The Cornish Hotel by the Sea

by Karen King

  “I’ll be off then, Miss. The floorboards will take a couple of days to dry out then you can get the ceiling plastered. Give my regards to your mother.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  She’d have liked to get the ceiling sorted out before Mum came home but it seemed that was out of the question. Thank goodness her two week’s holiday had coincided with Mum taking ill. Hopefully that would be long enough to get the Honeymoon Suite restored and the main repairs done before she went home.

  A priority was to renew the insurance but she wouldn’t be able to do that until Monday, when the offices opened, so fingers crossed nothing else went wrong.

  “How’s your mother, Miss Truman?”

  “Much better, thank you, Harry.” Ellie looked up with a smile.

  “That’s excellent news, Miss Truman.”

  “It is, isn’t it? I want to make sure that she rests when she comes home so I’m going to try and get all the odd jobs done. Could you make a start on them Monday? Of course, we’ll pay you overtime if you can’t finish them in your normal hours.”

  “That won’t be necessary Miss Truman, I’m happy to help,” Harry told her. “I can come in tomorrow if you want.”

  She thought about this. Sunday was usually Harry’s day off, but Mum could be home by Tuesday and Ellie was desperate to get the hotel straight. She’d have to pay him overtime of course, but it would be worth it.

  “Thank you, Harry. That’s really kind of you. We’ll pay you time and a half, of course. I’ll sort out the repair notes left by the guests and give you them too. Let me know if there are any jobs you can’t tackle.”

  “I will, Miss. And normal rates will be just fine. We all need to pull together until Mrs Truman gets on her feet again.”

  “That’s so kind of you, we really appreciate it.”

  “Don’t mention it, Miss. Your mum – and your late dad too, bless him – is one of the kindest people I’ve ever come across. It’s a privilege to work for her.” Harry nodded solemnly.

  Ellie fought back the tears as she watched the old man walk away. It was a measure of her mum’s character that her staff were so loyal. Mandy and Harry were both determined not to let her down. Well she wasn’t going to either. She wasn’t going to let a stupid thing like a pipe leak defeat her. She’d redecorate the room and fit a new carpet herself, if necessary. Anything to help put things right.

  Chapter Nine

  “Okay Steve, see you on Tuesday then.” Reece finished the call, shoved his mobile into his back pocket and walked over to the window. Steve was interested in his idea of buying Gwel Teg and wanted him to draft up a report about the condition of the hotel, the likely expenditure it would take to get it up to scratch, and a rough idea of how the business was doing. The usual stuff. They were both going to discuss it on Tuesday. The worse state the hotel was in the less they had to fork out, so why had he helped Ellie sort out that business with the leak?

  A compensation claim would have bankrupted the hotel and meant he and Steve would get if for a song. That’s the way business worked, always had. R.S. Incorporated – the R standing for Reece and the S for Steve – sought out hotels that were struggling, assessed their potential and then, if they were sure they could turn them around successfully, they would make them an offer. Okay, the offer was usually below market value but the hotel owners needed the money and it was R.S who were taking the risk. If they didn’t offer to buy them out the hotels would go under, then have to sell up and come out of with little if any profit. Which would mean Steve and Reece could lose their investment. It was a business deal, pure and simple, and one that had seen them make a tidy profit over the last few years.

  Gwel Teg was just another hotel they were thinking of taking under their wing. So why was Reece letting himself get personally involved?

  Because of Ellie, that’s why. She was so determined to get Gwel Teg back on its feet, and to help her Mum, that he’d found himself wanting to help her. Last night, when she’d opened her purse and anxiously asked her how much she owed him, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the correct amount, and instead had halved it. The look of relief in her eyes was worth it.

  Well, that had come out of his own pocket, but he had to make sure that he didn’t short charge the business. They needed to make a profit, to keep expanding.

  He’d do the figures later, he decided. Right now he could do with some fresh air.

  As Reece walked along the corridor he saw that the door to the Honeymoon Suite was open. He peered inside, surprised to see Ellie, a bright yellow scrunchie holding her hair back, her tongue sticking out between her teeth and a look of sheer concentration on her face, measuring the length of the room with a retractable tape measure. She looked heart-meltingly endearing.

  “You look busy,” he finally remarked.

  She jumped and spun around, releasing the steel tape which immediately zapped back onto her hand. “Oww!” She yelled, shaking her finger.

  He was beside her in a heartbeat. “Let me look.”

  “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

  Reece ignored her and scrutinised her finger. A red patch had already formed where the end of the tape had hit it. He raised the finger to her lips and kissed it tenderly, resisting the urge to trail kisses up her arm, to her shoulder, her neck … “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured him.

  Her lips were enticingly close to his, he satisfied himself with a feather light kiss, conscious that the door was open and guests could walk by, then released her hand. “What are you doing?”

  “Measuring for a new carpet. I thought I might be able to buy a remnant and fit it myself.” She moved away from him and started measuring the width of the room.

  “Have you ever fitted a carpet before?” He asked, watching her.

  “No, but how hard can it be? And it’s got to be a lot cheaper than getting someone in to fit it.” She took a notebook and pen off the windowsill and scribbled in it. “I’ve got the measurements now. I’ll visit some carpet places tomorrow and see what I can pick up.”

  Really? The Honeymoon Suite, the best suite in the hotel and she was intending to buy a remnant carpet – if she could get one that size - and fit it herself? Much as he hated to burst her ‘can do’ balloon he had to persuade her that this wasn’t a good idea. “It’s not as easy as it looks…” he ventured.

  Her eyes flashed. “It seems easy to me. Providing I get the measurements correct – which I have, check if you like – then all I have to do is tack it down. Harry will help me.”

  “You’ll be lucky to get a remnant this size, and there’ll be some cutting and shaping - around that alcove for instance. You need underlay too. And if it isn’t fitted tight enough and anyone trips over it you could be faced with a hefty compensation claim.” He paused, what the hell, it wouldn’t hurt to help her. “Look, you can use the company we deal with then I can get you a discount – a big one,” he added seeing that flash in her eyes again. “I can organise it for you, they’ll fit the carpet too. And you’ll have thirty days to pay.”

  He could see that she was considering it. “That’s really kind of you but even so it will probably be too expensive.”

  “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You could order the bed from there too.”

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take a look, maybe it might be do-able. Thank you.” Ellie leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You are really kind.”

  “You’re welcome. There is one other thing you need to think about though.”

  Ellie cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

  “A new carpet and newly painted ceiling will probably make the rest of the room look shabby. You might have to think about getting the whole room redecorated.”

  She titled her chin. “I can do that. I’m going to paint the ceiling once the plaster’s dry and I’ll come down one of the weekends to decorate.”

  “Really?” Reece tried no
t to sound amused but she bristled.

  “Yes, really! I have decorated my flat, you know.”

  He’d never met anyone so determined. And she looked so adorable with her eyes flashing like that and her chin jutted out. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the nose. “I’m just trying to help, Ellie. It’s a big job.”

  “I can do it.” She sounded determined. “I’m going to get this hotel back on its feet if I have to work day and night for the next two weeks and come down every weekend for a few months.”

  She had some backbone, he had to give her that. She was a fighter.

  He liked it that she was willing to do so much to help her mother. Family love and loyalty wasn’t something he had come across much – not with his self-obsessed parents and getting caught up in their bitter divorce. Maybe it was that which prompted him to say. “I’ll help too.”

  She scrutinised him sharply, as if to check that he wasn’t mocking her. Then her expression relaxed. “Thank you but you’ve already done enough. You’re a guest. You’re supposed to be resting, sight-seeing, sunbathing and all the other things guests do, not working as an unpaid handyman and manager.”

  “I’m not actually on holiday, I do have some business to attend to. But I’m happy to help when I can.”

  “You really mean that, don’t you?” She looked at him sharply. “Why?”

  The question threw him for a moment. Why was he offering to help spruce up the hotel he was intending to buy when they’d be able to offer a lower price if it was in a state of disrepair? “As a favour for a friend,” he replied, answering himself and Ellie.

  She looked worried. “We can’t afford to pay you, or let you stay here for free in return for work.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her on the nose. “I don’t want a free room or payment. I’m merely helping out someone I’ve grown quite fond of.”

  She still looked suspicious. “It’s a very big deal. You hardly know me. We’re virtually strangers.”

  “I thought we agreed to date yesterday? And we’ve shared a few kisses. That makes us a bit more than strangers, don’t you think?”

  Now she looked flustered. “If you’re sure?”

  “Absolutely.” He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “Anyway, I’ve been looking for you.”

  He saw the worried look cross her face. “Why? Has something else happened?

  “No, stop worrying. I wondered if you wanted to do anything this afternoon? It is Sunday, after all.”

  “You know, that sounds good,” she agreed, relaxing a little. “How do you feel about going surfing?”

  “Surfing?” he repeated, glancing up at her to see if she was serious.

  “Yes.” She cocked her head to one side. “You do surf don’t you?”

  He hesitated for a nano second. “Yeah sure, but I haven’t done it for years, not since I was a teenager. I might not even be able to still get on a surfboard never mind ride the waves.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you haven’t, it’s only a bit of fun,” she told him. “You can just splash about on the surfboard if you want. I’m not exactly brilliant it but I enjoy it.” She frowned. “Or do you hate the idea? We can do something else if you want.”

  If there was one thing Reece hated it was not being able to do something well. His need to impress, to be successful, stemmed, he knew, from wanting to prove to his parents that he was worthy of their time and attention. To make them proud of him, proud enough that they would want to spend time with him. He used to surf well at eighteen. Fourteen years later he wasn’t so sure.

  His instinct was to suggest doing something else but he could see that Ellie really wanted to go surfing. Oh what the heck, he was sure it would come back to him.

  “Sure, let’s go for it,” he agreed. “Though I warn you, I’m pretty rusty. My teens were a few years ago.”

  “Just a few?” She raised an eyebrow and grinned cheekily.

  He playfully tweaked her cheek. “Come on then, let’s see if I can still stand up on the board. I’m presuming there’s somewhere I can hire a wetsuit from?”

  “There’s a hut on the beach, hires out boards and wetsuits but we keep some here, for when family and friends come down. I’m pretty sure we’ve got one that will fit you. Come up to the flat and I’ll sort them out.”

  He followed her to the private quarters. He was surprised at how spacious it was. A large lounge, with a kitchen off to the left and a hall leading to what he presumed where the bedrooms and bathroom off to the right.

  “This is a nice flat,” he said. “How many bedrooms do you have?”

  “Three. Mine’s the attic room, it overlooks the beach, as does this room and the kitchen. Do you want to have a look around? You’ll have to excuse the mess, of course, I haven’t had chance to tidy up yet.”

  “If you don’t mind. I’m really surprised how light and roomy it is up here.”

  “It is, it’s great. Me, Mum and Dad lived here happily for years and we never got under each other’s feet.” She bit her lip and he knew she was remembering the happy times when her father was alive. Lucky her to have such good memories of her childhood.

  Reece wanted to wrap his arms around Ellie, to kiss the grief away, but he sensed she wanted time to compose herself so walked over to the large window that almost covered the main hall. He looked out at the beach below. It was a beautiful, panoramic view of the harbour and town beach, where sun-bronzed bodies sprawled out on the soft sand, children paddled in the sun-kissed ocean, and, further out, colourful fishing boats bobbled on the rippling waves. The sort of scene you’d find on a holiday postcard.

  “Spectacular isn’t it.” She was standing beside him now. “Wait until you see the view from the kitchen.”

  It was a surprisingly modern kitchen with light tiles walls, beech fitted cupboards and a beech table and chairs by French doors which opened up onto a balcony. Ellie opened the doors wide and they both stepped outside. This gave them a different view, one from the side of the hotel, over the town below, the cobbled streets, quaint little shops, down to the main beach – which is where Reece presumed they’d be surfing. He could see a few people already out there, riding the white foam waves.

  Suddenly he was back to being a teenager holidaying with his father, uncle and cousins in Rock, Cornwall. They went every summer, and were all so competitive, determined to be the best surfer. They had surfing lessons, the best gear. It had been more of a competition than fun but he remembered the exhilaration of riding the waves, of pitching himself against the sea. He’d got so hooked on it he’d got up at the crack of dawn to go surfing early every morning, his thick wet suit protecting him against the icy chill of the Atlantic sea. He’d entered into the Surfing Championships, an event that attracted competitors from all over the world and had tried their hardest to win. He’d never put so much effort into anything in all his life. He’d been no match for the professional surfers though, and hadn’t been placed. The disappointment on his father’s face had been like a blow to his stomach and he’d vowed there and then never to enter anything unless he was sure he had a good chance of winning. That was the defining moment when he was determined that he was going to be a success, that he was going to achieve something that would make his dad proud of him. He never wanted to see that look of utter disappointment on his father’s face again.

  He’d never surfed again either, so he hoped he wasn’t about to show himself up today. He couldn’t believe that he felt so comfortable with Ellie that he was willing to take a chance on messing up.

  Chapter Ten

  “Wonderful isn’t it?”

  Reece slid his gaze from the beach to her face and nodded wordlessly.

  “Come and see the rest of the flat.”

  Ellie led him through the lounge and indicated a bedroom on the right. “That’s Mum’s room. I don’t think she’d like me to show you in. She’s a very private person.” She opened the next
door along. “This is the bathroom, although it isn’t used much as both bedrooms have an ensuite.”

  To her surprise, Reece seemed really interested. “It’s very spacious,” he said. “I didn’t expect the private quarters to be this big.”

  “Yes, it’s like a self-contained flat. I’ve got the attic room, I love it up there.” She reached for the handle of the next door. “This is the spare room. You can get changed in here if you want,” Ellie opened the door to reveal another large room prettily decorated with floral curtains and matching bedspread on the double bed. “You can get in touch with your feminine side,” she said mischievously.

  “It’s nice,” he nodded. “Did you ever sleep in here or have you always been in the attic?”

  “I fell in love with the attic right away, wouldn’t sleep anywhere else.” She grinned. “I was only six when we moved in but very determined, even then.”

  “I can believe that.” He replied. “Do I get to see your attic room if I promise to behave like a gentleman?”

  “Sure. I warn you, though, it hasn’t altered much since I was a teenager.” She led the way to the end of the corridor, opened a door and mounted the stairs.

  Reece followed her.

  “Take a look at the view,” she said, making her way over to the window.

  Reece joined her. And whistled as he looked over the rooftops to the beach he and Ellie had frolicked on the other day. “It must be amazing to wake up to that sight every morning.”