The Ticket to Happiness - Faith Bleasdale

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Pippa replied.

      ‘Great. So, I just had an email through the booking system. A woman wants to book in for at least a couple of months.’

      ‘Really? Who is she?’

      ‘I don’t have much info, to be honest. Her name’s Brooke Walker. She’s from California, is thinking of moving here to start a business and wants a quintessential English experience.’

      ‘But two months will cost her a fortune. I know Hector’s on mates rates, but he’s still paying a lot and he can afford it.’

      ‘She must be well off, too. I gave her a quote, with a small discount, and she agreed straight away. She also said she’d pay two months upfront and then see if she wanted to extend. The good news is that we can fit her in, even with the other bookings, and the brilliant thing is that this’ll be a healthy amount of money through the winter. In fact, if she stays two months that’ll take us to spring and if she stays longer …’

      ‘Gosh, with her and Hector we’ll have two long-term residents. What else do you know about this woman?’

      ‘I’m waiting for her to answer the questionnaire. She did say that she had a British heritage she knew very little about, which is one of the reasons she was coming, along with the idea she might settle here and run a business, but I’ve no idea about anything else. Hopefully, we’ll hear more soon; I’m quite intrigued. I have no idea how old she is, even. She’s arriving in a week’s time and I said that we’d organise the airport transfer.’

      ‘Brooke, that’s a very American name,’ Pippa mused.

      ‘Who’s Brooke?’ Gemma asked, rejoining them.

      ‘Some woman from California who wants to stay here for a couple of months,’ Harriet explained.

      ‘God, she’s bound to be blonde and beautiful,’ Gemma lamented. ‘And thin. I’ll bet she’s thin.’

      ‘Gemma, I hate to point it out, but you’re beautiful and slim – not thin but slim,’ Pippa said. ‘And if she is, the only man who might be remotely interested in her is Hector.’

      ‘But he’s only got eyes for you,’ Harriet pointed out. ‘But then Freddie only has eyes for you, Gem, so there’s no problem.’

      Gemma looked unconvinced. That was the only thing with her, Pippa worried. Gemma still wasn’t the most confident of women and her brother probably wasn’t the best at picking up on this. Pippa was going to have to watch that, because if Gemma needed reassurance, she’d have to point that out to Freddie.

      ‘By the way, I’ve got a re-homing-cum-adoption day to organise for the dogs. Gemma, have you got time to help me in the next couple of weeks?’ Harriet asked.

      ‘Sure, I’m on top of my college work.’

      Gemma was studying for a business degree; the hotel had given her a taste for starting up something of her own, but she worked so ridiculously hard she was always ahead. And top of her class. For someone who lacked confidence, she was very good at what she did and Pippa never failed to remind her of this.

      ‘Great, why don’t we meet later and brainstorm? I’ll call you when I know what Toby’s schedule is. Speaking of which, he’s due a feed.’ Harriet took him gently from Gemma.

      Pippa looked out over Meadowbrook. It really was the most magnificent place in the world, she thought. There was nowhere quite like it. And with that, she headed back to the house to greet her latest guests.

       Chapter Six

      ‘Bloody hell! Who knew accountants could drink so much?’ Freddie’s eyes were wide as he sat in the bar with Pippa, Hector and Gemma, the evening after their six latest guests had departed.

      ‘I told you they all said they liked tequila. That should have been a warning sign,’ Pippa laughed.

      ‘Yes, well, that woman, Patricia, she was very frisky. She kept trying to touch my bum,’ Hector complained.

      ‘You know, you should stay here for free. No, you should actually be paid to stay here, the way you were the star attraction,’ Gemma stated.

      It was true. Everyone wanted to talk to Hector. When the accountants discovered he was staying there – thankfully not until their last night – the group had insisted he join them for dinner and then drinks. Hector had obliged with good grace, although he did go to bed earlier than them, citing work. Pippa thought it was to get away from the groping woman, Patricia. She was so mild-mannered when Pippa met her – as well as throughout the painting workshop and the cooking – so when she drank and became a bit of a cougar, they were all taken aback. It had been fun, though. They’d loved their stay and the bar bill had been great for Meadowbrook’s profits. They left with a flurry of compliments and assurances they’d return. She wasn’t going to tell Hector that, though. Not yet. He really might demand to be put on the payroll.

      ‘So, tell us about your new book,’ she said instead, trying to change the subject as they sipped much-needed glasses of wine.

      She had her feet up on the table. It was nice at times being at Meadowbrook without guests and it felt like home again. As much as she loved the hotel, she did miss having the house as a family home at times. But that was only natural. And as she was the only one who actually lived in Meadowbrook, it wouldn’t ever be the same family home again.

      ‘It’s sort of a sequel, although I’ve introduced some new characters. Did I tell you that the first one might be being made into a film?’

      ‘No way, mate, you never said. Congratulations!’ Freddie sounded delighted.

      ‘You know I was in LA before New York, going to all these meetings where everyone says they love you, they love the book? Well, on and on they went and often it comes to nothing. But I just got confirmation that there’s been an offer and they want to get started straight away. So although it might not see the screen, my agent’s confident it will.’

      ‘That’s amazing!’ Pippa leant over and kissed Hector’s cheek. ‘I can’t tell you how proud we are of you,’ she said.

      He blushed. Hector always looked young for his age; he wasn’t quite thirty, but he looked even more like a schoolboy when he blushed.

      ‘So, you have to write book two now. What about the film script?’ Gemma asked.

      ‘They’ll be getting a scriptwriter in. I didn’t think I knew how to write a book and I’ve never written a script, so I don’t want to push it. But I get to consult on it and when I’ve finished this book, I’m probably going to go to LA for a bit.’

      ‘To live?’ Freddie couldn’t keep the horror out of his voice.

      ‘No, but maybe for a while. After all, why not? I’m pretty flexible, I’ve got no ties here.’ He glanced at Pippa, who pretended not to notice. ‘But the problem is that this new book has to be good. It’s great that The Coron Files was such a success and the family intrigue seems to be the main hook – you guys were my inspiration, by the way.’

      ‘Great, because in the book the family are all corrupt money launderers and possibly murderers,’ Pippa pointed out.

      ‘I did use poetic licence. I just said you were inspiration, especially you, Pippa. Where was I? Oh yes, there’s a lot of pressure on book two, which is why I wanted to write it here, with you guys. I kind of feel the first book was largely created at Meadowbrook and so I want the same for this one. I like to think of myself as your writer in residence.’

      ‘I, for one, think this calls for champagne,’ Freddie declared.

      ‘Fred, you know what Harry said about us drinking the profits,’ Pippa cautioned.

      ‘Oh, put it on my bill,’ Hector laughed.

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