* * *
‘I can’t wait to see what it looks like inside,’ Milly said as I drove us through the gates to Willowdale Hall that evening. ‘Coral and I did an alpaca walk in the summer so I’ve seen the outside and it’s a stunning building.’
‘I haven’t even seen the outside. I was going to book an alpaca walk with my former next-door neighbour, Betsy, but she finally admitted that she’s scared of alpacas and llamas so it never happened.’
‘I’d love to do another walk. Maybe we can book one together to celebrate opening the shop.’
‘That’s a great idea. We should… oh! Wow!’
I eased my foot off the accelerator as I took in the stunning manor house ahead of us. Three storeys high and constructed from grey slate with sandy-coloured stones round the windows, it took my breath away.
‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ Milly said.
‘It’s even more impressive than I expected. Could you imagine getting married here? The combination of the house, the lake and the fells would be so special.’
Christian had told me that Oliver and his girlfriend, Rosie, had already hosted several events in the ground-floor function room where Emma and Killian’s engagement party was being held. The room had been refurbished as part of the huge renovation project but they were still debating getting a licence to become a wedding venue, not that Emma and Killian would get married there if they did. The hall was important to them as they’d met through working there so it was the ideal venue for their engagement party, but they felt it would be a bit much getting married at their place of work.
Inside, Willowdale Hall was equally impressive with a sweeping dual staircase, an enormous sparkling chandelier and beautiful wooden panelling. An A-board to the right directed us through an open doorway, not that it was really needed as we could hear the music and chatter.
I spotted Autumn and Dane and introduced Milly to them. Milly mainly worked on novels but had edited a few children’s books in her time. She knew a few authors who Autumn and Dane had met so, noticing Christian nearby, I excused myself and left them deep in conversation.
‘I’m glad you came,’ Christian said, smiling at me.
‘Me too. This place looks incredible.’
‘Can I say that you do too? I love your hair. That really suits you.’
‘It was long overdue.’ I’d been thrilled with the miracle that had been worked on my dull hair. The hairdresser had taken several inches from it and added various colours to create a shiny, bouncy shoulder-length style which Milly had said made me look years younger.
Christian introduced me to Oliver and Rosie.
‘You have a beautiful home,’ I told them. ‘How’s progress going with the apartments?’
‘We’re almost there,’ Rosie said. ‘The boat house was ready at the end of last summer and it’s been fully booked ever since. The apartments in the other wing are ready and we’ve got our first guests booked in from the start of the Easter holidays, which is both exciting and scary.’
‘The rest of the apartments – upstairs in this wing – should be finished by the end of May,’ Oliver said, ‘but our home’s on this floor and there’s still work being done inside so we’re not taking bookings until the summer when all the building work’s finished.’
Rosie nodded. ‘The whole project will have taken about a year which isn’t bad considering the size of this place. I believe you have a project of your own, Yvonne, but I need to find my mum as she wants to chat to you about your patchwork quilts.’
Rosie introduced me to her mum, Alice, who told me she loved patchwork quilts and had one on her bed but it was old and worn and she’d love a new one so would definitely visit Created With Love during our opening week to make a purchase. It gave me a thrill to know that I already had a customer.
Across the evening, I was introduced to various guests including Alice’s fiancé, Xander, and a lovely woman called Mel – the conservation architect who’d developed the plans for the building. When I discovered that she’d also been responsible for the interior design, I couldn’t resist mentioning Saffy’s name and whipping out my phone to show her the designs Saffy had done for Created With Love.
‘You say she’s had no formal training?’ Mel asked as she flicked through the photos.
‘None, although she’s started art classes at the village hall and is looking into college courses.’
‘She’s got a raw, natural talent.’ Mel looked thoughtful as she scrolled back and forth before returning my phone to me. ‘I often get asked to do interior design and, while I enjoy it, it’s not my core business so I usually have to turn it down. Willowdale Hall was an exception. I’ve loved this building since I was a little girl.’
Mel retrieved a business card and handed it to me. ‘Tell Saffy to get in touch. I think it would be worth us having a chat. I might not be able to give her any work but I can offer some advice – maybe even a spot of mentoring.’
‘That would be amazing. Thank you so much.’
It was a lovely evening which I was glad I hadn’t missed. Emma and Killian’s friends and family were so welcoming and they all passed on their best wishes for Created With Love’s opening day on Monday, promising to visit. At various points across the evening, my eyes connected with Christian’s and we smiled at each other but those butterflies which had previously paid me a brief visit didn’t reappear. Milly thought that the physical reaction I’d had to him could have been the result of him being the first man to pay me any attention since Cliff died. That certainly made sense. I’d been flattered and got carried away with it. A positive from it was that spending so much time with Christian had given me the courage to be around other men. For now, the priority was opening Created With Love, completing on my house sale next week, settling into the flat and finding somewhere permanent to live but I’d do something about finding love once everything was settled. No idea what but I’d come up with something.
Milly seemed to be really enjoying herself which was great to see. I’d been worried about how subdued she’d been lately but getting dressed up and being out among people for a happy occasion seemed to have done her the world of good. My friends had all had a tough start to the year and, while Created With Love had provided us all with a welcome distraction, everyone could do with a little fun and a session walking Emma’s alpacas could be just what we all needed.
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