Character Building
Page 4
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She still hadn’t quite calmed down when Aled came back with her large blue suitcase, and she’d even had to sit down in one of the chairs by the fire for fear that her legs would buckle from underneath her.
Aled was frowning in concern as he took in Robyn’s state. “Are you OK, Miss? You’re looking a little pale.”
Robyn forced herself to take a deep breath. “I’m fine, thank you. Can you show me to my room now?”
Aled nodded and led the way up the spiral staircase, going up three flights of stairs until he got to the very top. There had been several doors on each floor, but there was only one up here. He unlocked the door with his own key, held it open for Robyn, and then followed her in, plonking the suitcase at the foot of the bed.
“As you can see, we have the tea and coffee facilities over here, the TV here, and the en suite over there. Your towels are laid out, and we have complimentary toiletries if you need them. We have our big folder here with everything you need to know for your stay: a list of TV channels, how to use your phone for an outside line, times for breakfast and check out, a list of our services, and a list of local shops, eateries and attractions.
“If you’re out of the B&B past eleven p.m. you’ll need to input the code in order to get through the front door. The code is printed at the front of this folder; I suggest you program it into your phone or write it down on a piece of paper to put in your bag. If you’re really stuck, you can phone us on the number provided, but only in an emergency, please. If you can memorise the code, the better it will be for everyone.” He stopped his monologue and smiled at her. “Do you have any questions? Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Robyn hesitated, but only for a second. Did she have any questions? She had a million. “So, this is a family-owned B&B?” she asked, thinking she should keep it simple.
Aled smiled widely. “That’s right. I’m in charge of all the financial stuff, the managing of the place, doing bookings and updating the website. My wife cleans and makes the breakfast. And when we want a night off or a holiday, my son or my daughter take over. They still live in Crickley Bay with their respective partners, so it’s useful if Katherine and I want to get away.”
Robyn was nodding madly, hoping she didn’t look too insane. “And what are your children’s names?”
“Ryan and Sue. Ryan Church. Sue’s a Jones, since she got married.”
She smiled back widely, not knowing what else to do. “How lovely.”
Aled nodded and walked over to the door. “Well, I was just in the middle of updating the website, so if you’ll excuse me…”
“Of course.”
“If you have any other questions, please just ask.”
Robyn smiled as he closed the door, and then immediately grabbed the folder off the bedside table, flicking through it madly. After looking at each page carefully, she flipped to the local amenities section, letting her eyes rest on the list of nearby pubs, the names of which were ordered by their distance from the B&B. ‘The Green Man’ was listed about halfway down, and after cross-checking it with the list Maggie had printed out for her (on which it had four stars and was referred to as a ‘traditional pub with good food and reasonably-priced drinks’), she decided it was the place for her.
As long as it served alcohol – and lots of it – she didn’t really care about anything else.