A New Start at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Author:Francesca Capaldi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2023-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Edie was tired this morning as she sat at breakfast and wished another half-day off was due, but she’d only had one three days ago. She’d so enjoyed her time off with Charlie. He’d gone a bit quiet at the beginning of the meal but had soon perked up. Today, not only did she have a shift on the desk this morning, she was also serving lunch in the busy restaurant.

Fanny and Gertie were twittering away at one end of the table, Mrs Leggett was looking solemn at the other. A couple more of the staff trooped in, Lili bearing two plates of bacon, fried eggs and mushrooms, one of which was put down in front of Edie as her friend sat down. She was digging her fork into a mushroom when Charlie came rushing in.

‘Look at this!’ He held up the newspaper. ‘There’s been an attack on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby by the German navy. Says here there have been at least nine killed and a load injured.’

Gertie let out a shriek. ‘But Scarborough’s by the coast, and so are we, so what if the Germans work their way round and attack us? We could all be killed!’

Fanny and Hetty caught her mood and started to whine. This in turn made Gertie wail louder. When all three became hysterical, Charlie blocked his ears. Finally, Mrs Leggett stood.

‘Enough of that caterwauling! Stop it, this instant, or you will have to leave the room and miss your breakfasts!’

It didn’t have the desired effect but instead made the maids worse. With other staff moaning and Mrs Leggett repeating her threat several times, ever louder, complete chaos ruled.

Edie stood up, then stepped up onto the bench seat, wobbling a little. Thankfully it was balanced by the other people sitting on it. Charlie’s eyes widened with surprise.

Clapping her hands, she called, ‘Silence,’ in a loud yet controlled voice, just the way Nanny Street used to when she and Freddie were younger.

The whole room became quiet, including Mrs Leggett, who looked horrified. Edie decided it was more likely down to surprise than any authority she might have, though some in the hotel, particularly the newer maids, paid attention to her.

Edie stepped back down to the floor. ‘Now, let’s think about this logically, shall we?’ She searched her mind for all the British geographical knowledge she’d gleaned from her governess, Miss Langley.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ said the housekeeper.

‘I want to reassure people who are worried,’ she replied. ‘Germany is on the North Sea, the same as those English towns they’ve attacked, so those places are more accessible and therefore more vulnerable. It would be harder for the German warships to come down past the narrow bit of the sea in the English Channel between Dover and Calais, where they’re more likely to be faced by our navy.’ She hadn’t a clue how true this was, but it seemed a reasonable deduction.

‘Those poor people,’ sobbed Hetty, causing all three of the maids to whimper.

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