll pay her some overtime for it. There’s no way she’ll be able to say no.’

  Bryan found Tallulah in the restaurant laying up a recently vacated table. He was getting heartily sick and tired of this classical Christmas music. It was so bloody boring. The playlist was sent down by head office and they were expected to play it throughout the public areas from seven in the morning until dinner finished and the last customer had left the restaurant. It was classy and elegant, Kevin had said, and Bryan didn’t want to seem too lowbrow by disagreeing, so he put up with it. It didn’t stop it appearing in his dreams though, or in the middle of the night when he got up for a wee. Tallulah almost dropped a fork as he neared and stood up, smoothing down her black skirt. ‘Come with me, Tallulah, please.’

  Before he led the way, Bryan saw the flash of panic in her eyes. His conscience pricked him then disappeared as he flattened his tie. Business was business. Tallulah didn’t speak as she followed him down to the office. He opened the door, walking in before her, then waited. A polite smile was fixed on her face, but a redness had already crept up from her neck.

  ‘Tallulah, come in please.’ Kevin was all politeness and his big wide grin seemed as natural as it was ever going to. Any smile with teeth that could be seen from space would look slightly menacing. He was sitting on the front edge of his desk, in front of the chair he motioned for her to sit in. One leg was hitched up, the other resting on the floor for support. It made him look creepy, but Bryan wasn’t going to say anything. Kevin had no sense of humour for jokes like that. Tallulah glanced at Bryan, her immediate boss, before gingerly lowering herself into the chair. Another flash of conscience told him he should let her know things were all right, that she wasn’t in trouble, but he couldn’t. Knowing Kevin, and even himself if push came to shove, there was every chance that if this backfired, she’d be under the bus before she had any idea one was coming. ‘Thanks for stopping by, Tallulah.’

  She hadn’t had much choice, thought Bryan.

  ‘We talked earlier about you needing extra hours and I said I’d consider it. Well, I’m happy to say that we have an opportunity for you.’ Tallulah’s eyes brightened and her shoulders relaxed a little. Bryan felt queasy as Kevin went on. ‘It’s not on reception but it’s something very important to the business. We need someone to do some research on one of our competitors in the town.’ Fear and confusion passed over her face, and Kevin raised his hand in a conciliatory fashion. ‘Don’t look so scared. It’s nothing illegal or wrong. We just want to get an idea of what they’re doing. You wouldn’t want us to lose business and have to lay off staff, would you?’

  ‘N-No,’ Tallulah said, but she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ‘But I’m not sure I should—’

  ‘Tallulah, Tallulah, Tallulah. You’re a bright girl with lots of potential. You could really go far with this company if you work hard, and you’re uniquely placed to do this job for me. I’ll be paying you double time as you’ll be working in the evenings. Let me explain some more before you give me an answer. You know that woman who put the spider in her soup? The woman Bryan had to ask to leave?’ They’d put it about amongst the staff that that was what had happened, rather than François the chef being a lazy turd. Tallulah nodded. ‘She got someone to take a video of the whole thing and she’s uploaded it to HotelRater to make us look bad.’

  ‘But didn’t the spider fall into the soup in the kitchen? That’s what Bryan said to Franç—’

  ‘No.’ Bryan stepped closer into the room. He should have controlled his temper that night. ‘Tallulah, I conducted a full investigation and we established it didn’t get into the soup here in the hotel. She must have put it there.’ Tallulah’s eyes dropped, suitably chastised, and Kevin continued.

  ‘All we want you to do is attend this school carol service she’s hosting and if possible, have a look at her reservations. See how busy she is. If you can’t, fine. No problem. Just let us know what people are saying. Are they talking about her, or talking about us? Haven’t you got little brothers and sisters at St Herbert’s Primary?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ As soon as she confirmed it, Bryan nearly punched the air and Kevin leaned back, resting his hands on his hips. ‘I’ve got a younger brother in Year 4 and a sister in Year 1 but—’

  ‘So, you’d be going anyway.’ Kevin gave a chuckle that sent an odd sensation up Bryan’s spine. ‘Double time for going to an event you were already going to? That’s not bad, is it?’

  ‘No, sir,’ Tallulah replied in a small voice.

  ‘And after that, we’ll see what extra hours we have on reception, shall we?’ Tallulah nodded and looked at them both uneasily. ‘Great.’ Kevin’s teeth gleamed. ‘So, we’ll catch up after the carol service. Until then, Bryan can give you as many shifts as he has in the restaurant. Right, Bry?’

  ‘Sure thing.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Tallulah said, but having worked with her for a good few months now, Bryan could tell she wasn’t completely on board with their plan. When Kevin leaped off the edge of the desk, she stood to leave, and Bryan opened the door for her.

  After she’d gone, Kevin congratulated them both on a job well done, but Bryan wasn’t feeling as easy about the situation as he thought he would. He sat at his desk and began working on the rota for next week, putting Tallulah’s name down as much as possible, but he didn’t like the uncomfortable tightness in his stomach. Perhaps he’d pulled a stomach muscle at the gym this morning. It couldn’t possibly be a scruple. His father had warned him about those.

  Chapter 10

  Nell responded to the latest email cancellation with a sigh and all her recent positivity went with it. What a crappy way to start a Monday morning. Normally, Nell didn’t mind Mondays. She didn’t mind any day she woke up in her little flat, ready to start the day in her hotel. She had a lot of sympathy for people who woke up feeling terrible because they were off, probably in the rain, to a job they hated. Nell had been there herself so every day she got to be her own boss in her own gorgeous hotel, was a gift. A gift that was rapidly being taken away from her.

  Another bad re
view had popped up on HotelRater and as a result, a last-minute booking had cancelled. Yet again though, Nell couldn’t place the guests or recall any of the conversations mentioned. She was sure they’d never stayed with her and wondered if they’d tagged the wrong hotel. There must be Holly Lodges up and the down the country, it wasn’t an unusual name. Feeling a bit of her enthusiasm come back, she carried on.

  A sip of tea helped to restore her a little more, but it was all very confusing. She’d never had two bad reviews in a whole year before and now there were two in the space of a week. She’d have to email HotelRater again but was pretty sure there wasn’t much they could do. That was the point of sites like that. They were open for people to post honest reviews and the admins had already refused to remove the video of the spider-soup incident. She’d have to think of something else, maybe another local event she could host to make up for the lost income. And there was the restaurant idea she’d been costing out. She closed the spreadsheet and shut the lid of her laptop.

  From her spot in the dining room, she looked out of the large conservatory windows at the back of the house. It was far too cold to work from her little reception desk in the hall and as Harry had been the only guest in there for the last half an hour, she’d moved there clad in her favourite massive oversized jumper and second favourite pair of jeans. The jumper was pink and fluffy and had little sequin stars on it. It was her favourite tasteful Christmas jumper. She’d held back slightly feeling that if she put on one of her crazy full-on musical Christmas jumpers in mid-November, everyone – and by everyone she meant Harry – might think she’d gone mad but nothing would stop her edging stealthily into Christmas. The lounge had already been decorated and she’d replaced the centrepieces on the dining-room tables with mason jars full of tiny silver baubles with a long, tapered silver candle. What she needed was some more of Tom’s displays to go along the windowsills. They would really make everything feel festive.