Page 20 of Autumn at the Willow River Guesthouse
Pete relayed the message into the phone.
‘Alright, he said you’ve got a deal.’
Pete hung up and sat down at the table. ‘Are you sure you’re alright?’
‘I just had a bad first day, that’s all. After getting humiliated by that old woman, I had to scrub toilets, clean bins, and pick up some crusty old sock someone had left under a bed. I swear the thing moved when I touched it.’
Pete smiled. ‘That’s the hotel industry for you.’
‘I’m earning eight pounds an hour to pick up other people’s rubbish.’
‘That’s more than I was paying you, and don’t forget, it’s eight pounds thirty from tomorrow.’
‘Wow, lucky me.’
‘You know, when I was a kid, I helped out in that guesthouse for free. It was expected. By then, Gus was already running things as Gran and Grandad got too old, but I was there carrying out plates of beans on toast before school, then cutting the grass and emptying the bins after. It’s not that hard, if you learn to appreciate it.’
‘Do you think I’m weak?’
Pete leaned across and put a hand over Lily’s. ‘You’re not weak, Lily. At least, not in some ways. You managed to channel all your energy and the brains you got from your mother’s side into getting a First from Oxford and a top job in a London company. That’s not bad, is it?’
‘Not doing me much good now, is it?’
‘You just have to work your way back up. And one way to do that, is to understand the foundations that your life is built on. Someone empties the bins in those ivory towers. Someone hoovers the carpets. And someone delivers the breakfasts to the lords in their castles. Put yourself in the shoes of those people for a while and you’ll get a better perspective of things. You’ll appreciate the view better the higher you climb, and you’ll also understand how the people below you feel. Never take anything for granted, and don’t be afraid of a bit of hard work. Just look at your mother. She makes all those things she sells in her shop for five quid a pop. She could order them in out of some factory in China if she wanted to, but she doesn’t. She likes getting her hands dirty, because it makes the money that she earns feel deserved.’
‘So you think I don’t appreciate money?’
‘All I think is that you shouldn’t give up on the guesthouse after one day.’
Lily sighed. ‘I’ll do my best.’
‘Try to look at it differently. You’re not just there to pick up crusty socks and fry eggs. You’re there to make people happy. To entertain them. And at the same time, you can learn from them in return. You’re coming into contact with people from all over the place, from all different walks of life. Don’t miss the opportunity to get to know them a little.’
Lily nodded.
‘I’ll try.’
Pete patted her hand. ‘Good girl. Now, is there a beer in the fridge I can drink to accompany you and that wine?’
‘I think so.’ Lily held up the rest of the wine bottle. ‘Should I save some for Mum?’
Pete shook his head. ‘No, I think she’s busy with Doreen Volume 4. It arrived in the mail this morning. I think she’s scared to turn it off in case Doreen finds out.’
‘Well, I suppose if it makes her happy.’
‘Oh, by the way, a letter came for you this morning.’
Pete headed to the fridge to get a beer, then picked an envelope up from a rack on the kitchen counter. He came back to the table and handed it to Lily.
‘Anyone you know?’
The address was handwritten, the envelope adorned with painted swirls.
Steve.
She picked it up, turned it over, then forced a shrug. ‘I’m not sure,’ she said.
Half an hour later, after an increasingly forced conversation with her dad, she headed to her room, closed the door, and pulled the letter out of her pocket. She had been home a couple of weeks now and still not ventured back into the online world. Eventually Steve must have figured out where she had gone and hunted out her address.
