Chapter 42
As December whirled by in a flurry of festive cheer, Lily found she was waking up each morning with a new sense of purpose. She would bound downstairs to join the family for breakfast, eager to discover what the day ahead would bring.
The bookings had begun to trickle in for the hotel and day by day they were all getting in their routine of the hotel being open to guests once more.
December also brought about the need for further decorations around the hotel.
Ben had cut down a large Christmas tree which had been erected in the hallway, ably assisted by Walter and Del.
It was then decorated with many fairy lights and decorations until Ben announced it would keel over if they added anything else to it.
Faye created some lovely Christmas wreaths for all the doors and windows, along with mini pots of poinsettias that had been placed in each room to bring a splash of red to every corner.
Lily strung wreaths of holly and ivy swags across the many mantelpieces, as well as hanging stockings either side of the large fireplace in the lounge.
As she wandered from room to room, she was enveloped in either the sweet smell of pine or the aroma of Hannah’s delicious gingerbread cookies and cinnamon buns.
Certainly the guests continue to agree that Hannah’s baking was delicious.
‘It’s sooo good,’ said one lady, her mouth full of an iced bun.
‘What’s winter for if not to load up on carbs topped with sugar?’ replied Frankie, with a large grin.
Frankie had created a couple of Christmas-themed cocktails which had also gone down well with the guests, as well as the family. The Holly Jolly Christmas cocktail was a particular favourite with everyone who tasted it.
But despite all the positivity around the arrival of the festive season, there was no denying that the hotel bookings since reopening were a little slow.
‘It’s the holidays,’ said Walter over dinner the week before Christmas. ‘Folks want to be with their families, not stay at a hotel.’
‘I disagree,’ replied Ben, with a frown. ‘I mean, surely our bookings should be better than they’ve been.’
Walter sighed as he looked at his grandson. ‘We’ve had lots of people stay in the three weeks since we opened,’ he said. ‘And every one has told us how much they love it here. Just take heart from that, son.’
Ben nodded but Lily could tell that he was still seriously worried about their finances.
It was a concern, certainly, but everyone was able to brush off their worries when the last of the guests had left and they could celebrate Christmas alone in their home.
They had an extra visitor with Jake who declared he had no desire whatsoever to stay with either of his parents that Christmas.
‘Dad’s new girlfriend isn’t even as old as me,’ he told Lily, rolling his eyes in despair. ‘And Mum’s new husband is an absolute bore. So I eagerly accepted the kind invitation to come here.’
‘I think you invited yourself,’ murmured Ben.
But everyone was happy to have Jake stay with them, especially when he announced that he would be cooking Christmas dinner to give Faye a much-needed rest.
Christmas morning brought great excitement as they all sat around the tree in the lounge to open their presents. Lily’s parents had wired her money as usual. But the Jackson family presents felt more personal. Especially because most of them were homemade.
They had all been on a strict budget, given the state of their finances, so had agreed on only one present each but that had meant that they had to be a little more creative with their gifts.
Dotty was first up and delighted to find her old Nikon camera inside. ‘We got it repaired,’ Faye told her. ‘Now that you’re taking photographs again it was time to bring it out of storage.’
‘It’s wonderful,’ said Dotty, hugging it to her chest. ‘This was my first camera and my favourite. I can’t wait to get outside and take some pictures later.’
Faye was equally pleased with the three-tiered ribbon holder that Ben had carved out of wood for her. Hannah had filled each tier with different colours and styles of ribbons.
‘This is perfect for my flower arranging,’ beamed Faye, looking a little teary. ‘I absolutely love it.’
Hannah received two homemade wooden chopping boards, one for herbs and one for bread. ‘Grandad and I doubled up by mistake,’ said Ben, laughing.
‘But we’d figure you’d use them both anyway,’ added Walter.
‘I shall use nothing else,’ Hannah told them.
Ben had taken great care to carve Walter a wooden stool for him to sit on whilst he was busy in the workshop.
Walter’s eyes were a little misty as he looked at his grandson. ‘That’ll come in very handy,’ he said, before proudly showing Lily the skills that Ben had used to make it.
Frankie received a bar apron made out of leopard-print material and declared it, ‘Sexy and perfect. Just like me!’
Lily hadn’t expected anything as she knew that she wasn’t family. And yet Jake had received a carved gentleman’s tray to hold his watch and cufflinks, which he was chuffed to bits with.
Then Ben went behind the tree to bring out the largest wrapped present of all which he placed in front of Lily.
‘For me?’ she said, looking down at the present in wonder.
She carefully tore the paper aside and was stunned to find a wooden doll’s house inside. Except this one was a perfect replica of the hotel.
‘Ben and Grandad made it,’ Hannah told her. ‘We left the walls blank so that you could decorate them yourself.’
‘It’s perfect,’ Lily stammered, feeling choked up. ‘I love it.’
She stared down at the small version of the hotel. As well as all the rooms that she knew so well being in proportion, it had tiny fireplaces and even a miniature bar in the Snug, complete with fairy lights.
‘You’ll always have Maple Tree Lodge wherever you go,’ she heard Ben tell her.
She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears so that she could only nod and smile in response.
Christmas dinner was a cheery time. It had originally been suggested that they hold it in the dining room but everyone was far happier to eat in the kitchen at the long table. So it was a relaxed meal, complete with many helpings of food and groan-inducing jokes in the crackers.
‘Jake, that dinner was delicious,’ said Faye, sitting back in her chair after they had all finished.
‘Definitely,’ agreed Lily. ‘It was incredible.’ She held her stomach after eating far too much. ‘But I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to move again.’
‘A walk around the lake will help with that,’ announced Walter from the head of the table.
Most of the family groaned in response.
‘I was promised that there would be no aerobic activity on this festive day,’ grumbled Jake. ‘It’s not like Alex is here to make us all feel guilty.’
‘It’s a tradition,’ said Dotty. ‘We always go for a walk before the sun sets on Christmas day.’
‘And we moan all the way around the lake as we go,’ added Hannah, with a smile.
‘Good,’ said Frankie. ‘At least that sounds like my kind of tradition.’
But in the end, the walk around the lake was a jolly affair.
They all wrapped up against the biting cold wind that whistled across the water.
But as the sun sank low in the sky, leaving behind a blaze of pinks and oranges in its place for a short while, everyone stopped complaining and agreed that it had been a great idea.
On the walk, Lily fell behind a little, joined by Ben.
He had been quiet that day and she had guessed the reason why.
‘How are you?’ she asked softly so that nobody else could hear.
‘It’s been a bit strange,’ he replied, also keeping his voice low. ‘You know, without Dad being here.’
It was their first Christmas without his dad and she was sure that everyone was quietly feeling the sorrow that day.
‘I’m sure,’ she said.
Before she could help herself, she slipped her gloved hand into his and gave it a squeeze.
Ben gave her a small smile and they held hands all the way back to the hotel.
He hadn’t mentioned anything about the kiss since it had happened. She loved him for being patient and waiting for her to be ready. That he respected her feelings.
And yet, as they reached the oak-framed porch long after everyone else, she found herself hesitating and not wanting to go inside just yet.
Ben turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows at her in question.
‘Well, it is Christmas,’ she told him, pointing to the bough of mistletoe that had been hung there a few weeks before.
He smiled and drew her into his arms, bending his head towards hers.
‘It’s like an extra Christmas present, just for me,’ he murmured before closing the gap between them.
At the touch of his lips, she surrendered to the feelings that she had been trying to bury for the past month. The yearning she had had for another kiss.
She forced herself not to run, despite her inner voice telling her to flee. So she relaxed into his arms and they kissed again before finally heading indoors.