‘Oh, thank you!’ said Meg, aware too late that she didn’t need to be grateful. He wasn’t granting her a personal favour; he was allowing a sound bit of investment. ‘There are four principal bedrooms with singles next to them that could be converted.’
‘Do them all. Why not?’
Meg felt the atmosphere between them had changed. Before they had been combative – rivals; or rather, Justin had been the Goliath and she was a little David, doing her best with her five stones and a slingshot. Just now, they were more like allies. She knew better than to think anything had basically changed but it was restful not to have to be on her mettle all the time.
‘Omelettes are ready!’ said her mother, coming into the room with plates. ‘Meggy? I’ve found a bottle of wine if you’d like to fetch it, and can you take the potatoes out of the oven?’
Justin caught Meg’s eye as she put her hand on her glass. ‘I know you don’t like to drive if you’ve had alcohol,’ he said. ‘I can ask Laura to come and collect me. She won’t mind.’
Although this was the ideal solution for Meg, for some reason her good mood melted. But she smiled firmly. ‘So, when do you want this gateau?’
‘Tomorrow evening? Short notice, I know, but it’s what our guests expect. This is a really delicious omelette, Mrs Sanderson.’
‘Louise, please.’
‘Louise. Meg tells me you might be willing to go to France and take the hotel deeds to my father? Please don’t feel obliged, but it would be a great favour it you could.’
‘Oh, I’d love that!’ said Louise enthusiastically. ‘It would be a real treat! But I can’t go. Meg couldn’t run the office and do all the cooking.’
‘I thought I’d ask Vanessa to come and help,’ said Meg. ‘She’d love an excuse to get away for a few days and spend some time somewhere she’s in charge. At home, with her mother planning her wedding, her opinion counts for nothing, she told me. All she’s allowed to do is write thank-you letters for the wedding presents which are in coming in lorryloads.’
‘Getting presents should be such fun!’ said Louise.
‘I think you can have too much of a good thing,’ said Meg.
Justin got to his feet. ‘Well, it was delicious, thank you, Louise. But now I should be getting off. I’ll use the telephone in the office, if that’s all right.’
Although Meg felt strange about Laura coming to collect him, she was a bit put out when her mother offered to drive Justin home instead. ‘It’ll give me a glimpse of your fancy hotel and save someone being disturbed,’ she said.
‘That would be very kind,’ said Justin. ‘If it’s not a nuisance.’
‘Certainly not. I’ll get the car keys.’ Louise smiled benignly.
As Meg watched her mother and Justin go out of the back door together, towards the Mini, she remembered to be pleased he’d agreed to her mother going to France instead of him. Maybe he wasn’t entirely horrible, only about 95 per cent.
Chapter Sixteen
Meg got up at dawn the following day. She’d had a very broken night and felt she might as well get on with her day rather than lie in bed trying to get back to sleep.
She went into the kitchen where, to her surprise, there was a stand mixer on the table. Her mother must have brought it back with her after she’d taken Justin home. She was delighted. Now all she needed was a recipe.
She put the kettle on for tea and then investigated the mixer. She was glad to see it had a very long flex. She wondered where the nearest socket was and for a moment wished she’d opted to make the gateau in Justin’s kitchen. That would have plenty of electric sockets; it was modern.
Louise came in. ‘You’re up early! Couldn’t you sleep?’
‘No. I was worrying about the Black Forest gateau.’ Meg paused. ‘I found this.’ She indicated the mixer.
Louise laughed. ‘Justin insisted I took it back with me. He made that poor girl – Laura, is it? – go and find it although it was quite late.’ She became thoughtful. ‘I think she was waiting up for him.’
‘Really? How odd!’ But as Meg didn’t want to reflect on this oddness, she went on: ‘I wish I had a recipe for this gateau. All of the books here are too old and too English to have Black Forest gateau in them.’
Louise pursed her lips. ‘It was very kind of Justin to find you the mixer, though, wasn’t it?’
Meg was aware she was being subtly told off for not being grateful. ‘It was. But of course, it is for his benefit, the mixer. Although, thank you, Mum, for bringing it back.’
‘I just think that underneath the swagger, Justin is a nice man.’
‘I’m sure he is. And I’m sure Laura thinks so too.’ Meg realised her feelings about Laura were not logical and nor were her feelings for Justin. She would just make the gateau and stop thinking about him. ‘Now, where can I plug in this mixer?’
