Open For Business by Cressisa McLauchlin

Author:Cressisa McLauchlin [McLauchlin, Cressisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008219246
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2016-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

‘Mr and Mrs Barker.’ Robin smiled up at the couple as she stood in front of the computer and clicked through to their reservation. ‘So lovely to see you.’ Her palms were sweaty, as they had been all day, and she felt like she’d had a whole pot of coffee to herself, despite having stuck to a single cup when she’d woken at six o’clock after a restless night. This was it, her guests were checking in; there was no time to turn back.

‘Sea’s looking pretty choppy today,’ Mrs Barker said in response. ‘Bracing.’

‘It is,’ Robin agreed. ‘The wind’s up a bit.’ She clicked that her guests had arrived, and a confirmation sheet printed out on the sleek black printer behind her. ‘Are you planning on swimming?’ She placed the paper in front of them. ‘If you could check the details and give me a signature, I can show you to your room.’

‘Love to swim in the sea,’ Mrs Barker confirmed, while her husband leaned his wide frame over the paper, squinting slightly. ‘It’s always biting where we live in Wales, so the south coast should be a welcome change.’

‘You have lovely beaches in Wales, though.’

‘Oh yes,’ Mrs Barker said. ‘Some of the best.’

Robin filed the completed confirmation sheet, and took the keys to Andalusia out of the drawer of the wooden desk. The hall had never been wide enough to house a proper reception area, so she’d continued her parents’ tradition of having a desk and computer station in the living room – now Sea Shanty – where the keys and paperwork were kept. Mr and Mrs Barker stepped back, allowing her to lead the way.

‘We have got a tiny lift,’ she said, ‘or we can take the stairs up to the second floor.’

‘Stairs are fine,’ Mr Barker confirmed, hefting his Barbour bag on to his shoulder.

‘Can I take anything?’ Robin asked.

‘Oh no, we’re fine, aren’t we, love?’

‘That we are.’

They both had tanned, weather-worn faces, and their clothes were smart but practical, their jackets and boots indicating that they worked outside, riding or gardening or managing country estates. Robin wondered if they owned a huge, secluded mansion in North Wales, with meticulous rose gardens, acres of grassland and a river running through a woody copse. ‘Good-oh,’ she said quickly, snapping herself back to reality. ‘Let me show you to your room.’

When she opened the door, allowing Mr and Mrs Barker to go in first, she couldn’t help but grin. Mr Barker’s reaction was subtle, his eyebrows shooting skywards, but his wife clapped her hands together in glee.

‘It’s even better than the photo,’ she said, turning in a slow circle.

‘I’m so glad you approve,’ Robin rushed, her heartbeat beginning to return to normal.

Andalusia was the boldest of her bedrooms, with its rustic styling, red and burnished orange fabrics and dark wood furniture. The sun was streaming through the window, adding to the impression of being in another country, and Robin thought she couldn’t have picked a more perfect moment to invite her guests in.

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