Page 51 of New Beginnings at the Little Christmas Inn
Livvy heard the pout.
‘We can’t have that,’ Brian blustered. ‘You must come here. Seeing as we’re off on the water for Christmas, we’re having an early celebratory lunch here tomorrow before we go. Don’t worry, I’m cooking.’
Livvy opened half an eye. They looked to be getting very cosy. She smiled and closed her eyes again, exhausted.
She wondered what her mother would think of the exquisite Simona getting so pally with her husband. To her amazement, Penny had been lured downstairs by the brass band and had stayed for the second half of the quiz. She’d joined Daisy and Rick’s team and actually looked to be having a reasonable time. Livvy stifled a groan, silently thanking her father for landing her with a guest for their early Christmas lunch. Their family dynamics could be tricky at the best of times. Still, maybe having Simona there would dilute things?
‘Gotcha!’
Mark’s shout had them all jumping a foot.
‘God, Mark,’ Livvy gasped. ‘You gave me a heart attack. What is it?’
He waved his phone at her. ‘You’re onSouth West News and Views.’
‘What’s that?’ Brian asked.
‘It’s the premier website for restaurants and pubs down here. Reviews, recommendations, where to eat suggestions. Incredibly influential.’
This made Livvy sit up. Reaching over, she took his phone. ‘We are! Look, everyone, we’re featured. They’ve even included a review. They must have been in to eat, and we didn’t notice.’
‘What, like a secret shopper?’ Simona said. ‘I’ve always fancied myself as one of those. I think I’d be rather good.’
‘You would,’ Livvy agreed. ‘And they’ve included the pic of me in the cherry picker. Look, Dad.’
Brian slid his reading glasses down off his forehead and squinted. ‘Oh I say, Liv. Was that safe?’
‘Probably not. And there’s a write-up of the bonfire party and they like the fact we stick to local produce. It’s all fantastic promo. About as positive as you could get. More so!’
‘Brilliant, Livvy,’ Mark said, his face glowing with pride. ‘It might be why it was so busy tonight. Looks like the feature went live two days ago.’
‘This calls for a celebration.’ Brian emptied the last of the cognac into their glasses. ‘Well done, my darling. Proud of you!’
‘Thanks, Dad.’ Livvy was taken aback. He’d never been so blatantly complimentary before and this was twice he’d praised her tonight.
‘It’s all rather marvellous, isn’t it?’ Simona put in. ‘How much have we made for the RNLI, Mark?’
Mark took his phone back. ‘I was totting it all up before I spotted the feature on the South West site and got distracted. One thousand and fifty-three pounds but I haven’t counted the bucket donations yet.’
‘How wonderful. Well done, Livvy.’
‘And that should reflect in a tidy profit too,’ Brian said.
‘Wasn’t the point of the evening, Dad.’
‘Can’t make a profit, can’t keep going, darling girl. That’s the reality. You’ve staff you’re responsible for now. Can’t let them down.’
Livvy gulped. She hadn’t thought about that before. Had been so fixated on the risks she was making, hadn’t considered how her staff would feel if it all went tits up. Stewie and Brittany were young; they’d find similar jobs, as would Eli, although she was beginning to feel protective of the boy; she’d rather he worked at The George than fall into his uncle’s clutches. And people were always looking for good cleaners, so Candice would be fine. It wouldn’t be as easy for Karl and Fabio. Karl had already been made redundant once and Fabio would be fussy, even though he was keen to stay in the area while his mother was ill. She couldn’t deny they were all depending on her, in some way. She loved the team she’d built up; she didn’t want anything to change that.
Her mood sobered. Trust her dad to prick her bubble. Staring into the wood burner, she murmured, ‘The fire’s dying down. Shall I put another log on?’
‘It’s late. It won’t hurt to let it die out,’ Mark said kindly, perhaps sensing her shift in mood. ‘The evening’s been a resounding success and all thanks to your hard work. Didn’t you say the chimney sweep found something up there?’
‘She did,’ Livvy answered, thankful for his change of subject. ‘Jonquil was at the quiz tonight. It was her collecting donations with menaces. Her team came dressed as wrapped Christmas presents.’
‘It was a super idea,’ Simona said, ‘until they tried sitting down. Had to take their boxes off.’ She gave a peal of laughter. ‘Just as well they had something on underneath and the place was nice and cosy. They had to sit the evening out in T-shirts and shorts. What did Jonquil find in the chimney, darling?She sweeps mine next door too. I find her rather,’ she paused, ‘abrasive, shall we say?’
‘It’s why I gave her team second prize in the fancy dress comp. Felt sorry for them. They’ve won a bar meal for four.’ Livvy ignored her father’s tut. ‘She found a cat.’
