Aunt Bessie's Holiday

by Diana Xarissa

  “Ms. Moore, we’ve been expecting you.” He glanced into the car and gave Bessie a smile as well. “And your guest. Please follow me.”

  Doona looked over at Bessie and shrugged before she put the car into gear and drove very slowly behind the man. He led her around the long queue and up to the entrance gates. There were three gates, but only one was actually open. Now he unlocked a second one and waved Doona through it. As soon as she’d driven through, he pushed it shut and locked it behind her.

  “We’re getting a lot of angry looks,” Bessie murmured.

  “I’m just doing what I’m told,” Doona replied.

  Both women stared straight ahead, unwilling to make eye contact with any of the long line of people they’d just cut in front of. Pete now walked back to Doona’s window.

  “If you’ll just drive over to window number one, they’ll take good care of you,” he told her.

  Doona looked over at the row of windows. Window one was shut up tightly. Pete had now walked away, heading back up the road. Doona shrugged and looked at Bessie.

  “Maybe it will be magically open when we get there?” she said doubtfully.

  Before they’d gone more than a few feet, there was a sudden flurry of activity at the first window. It wasn’t magic so much as three flustered-looking girls rushing about to unlock the doors and get the shutters on the small booth open before Doona drove across.

  “Ms. Moore, welcome to Lakeview Holiday Park,” one of the girls called as Doona approached. As soon as Doona stopped the car, the girl began to speak.

  “Congratulations on winning a week’s holiday here. I’m Mai Stratton, the guest services manager, and I’ll be coordinating your stay. I know you’ve already pre-booked a number of activities, but if you want to change anything or add anything or just want questions answered, please don’t hesitate to ring me directly.”

  She handed Doona a business card. “My mobile number is on the back. I’m at your service twenty-four hours a day while you’re here.”

  Doona and Bessie exchanged looks again. This sort of VIP treatment felt strange to Bessie.

  “I have the keys to your lodge just here,” the young woman continued. While she passed keys, maps and brochures to Doona, Bessie studied her.

  As far as Bessie was concerned, Mai didn’t look old enough to be the guest services manager. In her Lakeview Park uniform, with her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she looked like a teenager getting her first work experience. She couldn’t have been any taller than Bessie herself, only a few inches over five feet, and she was almost unhealthily thin. Bessie couldn’t imagine the girl dealing with irate customers like the man they’d seen on the ferry.

  “If you’d like to move your car into the car park, I’ll have your bags taken to your accommodation for you,” she told Doona.

  The car park was behind the check-in area and Doona quickly found a space near the park entrance. It seemed as if everyone else was driving into the park rather than parking.

  “I thought cars weren’t allow inside the park,” Bessie commented as they got out of the car.

  “They aren’t,” Mai told her as she joined them. “Except for a short time on check-in days. Everyone drives to their accommodation to unload their belongings and then returns their car to the car parks for the rest of their stay,” she explained.

  “I see,” Bessie said.

  “They’ll be driving back in at the end of their break as well, to pack everything back into their vehicles, but we’ll arrange to collect your cases for you and deliver them to your car,” she added.

  “That’s very kind of you,” Doona said. Bessie could tell that her friend was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the special treatment.

  “Do you treat all of your contest winners this well?” Bessie couldn’t help but ask.

  Mai shook her head. “Every contest is different,” she said, not meeting Bessie’s eyes.

  Doona pulled their suitcases from the boot of her car and set them on the ground. A young man in a golf cart pulled up next to them and quickly loaded the cases into the cart.

  “They’ll be waiting for you in your lodge,” he said before he quickly drove away.

  “Most guests rent bicycles,” Mai told them as they headed down the path to the park entrance. “They’re an easy way to get around the park quickly.”

  “I don’t think so,” Doona replied. “I haven’t been on a bike in years.”

  “I’m definitely not interested,” Bessie chimed in. “I’m quite happy to walk everywhere.”

  Mai nodded. “Well, bicycle rental is, of course, included in your prize. If you change your mind, just stop at the bike centre any time and they’ll sort you out. We do have adult-sized three-wheeled cycles if that sounds more tempting.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Doona replied.

  “So I’ll just walk you to your lodge, then,” Mai said. “You’re at number eight, Foxglove Close, one of our premium accommodation areas. I want to make sure everything is suitable for you.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” Doona told her. “And I’m sure you have other things you could be doing.”

  Mai flushed. “Check-in day is always busy,” she said vaguely.

  “We have a map,” Doona said. “I’m sure we won’t have any trouble finding our way.”

  “Well, if you’re sure,” Mai said hesitantly.

  “We have your card,” Bessie pointed out. “We can always ring you if we need something.”

  Mai looked relieved. “Thank you,” she said. “But please do ring if you think of anything I can do to improve your stay.”

  “We will,” Doona told her.

  “There’s a special champagne reception at five o’clock in our premier restaurant, L’Expérience Anglaise,” Mai added. “All of our VIP guests are invited. The reception is at five and then a special five-course welcome meal will be served. I do hope you’ll be able to attend.”

  Doona turned to Bessie. “Champagne and a five-course dinner? How does that sound?”

  “Lovely,” Bessie replied.

  “We’ll see you around five,” Doona told the young woman.

  “Excellent,” Mai beamed at them. “Have a wonderful afternoon.”

  The two women watched the girl as she hurried away.

  “I didn’t realise you’d won a full VIP package,” Bessie remarked.

  “No, I didn’t either,” Doona replied. “And all this attention is making me quite uncomfortable.”

  “I promise I won’t give you any special treatment,” Bessie told her with a wink.

  “I hope not. It already seems like it might be a long week.”

  The pair made their way down a long path through the woods. They could hear the steady stream of cars making their way into the park, but they couldn’t actually see them. After several minutes they came to a crossroads.

  “It’s very well signposted,” Bessie remarked. They turned, following the direction of the arrow that pointed towards the small cul-de-sac where their cabin was located.

  “It’s such a lovely day for walking,” Doona said, after a second crossroads that was equally well marked.

  “It really is,” Bessie agreed. For the middle of October, it was surprisingly mild, but not at all hot. The skies were somewhat overcast, but it didn’t feel like rain.

  A few minutes later they emerged from the woods into a small clearing. In front of them was a small lake with a few kayaks tied up on one side. A path led around the lake, with several short roads, dotted with cottages of different shapes and sizes, coming off of the path.

  Bessie and Doona walked slowly towards their accommodation, enjoying the views. Beyond the lake, at some distance away, they could see the huge indoor swimming complex and several groups of small shops and restaurants. The buildings were centred around a large grassy area filled with tables and chairs.

  As they got closer to the cabins, they could see the road that ran behind them. There were dozens of cars par
ked along it and people seemed to be rushing about in every direction, unloading their things and chasing after children.

  Bessie and Doona were grateful that they’d been able to avoid that part of the experience as they found Foxglove Court between Daisy Drive and Heather Lane.

  As they approached number eight, Doona had a key in hand and she quickly unlocked their door. “Ta-da,” she announced as she pushed the door open with a flourish. Bessie walked inside and Doona followed quickly behind, pushing the door shut on the noise and commotion outside.

  The door opened into a short corridor and Bessie was quick to open every door she came to. The first door revealed a small closet, where Bessie found that their bags had been tucked away. The next, on the opposite wall, opened into a large bedroom. The windows gave her her first look at the much larger lake that was just past the road that ran behind them. A number of sailboats were making their way around the lake and Bessie stood and watched for a moment while Doona kept exploring.

  “The kitchen is pretty well stocked,” Doona told Bessie, when Bessie joined her a moment later in the large and comfortably furnished sitting room. Bessie looked out more windows that showcased the lake. Sliding glass doors led out to a spacious patio that was furnished with a table and six chairs.

  Now Bessie peeked into the kitchen. There were biscuits and snacks in the cupboards and not only cans of fizzy drinks, but also several bottles of wine in the refrigerator.

  “Did you order the wine?” Bessie asked.

  “No, but it’s my favourite white and one of my favourite reds,” Doona told her. “And there’s a bottle of very expensive champagne in there as well.”

  “They really are giving you the VIP treatment,” Bessie said.

  On the other side of the sitting room was the second, much larger bedroom. The en-suite had a jetted tub and a huge shower.

  “This one should be yours,” Bessie told her friend.

  “Are you sure?” Doona asked.

  “The other bedroom is lovely,” Bessie answered. “And the last thing I intend to do while I’m here is have a bath in a jetted tub. You’ll enjoy it, though, won’t you?”

  “I’d really like to try it out,” Doona admitted. “I’ve never been in one and they always look so lovely on telly.”

  “So I’ll suffer in silence in the bedroom that’s twice the size of my room at home, and put up with only having a shower that could accommodate three of me comfortably.”

  Doona laughed. “It is all very luxurious, isn’t it? I’m not sure I’ll ever want to leave.”

  They opened a bottle of wine and sipped glasses of it while they unpacked. Then they sat on their patio and finished the bottle while they watched the other new arrivals. Their boxes of books for the book club sat unopened on the dining table. Bessie was curious what they had been given to read, but not curious enough to interrupt her people watching. It didn’t seem long before they needed to get ready for the reception.

  “What do we wear?” Bessie wondered.

  “I’m just going to wear nice trousers and a light jumper,” Doona told her. “Sort of exactly like what you’re already wearing.”

  Bessie laughed. “I think I’ll change into more of the same, then. Having travelled a long way in this outfit, I’ll feel fresher if I do.”

  The walk to the centre of the park, where the shops and restaurants were clustered, took only a few minutes. Bikes whizzed past them occasionally, carrying their riders back and forth around the site.

  “I think walking is much better,” Bessie said after a large group pedaled past them. “It isn’t far and it’s the perfect night to take things slowly.”

  “I agree totally,” Doona replied. “Besides which, I never learned to ride a bike. I certainly don’t intend to start now.”

  The large French-style restaurant was at the end of a row that included a toy store and a shop that seemed to sell nothing but bathing suits.

  “I think ‘The English Experience’ is a strange name for a French restaurant,” Bessie said as Doona pulled open the large glass door.

  “It is rather,” Doona agreed.

  Mai was standing at the front desk and she rushed over to greet them. “I hope your accommodation is everything you were expecting,” she gushed as she ushered them into the large and empty dining room.

  “It’s really lovely,” Doona replied.

  “Let me get you some champagne,” she said, dashing away.

  “It looks like we’re first,” Bessie murmured.

  “Ah, Doona, there you are,” a loud voice shouted from the back of the restaurant.

  Bessie stared at the man who was now hurrying towards them. He was tall and almost plump, with brown hair that was definitely thinning on top. His face was lit up with a broad and welcoming smile. Beside her, Doona griped her arm tightly.

  “It’s Charles,” Doona whispered.

  “Charles?”

  “My second husband.”

  Chapter Three

  “Ah, Doona, it’s so good to see you again,” the man said as he grabbed Doona’s hands. “I’ve missed you so very much. You can’t imagine.”

  “No, I probably can’t,” Doona replied dryly. She pulled her hands away and took a step backwards. “I think we’ll be leaving now,” she said.

  The man’s face fell. “Oh, darling Doona, don’t be like that,” he said imploringly. “I invited you here so that I could apologise and we could start again. At least give me a chance to explain.”

  “Explain?” Doona echoed. “You cheated on me. You really only married me in a pathetic attempt to hide your affair with a married woman. We’ve been apart for over two years. There’s nothing for you to explain.”

  Charles chuckled. “There, you see, it’s all so black and white with you.” He turned to Bessie. “That was part of our problem,” he said in a confiding tone. “Doona never saw the little grey areas.”

  “I hardly think there are grey areas when it comes to cheating,” Bessie said coolly. She knew too much about how the man had treated her dear friend to be anything more than barely civil to him.

  He flushed. “You could be right,” he said, giving Bessie a sad smile. “All I really want is two minutes of your time, though. Surely you can give me two minutes?” he appealed to Doona.

  “Two minutes,” Doona said, holding up her watch and staring at the second hand.

  “I don’t even know what happened,” Charles began. “I mean, one day I was working hard and looking forward to the weekend, when I would fly over and get to see you, and then out of the blue, your solicitor rang me up and told me we were through.”

  “I received a letter,” Doona said, her voice icy cold.

  “Accusing me of cheating, I assume,” he said. “And you believed it, without even taking the time to discuss it with me.”

  “There were photos,” Doona told him.

  “They could have been old photos,” Charles defended himself.

  “You were wearing the wedding ring I gave you in the pictures,” Doona replied.

  Charles flushed and shook his head. “You should have given me a chance to explain,” he argued. “I loved you. I haven’t stopped loving you. Do you know how hard I worked to get you here today?”

  “I didn’t win a contest, did I?” Doona demanded. “You set this all up.”

  “I did,” Charles said proudly. “I’m managing the holiday park now and I just knew if I could get you here I could win you back.”

  He took a step forward and grabbed Doona’s hands again. When her eyes met his, his face became pleading. “Give me a chance, please. It isn’t what you thought it was.”

  Doona pulled her hands away. “You’ve had over two years to make your explanations,” she said tightly. “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m not playing it.”

  Charles shook his head. “It isn’t like that at all. I was so hurt when your solicitor told me you wanted a divorce that I threw myself into my work. I got myself sent away to manage som
e new properties on the continent and I was there for over eighteen months. Once I got back I realised that I can’t keep running away. You were the best thing that I ever happened to me. I know I made some mistakes, but I can explain, truly I can. Just give me a chance.”

  “No,” Doona said a bit too loudly.

  “Look, we can’t really talk here,” he said, almost whispering now. He glanced around and then back at Doona. “I was set up,” he hissed at her. “Herbert Howe set me up so that he could sue for divorce and get away from Jessica without paying out a fortune. I was as much a victim as you were.”

  “Really?” Doona asked. “You poor thing. No wonder you’ve come rushing back to me only a few years after I dumped you.”

  “This isn’t the place for this conversation,” Charles said now.

  Bessie looked around and realised the room was slowly filling with people. She’d been so intent on the conversation between Doona and Charles that she hadn’t noticed earlier.

  “After the reception is dinner and then I’ll be here all night talking to guests. Have breakfast with me in the morning,” he suggested to Doona. “I’ll be in my office any time after six. Come and find me and I’ll explain everything.”

  “I don’t think so,” Doona said.

  “You won’t be sorry,” Charles promised. He took Doona’s hands in his again. “Please, breakfast.”

  He turned and headed off towards the back of the restaurant before Doona could reply. When he walked through the door marked “kitchen” Doona blew out a long breath.

  “Are you okay?” Bessie asked her friend.

  “Not so much,” Doona replied, her voice shaking.

  “We should go back to the cabin,” Bessie said, taking Doona’s arm.

  “And miss out on the champagne reception and VIP dinner? I don’t think so,” Doona said firmly. “I just need a minute to pull myself together.”

  “And some champagne,” Bessie said, taking two glasses of the bubbly drink from a passing waiter. She handed one to Doona, who took a large sip.

  “Ah, that’s better,” she said, giving Bessie a smile that looked almost genuine.