Chapter 5
Abby
The heels were a mistake, she thought as she stepped out of the taxi onto the sweeping gravel driveway and had her first proper look at the hotel that was going to be her home for the summer.
It was every bit as idyllic as the photos had suggested. The place looked more like a large English country house than a hotel.
They’d offered to send a car to collect her from the railway station, but she’d chosen to travel independently.
After a drive along narrow, twisting lanes framed by hedges and trees she’d finally reached her destination, arriving unannounced and a little early in order to give herself time to linger over first impressions.
And her first impressions were good.
The hotel nestled in a dip on the headland, an unusually sheltered position that offered endless views of dramatic cliffs and sparkling ocean.
A narrow path snaked away from the hotel, winding through mature trees and dropping out of sight near the cliff edge.
She knew from her intensive study of the place that it led down to a small sandy cove popular with surfers and more adventurous bathers and that descending it required a scramble at some points.
Those with small children or less nerve and agility could drive further along the coast and use one of the more easily accessible beaches.
The village with its famous harbour was a thirty-minute walk away down a steep hill.
The sun blazed but the gentle breeze meant that the temperature was perfect.
After a long and tiring journey she wanted to kick off her shoes and walk barefoot through the soft grass and wild flowers that framed the approach to the hotel, but she reminded herself that she wasn’t here to rest or enjoy a vacation. She was here to do a job, and that job started right away.
She felt a flicker of nerves. She was still uncomfortable with the idea of concealing her identity, but up until this point she’d also been excited at the prospect of being anonymous.
She’d thought it would make it easier to build relationships and a rapport with the staff, but what if it didn’t?
What if she wasn’t capable of it? She wouldn’t be able to blame it on her links with her mother.
She pushed that thought away. She just had to get on with it. With that in mind, she dictated a few thoughts into her phone.
First impressions are good. The buildings are impressive—I feel as if I’ve stepped onto a movie set.
Maybe Jane Austen. The views are incredible, although I have the advantage of seeing it for the first time on a sunny day with clear blue skies.
The gardens are well-tended and inviting with plenty of places to sit and enjoy the spectacular view.
“Good morning. Can I help you?”
A man approached across the manicured lawn. His smile was warm and welcoming, his appearance smart and professional. She guessed him to be in his mid fifties, although he looked younger possibly because his hair was thick and dark, showing only the occasional hint of silver.
This would be Edward, she thought. The concierge and longest-serving member of staff.
She knew from studying the staff members in depth that he was also the father of Evie, the acting manager.
She wondered if that was awkward, and if Evie found working with a parent as challenging as she did. Not that it was a question she’d be able to ask. She wouldn’t be making any reference to her mother while she was here.
“Abby Jones, I assume.” He extended a hand. “Welcome. I’ll let Evie know you’re here.”
She shook his hand. “How do you know who I am?”
“It’s my job to recognise the people coming in and out of the hotel.
I know you’re not a current guest. You could be coming for lunch, but your dress is a little formal for that.
” His gaze swept over her. “You look businesslike. And the fact that you were making a few notes about the hotel was a giveaway.” She’d been indiscreet, she could see that now.
Five minutes into this assignment and already she’d almost blown it.
She needed to be careful, particularly around Edward who was clearly observant.
“It helps me form an impression of a place. Get a sense of what it offers the guests. It’s a habit of mine.”
“We all have them.” He reached for her luggage and she stopped him.
“Thanks, but I can manage.”
“I’m sure you can, but here at The Alexandra we pride our-selves on our level of service. We like to spoil our guests.”
“I’m not a guest.”
“You’re not expected until 4 p.m. Until then you’re a guest.”
“My journey was quicker than I’d imagined.” She had a feeling he knew that she’d arrived early intentionally, a feeling that intensified as his smile widened.
“That’s the best way for a journey to be. But I’m sure you’re ready for a drink in the garden. I reserved a table in the shade for you and Evie so you can talk. I’ll let her know you’re here. I know she’s looking forward to meeting you.”
Was she? All she knew about Evie Hamilton was what she’d read about her as part of her research into the hotel.
She knew nothing about her as a person and it had crossed her mind that far from being relieved to have help, she might resent it.
Abby was used to being resented and treated with suspicion so the prospect of that didn’t worry her, but she knew that it would be easier to gain an accurate picture of what was going on in the hotel if she could form some kind of bond with the staff, particularly the acting general manager.
And that worried her. She hadn’t managed to bond with any of her colleagues in the office, and she’d tried everything.
Maybe she wasn’t the sort of person people warmed to. Maybe it was all her.
Hopefully it would lessen the feelings of resentment if Abby made it clear from the beginning that although she was another experienced pair of hands, Evie was still in charge.
She walked with him towards the main entrance, trying not to twist her ankle as she trundled her small suitcase over the gravel.
What had possessed her to wear these shoes?
“Edward!” A woman with a small dog on a lead waved to them from a path that led from the gardens. “I was hoping to see you before we went off for the afternoon.”
“Mrs Charles. And Tiddly.” Edward bent and made a fuss of the dog, a gesture that earned him a beaming smile from the dog’s owner. “How was lunch in the garden?”
“Delicious. I had the monkfish, as you suggested. And now Tiddly and I are going on a little trip to see the ruins at Tintagel. After all the stories you told us, we thought we should see it for ourselves. We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Merlin’s cave.”
“Enjoy, but be careful on the paths and the rocks, Mrs Charles. It can be slippery underfoot. And keep Tiddly on a lead.”
“Is it too late for me to book a table for dinner? I asked in the restaurant and they said they were full.”
“Leave it with me,” he said smoothly. “I’ll sort something out.”
“You’re a treasure, Edward.”
They exchanged a few more words and then Mrs Charles and the dog headed off for their adventure.
Abby watched her go. “Is she a regular guest?”
“Yes. She’s staying in The Stables. Those are our dog-friendly rooms.”
Abby gazed around her. “This is a beautiful place.”
“It is. I’m sure Evie will give you a tour later.”
“And Mrs Charles has been coming for a few years?”
“Ten years. Originally with her husband, but alone since her husband died five years ago. She was nervous to be travelling solo, so Gerald contacted her personally and told her how much the team were hoping she’d return and assured her that she would be surrounded by friends.”
“Smart move,” Abby said. “Guest retention is important and far more cost-effective than trying to attract new people. Losing customers means losing revenue.”
He gave her a curious look. “Yes, although I don’t think Gerald was thinking of profitability or revenue when he made that call. He was thinking of an elderly woman who had lost her life partner and was feeling alone and afraid.”
“Of course.” It was on the tip of Abby’s tongue to say that it was obvious from the numbers that Gerald hadn’t spent anywhere near enough time thinking about profitability, but something in the way this man was looking at her made her swallow the words.
Embarrassment crawled over her. Her mother had drilled into her that emotion shouldn’t play a part in decisions affecting the business and that sounded logical when you were sitting in a glass office staring at spreadsheets, but something close to inhumane when you were face-to-face with the people who were potentially impacted by your decisions.
She reminded herself that it was her job to maximise profit for the company.
In doing so she was protecting the future of the hotels, and by extension protecting jobs.
They were a commercial organisation, not a charity.
The Alexandra, Cornwall had existed for so long precisely because it had been treated as a business.
Hopefully, with her help, it would continue to exist.
Her first instinct when she’d stepped onto the gravel drive-way and had her first proper look at the hotel had been that if they couldn’t make a place like this profitable they might as well give up and go home, but her mother wasn’t interested in instincts.
She wanted facts, and Abby’s job was to produce those facts.
She needed to maintain an element of detachment if she were to do her job properly.
Edward stood to one side and she walked through the door-way and into the hotel.
She glanced around her, and noticed that some of the flowers in the large display on the reception desk were past their best. “You’ve worked here for a long time. Has it changed much over the years?”
“A great deal, but that’s to be expected. In my experience nothing in life stays the same however much we would like it to.”
“And your experience must be invaluable. I’m sure you know many of the hotel’s secrets.”