Page 106 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
Should he go after her? At least if he could catch her on her own for just a moment he might be able to talk to her, find out what was wrong. But clearly she didn’t want to be caught. He had to let her go.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Oh, hello. It’s Mr and Mrs Donovan, isn’t it?” Shelley smiled warmly at the elderly couple. “Have you enjoyed your stay?”
“We’ve had a lovely time, dear. I ate so much Christmas pudding at dinner last night that I’ve had to let my belt out a notch!”
She laughed. “Oh dear. Still, if you can’t eat too much at Christmas, it isn’t really Christmas.”
On the last night of their stay the guests had been served the full Christmas menu of Chef’s turkey special, richly basted with butter and his own mix of herbs, with all the trimmings, followed by his amazing Christmas puddings. He always prepared them a year in advance and left them to mature, until just breathing their aroma could put you over the drink-drive limit.
She was enjoying working on reception. She wasn’t working here full time — not yet. Only on the days when the Turkey-and-Tinsel groups were arriving and leaving — those days could be very busy, with so many people to be dealt with at once.
But she was learning the ropes, and Lisa was going to teach her how to use the computer while the hotel was closed down for the renovations.
“Phew.” Jess sighed deeply. “That’s most of them checked out. Well done, Shells. You’re doing great.”
“I’m loving it. They’re all so sweet, and in such a happy mood with Christmas coming.”
“Except for that old git in the knitted waistcoat.” Jess pulled a face. “You handled him brilliantly.”
“Ah well, anyone would be grumpy at having to wear a hideous thing like that. I bet his wife knitted it for him and nags him if he doesn’t wear it.”
Jess laughed. “You could be right.”
Shelley smiled to herself as she checked through the returned key cards. In the past few weeks her life had taken a huge upturn. She was reading avidly. She had found some Agatha Christie paperbacks in the hotel’s library stock, and Jess’s sister Julia had given her some more, and she was addicted!
Helen Channing had encouraged her to copy out some passages as she learned to write, and she was making progress with that too. The more she practised the skill, the more her confidence grew.
And now here she was on the reception desk, training for a new job. Who’d have thought it?
“Hello.”
She turned sharply, her heart thumping. Alex.
“How’s it going?”
“Um . . . Very well.” She managed a smile. “We’re just doing the check-out. Most of the guests have come down. They’re sitting around in the lounge having a last drink.”
“Everybody happy?”
“No complaints so far.” Oh, those eyes. And when he looked at her like that . . .
“That’s good. And how are you enjoying your new job?”
“Very much, thank you.” She was trying for a casual air, but she wasn’t sure that it was working. “Though it isn’t actually my job yet. I’m just training.”
“Ah, yes.”
Shelley was vaguely aware that Jess had slipped back through the door to the offices, leaving them alone — just the two of them.
“So, what do you think of the plans for the renovation?” he asked genially.
The staff had all been invited to a meeting where the interior designer had explained her plans and shown a presentation ofhow it would look. And they had been assured that though the hotel would be closing for two months in the new year, they would all be retained on full wages, and be involved in the preparations for reopening.
“It looks very nice.”
“Not too medieval?”
