Page 52 of New Beginnings at the Little Christmas Inn
‘Oh, my goodness. A stray?’
‘No, it was dead. Long dead and horribly mummified. Jonquil said she finds all sorts of things up chimneys. The cat was supposed to ward off evil.’
‘Hell’s bells, kitten,’ Simona said with feeling. ‘Wish I’d never asked.’ She glanced at her dainty gold wristwatch. ‘Goodness, is that the time, darling? This Cinderella needs her beauty sleep. Walk me home, my gallant?’ she asked Mark.
‘Delighted to just as soon as I can find my reindeer jumper and antlers.’
Costume found and thank yous and hugs exchanged, Brian and Livvy saw their guests out. Illuminated by The George’s Christmas lights, the pub car park was white over, a gleaming, sparkling frost covered every surface, the windscreen of her parents’ BMW opaque. Stars glimmered in an inky, cold sky. Below them, in the quiet, the sea shifted and sshed.
‘What a perfect night.’ Simona shivered as her breath misted out into the frigid night. ‘So romantic.’
‘Night, Livvy.’ Mark hugged her to him and kissed her cheek. His lips felt very hot on her frozen face. ‘Been a great evening.’
At that moment, the security lights blazed on.
‘What the–’ Brian exhaled in shock.
Livvy gasped and Mark’s arm tightened around her shoulders. Her van, discreetly parked out of the way in the far corner and next to the old stable block, had the word BITCH painted clearly in white paint on its side.
CHAPTER 29
Champagne – a sparkling wine for celebrations and to cheer the spirit
It was just as well The George closed on a Monday. Livvy spent most of the day organising a respray for the van and talking to the police. In the end, after she’d added the other incidents onto the online form, two uniformed officers came round, took photographs and noted her concerns.
When they’d gone she followed the aroma of roasting meat and found her father in a hot and steamy kitchen. He was wearing a Santa hat and an apron emblazoned withHo Ho Ho!and was basting an enormous turkey. The work surfaces were crammed with saucepans of vegetables, potatoes and sauces. Carols blasted out from Bay Radio.
‘Oh,’ she said surprised. ‘Are we still having Christmas lunch?’ Going over to the radio, she turned the volume down on ‘The Holly and the Ivy’.
‘Thought we’d battle on. Simona’s coming round, don’t forget.’
‘We have these things called phones, Dad. I’m sure she would have understood if we’d rung to cancel.’ Livvy knew she was coming over shrewish and ungrateful but last night’s incident had unsettled her. Night-time teenage pranks were one thing but painting the word bitch on her work van, on the vehicle she depended upon to do her job, felt intensely spiteful.
Brian returned the turkey to the oven, washed his hands and came over. ‘Your mother and I want to have this as our Christmas day with you, darling girl, because we won’t see you on the actual day. We haven’t seen you for months, you’ve holed yourself up in this money pit and we want to have a nice family meal together. Besides, some good food and drink might cheer you up after what happened last night.’ Unexpectedly, he hugged her. ‘Can’t get over my big grown-up girl owning her very own business.’
Livvy relaxed into the hug. Her father hardly ever showed her any physical affection; they simply weren’t that sort of family. When she’d been young her parents had always been too busy running the hotels to have much time for her. To her chagrin, she began to cry. She’d tried to be independent and resilient for so long, the hug had crumpled through her defences.
‘Hey, hey, what’s all this?’ Releasing her, he thumbed the tears away. ‘Don’t let it get to you. I could tell you some tales of what disgruntled staff did to us. Hands in the till, giving free drinks to their buddies, all sorts of rubbish. You learn to develop a thick skin. It’s not personal.’
Fishing out a tissue from her pocket, she croaked, ‘Trouble is, it feels personal. The word bitch feels very personal. And there’s been other stuff. Nothing major. Kids in the car park at night,’ she nodded to the kitchen door, ‘rattling that. It’s as if someonehas something against me. And it can’t be a member of staff, I’ve got a great team who I trust.’
‘Even Eli?’
Livvy’s brow wrinkled as she dismissed the idea. ‘Eli’s a good kid.’
‘With some interesting relatives.’
‘And a loving family. I don’t think it was Gerry’s lot who did that. I saw them off the premises and they all ambled down to the bus stop. They were drunk but not belligerent and unless they doubled back carrying a can of white paint, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t them.’
‘Then who do you think it might be?’
‘That’s just it, Dad. I don’t know. The town has welcomed me with open arms. Even the other pub owners. I’m not a direct threat to anyone. If anything, it’s me who can’t compete with The Old Harbour’s setting or the established trade in The Ship. There’s room enough for all of us.’
‘I can see it’s unnerved you.’ He turned his attention to the stuffing. ‘Spiced chestnut and apple,’ he declared. ‘My favourite.’
Livvy managed a watery smile as she watched him work. She hoped Fabio wouldn’t mind his kitchen being used. ‘It’s made me nervous, I’ll admit. It’s a big building to be in on your own. That’s why I adopted Angel. Doubt she’d be any good as a guard dog but she’s company. And it’s good knowing Simona is right next door. When I first bought the pub she was away.’
‘And it looks as if Mark is a good friend? Your mother approves.’
