Flynn grinned and turned back towards the receptionist. ‘Will you send Libby’s suitcase over, please?’ he said before turning back to Libby. ‘Follow me.’
Libby had no idea where they were going but she followed Flynn through a maze of grand corridors with artwork on the walls. On her other visits to Starcross Manor, Libby had never ventured into this part of the hotel, so she did her best to take it all in. Finally, they reached a set of double doors and stepped outside. She was pleased to see that the snowflakes were still falling.
‘Please tell me you’re not putting me up in a garden shed.’ She narrowed her eyes at Flynn.
‘As if I’d dare.’
Flynn led the way through the illuminated gardens then took a gravel path that led to a woodland and then a clearing.
Stepping out from the darkness of the woods, Libby couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘Oh my… Look at this!’ She stared at the circle of log cabins, all swathed in fairy lights hanging from their crooked roofs. Outside each log cabin was a small real Christmas tree waiting to be decorated. It was picture-perfect.
‘I thought you might like to stay in one of the log cabins instead of a hotel room. There’s more space and more character. You can obviously use the hotel facilities and eat in the restaurants—use the spa and gym—but I thought you could make this into a proper home for the next few weeks.’
Libby was overjoyed. ‘This is just amazing. I actually feel like I’m in the middle of the Swiss Alps. It’s like something out of a romantic novel. It’s utterly gorgeous. I didn’t even know these log cabins existed. How did I not know?’
‘They’re a relatively new addition. I wanted to make sure they were perfect before showing you. Now, as I know you love this time of year even though it’s still November, I’ve organised a tree,’ he said, pointing to it. ‘There’s another one inside and a box of decorations and believe me, if you like the outside, you haven’t seen anything yet.’ He took the bunch of keys from Libby and held up the silver one. ‘This is for the front door.’ Flynn put the key in the lock, opened the door and stepped to the side, sweeping his arm towards the inside of the lodge. ‘After you.’
Libby stepped inside and gave an incredulous stare. ‘Christmas has arrived!’ Everywhere was dressed in crimson and gold, from the soft furnishings to an enormous bouquet of red roses and berries dressed in a huge ribbon on the table in the middle of the room.
‘Just a small token of my appreciation. I can’t thank you enough for helping me out with this wedding.’
‘Flynn, this is all too much.’
‘Don’t be daft! You’re doing me a huge favour and it also means that Julia and I are going to get to see lots of you during the festive period. That’s priceless to me.’
Libby couldn’t take the smile off her face. ‘It’s me who feels like I’ve won a competition. I can’t believe you’ve done all this for me.’ She was still looking around the room, completely taken with the cosy interior. There was a wood-burning stove in the living room, which was already lit and giving out a welcoming warmth to the room, a huge window at the far end that beautifully displayed the snowy mountainous terrain in the far distance, a flat-screen TV and a top-of-the-range kitchen with a wine rack full of bottles.
‘The fridge is stocked with essentials and there’s also tea and coffee just here,’ he said, opening a cupboard.
‘You really have thought of everything. I’m certainly going to be living my best life in the next few weeks! Thank you.’
Flynn smiled. ‘I just want you be comfortable.’
The bellman appeared in the doorway, dropping off Libby’s suitcase before tipping his cap at Flynn and disappearing again.
‘Take a look outside,’ urged Flynn.
Libby walked towards the back window and took a closer look at the outdoor space. The wooden terrace was festooned with hanging coloured bulbs and just to the right was a hot tub with a hedge either side, giving extra privacy but not blocking the view of the spectacular scenery. Libby could already picture spending her evenings sitting in the hot tub, sipping a glass of fizz with the snow falling lightly around her.
‘I think this is going to be the best job in the world.’
‘Through there are a couple of bedrooms, a bathroom and a small study where I’ve set you up with a sewing machine just in case you needed one here as well as the studio … which I can show you after lunch.’
Libby wandered through to the bedrooms and couldn’t quite believe the study, which was bigger than her bedroom at home. Flynn had thought of everything; along with the sewing machine were a mannequin, scissors, pins, tape measures and an ironing board. Attached to the wall was a large whiteboard planner, outlining the weeks and jobs that would need to be co-ordinated to ensure smooth planning of the upcoming wedding.
‘There’s similar in the studio. I also took the liberty of arranging numerous materials and rails of wedding dress samples to give the bride ideas and choice. We have connections with a local tailor that has an outstanding reputation. There are also lots of brochures in the studio for places like Buttercup Barn, the florist based at the Heart of the Village at Foxglove Farm. The owner is going to pop in with some winter flower bouquets that could help with the colour scheme of the wedding.’
‘Perfect.’
‘Keeping all the business local will help to cement the business relationship we have here at Heartcross, and of course there’s nobody better to bake the cake than Rona.’
Libby agreed. Rona, owner of Bonnie’s Teashop, baked cakes to die for.
‘She’s already agreed to make the cake, so we don’t have to worry about timing, but as soon as the colour scheme is confirmed, and the bride and groom have agreed on the type of cake and number of tiers, do let Rona know. Between you and me, she’s a gem and is only charging me for the ingredients. In return she has free use of the spa through the festive season.’
This was exactly what Libby loved about Heartcross: everyone looked after each other.
‘Shall we grab you some food and then I can show you the studio you’ll be working from?’
