‘Don’t worry about that. It’s all taken into account. Now, I want to come with my friend in a few days’ time.’
‘I’m really not sure about this, David. It’s not my hotel. It’s not easy to get in touch with the owner, and we couldn’t possibly put on a play without permission.’ There were a few things Meg was willing to do off her own bat but a full-blown production of a Shakespeare play wasn’t on the list.
David tutted briefly. ‘Really, Meggy, if you want that charming but outdated architectural gem of a house to become a going concern as a hotel you have to do something radical. I know you know that because we talked about it.’
‘But how would having a play in the garden help? If you can convince me, I can get Mum to ask Andrew about it.’
‘Well, the actors would need to be put up, although of course you wouldn’t want them in the best bedrooms. But if you could find lesser spaces – attics, things like that – that would earn money. Any local people willing to put up actors in their spare rooms would earn money from it too. And of course, you’d get the great and the good coming from all over to watch. My friend is very well respected in the business and there’s talk he might get Miriam Twycross to play Titania. She loves outdoor theatre.’
Meg gasped. ‘Miriam Twycross?’ Even she had heard of her.
‘Yes!’ said David, obviously pleased to get the right reaction at last. ‘And although some would say she’sa little old to be playing Titania, you really don’t notice her age when she’s on the stage. It’s one of her favourite roles.’
‘She won’t be on a stage,’ said Meg. ‘She’ll be on a lawn.’
‘That’s a technicality and, of course, she may not come at all. But imagine if she did?’
‘That would be nice,’ said Meg, still sounding doubtful.
‘And think of this,’ said David, who had presumably anticipated Meg’s reluctance. ‘The play is likely to be reviewed in the national newspapers. It’s publicity you couldn’t pay for!’
‘That does sound good.’
‘If I come down, would there be room for Nessa?’ asked David. ‘I know she’ll want to come too.’
‘I’m sure we’ll squash her in somehow,’ said Meg, laughing. ‘She was so helpful last time she was here.’
‘You need to take a leaf out of Alexandra’s book and convert some outbuildings for extra accommodation.’
Meg laughed again. ‘Hah! I’ve been wondering about that already. But Lexi and I are hardly in the same position. She’s married to the owner of all the outbuildings. I’m not.’
‘The principle holds,’ said David. ‘Now, when can we come?’
‘Why don’t you find out when Nessa and your friend are free and we’ll fit you in?’
‘If you run out of rooms, we can always go and stay at that smart hotel in Newton-cum-Hardy.’ Meg could picture David’s teasing expression when he said this.
There was a tiny pause while Meg tried to think of something cutting to say. ‘You only said that because you’re too far away for me to throw something at you,’ she managed.
David laughed, and shortly afterwards said goodbye.
It took quite a long time to explain the telephone call to her mother, although she’d been in the room all the while, sorting through the contents of the safe.
‘Are there any unused rooms we could make suitable fairly quickly?’ Meg said, when she’d finally got her mother to fully understand David’s preposterous suggestion.
‘There may be one or two. And there are dozens of rooms in the attic. I don’t think the children or their many attendants were ever expected to come downstairs. And there’s definitely an unoccupied gardener’s cottage. Bob has always had his own house with Susan, as you know. There might be other cottages too. There’d have been a gamekeeper when the estate was in its prime,’ said Louise. ‘And I think there are rooms over the stables, the ones that weren’t turned into garages in the twenties. Goodness knows what sort of condition they’d be in. If they weren’t too far gone, we could make them habitable.’ She sighed. ‘But it would all cost money.’
‘Distemper isn’t very expensive,’ said Meg. ‘And they may just need a thorough clean. We could ask Susan and Cherry to help. They might enjoy the challenge.’
Louise nodded. ‘They would appreciate any efforts that would make their jobs secure, that’s for sure.’
‘We could pay them out of the money I earn for the puddings,’ said Meg. ‘And if we were desperate, we could break into my savings. If it all works, I could claim back the money.’ Thinking about this money reminded her how much she wanted an electric mixer and she suddenly decided to get one. It would make her life so much easier.
‘Tell you what, when I’ve finished here, let’s explore and see where else we could put people,’ said Louise, obviously cheered by the prospect of finding places to do up and decorate.
‘I’ve got a better idea,’ said Meg. ‘Let’s just shove everything back into the safe and go and explore now!’
Louise contemplated the piles of old accounts books, envelopes, folders, letters and other detritus strewn around her. ‘I’ll do another twenty minutes, while you go and make me a cup of tea, and then put everything back. But it’s going back in tidily!’
