Louise wished she could go back and give her past self a good slap. ‘Because I’m an idiot? I kept telling myself that I didn’t like him. I was so closed off to any idea of romance. I was hurt, badly, by an ex and since then, I’ve avoided any thoughts of starting anything, with anyone. Then I met Alex, and now I can’t stop thinking about him.’
‘I totally understand being nervous about starting something new. Seriously, when David suggested moving in, I freaked out. I didn’t return his calls for a day. Because I was scared it was too soon, but you know what? We make each other happy and that’s all that matters. We can’t worry about things that might happen years from now, or will never happen, you just have to go with how you feel right now, today, in the moment.’
‘I’ve never been very good at that.’
‘But you know now how you feel. All you have to do next is to tell Alex. He’ll be thrilled, I know he will.’
‘If he ever comes back.’
‘Well, of course he will. He loves his job, for one thing, and his family are close by. And his friends. I could ask David to talk to him?’
Louise shook her head. ‘Thanks but no, it’s okay. I’d rather do it myself if he does come home. If he doesn’t, that’s my sign, isn’t it, that we’re not meant to be?’
‘I’m not sure I believe in signs, I think you need to make what you want happen, and not rely on fate to do the hard work for you.’
Louise absorbed her words. She liked how Julie saw life. ‘I need to be more like you, Julie,’ she replied with a smile.
‘I don’t think the world could cope with two of us,’ Julie said with a laugh. ‘Everything will be okay, I know it.’
Louise wished she could believe that too but the problem was, she’d been let down so badly in the past, it was hard to trust that this time it would work out.
As they left the canteen, Louise was convinced she needed to try to seize the moment more. She knew that she had already invited Alex to the Huntley Manor relaunch but she felt sure that he wasn’t going to come back for it. The silence from him was driving her crazy.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she sent him a message before re-starting her shift, and hoped it would give him the kick he seemed to need to come back home.
Don’t forget the Huntley Manor relaunch party is this Saturday. I really hope I’ll see you there. I miss you, Louise xx
***
Abbie walked quickly into Huntley Manor, intrigued as to why Thomas had phoned her an hour ago asking her to come to the hotel as soon as she could as he had something important to show her.
‘There you are!’ Thomas rounded the corner and grabbed her hand, a huge smile on his face. ‘I have the best news.’ He steered her back out through the front door and they started walking around the house into the grounds. ‘Mr Andrews called me yesterday to say the pocket watch has been verified as once belonging to King George, and he’s already had an offer for it.’
‘Oh my God, that’s so exciting,’ Abbie said, a little breathless, trying to keep up with Thomas’s long strides as he led her into the grounds.
‘It’s a lot of money. A crazy amount. Enough to keep us going for a couple of years at least. He’s arranging an auction for the other things in a few weeks’ time. I got off the phone with him, and I thought finally I can breathe again. It’s been such a stressful time but now we can relax, and really make this the place I’ve always wanted it to be.’ He steered them towards the former stables. ‘We can start thinking about converting the stables, all sorts, really. And I knew as soon as I got off the phone with him, that I had to find a way to thank you for suggesting we bring him here, for everything that you’ve done this summer really. And it came to me in a stroke of inspiration.’ They turned a corner and he stopped, making her skid a little. ‘What do you think?’ he asked, gesturing in front of them.
Abbie stopped and looked. In front of them was a small, shiny car. ‘It’s a car,’ she said stupidly.
‘Look at the side,’ he said, pulling her with him so they could see the side of the car. Along it was written Littlewood PR & Events, with the small L logo they had had designed within a picture of Huntley Manor. He smiled at her stunned expression. ‘It’s for you, and Eszter too. You’ll need a car around here, and you’ll pass your test soon.’ Then he frowned. ‘You do like it, don’t you?’
Abbie was thrilled. She threw her arms around him. ‘Like it? I love it!’ She let go and opened the car door. ‘Can I sit in it?’
‘Of course,’ he replied, climbing in beside her.
‘Thomas this is too much, you didn’t need to do this,’ she said, stroking the dashboard and holding the steering wheel, imagining herself driving it around Littlewood. ‘Besides, you need all the money for the hotel.’
‘There’s plenty and this is an investment anyway, in your business, and in you. I can’t think of anything better to spend the money on. It’s not brand new but it’s in great condition.’
‘It’s perfect.’ She leaned over the gearstick to kiss him. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘I’ve been such a fool, worried about my business but not doing anything to shake things up. I would have lost this hotel without you.’
‘You would have saved it, I know you would,’ she replied, shaking her head.
‘Well, I never need to know what would have happened, because you turned up and told me I needed your help, and you were right. And now I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have you by my side.’
She smiled. ‘I’m lucky too.’ They kissed again, and Thomas pulled her closer. As she reached for him, she leaned on the horn, blasting a loud noise which made them jump and break apart breathlessly. ‘We are a disaster,’ she said, laughing, thinking about how many times their romantic moments had been interrupted.
‘But a beautiful one,’ he told her, pulling her back to his lips again, sending a delicious shiver down her spine.
Chapter Fourteen
The day of the Huntley Manor relaunch party dawned bright and sunny and Eszter was almost ready to head over to help Abbie with the last-minute preparations when her phone rang with a call from a frantic Joy. ‘Eszter, I don’t know what we’re going to do!’ Joy said when she had answered the phone.
Eszter stopped. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Both ovens have broken!’ Joy cried. ‘They’re not working at all, and we can’t find anyone to come out until later. I’m supposed to be baking and cooking; we’re going to have so many people here for the party, we can’t shut Brew. How would that look?’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll think of something. I’m going to ring you back.’ She hung up and called Abbie straightaway. ‘We have to help Brew!’
Minutes later, Eszter was walking briskly into Huntley Manor where she was greeted by Abbie, Louise and Thomas. ‘Okay, guys, I think we can do this. Anne and Zoe are already baking at home, and you’ve got the ovens here on standby? Let’s go and get Joy and Harry,’ she said.
‘I knew today wasn’t going to go smoothly,’ Abbie said. ‘It never does on the day, but it’s going to be okay. I’ll come with you. You start cooking, Lou. Let’s go.’ Eszter and Abbie hurried over to Brew where they knocked and were let in by a worried Harry and Joy.
‘You can use the ovens at Huntley Manor. Louise is already in there making a start. Anne and Zoe are baking at home too,’ Eszter told them. ‘There’s no way Brew isn’t opening today.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Joy said with relief. ‘Harry, you stay here and get ready to open up, I’ll start cooking with Louise. Why did this have to happen today?’
‘It’s fine, we have caterers for the party and they’re setting up in a tent outside so the kitchen can be yours completely once the breakfast is finished,’ Abbie reassured her. ‘Everything will be fine.’
Joy smiled. ‘Huntley Manor saves the day. Right, let’s carry over everything we need.’
‘I’ll get the coffee machine on; at least that’s working,’ Harry said, walking to the co
unter as they went into the kitchen to collect ingredients.
They made their way back to the hotel laden with food and Abbie showed Joy the kitchen. Joy got stuck in straightaway baking pastries. ‘We’ll have to leave cooked breakfasts today; they’ll be cold by the time we get back to Brew.’
‘We have lots of fruit and yogurt you could take over,’ the Huntley Manor chef offered, showing her the cute jars they put out for the breakfast buffet.
‘That would be fabulous.’
‘Anne is going to bring her cakes over soon,’ Eszter said, checking her phone. ‘So, you should all be set to open for a late breakfast.’
‘Hopefully this is like a play and a disastrous morning will mean an excellent evening party,’ Thomas said, running a hand through his hair. ‘Right, I’ll check on the caterers.’
‘I’d better go to the ballroom and make sure the florist is okay,’ Abbie said. ‘You guys will be all right in here?’ Louise and Joy didn’t answer as they focused on their task so she smiled and followed Thomas out.
‘What do you need me to do?’ Eszter asked Abbie, leaving the kitchen behind them.
‘Can you make sure that the reception looks perfect? It’s the first thing everyone will see, and we need the sign up to direct everyone to the ballroom.’
‘I’m on it, boss.’
‘Hey, partner, you mean?’
Eszter smiled. ‘I’m on it, partner.’ Eszter walked to the reception, pleased she’d been able to help out with Brew’s crisis. She had been nervous about working with Abbie but she knew she needed to be more confident in her ability to deal with challenges. She knew she was capable; she just needed to keep reminding herself of that. This event would be their first showcase so she was determined to make sure it was a success.
‘Thank goodness,’ Amy said when she saw Eszter. ‘Look at this!’ She held up the calligraphy sign that had been made to welcome guests to the party. Eszter looked at it and gasped when she saw what Amy meant.
Welcome to the 1920s . . .
Come and celebrate with a cocktail in the Huntley Manor ballroom, restored to its former glory.
Walk this way . . .
And then there was the map, which instead of sending guests to the ballroom was clearly sending them to the kitchens instead.
‘Right, I need blank paper and a Sharpie,’ Eszter said, walking around to the desk. There was no time for it to be re-printed; they would just have to draw their own map. ‘Is there any coffee? I think we’re going to need it.’
The rest of the day was spent in a similar manner. Eszter rushed to wherever Abbie sent her, making sure everything was going okay. Anne and Zoe stopped by with cakes for Brew, and Joy and Louise ran back and forth from the hotel to the café carrying food for most of the morning. Abbie was holed up in the ballroom all day making sure it was looking perfect, and Thomas strode around trying to make sure all the guests that had been invited were happy with their rooms.
Eszter walked into the ballroom at teatime utterly exhausted. She looked around in wonder. ‘It looks amazing,’ she told Abbie, who stood with her clipboard in the centre of the room, brow furrowed as she ticked off things.
‘I think we’re almost there,’ Abbie said, looking up at her. The flowers were all in place, the bar set up ready, and the wooden floor was so shiny you could almost see your face in it. Fairy lights were strung around the doors, which were open. Outside, people were setting up lanterns ready for nightfall, and servers were putting out tables and chairs. The band were setting up in the corner. And above them, the chandelier was covered ready for the unveiling later. ‘Thomas is checking the caterers are on time and then I think we should all go and get ready.’
‘I’ll head home then to change,’ Eszter said. ‘If you’re sure there’s nothing else I can do?’
Abbie shook her head. ‘No but please tell Louise to go home and get ready as well. Brew will be closing now so everyone can relax a bit. I want everyone to be ready to party in a couple of hours.’
‘That goes for you too, okay?’ Eszter said, firmly. ‘Go and sit down for a bit before putting on your dress. Have a glass of wine too. You look nervous.’
‘And you look surprisingly calm. Aren’t we usually the other way around?’
Eszter smiled. ‘We are, but everything is in place, we’ve got this. The hotel is full. The other guests will be arriving soon. There’s nothing else we can do. The best thing to do is chill out before we have to put on our event faces.’ She gave her a quick hug. ‘See you at seven, okay?’
Abbie nodded. ‘You’re right. I’ll head upstairs now.’ She pointed to their business cards on the table by the door. ‘Do you think anyone will hire us after this?’
‘They won’t be able to resist.’
Chapter Fifteen
Abbie walked into Thomas’s apartment in the hotel and half-fell down onto the sofa. Eszter had been right about her needing a small break before the party began, she’d been on her feet all day rushing around on pure adrenaline. She was feeling okay about things though. Brew had opened up and had been busy with hotel guests who had been milling around the hotel all day; there was a definite buzz in the atmosphere. The extra staff they had hired were all getting ready too; everyone was wearing black and white to fit with the theme.
The door opened and in came Thomas. ‘Remind me why we’re doing this?’ he asked, flustered, and flopping down into the armchair opposite. ‘I just had to tell a waiter not to smoke in the ballroom, for goodness’ sake.’ He looked at Abbie. ‘Are you okay? You’ve been doing so much!’
‘I’m fine, just needed a break.’
‘Let me get us some refreshments before we get ready. I told Amy that no one should bother us for an hour. I’m not hopeful they’ll stick to that but we can just ignore them.’ Thomas came back a few moments later with a glass of wine for them and a cheese and pickle sandwich with a bowl of crisps.
Abbie broke into a smile. ‘The perfect pick-me-up.’
‘Exactly.’ He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. She leant into him gratefully. ‘I was only joking before. It’s looking wonderful down there, and tonight is going to be an amazing evening. I can’t wait for everyone to see the chandelier.’
‘I can’t believe you’ve hidden it from me all this time.’
‘Thank goodness it’s high enough that you couldn’t peek at it. Come on, eat up, you need it. I can’t wait to see you in your dress, Abbie Morgan.’
‘Why Lord Huntley, I do like it when you’re in charge,’ she replied, picking up one of the sandwiches.
***
After they had re-charged themselves, Abbie and Thomas went into his room to change. He was wearing a smart suit, this time with shiny leather shoes and not wellies, and looked every bit the Lord of the Manor when he was ready. He zipped up Abbie’s dress, and she turned around to a wide smile from him. Her dress really was stunning and clung to her in all the right places. She had pinned her hair up, and with her sky-high glittering shoes and a sparkling necklace, felt like she was a million bucks, as they might have said in the era they were paying homage to.
‘It’s not fair for you to show all the other guests up like this,’ Thomas murmured, kissing her gently on her neck so he didn’t smudge her red lipstick. ‘Can I escort you to the party, Ms Morgan?’
‘As long as you promise me the first dance.’
‘You can have any dance you want.’
Abbie laid her hand on his arm. ‘Let’s get this show on the road then.’ She took a deep breath and hoped it would all go off perfectly. Thomas gave her a reassuring smile, and she was very glad that he was by her side.
They headed downstairs and immediately staff rushed up to them asking questions but Abbie extracted herself after she spotted a familiar face loitering in the hall. ‘Kate!’ she called to her friend who spun around and grinned at her.
‘Now I understand why you’ve abandoned London,’ Kate said, pulling her in for a hug. ‘This place is gorgeous. A
nd look at you! Wow!’ she said, pulling back and taking in Abbie’s outfit.
‘I found this in the attic upstairs.’
‘No way.’ She leaned in closer. ‘Now, when do I get a look at the famous Lord Huntley?’ Abbie pointed him out to Kate, who whistled under her breath. ‘Okay, I’m sold, I’m moving to Littlewood too.’
Abbie laughed. ‘Are you all checked in okay?’
‘Yep. My date is having a nap, I swear he acts older than my granddad. I wanted to find you before I get ready for the party. My dress now feels like a shabby mess but it’ll have to do. I can’t wait to see the ballroom but I’ll wait for the full effect later. Honestly, Abbie, you look radiant. Living here agrees with you.’
‘Thanks, Kate. It really does.’ Abbie lowered her voice. ‘And have you heard any more from Jack?’
Kate shook her head. ‘No, he’s obviously been keeping his head down, I heard he might be staying with his parents, so hopefully I won’t see him for a long time. You did the right thing coming here. And I’m so excited to hear all about your new business.’
Abbie was relieved there had been no more antics from Jack. ‘I’m just hoping tonight goes well, we’ve all worked so hard.’
‘Well, of course it will. I’ll go and wake my date up then and try to scrub myself up a little. Good luck.’ She hugged again quickly then headed for the stairs. Abbie was glad she was there. She had no desire to ever go back to London but she didn’t want to lose her friendship with Kate and hoped she’d be able to persuade her friend to visit often. Abbie turned around and searched for Thomas. They needed to check on the ballroom. It was almost time.
***
Louise checked her phone again. There had been no response from Alex to the message she had sent him at work to remind him of the party tonight, and she was becoming more and more certain that he wouldn’t come, and she was starting to worry that he was planning not to come back to Littlewood at all. She tried to tell herself that he loved his job, and he wouldn’t just leave the vets in the lurch plus he had a flat and all of his things there, but she couldn’t stop her mind playing out various horrible scenarios that all ended up with her never seeing him again.
Summer at the Kindness Cafe Page 29