The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse: The perfect feelgood romance. Cressida McLaughlin
was too traumatic to contemplate.
Paige pushed open the door of Canvas and Mrs Harris stepped inside, her attention immediately turning to Campion Bay at Dawn. Robin held her breath, and a quick glance in Paige and Adam’s direction elicited uneasy shrugs from them both.
‘Where did this come from?’ the older woman asked, failing to turn round.
‘Uhm, well, it was painted by a local artist. Most of these were, actually,’ Robin said, gesturing at the other paintings. ‘Some Mum and Dad had dotted throughout the guesthouse, and others I’ve been buying in the run-up to today.’
‘It’s very modern,’ Mrs Harris said, turning. Her hands were squeezed into tight fists on her hips, and her iron-grey hair was piled up on her head, accentuating the sharpness of her features. ‘What’s the point of having so many paintings in here?’
‘Because they’re beautiful,’ Paige rushed, and Robin was touched by her loyalty. ‘The whole room is. All the rooms are. Whether you want the calm and quiet of a gallery, or to be transported to rural Spain, or get to sleep under the stars or on the beach without the cold or sand in your pyjamas. You get all the experience but with comfort to match. Don’t you see, Mrs Harris? I would pay all I had to sleep in one of these rooms, to have an unforgettable experience.’
Robin inhaled, a lump forming in her throat at Paige’s explanation, at the way she had understood her vision for the guesthouse so completely. ‘Paige—’ she started, her voice a whisper.
‘Why change it?’ Mrs Harris asked, cutting her off. ‘Sylvie and Ian had these rooms lovely and simple. Why all the fancy-pants arty stuff?’
‘I wanted to refresh the guesthouse, to try something a bit different.’
‘Change is unnecessary,’ Mrs Harris said. ‘And mark my words, the grass isn’t always greener; the sky could be just as grey, the tea just as weak on the other side.’
‘Right,’ Robin said, wondering if Mrs Harris was about to launch into a cliché-ridden song. ‘But it can be positive. And everything moves forward, whether we want it to or not. Why not be in control of it?’
Mrs Harris gave her such a long, piercing look that Robin felt her skin prickle.
‘Do you want to come and have a glass of champagne?’ she asked, an edge of desperation in her voice.
‘At eleven in the morning? Good Lord, no. This is what I mean. You with your crazy rooms and your drinking in the morning and your fancy bathtubs. Why is that man here? That developer? You’re conspiring with him, aren’t you? I know what he wants to do, and you’re a part of it. If he had his way, Goldcrest Road would be razed to the ground and replaced with a huge, seaside shopping complex. This,’ she said, jabbing her finger at Robin, ‘is the first step.’
‘No, not at all. How could—’ But the older woman walked straight past her. ‘Mrs Harris?’ Robin hurried after her.
‘I’m going home now,’ Mrs Harris called up. ‘I’m going to see to my own guests. They know what to expect, they know they can trust me.’
Mrs Harris swept down the stairs and out of the front door, leaving a trail of sweetly floral perfume in her wake. Molly appeared in the doorway of Sea Shanty, a glass of champagne in her hand, and Tim peered out over her shoulder.
‘Mrs Harris didn’t like the rooms, then?’ Molly asked. ‘Don’t pay any attention to her, she’s just jealous because her hotel’s stuck several centuries back.’
Robin stopped on the bottom step and leaned her arms on the banisters. ‘She accused me of being involved in some huge, destructive plot to demolish Goldcrest Road and replace it with a shopping complex.’
‘What?’ Molly’s eyes widened. ‘What planet is she on?’
‘Planet suspicion,’ Robin said, her gaze going to Tim, who looked as relaxed as ever, no suggestion that Mrs Harris had touched a nerve. ‘She thinks I’m in cahoots with you.’
‘Me?’ Tim’s eyebrows shot up.
‘You. You’re responsible for this plan, apparently, and me taking over the guesthouse is the first step.’
‘Because launching a brand new seaside B&B is definitely the right course of action when the building’s about to be demolished.’ Molly rolled her eyes and tapped her toes against the floorboards.
Robin sighed. ‘She’s nervous. She feels threatened – not by this place, specifically, but by any kind of change. Apparently things should just carry on, exactly the same as they always were.’ She caught Tim’s gaze and he flashed her a knowing smile. Robin swallowed. ‘I’ll go and talk to her later,’ she rushed. ‘See if I can reassure her that Goldcrest Road isn’t about to disappear in a cloud of fancy restaurants and TK Maxx stores.’
‘God, I’d love a TK Maxx in Campion Bay. This playsuit came from the Bridport store.’ Molly did a slow twirl in the hallway, and Robin nodded approvingly. The playsuit was hot orange, Molly’s lipstick matching, the overall effect with her blonde hair and smooth skin was tanned, summery and utterly gorgeous. From Tim’s expression, she could see he was also a fan.
‘Don’t give him any ideas,’ Robin said and then, realizing how that might sound, tried to clarify. ‘About building a TK Maxx, not about …’ She gestured lamely at Molly’s outfit. ‘Though of course it’s up to you what you … It isn’t any of my …’ She stalled, mortification presenting itself as a red flush across her cheeks, her friend and her ex staring at her with confusion. ‘Is there a glass of champagne for me?’
‘Of course!’ Molly thrust one into her hands. ‘Where are Adam and Paige?’
‘Still upstairs.’ Robin clinked her glass with Tim’s, and then Molly’s, her toast lodged in her throat as she saw Molly’s expression.
‘You left Paige and Adam alone in one of the bedrooms? It wasn’t Starcross, was it?’
‘What’s Starcross?’ Tim asked. ‘When do I get a tour?’
‘They’re in Canvas,’ Robin said. ‘And I don’t see why you’re worried. It’s daylight, and it’s not like they’ve booked the room, is it?’
Molly shook her head, pityingly. ‘They’re sixteen, Robin. I find it hard to trust them alone together in any room with a soft surface – or a wall, for that matter.’ Molly hurried up the stairs, her low heels tap-tapping on the wood. ‘We need to watch those two, it’s worse than when she was a toddler. I thought her getting into the biscuit cupboard was bad enough, but now when I compare it to Adam getting in – well, you get the picture.’
‘I heard that, Mum!’ Paige screeched. ‘Oh my God, could you be any more embarrassing? We’re just Snapchatting!’
When they were alone, Tim took a step towards Robin. ‘She’s worried about her daughter losing her virginity in one of the guesthouse rooms? Wouldn’t that be a turn-up.’ Robin focused on his chin, on how close his shave was, rather than meeting his gaze. But she couldn’t help smiling, the memory distant but still there – the excitement, nerves, the clumsiness, the fear of being discovered by her parents as they snuck into the bedroom – now Wilderness – when it was unoccupied. At the time her attic bedroom hadn’t seemed exciting enough for what they were planning, and there was more chance of them being discovered there, despite it being at the top of the house.
‘You brought your dad’s homemade wine,’ she said, the smile becoming a grin as she finally caught his eye. ‘It was awful. And those Superman boxer shorts.’
‘Hey,’ Tim said, but he was smiling too. ‘I seem to remember you had made an effort as well. Lilac matching underwear.’
‘From Debenhams,’ Robin said. ‘I loved that underwear. I felt so grown up.’
‘I was fond of it too.