“No qualms at all, Doctor Silverton.” Izzy smiled. “I thought you’d never ask…”
Chapter Thirty
The week that followed was like a holiday for Anna. The sadness she had hidden for many years began to disappear.
Teddy and Izzy stayed a few days, so the three went out and explored Yorkshire. Sometimes Anna worried that she was something of a gooseberry, when the young couple wanted to be alone, but they would not hear of going anywhere without her. She learned all about Teddy’s studies in Wales, and about the hospital in London where Izzy worked.
“I feel as if I have a brother and sister now,” she told them as they walked through the Yorkshire Moors.
“You can be maid of honour at the wedding,” Izzy told her.
“Wonderful!”
“And godmother to our children,” said Teddy. This made Izzy blush a little.
“You have to finish your studies first,” Izzy said. “Before we get married, I mean.”
“Yes, I suppose I must,” said Teddy. “It will be something to look forward to.”
“That’s if you still want to marry me then.”
“I will, don’t worry.” Teddy took Izzy’s hand, and it was one of those moments when Anna felt she should not really be there.
“Shall I go on ahead?” she said. “Order some teas at the café?”
Before they could answer, she did just that, smiling to herself. She was glad they were happy. For her there was still the shadow of Janek, but that was beyond her control. She could not make him love her so it was best to forget him.
She could only hope that one day she would find the kind of love that Teddy and Izzy shared. She had no doubt that they would marry. Teddy had told her that Izzy was his constant friend when he was alone and unhappy and it was clear that the pretty nurse adored him. She could not wish for more for her brother after the sacrifice he had been willing to make for her.
In the weeks that followed, Anna found herself smiling more and more. Being with Polly and Horace was very much like being with the Voronins, in that they nurtured her and encouraged her. They even found a job for her in the guesthouse, though she often found herself with very little to do.
“I’m worried,” she told Polly one evening over a cup of tea.
“Why? I thought everything was sorted out with Teddy.”
“It is,” Anna smiled. “I’m worried that you’ve created a job for me that doesn’t exist and which you may not be able to afford to pay me for. I looked over the accounts for you today, as you asked me to, and whilst you’re doing well, you can’t afford to spend on anything you don’t really need. I could go and find work elsewhere.”
“Where would you go?” asked Polly, frowning.
“Oh I don’t know. Britain is a big place. And I’m sure you’d give me a good reference.”
“Actually,” said Polly, with a gleam in her eye, “I’d give you a dreadful reference, because I don’t want you to go.” She reached over and took Anna’s hand. “We lost you once, dear. I’m not going to lose you again.”
“You won’t lose me this time,” said Anna. “I’ll come and see you. Often.”
“And what if you end up working for someone like my sister? No, I won’t have you out there in the world alone. Besides, you mentioning the accounts has brought something to mind. You’re good at that sort of thing, and we can’t really afford to pay an accountant. So why don’t you be our bookkeeper and secretary? Or an assistant manager. That’s it. We want to build up the reputation of the hotel and it looks good to have an assistant manager.”
“You’re doing it again,” Anna said, laughing. “Creating a job where there isn’t one.”
“Give us six months,” Polly said more seriously. “Live here and work as the assistant manager, then if after six months you still want to go off exploring Britain, so be it. Just don’t go away from me yet. You know, don’t you, that my first husband died before the war?” Anna nodded. “Well we never had children as you also know. And of course me and Horace are too old for all that. You’re like our daughter, Anna. That’s why we named the hotel after you. And young Master Teddy is like a son to us. We love having you both around. In fact, he said he’s thinking of coming to Yorkshire to work when he’s a proper doctor, so he’ll be nearby too.”
“Alright,” said Anna. “I’ll give you six months. I’m not really in a hurry to go looking for other work and I love it here. I just don’t want to take advantage of your good nature.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I thought you were like that. And anyway, with that nice voice of yours, it will be much better for you to deal with our suppliers. I sound like what I am. A servant. You sound like a lady.”
“You’re not a servant anymore,” Anna said, squeezing Polly’s hand. “You’re a hotel owner!”
“Well, be that as it may, but I still feel a bit awkward when dealing with folks. So you can do it for me.”
“I’m very lucky really,” said Anna. “Apart from my stepmother and a few weeks with Mrs. Green. First bringing Janek to me on the train, then you at Silverton, then the Voronins and then…” She lowered her head, barely able to mention Carmichaels. “Yes, I’ve been lucky. I think my mother has been watching over me all that time.”
“I do too,” said Polly. “And I bless the day that young man brought you to me so I could take care of you in her place.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Anna ended up creating her own work. Because she had experience of helping to run a larger hotel, she was able to put some of the ideas to use at the guesthouse, but without spoiling its seaside atmosphere. Within a couple of months, Polly and Horace were relying on her for more and more. She did not mind. She liked to be busy and it was nicer to work for people who were grateful for her hard work, unlike Mrs. Green.
“I think you two should sit back and relax a bit more,” she told Polly and Horace at breakfast one morning. “Let me and Richard take care of things.”
“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” said Polly.
“Go out walking along the front. Or up to the moors,” said Anna. “I bet you’ve worked so hard you’ve barely seen any of them since you got here.”
“That’s true,” Horace said. “Come on, Polly, let’s go out for the day. Anna and Richard and the other staff can manage.”
“Do you know,” said Polly with a big smile. “You’re right. We will. I don’t think I’d have wanted to leave the place before, but you and Richard work well enough together. Maybe we’ll see wedding bells soon.”
Anna smiled tightly. She liked Richard. He had become a good friend since she moved into the guesthouse, but she was not in love with him and she did not think he loved her either.
After packing up a picnic, Polly and Horace got into his little car and drove out to the countryside. It gave Anna the chance to have a good look at the books. Although both worked hard to make sure everything was above board, Anna knew that sometimes, because they were so busy, things got missed. She suspected that they were paying far more tax than they needed to. She settled down in the office with a bunch of receipts and the ledger book.
Just before lunch, Richard knocked on the door. “Anna, there’s an agent here to see you.”
“An agent?”
“Yes, said he’s representing some investor.”
“Okay, send him in.” Anna sighed. She hoped it was not another salesman. There were too many of them since the war, and whilst she understood that they needed to make a living, it took up too much time to deal with them.
“Miss Silverton?” said the man when he entered the room.
“Yes, that’s right. How can I help you? Oh, do sit down.”
“Thank you.” He sat down in the chair opposite Anna. “My name is Mr. Allan. I’m an agent for a large company who specialises in hospitality, and we’re looking to buy up quite a few businesses on this road.”
“Anna’s Return is not for sale,” she said, firmly but kindly.
“We’re willing
to pay a good tidy sum for it.”
“What exactly do you intend to do with all the businesses you buy?” asked Anna. She hoped that the investors were not the kind who tried to push small businesses out. She had heard some nasty tales of such behaviour from Janek.
“This whole street will be turned into one big hotel.”
“I see. Does Filey need one big hotel? The holiday camp nearby already takes ten thousand people. I wonder how many more thousand could actually fit here.”
“Ah, but this hotel is special. I’m not at liberty to say who is interested in buying at this moment, but…”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Allan. As I said, Anna’s Return is not for sale.”
“Do you have the right to make this decision?” Mr. Allan asked shrewdly.
Anna faltered a bit. She did not really have the right to refuse, and if the investors were willing to pay a lot for the guesthouse, she supposed Polly and Horace could retire with a lot of money. But they were not there to make the decision.
“If you would like to call again when Mr. and Mrs. Stephens are at home, then do so. But they have entrusted me with the business side of things and as far as I know, they have no plans to sell. I’m sure they would have mentioned it if they had.”
“When will they return?”
“I’ve no idea. They’ve gone out for the day.”
“Very well. I’ll come again tomorrow. Can we say eleven o’clock?”
Anna checked the diary. “Yes, eleven o’clock.”
She showed Mr. Allan to the door and watched him as he walked down the path. Her heart sank. She would hate to see this pretty street turned into one big hotel. So much about Britain was becoming about tourism and whilst she understood it was necessary, she hated the idea of someone turning Filey town centre into a noisy entertainment centre full of arcades and dance halls.
Janek took the call from Mr. Allan just after lunch. “I’m afraid it’s a no,” said Mr. Allan. “The owners were out, but their assistant manager was most insistent they would not sell.”
“Then you need to speak to the owners,” said Janek.
“That’s what I intend to do,” said Mr. Allan. “I’m going to see them tomorrow at eleven. But if the girl gets to them before I do, I don’t reckon much to their chances.”
“The girl?”
“Yes, the assistant manager. Miss Silverton. She’s a remarkable young woman, and quite certain they won’t want to sell. She doesn’t want Filey turning into Blackpool, I don’t think.”
“What name was that?” said Janek, sitting up straight in his chair.
“Blackpool.”
“No, the young woman.”
“Miss Silverton.”
“What does she look like?”
“Pretty little thing. Beautiful even. Dark hair, blue eyes. Quite a looker. Do you want me to increase the offer tomorrow?”
“No,” said Janek. “I don’t want you to do anything. I’m coming to Filey myself.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Did I say the right thing?” Anna asked, for about the tenth time since the day before. She was waiting with Polly and Horace to see Mr. Allan. Despite his concerns, she had not told Polly and Horace they should not sell. In fact she had suggested to them that it might be a nice retirement fund for them.
“Of course you did the right thing,” said Polly. “We don’t want these big shots coming here, turning this lovely town into a den of iniquity.”
Anna could not help laughing. “Polly I don’t think I’ve ever heard the term ‘den of iniquity’ outside of a novel … and one in which there was generally lots of iniquity at that.”
Polly giggled. “Yes, I’ve read some like that too, though I’m sure you shouldn’t, dear. Oh, you know what I mean though. At least the holiday camp isn’t too close so we don’t get all the noise. And it has its own train station. But a big huge hotel, right here, in Filey itself? Oh it would be awful.”
Richard put his head around the office door. “Gentleman to see you, Anna.”
“Mr. Allan?”
“Er … no, his boss I think. From the sound of it.”
“Oh… well you’d better bring him in then,” said Anna. She stood up, as did Polly and Horace.
As the man walked in, Anna started to say, “If you think you can bully us into selling then…” She stopped, with her mouth open in surprise. “Janek?” Her first thought was that he was too big for the little office. And too important. Far too important.
“Hello, Anna. Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
“Well you’ve found her,” said Polly, putting herself between Anna and Janek. “But don’t you go upsetting her.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” said Janek with a smile. “Hello, Mrs. Palmer. It’s nice to see you again.”
“It’s Mrs. Stephens now.” Despite Polly’s abrupt manner, Anna could see that Janek had already begun to charm her.
“I was that scraggy boy who first brought Anna to you.”
“Yes, I remember. And left her and never came back. And turned your back on her when she was in trouble.”
Janek shook his head. “No. That’s why I’m here to explain. I would have then, only Anna run away. It seems to be something she’s good at.” There was a hint of reproach in his voice.
“And what choice did she have when you left her without a job and a home?” said Horace.
Janek took a deep breath. “I was hoping to explain all this to Anna, alone, but I can see I’m going to have to get past you two first.”
“Too right,” said Polly.
“Very well. I’ll explain to you all.” But he was looking at Anna. “Michael Carmichael had no right to dismiss Anna the way he did. At the time he said it, he was no longer a shareholder in the hotel. It’s called Dabrowskis now, did you know?”
Anna nodded. She had seen the news of the name change in the papers.
“Yes, it’s mine now. As are all the other hotels. Anyway, where was I? Yes, he had no right to dismiss you, but as I hadn’t yet told the other shareholders of the changes, I couldn’t say anything. Not even Miss Johnson knew, and she was in the next room. This was why I asked you to wait until after my meeting. Only by then you’d gone.”
“I can’t imagine you’d have wanted me to stay, after what I told you about Teddy and stealing from Mr. Stephens,” said Anna, cautiously.
“Anna! How could you even think I’d believe that rubbish? I met your stepmother. Only briefly perhaps, but I saw then what sort of woman she was. And whilst I didn’t fully understand what had happened with Mr. Stephens, I knew there must be a rational explanation. I know you, and I know the sort of person you are. I have known from the moment you shared your bread with me on the train. If you want me to come with you to your family and explain that, I will. I shan’t let them slander you in this way. If your stepmother insists on going to the law, then I’ll get you a good barrister. If all else fails, we’ll run away together.”
“Oh Teddy knows,” said Anna, trying not to think of the implications of what Janek had just said. She did not want to build her hopes up. “He came to see me the other week. It’s alright, Janek. Everything’s alright now.” She wanted to cry, now that everyone she cared about knew the truth, but there was still the problem of Janek’s plans for the hotel. That, and her feelings for him.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said, smiling slightly. “Now, Mr. and Mrs. Stephens, please can I see Anna alone?”
“If you’re thinking of trying to get this hotel,” said Polly, “You can forget it.”
Janek shook his head. “I’d never been to Filey before today. I flew over it a few times during the war. We used to practise up at Flamborough Head. But I’ve never been here. I promise you, Mrs. Stephens that I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I’ll find somewhere else to build my new hotel. Is that alright with you, Anna?”
“It … it’s not my decision,” she said.
“It will be.”
“Yes, I
think we should go, Horace,” said Polly, with a big grin. “Come along, dear.”
“Are you sure we should leave them alone?” muttered Horace as they left the room.
“Oh yes, I think Anna will be quite safe now.”
“Well,” said Horace, turning back, “you just behave yourself young man. We’re responsible for this girl. I might be an old man, but I could still take on a young whippersnapper like yourself.”
“I don’t doubt it,” said Janek.
Polly and Horace went out, shutting the door after them.
“If you’re asking me to come and work for you again, I can’t,” said Anna. “I have a job here.” She did not think it necessary to tell him that it may only be for six months.
“I’m not asking you to come and work for me again.”
“Oh.”
“Come out with me, Anna. Let’s go for a drive somewhere. I’d like to speak to you alone.”
“We’re alone now.”
“Yes, but not completely alone. Please. We’ll go to Flamborough Head. It’s very pretty up there.”
With no good reason to refuse, Anna got her coat and went with him. Janek had driven up in a sports car. He put the top down, and they sped through the sunshine up to Flamborough Head. It was a glorious day as they walked along the cliff tops.
“I’ve never seen it from this perspective,” said Janek. “It really is beautiful up here.”
“Yes, it is. What did you want to speak to me about?”
“Can’t you guess?”
Anna shook her head. She had been trying to work it out all the way there.
Janek stopped walking and turned to face her, taking her hands in his. “Anna, I was a fool the last time we were together. I didn’t like the staff gossiping about us. And for good reason. I worried about your reputation.”
“Well nothing was going on,” said Anna. “If people want to think the worst, it’s their fault.”
“The worst? Is that how you would see it if you and I were together. As the worst?”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant… well the gossip was unkind. That’s all I meant.”
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