Chapter 43
In the new year, after the Christmas decorations had been taken down, Faye replaced all the red berries and holly with pristine whites and dark greens.
‘This looks great, Mum,’ said Ben, admiring the new floral centrepiece in the entrance hall.
‘Glad you like it,’ she replied. ‘I was going for a fresh new look to match the new year.’
As she tied a dark green ribbon into a bow on the wreath, Ben thought how much happier she was keeping busy with her flower arranging these days.
He was also trying to stay positive after so many good things had happened to the hotel but the truth was that the bookings had died right down after Christmas and remained low.
But where he could lie to the family and pretend that all was OK, he found that he couldn’t make anything up in front of Lily.
One evening, halfway through January, she sat down next to him on the sofa hugging a hot chocolate.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked. ‘You were pretty quiet during dinner.’
He blew out a sigh and leaned against the back of the sofa. ‘Just business,’ he told her. ‘I know that January’s always a terrible time for retail. Nobody’s got any money after Christmas. But we’re still not even at half occupancy every weekend.’
‘It’ll turn around for the better, I’m sure of it,’ she told him.
Ben wasn’t so sure. ‘I just don’t know what else we can do to get people here,’ he replied.
‘How about a different marketing campaign?’ she asked.
‘We’re doing pretty much everything that Ella has told us to do and I trust her judgement,’ he told her. ‘We’ve reached out to everyone that we can think of. We can’t spend any more money on advertising or else we’ll have no profits at all.’
‘We’ll think of something,’ she told him.
To his surprise and pleasure, she snuggled in closer and drew him into a hug.
They hadn’t kissed since Christmas Day. He had talked to Hannah, who had urged him to be patient and that Lily’s feelings for him were real no matter how much she held back from him.
Hannah had also told him a little more about Lily’s parents and her lonely upbringing and he understood her reservations about getting into any relationship.
The silence stretched out, filled only with the sound of the logs crackling in the hearth, as they held each other in their embrace. He relished the feeling of strength that he got from her as she held him close.
When she finally pulled back, Lily searched his face anxiously, making sure that he was all right.
‘We’re getting great reviews,’ he told her.
She nodded. ‘Yes, we are,’ she replied. ‘Everyone says that they’ll recommend us to all their friends.’
‘It’s just, I don’t know, we’re missing something to get the word out there that we even exist,’ he carried on.
‘What about the Dragonfly Dance?’ she asked, with a soft smile.
But Ben’s humour had gone missing. ‘Valentine’s Day is almost a month away.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t know if we can survive until then.’
‘There must be something we can do,’ she told him, frowning.
‘I just don’t know what,’ he said, as the rest of the family joined them in the lounge.
‘You look tired,’ said Faye, as she sat down on the sofa opposite to him and Lily.
‘I’d be glad to be tired,’ muttered Ben. ‘That would mean that at least I’d be rushed off my feet every day.’
‘I have a whole list of things that need building in my workshop if you’re bored,’ said Walter, sitting down on an armchair.
But he knew that his grandad understood. That everyone understood. They needed guests to stay at the hotel in order to make a profit. It was too wretched a thought that after everything they might still lose their family home.
Frankie went across to the fireplace and lit the large pillar candles along the mantelpiece.
‘Candles are so cheery,’ said Faye, as Frankie sat down next to her.
They all were quiet for a while, sitting and hugging their drinks as they watched the flames lick higher and higher, keeping them all warm.
‘I must say, I liked those floating candles that we had on the preview evening,’ said Dotty, looking at Lily. ‘Show me your photo again.’
So Lily leant forward, going through her phone until she found the one to show Dotty.
‘Lovely but I think our lanterns were even prettier,’ said Dotty, handing the phone back to Lily. ‘You know, we should do it again but with more of them.’
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Walter, looking bewildered at his wife.
‘Our very own light festival,’ replied Dotty. ‘Like that!’ She pointed at Lily’s mobile phone.
Lily looked down at the picture on her mobile before looking at Ben. ‘Our own light festival?’ she repeated.
He looked straight back at her, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Our own light festival,’ he replied, his mind racing with the possibilities.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Walter. ‘Why is everyone saying the same thing over and over?’
Ben laughed. ‘Sorry, Grandad, to be so vague. It’s just that I think Grandma’s had a brilliant idea.’
‘Of course I have,’ said Dotty, with a flourish. ‘I always do.’
‘Can we do this?’ asked Hannah, looking around at everyone. ‘I mean, just create our own festival?’
‘Why on earth not?’ said Walter. ‘It’s our land, after all.’
Ben looked across at Lily for reassurance. ‘We could do it,’ she said slowly, staring back at him. ‘I mean, it’s a simple idea but very effective. We could add a bit of music over some speakers.’
‘It could be the USP that we’ve been looking for,’ said Ben.
‘And it doesn’t hurt the wildlife,’ added Walter. ‘The baskets are all made from our own trees.’
‘But who would it be for?’ asked Faye, looking concerned. ‘I mean, who’s going to actually see it?’
‘Anyone who’s staying or visiting locally,’ said Ben, his brain now buzzing with ideas. ‘We could throw it open to the locals, get the word out. And it advertises the hotel at the same time.’
‘Especially if they want a drink to warm themselves up with afterwards in the snug,’ added Frankie.
Ben’s eyes gleamed with possibilities for more profits. ‘Absolutely.’
‘Or a warm bed to sleep in that night,’ said Lily. ‘You know, people love this kind of thing, if we get it right. A show for those on Instagram.’
‘Free advertising too,’ said Ben, nodding. He was beginning to feel excited at the idea that this might actually work.
‘I’ve got about forty baskets in the workshop,’ said Walter.
‘We’ll need a few more than that, Grandad,’ Ben told him.
‘Then you’ll have to give me a hand, lad.’ Walter looked at him. ‘When’s the deadline?’
Ben looked at Lily.
‘No time like the present,’ she told him, with a shrug. ‘So let’s start on Saturday night. That gives us three days to organise ourselves and get the word out.’
‘Done,’ he agreed, with a nod.
It was a frantic three days to get the inaugural Dragonfly Lake Light Festival up and running.
Music had to be found and speakers set up.
Thanks to Dodgy Del, the sound system was soon organised.
Advertising was the main thing but once an announcement had been placed on the Cranbridge Times website, which covered the whole area, they were inundated with requests and bookings.
In fact, they even brought in extra provisions for the bar in preparation.
‘This doesn’t mean that everyone will turn up,’ Ben told Lily, as she unpacked some more gin. ‘I’m still trying not to get my hopes up.’
‘You’ve always got to have hope,’ she told him softly.
And he was delighted when she reached up to kiss him on the cheek.
‘Yes, you do,’ he murmured, still feeling her soft lips on his skin.
If the light festival was a success, he was beginning to think that perhaps there was a future at the hotel after all. For everyone, including Lily.