She really seemed to care, and for the first time since Evie had taken over the job from Gerald, she felt as if she had someone in her corner.
Talking to Abby had lifted her mood a little and Evie felt more cheerful as she showed her round the hotel, introducing her to staff members, who were universally welcoming.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no disasters ongoing at that particular moment. No pipes had burst. No guests were complaining. None of the staff were asking to leave early to handle a family crisis. No one was taking an elongated lunch break.
Abby herself was reserved, greeting people politely but formally, listening while they explained their role in the hotel.
Evie was impressed by the interest she showed and the questions she asked. Most of the staff just took care of their role (and sometimes not even that!) and didn’t worry about the rest of it. Abby was interested in all of it. Interested and engaged.
“Ooh, it will be good for our Evie to have reinforcements,” Pat said cheerfully. “You’re very welcome here. We’re a friendly bunch, so don’t hesitate to ask us anything. Where will you be staying while you’re here?”
“We’ve booked her into the Lookout at the Smuggler’s Inn,” Evie said. “I’m taking her over there when I’ve finished the tour.”
“Lucky you.” Pat winked at her. “If I were twenty years younger I’d be booking myself in there, too. And maybe doing a little sleepwalking and finding myself in the landlord’s apartment.”
“Thank you, Pat.” Mortified, Evie moved on hastily. “Now I’ll show you the kitchens.”
Abby glanced over her shoulder and watched Pat vanish down the corridor. “What did she mean by that?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Ignore her.” She should have gathered the staff together and given them a talk on appropriate behaviour.
“But why would she want to find herself in the landlord’s apartment?”
Evie sighed. She should probably be honest. Abby had a right to know what she was dealing with. “Because Tristan, the landlord, is single and particularly good-looking, and because everyone in this village is obsessed with meddling with other people’s love lives. Please ignore it. That’s what I try and do.”
Abby gave her a curious look. “They meddle with your love life?”
“Oh yes. You get used to it.” That wasn’t exactly true of course because she’d never got used to it. “It’s particularly bad in your teenage years when you’re gawky and uncertain about who you are and everyone has an opinion. For example, my first kiss was round the back of the pub and I thought we’d been discreet. Then the next day four different people told me they didn’t think he was right for me, and they also told my dad.”
Abby laughed. “That must have been a little limiting.”
“Very limiting. And it still happens.” She thought of Martin,and then pushed the thought aside. She wasn’t going to let Martin ruin what was otherwise a perfectly good day.
“I can’t imagine living in a place where everyone knows everyone else.”
“Well, it’s heaven or hell, depending on your taste. It’s impossible to keep secrets in this place. On the other hand if you want everyone in the village to know something you don’t have to waste time or money on a mailing. Just tell Marie in the ice cream shop. And while you’re there order a scoop of her vanilla and honeycomb.” She pushed open the doors that led to the kitchen.
Every surface gleamed and the staff were in the process of prepping for the evening.
There was no sign of Luca but Evie made a mental note to thank him for organising his domain so well.
“This is where the magic happens.” Evie paused as Alina, one of the receptionists, stuck her head around the door.
“Evie! There you are. The Hunters just checked out. They were complaining that their breakfast was cold so I removed it from their bill and offered them a free night next time they’re staying.”
Evie felt a ripple of frustration and resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall. They couldn’t afford to overcompensate. “Did they complain about their breakfast at the time?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“I did a walk-around this morning and all they said to me was ‘good morning.’ We encourage guests to tell us right away if they encounter anything during their stay that falls below the standard they were expecting. We can’t fix something at the end.”
“Right.” Alina looked confused. “I thought our aim was to have happy guests.”
“It is, but we need to do that while keeping an eye on our profit. It isn’t all about discounts. Sometimes we just need to do better.”
Alina nodded. “It’s just that Gerald always—”
“I know,” Evie interrupted quickly, conscious that Abby was listening, “but next time there’s a problem give me a call and I’ll talk to them.”
