LITMIR.BIZ

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life easier, especially when the hotel was full. If they wanted anything – room service, fresh towels – they could send a message. Mixing modern technology with a Georgian manor house, they liked that at Meadowbrook, the old with the new.

      She read the message:

      Join me for breakfast?

      Of course it was from Hector. Who else?

      Meet me in the kitchen, she replied.

      No guest ever ate in the kitchen. They had a formal dining room or they could eat in their rooms, but Hector was different. And Vicky would probably be there by now, so she could whip up something for them.

      ‘Hector,’ Pippa said as he walked into the kitchen a few minutes after her.

      ‘Pippa, morning!’ He grinned his boyish grin.

      Whenever he did book signings, it was always full of women who wanted to get close to him. He said he felt a bit like a sex object, as he was sure half of them didn’t even read the books they brandished for him to sign. It made Pippa laugh. After all, he’d become famous for wearing swimming shorts and little else, and chatting up women, so he had little grounds for complaint.

      ‘Hi, Hector,’ Vicky said, turning a nice shade of red.

      All the Meadowbrook staff, both male and female, had crushes on Hector. When he’d stayed here to write his first book, they’d all fallen in love or lust with him.

      ‘Vicky, you look lovely as always. Can I have my usual?’ Hector asked charmingly.

      ‘Yes, full English and cappuccino coming up. Pippa?’

      ‘I’ll just grab some yoghurt and fruit. Tomorrow, we need the dining room set up for six, unless you want to join the accountants for breakfast, Hector?’ Pippa asked.

      ‘No, I really don’t want to do that. Can I have breakfast in here?’ he asked.

      ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea when we have other guests,’ Pippa said.

      ‘Of course,’ Vicky said at the same time. ‘It’ll be fine. I’ll take care of you myself.’

      Pippa rolled her eyes.

      ‘Great. You know, sitting at this wonderful kitchen table eating breakfast in here inspires my writing,’ Hector declared. ‘As does your very wonderful cooking, Vicky.’

      ‘Oh, that’s so lovely to hear,’ Vicky said, flushed with pleasure.

      No wonder everyone fell at his feet. Apart from herself, of course.

      Freddie was doing a stocktake in the bar and Gemma was helping him when Pippa returned from checking the rooms.

      ‘God, the village can drink,’ Freddie observed as he started to type into his iPad what he needed to order after the party had depleted a fair bit of stock.

      ‘They learnt from the best,’ Gemma teased, giving him an affectionate squeeze.

      ‘Gem, do you fancy coming for a walk down to the sanctuary with me? I never see you these days,’ Pippa complained.

      She was so happy her best friend and her brother were together, but she missed the times when she and Gemma were setting up the hotel together, both living at Meadowbrook. They’d have late-night chats and early morning chats … She was lonely, Pippa knew. Not anything bad, but she did miss the companionship of having her friend around. They got on so well and Pippa was still getting used to spending more time on her own. Even when the hotel was full, Pippa would be working and then she’d go to her apartment alone to sleep. There was definitely a feeling of isolation at times, but she knew she was probably being self-indulgent. She wanted the hotel and she’d got it. She should be counting her blessings, not worrying about what she didn’t have.

      ‘I see you nearly every day,’ Gemma pointed out. ‘But sure, I’ll come with you; we might get to see Drake.’

      ‘He’s very sweet,’ Pippa said of the new arrival, the calf that Fleur had named. ‘But of course Madonna won’t let you go near him.’

      ‘Nor will David. They’re a tight little family,’ Freddie said. ‘I thought parenthood might soften them, but it’s actually made them more aggressive. A bit like Harry, actually …’

      Pippa swiped at him.

      ‘I might get to see Toby as well,’ Gemma added, pointedly ignoring Freddie.

      ‘As I said, Harriet’s about as protective of him as Madonna is of Drake. You’re lucky she hasn’t tried to charge you when you get too close,’ Freddie said.

      They both left him to it, shaking their heads. It was almost true. Harriet hadn’t wanted anyone to hold Toby for about a week after he was born. Even the midwife had to prise him out of her arms, but she was getting better. She was no way as bad as Madonna was, thankfully.

      Meadowbrook Sanctuary was an integral part of the estate, although largely they kept it separate from the hotel. While some guests showed interest in the animals, many didn’t, so it was kept at a discreet distance, figuratively speaking. The reality was that you drove past it to get to the hotel, but they’d found a balance, as some of the fields had been concealed with large trees, and it worked. As Gemma pointed out, not everyone who came to a five-star hotel wanted to watch pigs rolling around in mud. Although Connor couldn’t think why not, Pippa and Harriet had agreed.

      The sanctuary had expanded over the past year. With Harriet at its helm, it was growing year on year and the donations were up. Of course, the result of the sanctuary being so well known meant that animals being brought to them were also on the increase, so they’d had no choice but to expand. Connor would never turn an animal away and nor would he put a healthy one down, so they all had to ensure that they could cope with the demand.

      Each of the siblings had their own roles to play. Gus looked after the pigs, Freddie the chickens, while Harriet was more of a general manager and finance person, and Pippa floated between all the animals wherever she was needed. They had more staff than ever now, both paid and volunteers.

      She found Harriet with Toby by the paddock looking at the tiny ponies, Cookie, Clover and Brian, along with their latest editions, Star and Bea, a couple of Shetland ponies who’d been mistreated. Many of the stories behind how some of the animals who came to the sanctuary had been treated had them all in tears. No one was immune and Pippa found it hard to believe they could live in a world where people were so cruel. Gerald, the donkey, approached them; he was never far from the ponies, of whom he seemed to take care. But his leg was still a little wonky from an injury he’d sustained in a fire before the hotel opened. Thinking about that still filled Pippa with dread, of how close they’d come to losing some of the animals … It made her shudder.

      ‘Hey,’ Pippa said, going over to her sister and trying not to grab Toby from her arms.

      ‘Hello,’ Harriet said. ‘Right, which one of you wants first hold?’

      She was definitely getting better at letting people near her child.

      ‘Me!’ they both said.

      ‘Gemma, you have him first; after all, Pip, you’ve had more time with him lately.’

      Gemma clutched him to her and kissed his head.

      ‘You really are the most beautiful baby,’ she cooed.

      Harriet and Pippa exchanged a glance. Was she broody? Pippa wasn’t sure if Freddie was ready for fatherhood. He was barely ready for adulthood, after all.

      They watched as Gemma started walking Toby around the field.

      ‘He’s pretty relaxed about being handed around,’ Pippa said, as Toby seemed happy with Gemma.

      ‘Um …’ Harriet didn’t look pleased. ‘I expected more loyalty.’

      ‘With a mother as neurotic as you, that’s a miracle. He obviously takes after Connor,’ she added with a laugh.

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